Chapter 24
Rhea
My breath gets stuck in my throat as 1 see him in the foyer. I quickly turn around without making a sound. My heart races wildly.
No.
What is he doing here! He isn’t supposed to come. His name isn’t on the list–it never was
I can feel his eyes on me even with my back facing him. Every bone in my body wants to burst and crawl right out. Just not be here in his presence. My skin crawls, Bile rises in my mouth, I feel sick, dizzy
A dark shadow creeps over and swallows me whole. In the matter of seconds, it’s already nightmarish and he’s right behind. His hand goes around my arm, forcing me to stop. I whip around and cringe at his touch.
He’s angry. I can see that on his face, the way the contours of his chin and forehead set together, the lines of his jaw clenching. His hand remains on me, not moving. I can’t tell if his hold is soft or harsh. Everything is a blur but not the feeling of his fingertips digging into my flesh.
There are many people, walking in and out of the ballroom, crowded outside the pack house and inside as well. Some glance, most don’t
There’s slight pull on the base of my arm, bringing me even more forward. He draws me close to him, giving me a faint whiff of himself before heading into the nearest room away from all the prying eyes and into the cold and dark library.
I don’t notice it until I’m inside. Then, I see my surroundings clearly. The wooded furniture, the rows and rows of books, the musty scent of the books as they carry with dust and age. The loud thudding of the door shutting close. And him.
And two of his companions.
They almost completely fill the room with their broad and hulking bodies. My ears pick up a little, catching a single strand of their soft but somewhat aggressive words before everything merges into the background.
“Make sure no one comes here”
“No one will.”
I struggle but get nothing except for Aron pulling me deeper across the library before pressing me against the wall. Our bodies collide with each other, making me bite the inside of my cheeks. The fire rages in his face, the expression he has hard and impossible to decipher.
I’m slightly intimidated by him. That much I can’t deny.
“Why didn’t you respond to any of my letters?” he asks, releasing me and lying his hand on the wall behind me.
I look up in his eyes, quivering from within. “I–I did.”
“That was not a response, Rhea, he groans deeply. “That was an official declaration of dismissal. Written in ink. I felt the sting the clear rejection and indignation from your end. I don’t believe I’ve ever received a letter as pathetic as that.”
I move back, hitting the wall. “I–I told you I don’t want you. I don’t want a mate.”
1/3
23:03 Fri, 11 Apr
Chapter 21
“Yes, but I’ve chosen otherwise he says, staring down at me.
Breathe.
-I don’t say anything for a second. It’s not like I’m lost in thought or 1 have nothing to say
So many entotions flash through my eyes and just the sight of him is overwhelming. A knot catches in my chest, not allowing me to say anything.
36%A
My hands shaking. I try to shove him back and regain the space I’ve been deprived of. And he–instead of being thrown away to a corner or something–he culs his fingers around my hand and brings it back against the wall. His touch was as quick as lightning, Instantaneous.
It catches me off guard and I swear, the world around us has just changed. I stare at him with complete shock, my mouth hangs open.
He comers me, invading whatever little space I might have tried to take, his body touching mine again, like he never wants to move back at all.
My hands burn in his touch.
His gaze wanders to my neck and a familiarity passes through his. “What’s that on your neck? Under the dress”
Flinching. I quickly jerk my neck and glance anywhere but him.
“What happened?” he demands.
“Nothing” I whisper.
“Tell me.” he snaps. “What-
I push back at his chest, desperately trying to put some space between us. He will know of the truth, of the incident and everything. He will be disgusted by the fact that someone came onto me.
“It’s nothing.” I gasp through the tightness and dryness of my mouth. “I–I was just training. I’ve to lie, somehow.
“For what?” His forehead creases but never takes his eyes off me.
“Just–just training “I don’t know what else to say, what else I can say. My mind isn’t working and it isn’t clear, either. “To become a warrior. So, I was practicing and I got hurt.”
I’m not a good liar. I know that well but I’ve to give it a try.
He doesn’t seems to surprised by what I tell him. Infact, his expression becomes neutral and the confusion leaves his face.
Til train you-”
“No.” I cut him off, feeling the sudden panic rise within my bones. “I don’t want to be with you. Please.” I grip his coat, attempting to break him off. My checks heat up, my insides flip at the thought of being so close to him. He leans in a little closer than before.
I find his closeness to be suffocating, and I wish to push him away, like how I did last time. When he had left me and when I was so sure he wouldn’t return.
“What is it with you? Why don’t you want to be with me?” The anger returns. It swirls right around his face, making his brows draw tighter and his jaw become more chiselled.
I inhale deeply, “You’re terrifying.” It comes out as a whisper before I can process it.
2/3
23:03 10, 11 А ПОЛ
Chapter 24
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trust our another and very soon we shall
I don’t want to get to know you, I interject, not knowing how touch me Lean say “I don’t want to be with you. I don’t want this I need you to let me go, please. I’m protected here and I would chose that over anything else you can offer
Instantly, he lets out a groan in response.
Pride is a mistake
I try to be brave, I don’t care. I would rather be alone, I can survive on my own. In this pack. Mateleas”
“Could you?”
I answer him by not saying anything
He lets out a low, breathy laugh and his hand moves a piece of hair away from my eye, “You can’t. And you know this too. Don’t be ignorant, be realistic. It won’t help you, it won’t save you
My mouth drops but words fail to emerge. I’m utterly stuck in place, unable to get anything out. He waits for a second, observing my reaction to his statement.
Hat when I give him nothing to work with, he tips his head back and a long sighs passes his lips.
“Fine, you want a taste of reality?”
He takes a small step back and finally, the pressure of his body on mine disappears,
“You can have it,” There’s a shift of change in his eyes and when that happens, I know what’s coming next. “I reject this hond and deny my claim on you as my mate. Let late have its play with that” The sound of his voice changes drastically.
It’s almost like it’s not the same person
