She wears love like a loaded gun.
- Atticus
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Thud. Thud. Thud.
My heartbeats are like heavy footfalls in the snow.
The door shuts behind me and I'm engulfed in darkness again. It's not until a few seconds pass, my eyes begin to adjust to the dim light.
He's facing the window, hands clenched into fists in his pockets and mouth drawn in a firm line. The breeze sifts through his hair, making it messier than ever. His back his turned away from me and I can only make out his silhouette in the dim light - those broad shoulders, those biceps taut beneath his shirt, that sharp angular face. . . Fuck.
I gulp looking away. This is going to be a lot tougher than I thought.
"Kiara," his voice is rough, sending a shiver down my spine. "I said, I wanted to be alone."
Try telling that to my sister.
"I come in peace." I say, "I bring food."
"I'm not hungry." He retorts.
"Irrelevant." In a few steps, I'm right behind him. "Go on. Eat. You'll feel a lot better."
He tilts his head slightly in my direction. A frown climbs up his face when he sees the cookies I'm holding up. "Kiara, I-"
"Shut up and take it!" I thrust the plate into his hand. "Eat, you big baby."
For a second, I see his lips twitch upwards into a smile but it's gone as swiftly as it comes. As though afraid I might see him smile, he turns away from me.
"Why are you really here, Kiara?" The question is low and chilling.
"Because you need me."
He cocks an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"It's what I know. Admit it, your stupid alpha ego holds you back from saying it."
An eye roll. "I don't have an alpha ego, Kiara."
"Oh Aden, you're drowning in the deepest waters of de-nial."
"This has nothing to do with the fact that your sister sent you here?" His shrewd grey eyes are trained on me.
I bite my lip, realising he must've heard us. No wonder he's suspicious of my intentions. "One of the reasons," I murmur hesitantly, "But not the only one."
The strangest expression crosses his face, but it's gone in a flash. Maybe it's just the moonlight playing tricks on my eyes.
Stepping closer, my hand touches his shoulder. "Hey." I say softly. "Talk to me."
He lets out a bitter laugh. "About what? I don't even know where to start. Nothing makes sense!"
"How about from where you think things went wrong?"
His expression is a mixture of pain, betrayal and anger. "I haven't figured out that myself. Everything she did seems so fake now."
"How could I not know all these years? I must be absolutely dense to have not seen this coming!" He continues fiercely, "My sister, Stella, is a person who can't hurt a fly. How the hell did she become fellow conspirator with such a monster? No, he's playing mind games with me again. This is his sick idea of fun."
His fist hits the wall with such tremendous force, the bricks nearly shatter.
Rage swirls behind that gaze, like lava inside a volcano going to erupt any second. A normal person in this situation would take one look take off for the hills. It's no secret that when Aden gets angry, he's reckless. Violent. Unstoppable.
If he doesn't keep his shit together, we're all doomed.
"Aden. You need to calm down."
A fierce growl rips through his throat. "Screw the 'calm down'. I need answers. Right now!"
My palms cradle his cheeks, forcing him to look at me. His light stubble grazes my skin, and I suppress the shiver of pleasure that runs through me at our contact. Stepping close, I'm just inches from him. His eyes so dark, his wolf is on the verge of taking over. "Breathe. You need answers, you'll get them. But right now, I want you to breathe."
He resists at first. Then, eyes closed, he inhales and exhales, face tipped forward.
Slowly, his shoulders relax visibly. His breathing evens.
Moments tick by in utter silence. Finally, his eyes flicker open. Relief courses through me when I see his grey eyes return to normal. I let go and take a step back.
His hands wrap around my wrists, preventing me from moving any farther. His warm breath against my forehead, a stark contrast to the chilly night breeze. "Thank you." His voice, a mere whisper. "I don't know what just—"
I manage a feeble smile. "You have anger issues."
It happened two years before too. His anger ruined something beautiful even before it could begin.
His head droops slightly. "I'm sorry. My emotions tend to bring out the worst in me. I'm sorry you had to see that."
"I get it, Aden."
I smile when he continues to look sheepish. It's only a few moments later that I realize my hands are cradling his face, and the lack of space between us. A shiver runs down my spine.
One second, I'm looking at him, and the next I'm looking at him.
I withdraw like I've been scorched.
The temperature in the room seems to spike up a hundred and ten degrees. My heart starts beating faster, my body begins to feel hot all over. The proximity between us is killing me and my imagination goes wild at the thought of closing the gap entirely.
I nearly scream at my subconscious to snap out of it before I do something reckless like kiss him. Honestly, that's the last thing I need right now. The way he's looking at me right now, so intense, so deep, Adele would be rolling in it.
Hormones, I hate you. You make me horny as hell.
"I-I should go." I stutter, scrambling for an excuse. My wild imagination scares the shit out of me. "You're tired, Aden. You should get some sleep. I'll be outside. . . there's a bug I need to kiss, errr, kill."
My cheeks turn crimson and my eyes widen with shock. I slap my hand against my mouth.
Aden's eyebrows furrow. "A bug? Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah." My face is ready to go up in flames.
"Are you scared? How big is it?"
If red had fifty shades, I'd be the fiftieth one now.
"Big?" I croak hoarsely, embarrassment quickly replacing every other sensation in my body. "You want to know how big it is?"
I sound like a cat being choked to death.
Hot. Hot. Hot. I'm burning all over.
"Yes." His face is neutral. "You've seen this bug, you know how big it is."
"It's your bug! You know what size it is!"
Aden's face is one of pure confusion. "I don't-"
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" By the this point of time, I'm nearly hysterical. I throw my hands up in the air. "For the love of God, SHUT UP!"
Think of something else, Kiara. Distract yourself. I tell myself.
"Estrogen. Progesterone." My wolf starts chanting. "Testosterone...."
Not helping, Zara.
Something in the way I'm acting changes Aden's expression from confusion to concern. He takes a step forward when I nearly trip on my feet and fall face front.
I bat him off frantically, making a break for the door.
However, before I reach for the handle, the door is pushed open roughly. A disheveled Ashton staggers in. His shirt slick with sweat and grime.
"Sorry to interrupt, but this is a code-red situation." He pants, leaning against the door for support. "GreyHound's coming for us and my oh-so-lovely soulmate has gone."
Ice plunges through my veins.
Ashton sighs. "Once upon a time, Ariana Dulciana Evergreen was born. Twenty years later, she decides to be an idiot."
Aden slumps against the wall in exasperation. "Just what I needed. More problems. The air already smells a little funny as it is."
Frowning, Ashton takes a sniff of the air. Nothing happens for a moment. Then he gasps loudly, his nose scrunches up in disgust and he bends over, choking.
"Yeah, about that." He frantically fans his hand in front of him, trying to dispel the smell. "Dude, you've got a problem too. Your ex-mate's in heat."
You've got to be fucking kidding me...
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