EIRA POV
As I slowly opened my eyes, confusion washed over me.
Where am I?
The world swayed around me for a moment before my vision cleared.
A car.
I was in a car.
How did I get here?
Then the memories came crashing back.
The forest.
The wolves.
The fear.
Adrian.
My hand instinctively moved to my neck.
What happened to me?
Oh God.
Why does this always happen to me?
The image of those wolves flashed through my mind again.
Their glowing eyes.
Their massive bodies.
The way they had circled me.
Waiting.
Watching.
A shiver ran through me.
And then there was Adrian.
How had he made them leave?
I slowly turned my head.
He sat beside me, one hand resting on the steering wheel.
His eyes remained fixed on the road.
Sharp.
Focused.
Unreadable.
The silence inside the car felt almost suffocating.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
His voice was low.
Calm.
His eyes never left the road.
"Hm… y-yes."
"Then tell me—why did you run out of my place?"
The question came immediately.
Sharp.
Demanding.
As though my answer actually mattered.
Was he serious?
Who even lived in a place hidden inside a jungle?
Who woke up inside a cave and thought,
Yes, this seems perfectly normal.
"Sorry! I didn't know it was you. Did I hurt your feelings?" I shot back.
Sarcasm dripped from every word.
His jaw tightened slightly.
Barely noticeable.
"You won't interfere in Andy's case."
The air inside the car instantly turned colder.
Final.
Absolute.
Like it wasn't a request.
I fell silent.
A few moments later he pulled the car to the side of the road.
My stomach dropped.
Slowly, he turned toward me.
Those dark eyes locked onto mine.
"Say yes, Eira."
His voice wasn't loud.
It didn't need to be.
Something about the way he said it made my pulse stumble.
Firm.
Commanding.
Unyielding.
I swallowed.
"Why?" I whispered.
Then the questions burst out.
"Have you abducted her? Captured her? Did you kill her? Is she—dead—"
The change was instant.
The temperature inside the car seemed to plummet.
His entire body went still.
Dangerously still.
His eyes darkened.
And when he spoke, his voice came out low.
Deadly.
Every word dragged through clenched teeth.
"Next time, don't you ever say she is dead."
The intensity in his gaze stole the air from my lungs.
"Otherwise—I will kill you."
Fear crashed through me.
Raw.
Immediate.
My chest tightened.
For one terrifying second, I actually believed him.
Then something shifted.
The anger disappeared as quickly as it had come.
His eyes moved across my face.
Taking in my fear.
His expression softened.
Only slightly.
But enough.
"She's like a sister to me."
His voice was quieter now.
Steadier.
"I won't let anything happen to her."
A pause.
Then—
"Trust me."
The words settled somewhere deep inside me.
Dangerously deep.
"Just… don't go to the cops."
I looked away first.
My throat suddenly felt too tight.
She means that much to him?
Then why had he been in her room?
Why were those people there?
Nothing made sense anymore.
And yet...
For some reason...
I believed him.
"Where are you lost?"
His voice pulled me back.
I blinked.
"What?"
His eyes flickered toward me briefly.
"You've been staring at the window for five minutes."
Heat crept into my cheeks.
"Why don't you want me to go to the cops?" I asked quietly. "They could help you."
A bitter smile touched his lips.
Gone almost instantly.
"Because your life would be at risk."
The words hung heavily between us.
Then he added,
"And hers too."
His grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
"I won't put her in danger."
Something about the certainty in his voice hurt.
Because he meant it.
Because he cared.
And because I suddenly realized how far he would go to protect her.
"I won't go to the cops," I whispered.
Silence.
Then—
"I have one more question."
"What?"
"How did you know I was going to the cops?"
For the first time, amusement flickered across his face.
Dark.
Dangerous.
"How—"
He chuckled.
Low.
Deep.
Sending an inexplicable shiver down my spine.
"I have my resources."
I stared at him.
"Any other questions?"
I hesitated.
Then—
"Yes."
His eyebrow lifted slightly.
"How did you make the wolves run away?"
The amusement vanished immediately.
His expression became unreadable.
Cold.
Empty.
The silence stretched.
One second.
Two.
Five.
The answer never came.
The air between us felt heavier than before.
"Have we arrived?" I asked eventually.
Mostly to break the silence.
He didn't answer.
I tried again.
"You still didn't answer my question."
Nothing.
The car stopped.
Without a word, he stepped outside.
Infuriating.
A moment later he opened my door.
I glared at him.
Then carefully tried to step out.
The second my injured foot touched the ground—
Pain exploded through my ankle.
A sharp gasp escaped me.
The world tilted.
I nearly fell.
But before I could hit the ground—
An arm wrapped around my waist.
Strong.
Certain.
Steady.
I froze.
My breath caught.
Slowly, I looked up.
Adrian.
For one suspended heartbeat, everything disappeared.
The road.
The pain.
The questions.
The confusion.
Everything.
There was only him.
His arm around my waist.
His hand against my side.
His eyes holding mine.
My pulse pounded wildly.
Far too fast.
Far too loud.
The space between us suddenly felt much too small.
Then he looked away first.
As though breaking whatever had just happened.
Before I could react, he bent down and lifted me effortlessly into his arms.
A startled sound escaped me.
"Put me down!"
"You're injured."
His voice was flat.
As if carrying people around was completely normal.
"I can walk."
"No."
"I didn't ask for your help."
"Clearly."
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Barely.
The infuriating man.
I glared at him.
He ignored me completely.
"Can't you be more careful?" he muttered.
"You would have hurt yourself."
"As if you care."
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Something unreadable flashed across his face.
Gone too quickly to understand.
Then his familiar arrogance returned.
"I don't care about you."
The response came instantly.
Automatic.
As though he needed to convince himself as much as me.
"I just don't want to break you so easily."
I rolled my eyes.
But my stupid heart betrayed me anyway.
Because despite the words...
His hold never loosened.
Because despite the coldness...
He carried me carefully.
Because despite everything...
I felt safe.
The scent of old books.
Rain.
Forest air.
Filled my senses.
Dangerous.
Unfamiliar.
Comforting.
And somehow that frightened me more than the wolves had.
When we reached my room, he pushed the door open and carried me inside.
Gently.
Far more gently than someone like Adrian should have been capable of.
He placed me on the bed.
Stepped back.
And just like always—
The walls went back up.
Without another word, he turned toward the door.
Rude.
Arrogant.
Impossible.
The door clicked shut behind him.
And the room suddenly felt far too empty.
I stared at the closed door for a long time.
Trying to ignore the ache in my chest.
Trying to ignore the truth.
I already missed him.