Rue
My body felt weird as Travis guided me through the banquet hall’s numerous hallways until we arrived at one I recognized to lead to the front doors. Travis’s arm held me steady throughout our walk, and a tiny part of me wished our circumstances were different. I knew Travis was a good man and leader from our few interactions. I’d still feel that way even if he hadn’t kissed me so thoroughly earlier. At the thought of our kiss, my cheeks flush, and I pray he doesn’t notice. I sneak a glance at his profile from under my eyelashes. There, on his neck, about his tux’s collar, was a small birthmark in a crescent shape. I would’ve missed it if I wasn’t so close to him. I tuck my body into him a tiny bit more, absorbing his warmth. I let his woodsy smell engulf me, and I could feel the exhaustion seeping into my bones as I tried to stay upright.
“Almost there, so don’t pass out on me. If you do, I’ll carry you in princess style.” Travis’s throaty chuckle brought me back to reality. We’ve reached the front entrance already. He guided us with so much ease I barely realized the path. I internally curse myself for having no sense of direction. Our wolves usually aided us in that, but I got lost all the time since my wolf was gone. Reece has even grabbed my hand and guided me in the right direction on more than one occasion. Travis’s tight grip eases as we stand at the top of the stairs. I yank myself free from his grasp. “I can find my own way home.”
Once free, I wobbled on my heels, my brain fuzzy from the wine. I needed to go home and sleep this off before Reece got back. I tried to focus on the first step when Travis gently took my hand. “I’ll be taking you home. You’ve been through enough tonight.”
I glare at him, “Your girlfriend caused all of it!”
I
“I don’t have a girlfriend.” Travis tilts his head, his eyebrows furrowing, and again, I resist the urge to poke the wrinkled skin at the point of their meeting. If he wasn’t my enemy, might re-think the engagement option. My eyes rounded as I realized my thoughts. There was no way I was ever going to be with this aggrieving man. Our heated kiss was nothing but a moment of weakness due to lower inhibitions from alcohol. I am a single mom. I have no business getting tangled in a love triangle that would cost me everything. I looked back at Travis, and his gaze was distant and unfocused. He was in a mind-link with someone, and I could only guess who it was. No girlfriend, my ass.
This momentary distraction was my chance to get away from him without a fight for
1/3
12:45 am DDXX
Chapter 24
which I didn’t have the energy. I stuck my hands through the arms of Travis’s suit jacket, aggressively removed my heels, and began the long walk back to my home.
I swayed slightly with each footfall, but I wouldn’t put up with this back-and-forth drama anymore, and the cold night air would do me some good. A clear head to process the last two weeks is just what I need. My head falls back as I stare up at the stars. The vast blackness of night calmed my erratic heartbeat, and thoughts of Travis flooded my brain. The gravel shifted under my bare feet, and I stumbled into a massive pile of mud. I stood staring down at my mud-soaked feet and ankles. I released a frustrated yell, “Why? Why me? What have I done that you, all-powerful goddess, have to treat me this way?”
The serene silence of the night, as my only answer, added fuel to the fire of my frustrations. I grabbed my phone to call. I stared at the screen, which had no battery, feeling pathetic for not having anyone to call even if my phone wasn’t dead. I gave in and
let a few tears fall.
Suddenly, headlights light up the road, and a car pulls up beside me. I turn toward the window that is slowly rolling down, prepared to tell Travis that he needs to fuck off and leave me alone. Contrary to my appearance, my unstable emotions, and my lack of directional sense, I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself.
However, Alpha Johns’s face appears like a snake oil salesman, which makes me stop short. “Need a ride, Cinderella?”
“Thanks, but I’d rather walk,” I say stubbornly, continuing to walk. The car slowly
followed after me.
Alpha John’s eyes scan over my body and leaves me feeling slightly violated, “are you sure you want to be walking around like that?”
I looked down at myself and realized that half my body was exposed with the tear off my shoulder, and it had opened a part of my skirt. Travis’s jacket only hides so much, but most of my sternum and cleavage are open. With the front of my skirt being knee-length to keep out of the way, my feet and ankles were covered in mud, dirt, and something sticky, I stepped in a mile back. I glance down the road, seeing miles of forest land before the city lights, and with a dead phone, there is no way to call a cab or Uber. I sigh and glance at Alpha John. He has a knowing smile creeping on his face, and I give up. “Yes, I would love a ride home.”
I walk around the front of the car and get into the passenger side, sinking into the
2/3
Chapter 24
warmth of the car. I was so tired I could fall asleep right here. Now that I wasn’t moving, my mind felt slow, fuzzy, and heavy. This couldn’t be from the wine I drank, could it? Alpha John maneuvers the car back onto the road. “Don’t worry, Cinderella. I’ll take care of you.”
Chapter Comments
LIKE
POST COMMENT NOW
< SHARE
3/3
Wolfless, Fateful Encounters
