Chapter 246
Alexander’s POV
I hadn’t expected her to follow me. The sight of Sarah rushing across the parking lot, calling my name with such desperation.
But instead of relief, all 1 felt was a surge of fury.
My mind flashed back to the way she had been with Nate just moments ago, the casual closeness, the quiet intimacy. Was she trying to play both of us?
“Alexander!1-“When she finally reached me, breathless and disheveled from the chase, my anger boiled over.
I grabbed her by the shoulders, backing her against the cold metal of my SUV, my body pressing hers into place.
“Alexander!” she gasped, her eyes widening with shock, the delicate skin around them reddening as tears threatened to spill.
“Enough,” I growled, my voice dropping to that dangerous register that made lesser wolves submit instantly.” This pathetic display ends now.”
I watched her face pale, her pulse fluttering visibly at her throat like a trapped butterfly.
My wolf howled in agony at causing her, but the man in me was beyond reason, consumed by the thought of her in another’s arms.
Even as her eyes reddened with pain, I couldn’t stop the cruel words spilling from my mouth.
“Stop following me,” I snarled, venom lacing every syllable. “Do you have no shame? Do you even realize how disgusting it is to cling to me like this?”
“Every time I see you, it makes my stomach turn. I can’t even eat.”
“I’m warning you–if you keep following me like a dog, don’t blame me for being harsh.”
“Go ahead, test me if you don’t believe it.”
“What happened to you?” Her face paled in the dim light of the parking lot.
“Just days ago you were gentle, understanding–you held me like I was something precious. And now you’re treating me like…like I’m nothing.”
“You want to know what changed?” I leaned closer, deliberately intimidating her with my size, using my Alpha presence as a shield against my own vulnerability.
“I saw the way you were with him, are you trying to play me?”
Her eyes went wide, and she shook her head, taking a cautious step back. “No… Alexander,you think there’s something between Nate and me?
He’s just a friend. There’s nothing romantic between us-
1/4
+25 BONUS
“I don’t care what kind of relationship you have with him,” I cut her off coldly, my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin. “Your affairs mean nothing to me. You mean nothing to ine.”
The words felt like poison on my tongue, but I forced them out anyway.
Something deep inside me howled in protest, but I silenced it.
“Then what is it?” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Why? If you’re going to condemn me…” She struggled to keep her tears in check, but they threatened to spill over.
“At least tell me what crime I’ve committed. Even someone facing execution deserves to know why they’re being sentenced.”
Watching her struggle against tears, her chest rising and falling rapidly with each shallow breath, something tightened in my chest.
An unfamiliar ache that made no sense. Why should I care about her pain?
“Please don’t do this to me,” she begged, her voice thick with emotion. “You’re hurting me, Alexander. Not just physically-”
She touched the spot on her shoulder where I’d gripped her too hard. “But here.” Her hand moved to her heart. Before I could react, she stumbled forward and pressed herself against me, burying her face in my chest. The sudden contact shocked me into stillness.
“For you,” she murmured against my shirt, “I’ll endure being called shameless. I’ll be persistent to the point of madness if that’s what it takes. But please don’t shut me out completely.”
The soft warmth of her body against mine, the gentle shake of her shoulders as she tried to contain her sobs–it all affected me more than it should have.
My anger dissipated like morning mist, replaced by confusion and something dangerously close to tenderness.
My arms, which had been rigid at my sides, twitched with the inexplicable urge to wrap around her.
“Sarah,” I found myself saying.
“Yes?” she responded, her voice thick with tears and hope, face still pressed against my chest.
Before I could formulate a response, she raised her head, those tear–filled eyes locking with mine. In a desperate motion that caught me completely off–guard, she rose on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine.
For one suspended moment, I froze–then something primal and instinctive took over.
My hands moved of their own accord, one sliding into her hair while the other pressed against her lower back, drawing her closer.
I deepened the kiss, tasting the salt of her tears as a flood of conflicting emotions surged through me.
This felt right. This felt wrong.
This felt like coming home. This felt like walking into a trap.
2/4
When we finally broke apart, both breathless, I studied her face with narrowed eyes. “Do you understand what this means?” I asked, my voice rough.
In my mind, the implications were clear: If she chose me, there could be no divided loyalties.
No Alpha Nate in the picture. No “daughter” to complicate matters.
Her world would need to revolve around me alone–her devotion complete and unwavering for the rest of her days.
Before she could answer, a voice called out across the parking lot.
“Sarah? Are you out here?”
The woman in my arms stiffened at the sound, her eyes widening with recognition. Without warning, she pushed away from me, creating distance between us as she hastily wiped tears from her cheeks.
The abrupt rejection hit me like a physical blow.
Anger and hurt surged through me in equal measure as the pieces clicked into place. Once again, I’d almost fallen for her act.
One show of tears, one passionate kiss, and I’d been ready to lower my guard. How quickly I’d forgotten what she was capable of.
She’d given herself to that other man–her “childhood friend“—to advance his business interests, to gain his
trust.
What was a few sweet words and a kiss to a woman who would go that far? It was all calculated, all part whatever game she was playing.
Fake. All of it was fucking fake.
of
She stood there, tears still shimmering in her eyes, shaking her head slightly as if trying to explain without words.
But those tears held no power over me now. I’d seen through her, straight to her black heart full of betrayal and deceit.
I glared at her, my chest tight with fury and disappointment. “Sarah Winters,” I spat, “well done. Truly impressive performance.”
“It’s not what you think,” she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper. “I can explain everything, just not right now. Please, can you wait?”
“No need,” I said coldly. “From this moment on, I won’t believe a single word that comes out of your mouth- not even a punctuation mark.”
I stepped back, creating more distance between us, ignoring the sharp pain in my chest that felt suspiciously like my wolf howling in protest.
“And Sarah? Stop bothering me. Let’s just pretend we never met.”
As I turned away, I couldn’t shake the sensation that I was making a terrible mistake that I was forgetting something crucial.
But the evidence was clear: this woman was trouble, and my instincts for self–preservation were stronger than whatever pull she seemed to have over me.
