CHAPTER 21

I gulp, dropping my eyes to the floor.

"What happened?" He sounded angry.

I opened my mouth to tell him about the man, but I stopped myself. He won't believe me. Rather, he will blame me for lying to him again. No. I can't tell him.

"N-nothing. I'm sorry. Excuse me, Alpha."

Turning around, I was going to leave when I looked at the dark hallway outside, and my insides churned. What if he is still in the shadows, waiting for me? I can't sleep in the attic alone. Not today.

"Actually, I—" I turned around to find him settled on the sofa. He had some scrolls in his hand, and he was signing them.

'Come on, Astrid! You can do this. What are the odds? If I don't try, how will I know?'

"Can I sleep here for the night? Please! Just one night! I won't make a sound, I promise!"

His hands, affixing the signature, stopped, and he looked up at me.

'Shit! He's going to deny me. Yes, that look in his eyes is telling me.'

"Just for today. I'll sleep on the floor if you want. I'll do anything—"

"Take the right side of the bed. The left side is mine."

I blinked, unable to digest his words, and he returned to his work, not sparing me another glance.

'Did I hear him right? I'm not hearing things, am I? This isn't a joke, right?'

I continued to stand there for another five minutes, waiting for him to laugh and chuck me out. But there was nothing except silence.

'Okay. I did get lucky today.'

Tip-toeing toward his bed, I settled down on it, pulling up the comforter and getting under the covers. I was immediately hit by his musky scent, which gave me a strange sense of comfort. I snuggled into its warmth.

The lights remained off, with only the lampshade illuminating the place, and I couldn't help but stare at his face. He was flawless—the bridge of his nose, the contour of his jaw, the shape of his lips. Heat rushed to my core as I remembered how they felt pressed against mine, and I pressed my thighs together.

His lips were so confident claiming me—or no, it wasn't confidence. It was power. Sheer power.

I sensed his eyes moving up, and I was quick to shut my own in time, pretending to be asleep. I could feel his eyes on me, and my skin burned under his stare. I gulped, holding the position.

Minutes passed, and my mind drifted to that man. Why was he so hell-bent on killing me? Who is he, even? And most importantly, who sent him? All that I could understand was that they wanted it to look like a murder so that Zachary would get blamed. An enemy of his, perhaps?

I need someone's help. Zachary won't believe me, but Dom will. He has to. I'll ask him tomorrow. Yes, this is the correct course of action.

It felt like forever when the lamplight switched off, and I felt the bed dip behind me. My throat felt parched. He was here. So close. My back was to him, inches away. I didn't dare move, but sleep wasn't easily found. I wasn't used to these soft mattresses anymore—the hard floor in the attic had become my usual.

Another half an hour passed, and I finally dared to turn around. My thudding heart calmed down when I found him deep in sleep. He was lying on his back, his arm resting over his eyes, and his chest rhythmically moved up and down.

A beautiful, peaceful disaster. That's what he was. And I had been in its path for too long, restrained, unable to move back.

His beauty was like that of a pitcher plant—exquisite, interesting, piquing your interest. But it wouldn't remain the same after one sees it swallow a rat whole. The only difference is, his targets are humans. Living. Just like me. And he feeds on their blood.

Just staring at his peaceful face, I was no longer scared of the killer anymore. I was in the beast's lair. What fool would dare to enter here?

My eyes started drooping, and I slowly drifted into a deep slumber.

I woke up to a gasp, and my brows furrowed as I looked at its origin. Zachary was lying in the same position, but he didn't look at peace anymore. His forehead and neck were drenched in sweat, his head was moving in a "no," and his lips were opening and closing, mumbling something incoherently.

'A nightmare, probably.'

My hand lifted in the air, desperate to give him assurance, but I stopped myself. I am the last person he needs it from right now.

His chest was rising rapidly, and I saw a tear trailing down his cheek. Something cracked inside me. His scars were not visible to the naked eye, but they were there on his soul—deep, countless, twisting in dire need of stitches.

"Aghh, no, no… stop!" It looked like he wanted to move, but he was pinned down, paralyzed in a parallel reality that doesn't even exist.

"Alpha!" I tried again, only to have his screams worsen.

"No… no, stop! Don't do it… Noooooo!"

"Alpha!"

'Fuck it!'

I got up to hover over him, lifting my trembling fingers to cup his face. Ragged breaths left his lips.

"I'm here. It's fine. Breathe."

The creases on his forehead relaxed, and he stopped heaving.

"Yes. Just like that."

My own heart calmed down, seeing him return to normal. But I was in no way prepared for what was to happen next.

Two strong arms wrapped around my torso, and I was pulled up flush against his chest. He clung onto me as if his life depended on it, and I stood frozen.

"Don't leave me… please… Don't go."

I gulped, confused, perplexed, and lost. He was no longer looking like that cold-hearted murderer I had known. He looked almost… human.

His hot breath and stubbled beard tickled my neck, and I felt a warm feeling erupting inside me. My blood felt like hot lava, rushing downward, lighting up my core.

"Alph—"

"I can't live like this, please… just stay. Please."

My walls broke, and I found my healing side popping out its head. He has emotions like everyone else. He has his own battles. More than hate, he needs care and love. Maybe Dom was right. He needs someone to understand him.

Lowering my walls, I wrapped my arms back around him, letting him snuggle closer to my chest. Running my fingers through his thick locks, I sighed, assuring him, consoling him, and whispering soft words to him.

His lips pressed against my neck, and the hot lava erupted. I couldn't breathe. What was happening to me? What are these foreign feelings?

"Reb… I love you, Reb."

That's all it took for everything to come crashing down. My heart seized in my chest, and my grip on him loosened. He thought I was her. He was having her dream. He still loves her. He forever will.

My arms dropped by my side, and my body lay limp on his. He held me as if his world would crumble, while mine had already been shattered into a thousand pieces.

I will never be her. And the worst part? I know I don't deserve to.