ELARA~
My body felt weak, almost drained, like all the strength had been sucked right out of me, but I still managed to pry my eyes open.
Everything felt… off. My head throbbed, my limbs ached, and my throat burned as I tried to swallow. The last thing I remembered was my body giving out, a sharp dizziness, then darkness.
The surface under me was soft, definitely not my bed. And this room? It wasn't mine either. If I was ever brought over to my dad's, the room wasn't going to be as nice or big as this.
I blinked hard, trying to adjust to the dim lighting. The walls were covered with strange, swirling paintings, dark and almost ominous, like something out of a cursed fairytale. Each corner of the room seemed to hum with heavy energy.
Then my gaze froze.
F*ck! WHAT!
Alpha Hardin.
He stood there silently, his eyes locked on me. With no expression, or even words, just him staring like he was trying to read my soul.
For a second, my heart stopped. The first thought that hit me wasn't even fear, it was panic. I yanked the blanket closer and quickly checked my clothes.
It was still on. Everything intact.
Phew! Thank the goddess.
I let out a shaky breath and finally glanced back at him, only to regret it instantly.
Hardin looked exactly how people described him: tall, broad-shouldered, carved like a damn statue. His chest muscles flexed slightly as he breathed, and those sharp brown eyes of his could probably slice through steel.
Then my eyes—unfortunately—drifted downward.
Oh. My. Goddess.
He was wearing boxers. Just f*cking boxers.
"F*ck! Jesus!" I squealed, slapping my palms over my face. My entire body burned like fire.
"What?" His voice was low, calm, and ridiculously steady, like he couldn't understand what the problem was.
"Why the hell are you naked!?" I yelled through my hands.
"Excuse me?" He sounded half amused. "I'm not naked. I'm still wearing my boxers."
Still wearing his boxers? That wasn't exactly comforting! The man was practically naked, boxers or not, and my traitorous brain had already caught sight of... that.
Ugh, gross. Just so damn gross.
"Please, just—put on something! Anything! So I can actually look at your face again!" I snapped, keeping my eyes tightly shut.
He muttered something under his breath, probably cursing me, and a few moments later, I heard him moving around.
Then his voice came again, smooth and teasing this time.
"I'm done. You can look now. Stop acting like you've never seen a man half naked before."
I groaned, still refusing to look up. "Not half-naked alphas, thank you very much."
He laughed, a low, rich sound that filled the room, like he'd just heard the funniest thing in the world.
"That's funny," he said, still smirking. "You practically live in the city, surrounded by a bunch of hot guys, and you're telling me you've never stumbled on one of them naked before? That's impossible."
I frowned, peeling my hands away from my face instantly.
"You've got issues. How is that even his damn problem?" I muttered to myself, under my breath before pushing myself off the bed.
But the moment I stood in front of him, I froze.
I hadn't realized how tall he really was until now. From the bed, where I sat down, I barely reached his neck angle but standing now I barely even reached his chest. And even though I was annoyed, my eyes betrayed me, they roamed up his torso, over his sculpted shoulders, all the way to that dangerously sharp jawline.
Oh my Moon! Help me.
Up close, Hardin wasn't just intimidating, he was beautiful in a dark, infuriating way. There was something magnetic about him that made it impossible to look away.
For a moment, neither of us said a word. We just kept staring.
Then he leaned down slightly, his face lowering until his lips were barely inches from mine. His breath brushed against my skin, warm and teasing.
"Wanna take a closer look?" he murmured, that wicked smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
My heart skipped. What the heck! This cocky jerk.
I quickly shifted back, blinking hard to clear my head. "I wasn't looking," I muttered, trying to sound confident, but my voice came out quiet, soft, and embarrassingly shaky.
His eyes darkened a little, like he noticed. "You smell of sweat, Elara. It's wrecking my nose. Go take a shower."
I froze. "Wait—how do you even know my name?"
He gave a short scoff, folding his arms. "Aaron told me. He brought you here himself while you were still completely out."
Right. Aaron.
The reminder hit me like a soft jolt, mixed with a little confusion, and a little warmth, and that unexplainable pull all at once.
Then silence settled between us again, thick and heavy, this time.
Hardin broke it first. "Wanna take a shower too?" he asked suddenly, his tone dripping with lazy amusement.
"Yeah," I said quickly, before my brain had a chance to even process it.
His lips twitched. "Good," he murmured. "Try not to faint inside the bathroom this time." He teased me.
I didn't answer him. I just started walking toward where I thought the bathroom might be, until his arm shot out, stopping me mid-step.
Before I could react, he spun me around, and my hands landed flat against his bare chest.
I completely went still.
My breath caught somewhere between my lungs and throat, and for a second, my brain forgot how to breathe. His skin was warm under my palms, hard, and solid, my eyes dragged up until they met his.
He was already looking at me, his gaze heavy, intense, like he was fighting some kind of invisible battle inside himself.
"That's not the bathroom," he said finally, his voice low and rough.
I swallowed hard, nodding quickly, afraid that if I opened my mouth, I'd embarrass myself even more.
The moment he released me, my legs gave out, just like that. I didn't mean to, but my knees simply betrayed me.
Before I could hit the floor, his arm wrapped around me again, strong and steady.
God. Why now? My face burned with humiliation.
And then, before I even understood what was happening, he scooped me up effortlessly, like I weighed nothing, and carried me into the bathroom.
The air shifted instantly. The warmth of his body, the smell of him, dark, woodsy, and maybe, a little dangerous, was everywhere. My hand had somehow ended up behind his neck, clutching it for balance.
When he finally set me down on the warm bathroom tiles, I hesitated, unsure where to look.
He straightened slowly, his eyes still on me. "Take your time," he said quietly, his voice softer now, almost gentle. Then he stepped back and closed the door behind him.
HARDIN
The moment the door clicked shut, I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.
It came out shaky, like my lungs had just remembered how to work.
I ran a hand down my face, my heartbeat pounding so loud it almost echoed in my ears.
She was driving me insane, and she didn't even know it.
I'd barely sat down when I heard a sharp scream from the bathroom.
Before I even thought, I was on my feet, crossing the room in a blur. My hand gripped the doorknob, and I flung the door open without any thinking or hesitation.
And there she was.
Elara was standing there… completely naked.
My mind went blank at once.
My throat went dry. My pulse went wild. Every inch of me froze, caught between instinct and shock.
F*cking hell… what the fuck was she doing to me?