Wolf??

Ayin

I was still unpacking, settling little necessities in this new room, when I glanced at the time. Misile had already called twice. I hurriedly shoved my phone and notes into my bag, not caring about how messy it looked. There was no time to second-guess myself now. I grabbed the bag, and stepped out of the room, rushing through the hallway. 

And there he was. Ithan. Standing at the door like he had all the time in the world, waiting for me.

"I'll drop you off," he said, his tone as casual as if this was his routine.

I scowled. "No, thanks. I called a cab."

"Sweetheart, you're in my house," he said, stepping closer, his smirk daring me to argue. "Nobody's picking you up but me."

His words made my pulse quicken, but I held my ground. "I'm not your responsibility."

"Responsibility?" His eyes locked on mine, sharp as a knife. "Don't flatter yourself. You're my wife, not a guest."

I stared at him, anger bubbling under my skin. "I'm not here to play house with you. I'm here because of Max and his messed-up plans. Don't make this more unbearable than it already is."

He didn't flinch, not even for a second. "Oh, you'll bear it just fine. And you'll get in my car now."

I hated how he could twist the air in the room, making it feel like I didn't have a choice. But I wasn't going to let him win. "I can walk," I shot back, turning to leave.

"You sure?" His voice stopped me in my tracks, smooth and laced with a challenge. "Your office is, what, thirty kilometers from here? And if I'm not guessing wrong, you're already running late."

My jaw tightened. He knew exactly how to corner me. Without another word, I pushed past him and headed for the elevator.

He followed, his presence suffocatingly close as the doors shut.

"You can glare all you want," he said, leaning casually against the wall. "But you'll still be sitting next to me in a minute."

I folded my arms, ignoring the heat rising to my face. "You're insufferable."

His laugh was low and infuriatingly charming. "And you're adorable when you're mad. Perfect match."

The elevator dinged, and I marched out, but he was right there, holding the car door open like he owned my life. Reluctantly, I slid into the seat, fuming.

As he got in and started the engine, he glanced at me. "See? Not so hard to cooperate."

I shot him a look that could kill. "This isn't cooperation. It's coercion."

"Call it what you want," he said, smirking. "Either way, you're right where I want you."

As he pulled onto the road, the silence between us felt heavy. I focused on the city flashing past the window, but his deep, commanding voice shattered my resolve. He was on the phone, speaking to someone about business dealings, and I hated how my ears caught every word, how his voice seemed to fill the space like a quiet storm. His hand on the steering wheel—strong, veined, and so casually confident—only added to my inner chaos.

"...yes, that's settled. Make sure the team handles the rest. I'll check in later," he said, his tone clipped. And then, as if remembering I was right there, he added with a chuckle, "For now, I need to focus on giving my wife some of my precious time."

He ended the call and turned to me briefly, the corners of his mouth tilting upward in a smile that felt too intimate, too knowing. "You really can't help yourself, can you?" I shot at him, crossing my arms. "Pretending this whole thing is real. But don't get too comfortable, Ithan. I'm not staying in this trap of yours for long."

"Oh?" he replied, his tone dangerously playful. "Then try, Ayin. I dare you. Run all you want. But you know, don't you? No matter how far you go, you'll always end up back with me."

"You're insane," I muttered under my breath, turning my head to the window. 

The rest of the drive was quiet until we neared my office building. Ithan slowed the car, pulling up to the curb but not unlocking the doors.

"I'll drop you here," he said flatly, glancing toward the building. "Don't bother thanking me. I know you won't."

I grabbed my bag and reached for the door handle. "Good. At least you're learning."

But before I could step out, he leaned over and pressed the button to unlock the door. His hand brushed against mine for just a moment, and I froze.

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "Don't miss me too much, Ayin. I know it's hard, but try to survive without me for a few hours."

I glared at him, trying to ignore the heat creeping up my neck. "In your dreams."

His smirk deepened, and he tilted his head slightly, eyes gleaming with mischief. "You're in my dreams every night, sweetheart."

I didn't reply, stepping out quickly and shutting the door behind me. As I walked toward the entrance, I couldn't help but glance back. He was still there, watching me through the window with that unreadable expression that always made my chest tighten.

I walked into the office, my head was all over the place, but I dropped into my chair and tried to shake it off. Killian came over and plopped himself on the corner of my desk, looking way too amused. 

"So, now it's time to show up, huh?" he said, giving me that annoying grin.

I blinked at him, still half out of it. "What are you talking about?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Your little secret wedding. You didn't invite me? Really?"

I felt my cheeks warm up. "It wasn't like that," I muttered, trying to play it off. "It was... sudden. But I swear, I'll personally hand you an invite to the reception."

I smiled, but inside, I was thinking, Yeah, right. No reception's happening. Divorce papers were already on the way, but no need to mention that.

Killian leaned back and laughed. "Relax, I'm just messing with you. Not like I was really expecting an invite anyway."

I let out a sigh of relief, feeling the tension leave my shoulders. "Right. I'll make sure you get the first invite when I throw it, though."

But before we could go on, Sissy walked in, her face serious, her footsteps quick. She didn't waste any time and dropped a folder on my desk.

"I've got something," she said, glancing at both of us. She was speaking low, like she was about to drop a bomb.

I looked up at her, sensing the shift. "What's up?"

She glanced at both of us, then spoke quickly. "I got this from inside the detective crew working on the mayor's case. They ran DNA tests on the mayor's body. After we told them about the wild creature, they tested everything they could think of... and it matched. With a wild wolf."

Both Killian and I froze, exchanging a look.

"A wolf?" I repeated, my voice a little shakier than I meant.

Killian shook his head, clearly confused. "Wait, so a wolf killed him? But... how was he holding a gun?"

"Still not confirmed," Sissy replied. 

"That doesn't make sense," I muttered. "A wolf?

The air between us felt thick with unanswered questions. It was like we were all waiting for something, but no one was willing to say it.

Finally, I let out a breath. "Something's not adding up. We're missing something big here."

And just like that, the tension deepened. Whatever was going on, it was much bigger than we realized.