I was running as fast as I could. His words were still bouncing around in my head, and every part of me—human and wolf—was begging me to go back to him. But he would reject me.
Everyone said he didn’t want a mate. They said I wouldn’t be able to handle the pain of rejection. It would be too much. I was scared. Would he still be a killer when I was his mate?
Would he love me, care for me the way I wanted? Was he even capable of love? Could he make me blush and smile?
All these questions were swirling in my mind, but before I could even start to answer them, I ran straight into a solid chest.
I knew it was him because of his scent. I started to shake with fear, keeping my eyes glued to the ground. I didn’t want to look at him.
He lifted my chin to meet his gaze, and I had no choice but to look. His eyes were a deep brown, reminding me of chocolate.
I found myself lost in his eyes, and he was staring right back at me. He was the first to break the silence. “I don’t appreciate my mate running away from me.” His voice sent shivers down my spine.
“I…I…” I stuttered, unable to form a coherent sentence.
“Do I make you nervous?” he whispered in my ear.
I scoffed, “No.”
Lies, all lies. Of course, he made me nervous. But I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing.
He tutted, “You’re a terrible liar.”
There was something about Dylan that intrigued me. There was a sense of determination in his eyes. I didn’t know what it was for, but I wanted to find out.
Dylan was staring at me, waiting for me to make a move. So I did.
I backed up until my back hit a tree and Dylan moved forward, a dangerous smile on his handsome face.
“Just so you know, I know exactly who you are, Scarlet,” he whispered in my ear, causing me to shiver.
He knew who I was? How? Aria and I had been friends for years, but I didn’t think Dylan would know about me. I was just Aria’s best friend. Had Aria told him?
“Your mind is working overtime to figure out how I know you,” Dylan stated.
“Well, yes. I’m just confused,” I replied.
“You and my cousin are best friends. Of course, I make it my duty to know who Aria’s friends are and if they are worthy.” He rolled his eyes.
“What the hell?” I said.
“What?” Dylan looked bored.
“How dare you say that about me?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“I will say what I like about whoever I want to. You cannot stop me, so don’t try.” Dylan’s gaze pierced mine, and I swallowed the lump in my throat.
Yes, he was my mate and yes, I had a feeling deep down that he wouldn’t hurt me. But right now, I was more worried about my safety.
Dylan radiated danger, and that wasn’t a good thing.
He’d clearly had enough of whatever this was, so he grabbed my hand. I should have stopped him, but I didn’t.
I relished the sparks that shot through my whole arm. My whole body felt warm, and my wolf calmed down too!
Maybe I was being selfish, but I wanted to know what the big deal was about this mate touch I’d heard so much about. After feeling it for myself, I knew that I would crave it.
As we were heading back to the hall, I got nervous. Dylan’s tight grip on my arm meant I couldn’t leave, even if I wanted to. But right now, I didn’t want to move.
The tingles I felt were probably the main reason my body refused to move. For some reason, my wolf was thrilled that we had finally found our mate.
After everything, I thought finding my mate would be the best day of my life. I never thought my mate would be the alpha king.
There were so many unanswered questions nagging at me. I wanted to find the answers before I let myself fall for Dylan.
The mate bond was a powerful force, and I knew it would take all my willpower not to be affected by it right away.
I thought when I found my mate, he would sweep me off my feet and we would spend the whole day getting to know each other, maybe even sharing our first kiss.
I highly doubted that was how my evening with Dylan was going to go.
When we stepped into the hall, everyone’s eyes were on us. I shifted uncomfortably and Dylan nodded at them, obviously sensing my discomfort.
“Don’t expect me to tell you all who this is. I think it’s pretty obvious so don’t stand and stare.” Dylan’s sharp tone made everyone stop staring and continue their conversations.
I saw the looks of sympathy, jealousy, and happiness from various people. Dylan still had my arm in his tight grip. The looks from everyone felt suffocating.
My eyes scanned the hall, desperately trying to find my mom’s comforting gaze. There were just too many people and I couldn’t find her.
Sighing, I tried to pull away from Dylan so I could look for her.
But Dylan didn’t say anything as he tightened his grip on my arm. That was a clear message not to leave.
I stopped and waited. I knew if I tried anything, my poor arm would suffer the consequences.
Everyone in the hall was chatting, but I didn’t miss the looks we got. Dylan just stood there, not caring that everyone was still looking.
“Are you going to let me go? I want to find my mom,” I said.
Dylan’s gaze snapped to mine. “You want to find your mom?” he repeated.
I just nodded, not trusting my voice.
“You’re with your mate and you want to find your mother. I think not,” Dylan snapped.
“Well, it isn’t like we’re doing anything. Just standing here while people stare at me.” I couldn’t help the words as they flew out of my mouth.
Dylan’s gaze suddenly snapped to everyone in the room, his growl causing them to look down.
Dylan wasn’t a fan of that.
Suddenly, I was airborne. Dylan had hoisted me over his shoulder, and I let out a gasp of surprise. The whispers and murmurs started almost immediately.
I could only imagine how we looked, the king with his mate slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I craned my neck, looking for someone to help me.
My eyes landed on my mom. She offered a sympathetic smile, but there was nothing she could do.
I didn’t have time to dwell on it as Dylan bulldozed his way through the crowd. I caught a glimpse of Aria, her face a picture of shock.
I might have laughed at her expression if I wasn’t feeling a mix of dizziness and anger.
As Dylan started up the stairs, my dizziness intensified. The realization that Dylan had a clear view of my backside made me blush. His hand held me steady, and I found myself oddly enjoying the situation.
I pleaded with him to put me down, but he ignored me. I considered hitting him, but I held back. After all, he was still my king.
He carried me into a huge room and unceremoniously dumped me on the bed.
Before I could say a word, he was out the door, which he promptly locked!
I sprang off the bed and pounded on the door. “Open this door right now! Who do you think you are, locking me in a bedroom? Let me out, this isn’t funny.”
My shouts fell on deaf ears. Dylan was already gone; I heard his footsteps receding. No one came to my aid. They must have heard my cries, but they didn’t come.
Not my parents, not my siblings, not even my best friend. I figured Dylan must have threatened them, leaving them no choice but to abandon me.
Frustrated, I gave up. It had been half an hour since Dylan left me here. My throat was sore from all the yelling and screaming.
It was clear no one was coming, so I flopped onto the bed, fuming.
Of all the mates, I had to be paired with the one guy who didn’t seem to want a mate, and who had a murderous past. Just my luck.
All I wanted was a mate who loved and cared for me. Instead, I got a mate who locked me in a room and was clearly unhinged.
I was his mate, not his captive. The guests were leaving. I figured he would let me out soon.
The thought of spending the rest of my life with this alpha king was not appealing. I tried to understand why he would do this, but I couldn’t make sense of it.
The only conclusion I could draw was that my mate was insane. I glanced at the clock. It was twelve fifty-six.
The shouting and screaming, coupled with the day’s events, had left me drained. It was clear Dylan wasn’t coming back for me.
So, instead of wallowing, I washed off my makeup and crawled under the warm covers.
I made a mental note to show Dylan he had messed with the wrong girl before sleep claimed me…
I woke up, blinking against the light. I stretched and sat up. As I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, the events of the previous day came flooding back.
Dylan was my mate. He had locked me in a room and never returned, despite my shouting and screaming. I removed my hands from my eyes and sure enough, I was still in the room.
Dylan was nowhere to be seen, not that I expected him to be.
What was I supposed to do now? I was still in my dress from the night before and had no clean clothes. My phone was with my dad, so I couldn’t call anyone.
Sighing, I got up and tried the door. It was still locked.
I tried the door again, but it wouldn’t budge. So, I resorted to shouting.
“Let me out of here! Someone!” I pounded on the door.
“Scarlet? Is that you?” Aria’s voice came from the other side.
I almost cried when the door swung open to reveal my best friend. Without a word, I threw my arms around her.
“It’s okay. Let’s go to my room.” Aria took my hand and led me to her room.
I ignored the stares as we passed. I must have looked a mess.
Once we were in Aria’s room, she locked the door.
“Go shower. You can borrow some of my clothes.”
I nodded and hurried to the shower. The hot water was a welcome escape from the chaos. As I was rinsing out my shampoo, I caught a whiff of that addictive scent.
Now I knew who it belonged to. But why was he here? He clearly didn’t care about me, considering he had left me locked in that room.
Determined to give him a piece of my mind, I finished my shower quickly. I could hear their voices; Aria was shouting angrily.
My ears picked up their conversation as I dried off.
“Are you out of your mind? You left her there!” Aria yelled.
“She’s my mate, not yours,” Dylan retorted.
“She’s my best friend. I found her in such a state, how could you do that to her?” Aria demanded.
“My mate, my problem. Not yours.” Dylan didn’t bother to explain himself.
Aria scoffed, “Your problem? Let me tell you something, Dylan. The biggest mistake you’ll ever make is underestimating Scarlet. Don’t push her away.”
I heard Dylan growl just before a familiar voice intervened. “Enough. Both of you. Aria, calm down. Dylan, you may be king now, but I won’t let you treat Scarlet like that again.”
It was time to make my entrance. I pulled on the leggings and top before opening the door.
Three pairs of eyes turned to me, and I found myself drawn to the one pair I shouldn’t be.
I tore my gaze away from him, turning to Aria. “Hey, I appreciate you lending me your clothes. I think it’s time for me to head home.”
Before she could respond, I was yanked against a firm chest.
“Who said I’m letting you leave?”
I narrowed my eyes, shoving Dylan back.
“And who gave you the right to decide? After what happened last night, you should be begging for my forgiveness.”
Dylan’s eyes darkened, clearly not pleased with my words. But I didn’t give a damn.
“I’m going home. End of discussion,” I declared.
“She’s just going home to grab her stuff, Dylan. She doesn’t have anything here.” Harry jumped in.
Damn it, I couldn’t say no to Harry.
“Fine, she’ll return here,” Dylan conceded.
“She has a name,” I snapped.
“I’m aware. Go get your things and come back. Or else, I’ll lock you up again.” His gaze was unyielding.
Aria gasped from somewhere behind us while my blood simmered with rage.
“Go to hell. You might be a king, but you’re not my king.” I pushed past him, heading for the stairs.
I didn’t glance back as I drove home, as the tears streamed down my face, as my heart shattered, as my wolf whimpered, as a piece of me withered away…
