***
Two Days Later
“This is the last of your things,” Elias announces as he carries another box into the guest bedroom.
Standing at the window while I nervously wring my hands behind me, a fleeting frown lasts only as long as it takes for him to set the box down along with the others stacked beside thedressing table. When he straightens up and lifts his eyes to mine, I school my expression and keep my lips pursed.
Elias stares at me expectantly, and right now, I’m not even sure what to do. My eyes flicker to the stack of boxes, then back to him, where his warm hazel pits ensnare me in some unknown expectation.
Should I be thanking him for bringing my belongings from my cabin to his house?
Or should I be questioning why any of this is happening?
“Th-thank you,” I stammer uncertainly, gulping when Elias continues staring at me as if he’s going to say something. He appeared as frozen as the frosted leaves on the trees I’d been staring at all morning as I mulled over why he was bringing my things over from my cabin.
He’s adamant about me staying here, in his home, where I’m meant to be his mate and luna of the pack.
I know how ridiculous it sounds—I can barely believe it myself, wanting to pinch my wrist even now.
Doing just that behind my back, I stifle the urge to wince when I pinch my skin between my thumb and forefinger, but the slight smarting pain seems to reach Elias when he finally makes a move, cutting the awkward tension in the air when he rubs his nape with one hand.
“Please join me in the kitchen downstairs,” he says, appearing rather tense and even nervous when he turns to the door. “I think we should talk.”
With that, Elias walks out, leaving me in the guest bedroom to stare at the boxes and wonder why on earth he’s acting so strangely.
My eyes narrow as my mind wanders to the suspicion that all of this is a show. The last time he wanted to talk, he was going to break the news that I was set to be the pack’s offering to the demon.
I know what I saw the other night when he pulled away from me. He has no inclination toward me, no feelings at all. Just as I decided to strengthen my resolve back then, I decide to reaffirm that I will not be fazed by his actions and foolishly fall for his tricks. Removing my hands from behind my back, I curl them into fists of determination as I decide to face whatever he throws my way.
If I could get over his rejection once, I can handle anything he throws as punches at me.
With my resolve steely, my spine ramrod straight like a brick wall that’s ready for any kind of impact, I head down to the kitchen.
What I wasn’t prepared for was the impact of a maglev train coming full speed toward me, the brakes cut, and the conductor out of sight, crashing into me with flashes of a scene I wasn’t expecting.
Alpha Elias McGruff, the calculated, revered leader of the Snehvolk Pack of Alaska, is standing at the island table with a pan in one hand and a ladle in the other, surrounded by the appetizing aroma of freshly cooked breakfast.
He looks up and disarms me with a charming smile, my knees threatening to give way under my weight when his allure extends to his leveled tone when he says, “Take a seat.” He points to a chair where a plate has been prepared with a poached egg and crispy bacon. “I made you breakfast.”
What is he playing at?
The question of suspicion knocks around an empty skull that’s void of any other thought, causing a ringing in my eardrums like the siren of a warning bell. Stunned, I remain frozen on the spot, only my brows moving to furrow with confusion.
Something about this doesn’t feel right. Why would Elias McGruff, theAlphaof Snehvolk, prepare breakfast for me?
Has he poisoned the food? Does he plan on knocking me out and proceeding to harness my powers as a way to defeat the demon? Or is this how he disarms me, to sneak up on me and take what he wants when my guard drops and I least expect him to attack?
When I lug in a breath after what feels like an eternity of not breathing, the air scorches my lungs and slices through my bones, spurring me into impulsive movement as my fight-or-flight reflexes kick into gear. I spin on my heel, making for the door, desperately needing a breath of fresh air when the kitchen becomes too stifling.
Even if I allowed myself to bask in the pleasantness of someone doing something nice for me, I’m unable to receive such treatment. Even if I thought, for one second, that Alpha Elias was actually kind-hearted and doing all of this out of the goodness of his heart, I can’t accept it.
No one has ever done anything for me. Growing up, only Grandmother doted on me, while everyone around me chose to be cruel. If it wasn’t for my weight, then it was because of my dampened wolf. I’ve never been able to catch a break, and this time, it’s no different. Especially since the alpha cannot be trusted.
Refusing to believe that this is some sort of stroke of luck, or that the Moon Goddess has suddenly decided to take kindlyto me and change my fate, I hastily push through the back door I somehow found my way toward, sighing out my wariness and disgruntlement as soon as the icy winds kiss my cheeks like a slap against the contrast of heated flesh.
Behind me, I hear shuffling as Elias follows me out of the house. I groan irritably, stepping over the back porch and into the snow without snow boots to protect my feet. The icy flakes slip through my toes like the sand on a beach, but there’s nothing pretty or elating about my current situation.
“Aurora…where are you going?” Elias calls from behind, and my desperate need to get away from this web of distrust has me stepping forward until a large, strong hand grabs my shoulder.
