Zara

Dad couldn’t come because he had a winter presentation on the same day as our winter gala. Dad apologized, but I told him it wasn’t a problem; he had important work to do.

Dad made sure I wouldn’t feel lonely, so Ryan and Sophia arrived on the evening of December 14th.

But that meant I had to return to my home. As much as I hated the idea of ​​living with Alpha, that day turned out to be one of the most joyful and pleasant of my life.

Long story short, I didn’t want to leave, but I had to stay for a few days while my brother and best friend were here.

As soon as we got to his office, I decided to talk to him about it. He tensed up at my words and asked desperately,

"Return?" His eyes clouded with grief, as if I were leaving him forever.

My angry wolf had started expressing his emotions so openly right in front of me. "Yes!" I replied sadly. I suppose the feeling was mutual.

He muttered something about driving me there himself after work, and suddenly grabbed me with ardent desire.

His hands burned my skin as he looked at me with a faint glimmer of sadness. My hands fell on his frozen face.

Without warning, he kissed me on the lips, as if I were forever drifting away from him; lowering me back, he deepened the kiss, letting me feel his need.

I grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him toward me, our lips intertwining, our tongues entwining.

My legs ached immediately.

Who are we kidding?

Lately, every time we touched, we kissed. The last few days had been incredibly intense, yet he still tried to hug me at any moment, under any pretext.

Miranda’s request to enter the office finally made us freeze, and I pulled away from him, irritated.

Poor Miranda, she’ll be in trouble.

Out of breath, we clung to each other before pulling away, and he allowed Miranda in.

I stepped back, adjusting my jacket and hair. My cheeks were burning.

"Sir, we need your signatures." She approached with a folder in her hands, and Alpha headed for his desk.

Our eyes met again, and the air was feverishly heated by his hot, piercing gaze. The urge to simply go over and continue what we’d interrupted lodged itself deep in my heart.

No, I needed to leave and clear my head. This situation was becoming unbearable for me.

I had no idea where his false self ended and his real self began, and I was tired of trying to figure it out. I took this as an opportunity to escape; the more I tried to be around him, the harder it was to resist.

I headed to the rehearsal room and immersed myself in the final rehearsal. It was the only distraction, keeping me occupied and from letting thoughts of him drift away.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work, and I was eagerly awaiting the next meeting with him.

As soon as the reception ended, my heart started beating faster. My whole body ached to be near him. When he came to pick me up from the room, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

"Ready?" he asked quietly, as usual, placing his hand on my back, and I nodded slightly.

Alpha wrapped me in my long winter coat, helping me warm up. We started down the stairs, and Alpha said, "Tell Kasir whatever you need, and he’ll bring it, so you won’t have to worry about it."

Of course! He was always so thoughtful.

"I’ll do it."

After that, silence reigned, but my heart refused to slow down, and my eyes refused to steal a glance. We arrived at the parking lot, and as usual, he helped me get settled before we set off.

Alpha was quieter than usual. His slender fingers drummed on his knee as he stared out the window, like a model posing for a photo.

My stupid heart just wanted to watch. I sneaked a glance at his watch, and a quote flashed on it that spoke volumes about his mood.

"When the heart becomes too heavy with pain, people don’t cry; they just become quiet." Was he really that sad? His watch betrayed his inner state, and I instinctively reached out and touched his hand. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, just thinking about the event. It’s so close, and I hope everything goes smoothly." His jaw didn’t relax; that wasn’t the only thought on his mind. It shouldn’t have upset him, which, as the watch showed, it did.

"It’ll be wonderful. Don’t worry." I squeezed his hand, and he nodded, turning away.

Outside, the world was bathed in winter colors. The trees had shed their leaves, and people wandered around in large fur coats, scarves, and mittens.

Hot drinks had been consumed in abundance. I was really craving soup, and I decided to make some as soon as I got to our pack.

When the car stopped in front of my house, Alpha asked Kaysir to first inspect the surroundings. Only after he gave the green light did Alpha help me out of the car. My family was out of the house,

I felt his tension, his gaze scanning everything around him, as if searching for someone out of place. Cold December, the wind blew around me, and I wrapped myself tighter in a coat.

Alpha didn’t relax until we were inside. Kaysir brought my luggage.

We soon reached the apartment, and I opened the door with the key card. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Let me check first." Alpha went inside to inspect the premises and, satisfied, let me in.

"Come in."

I was greeted by the faint scent of bamboo and pine. The scent of the air purifiers I used. The place seemed spotlessly clean, yet somehow alien and unsettling.

Somehow, I didn’t want to stay here. Taking off my long coat, I tossed it and my scarf onto the sofa and turned on the heater.

My face must have betrayed my thoughts, because Alpha’s massive frame blocked my view as he spoke.

"Changing your mind?"