"Grant, I don't understand what you're talking about," I said, my voice wavering as fear and confusion gripped me. "You're scaring me."
His eyes softened, and he seemed to deflate, suddenly looking vulnerable and lost.
"I'm sorry, Erica," he murmured, his voice hoarse with emotion. "My head's just... it's all messed up right now. I can feel this connection between us, and it's confusing the hell out of me." Hearing the pain and confusion in his voice, my heart went out to him. Despite the tumultuous emotions swirling inside me, I wanted to comfort him, to reassure him that we could figure things out together. Tentatively, I reached out and placed a hand on his arm.
"Grant, we'll get through this," I whispered, trying to convey the sincerity of my words through our touch. "We'll find a way to make sense of everything." He looked at me for a long moment, his blue eyes searching mine, before he pulled me into a tight embrace. As his arms wrapped around me, I felt a strange sense of safety and familiarity, even as my heart still ached for Liam.
"I just want you to be safe, Erica," Grant muttered into my hair, his voice thick with emotion.
But then, without warning, he stiffened in my arms. His grip on me tightened painfully before wrenching me away from him with such force that I stumbled backward, crashing into the row of lockers behind me. Pain shot through my skull, and I crumpled to the floor, clutching my throbbing head.
"Grant… what are you doing?" I gasped, barely able to breathe from the impact.
"Can't you smell it?" he snarled, his nostrils flaring as he glared down at me. "His scent is all over you. Are you already fucking him?" His eyes blazed with fury, and I realised he was talking about Liam.
"Grant, please," I whispered, my voice trembling. "It's not what you think."
"Isn't it?" he spat, his anger boiling over as a new realisation dawned on him. "Liam's trying to get rid of me. He's sending me on that away mission because he knows I'm competition for your heart!"
"Grant, no," I protested, tears streaming down my cheeks. But he wasn't listening, consumed by his own rage and jealousy. My heart pounded in my chest, echoing the throbbing pain in my head as Grant's rage continued to pour from him. His words were a chaotic mess of accusations and confusion, a storm that threatened to engulf me whole.
"Erica, you don't understand!" he shouted, his voice barely recognisable through the venom coating each syllable. "You're in danger! And with Liam... it's only going to get worse!"
"Grant, I just..." I tried to reason with him, but my own emotions were teetering on the edge of despair. How could someone I felt so connected to suddenly become this unrecognisable monster?
Seemingly out of nowhere, Grant grabbed my arm, yanking me to my feet with a strength that sent fear coursing through me. My legs wobbled beneath me, weak from the pain and shock of the situation. He shook me violently, his grip bruising my skin as he screamed his frustration into my face.
"Stop it!" I cried out, tears streaming down my cheeks as I fought to free myself from his grasp. "You're hurting me, Grant!" It was as if those words finally pierced through the fog of his rage.
A look of horror crossed his face, and he dropped me as if I were a hot coal. I crumpled back to the floor, gasping for breath and struggling to contain my sobs.
"Erica... I'm so sorry," he whispered, his blue eyes wide with regret. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I just... I'm scared for you. You don't know what kind of danger you're really in."
"Is that why you're doing this?" I asked, my voice trembling with both anger and sadness. "Because you're scared?"
"Erica, now that you're Liam's fated mate, things are more dangerous than ever," Grant said, the urgency in his voice only adding to my own turmoil. "I just want to protect you."
"By hurting me?" I choked out, tears streaming down my face as I stared up at him, searching for the person I thought I knew beneath the fury and desperation.
"Erica, please," he pleaded, reaching out a hand as if to offer me comfort. But I couldn't bring myself to accept it.
"Grant, I don't know what's happening to you," I whispered, my heart aching with the weight of betrayal and unmet expectations. "But this isn't right. We can't... I can't do this."
Pain coursed through my body, making every breath a struggle as I glared back at Grant. His expression shifted from remorse to determination as he tried to lift me back to my feet, but I refused his help.
"Stay away from me," I hissed, my voice shaking with anger and pain. "You need to leave me alone." Grant's face fell for a moment before it was replaced by a sudden hopefulness. Ignoring my words, he grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me closer.
"Erica, I can fix everything. You just need to come with me."
"Come with you? On your mission?" Confusion clouded my mind as I tried to understand what he was saying.
"No, not the mission," he replied, his grip tightening on my arm. "I'll help you escape the pack. We can live as rogues, or I know another pack that will take us in. I just want to protect you." I struggled against his hold, feeling the sting of his fingers digging into my skin.
"I don't want to escape. I have friends here, and I love Liam," I snapped, my anger flaring up once again.
The mention of Liam seemed to ignite something within Grant, as his face twisted with rage.
"Of course you do," he spat, his voice laced with venom. "You're just like all the others, wanting the Alpha title and nothing more. You don't care about being a pack whore!" Fury surged through me, drowning out the pain as I snarled at him. With all my strength, I managed to wrench my arm free from his grasp. Pushing him hard, I shouted,
