I smiled awkwardly and took two steps away from Alexander.
"We should start going so as to return early," I said, forcing my voice to sound calm even though my chest felt tight.
Alexander's posture shifted immediately. His body straightened, shoulders squaring like he was suddenly aware of every movement in the space around us. I could feel his presence behind me without even turning.
And I could feel that subtle, irritating smirk.
"Yes, we should leave," Ellen said. "I'll ride with Alex."
Her voice was sweet, but it carried a firmness that made my skin prickle. She walked past me without hesitation, as if I wasn't even there. Her heels clicked softly on the ground as she headed straight for Alexander's black car.
She opened the front door and slipped inside like it was her rightful place.
I lifted my gaze to Alexander, forcing a smile I didn't feel.
"You should get going," I told him, my tone clipped.
Then I turned quickly and walked away before he could respond.
I walked as fast as I could toward the white BMW, holding my breath like the air behind me was poisonous. I could almost feel Alexander's eyes burning into my back. I didn't even need to turn back to see him staring. I just knew he was and I was certain his smirk was plastered on his face.
The moment I reached the BMW, I yanked the door open and climbed into the front seat.
When the door clicked shut, I finally released the breath I'd been holding.
My lungs expanded painfully as I inhaled, and for a moment, I sat there still, gripping the edge of the seat like I had just escaped something.
Why was the air over there so stiff?
It felt like I had walked into the middle of something private, something intense. Like I was an unwanted third person standing between two lovers who hadn't admitted their feelings yet.
I groaned and leaned my head back against the headrest.
I didn't want to be involved in whatever this was.
Ellen's glare replayed in my mind. That silent warning. That possessiveness. That sharp, quiet jealousy.
I had told her the other day that Alexander and I were enemies.
So why did Alexander insist on behaving like we weren't?
I clenched my jaw, frustration bubbling inside me.
I let out a low snarl under my breath, and at that exact moment, the car door opened.
I jolted upright.
"Why are you making those sounds?"
My head snapped toward the voice and my entire body froze.
Alexander slid into the driver's seat like it was the most normal thing in the world.
My eyes widened.
I looked quickly to the other car, expecting to see him there instead. Ellen was still in the black car, that I was sure of and now the butler was stepping into the front seat beside her.
My mouth fell open.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly from shock.
Alexander glanced at me as he adjusted the rear-view mirror.
"Is that question for me?" he asked, his voice smooth.
"Who else is in the car with me?" I snapped. "You're supposed to ride with Ellen. What are you doing here with me?"
My face burned hot, and I hated that he could see it.
Alexander's blue eyes gleamed for a second as he looked at me. He didn't answer immediately. He just watched me like he was studying me.
Then, slowly, a small smile appeared on his face.
"Are you trying to matchmake Ellen and me?" he asked.
The question hit me like a slap.
My anger died instantly, replaced by something else…something I refused to name.
I turned my face away from him, staring out the window.
"No," I firmly denied.
The silence that followed made my nerves tighten.
Alexander didn't argue. He didn't push. He simply faced forward, started the engine, and began to drive.
The tires rolled over the gravel softly as we pulled onto the road.
"You're such a bad liar," he said after a few seconds.
My head snapped toward him.
"I know I'm a bad liar," I said, irritation rising again, "but someone should tell her you don't like her instead of using me as cover."
He didn't respond.
So I kept going.
"It feels like I'm stuck in a love triangle," I blurted. "And I hate love triangles. She keeps glaring at me whenever you're even a few steps close to me."
My hands clenched into fists in my lap.
"It's not only annoying," I continued, voice shaking now, "it's terrifying. I'm scared for my life."
Alexander's eyes flickered briefly toward me, then returned to the road.
"What if she attacks me in the middle of the night?" I rambled. "I'm a powerless girl who can't even feel her own wolf. If she decided to hurt me, what would I do? Cry? Beg? Die?"
The words poured out like a flood, and when I finally stopped, my chest rose and fell rapidly.
Alexander didn't say anything.
He just kept driving with that strange smile on his face.
I stared at him, waiting for him to speak.
Waiting for him to deny it.
Waiting for him to reassure me.
Waiting for him to do something.
But he only smiled, as if my panic was amusing.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" I asked, my voice low.
"You sound like a jealous crush right now," he said casually.
My eyes widened.
"What!" I exclaimed. "No. Never. I don't."
His eyes stayed on the road, but his smile widened slightly.
"Then why would you think you're in a love triangle if you don't have feelings for me?"
I scoffed loudly, trying to cover the sudden thump in my chest.
"Alexander, you aren't the type of man I would ever want to get involved with," I said.
"Let alone have a crush on."
He said nothing.
So I continued, voice sharper.
"You're cunning. Dangerous. Merciless. A heartbreaker."
The word hung in the air.
Alexander's expression shifted.
"But Donald is the opposite, right?" he asked.
The name hit me like ice water.
My chest tightened, and my throat went dry.
"Why bring up Donald?" I demanded, forcing the words out.
"You called me a heartbreaker," he said, tone calm. "I haven't broken any hearts. I have never led anyone on and rejected them later."
"How dare you," I snapped, but my voice was weaker now.
Alexander continued driving, his grip on the steering wheel steady.
"I tell it to their faces, Elena," he said, his voice suddenly serious. "I don't spend two years building a relationship and then one day say the words, 'I don't want you.'"
My world tilted.
The sting came so fast I couldn't stop it.
Tears welled in my eyes immediately, blurring my vision.
He had been there that day.
Six years ago.
The day Donald said those exact words to me.
I had told myself I was over it. I had convinced myself I had healed. I had buried it under years of silence, years of pretending it didn't matter.
But hearing it now…hearing it in Alexander's voice…ripped that wound open like it had never closed.
My hands trembled.
My breathing became shallow.
"Stop the car," I said quietly.
Alexander didn't.
My jaw clenched.
"Stop the car!" I yelled.
The car came to a sudden halt, the tires skidding slightly.
Before he could speak, I shoved the door open and stepped out.
Cold air slammed into my face instantly, sharp and biting.
I blinked hard, trying to stop the tears, but they kept coming.
I looked around and realized we were in the middle of nowhere. Trees lined the road like dark guards. The sky was grey and heavy like it was about to rain, and the wind hissed through the leaves.
We weren't near the main town yet.
But I didn't care.
I needed air. I needed space. I needed to breathe without his voice digging into my scars.
I began walking back the way we came from, my steps quick and angry.
I didn't get far.
Alexander appeared in front of me like he had teleported.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.
"I need fresh air," I said, refusing to look into his eyes.
"I thought we were just having a normal conversation about heartbreaks," he said.
A normal conversation?
I scoffed bitterly.
He was so good at talking about heartbreaks like it was nothing. Like it wasn't the thing that had nearly destroyed me.
"Get back in the car," he demanded.
He reached for my hand.
I pulled away fast.
"This isn't the time to be stubborn," he warned, his tone harsh.
His eyes darted around suddenly, scanning the trees.
Something in his face changed.
He looked… alert.
Like a predator who sensed another predator nearby.
The tears I had been holding back broke free.
"I hate you," I choked out, voice cracking. "I hate you so much, Alexander."
He groaned loudly and cursed under his breath.
Before I could react, he grabbed my hand again.
I tried to resist, but he was too strong. He pulled me toward the car quickly, his movements urgent.
He opened the door and tried to push me inside.
"I said let me go!" I screamed, twisting away.
His expression remained hard and serious.
And then I heard it.
A heavy thud.
Something landed on the roof of the car.
My entire body froze.
"What was that?" I whispered.
Alexander shoved me behind him instantly, his body shielding mine.
A red wolf stepped into view.
My eyes widened so much it hurt.
It was the same kind of wolf.
The same red fur.
The same monstrous aura.
My mind flashed back to the Blood Moon.
The screams. The blood. The fear. The way my heart had nearly stopped that night.
In one slick move, Alexander was already on top of the car.
He moved like lightning.
In less than a second, the wolf was down.
I heard a sickening sound and saw blood splatter.
My stomach lurched violently.
I turned my head away, bile rising in my throat.
"We need to leave," Alexander said, voice sharp as he jumped down. "Get into the car. Now."
I couldn't move.
My legs felt like stone.
Before I could take a step, another wolf appeared out of the shadows.
It lunged.
Its claws tore across Alexander's chest.
I screamed.
Alexander didn't even flinch.
He grabbed the wolf with terrifying strength, his hands digging into its body like it was nothing but cloth.
The wolf let out a strangled sound.
Then it collapsed.
The next thing I saw was its heart on the ground, still steaming in the cold air.
I gagged and covered my mouth, my entire body shaking.
Alexander wiped his hand on his trousers like he had done nothing more than kill a fly
.
"Get in the car," he commanded again.
I stumbled backward, my hands trembling.
I thought it was over.
I thought there couldn't possibly be more.
The day darkened suddenly,, the sun disappearing behind thick, dark clouds and the next thing I heard was the sky rumble overhead.
Then I looked to the other side of the road.
And my feet went cold.
Because in the shadows between the trees, more eyes glowed back at us.
Not one.
Not two.
Several.
My breath caught.
The air around us felt heavier, thick with danger.
I swallowed hard.
"A-Alexander…" I called out, my voice low and terrified.
He slowly turned his head in the direction I was staring.
His expression darkened.