EIRA'S 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 finally 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 surrounded me.
Watching.
Waiting.
A shiver ran through me.
And then there was Adrian.
How had he made them retreat?
I slowly turned my head.
He sat beside me, one hand resting on the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the road ahead.
Sharp.
Focused.
Unreadable.
The silence inside the car felt almost suffocating.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
His voice was low and 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 in the middle of a forest?
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 seemed to turn colder.
His tone left no room for argument.
It wasn't a request.
It was an order.
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 black 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 of me.
"Have you abducted her? Captured her? Did you kill her? Is she—dead?"
The change in him was instant.
The temperature inside the car seemed to plummet.
His entire body went still.
Dangerously still.
His black eyes darkened, and when he spoke, his voice was low and deadly.
"Next time, don't you ever say she's dead."
The intensity in his gaze stole the air from my lungs.
"Otherwise, I'll 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 almost as quickly as it had come.
His gaze 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 out 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.
It disappeared 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 around 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 just 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.
The sound sent an inexplicable shiver down my spine.
"I have my resources."
I stared at him.
"Any other questions?"
I hesitated.
Then—
"Yes."
One eyebrow lifted slightly.
"How did you make the wolves run away?"
The amusement vanished immediately.
His expression became unreadable.
Cold.
Empty.
Silence stretched between us.
One second.
Two.
Five.
The answer never came.
The air inside the car seemed heavier than before.
"Have we arrived?" I asked eventually, mostly to break the silence.
He didn't answer.
I tried again.
"You still haven't answered my question."
Nothing.
The car came to a stop.
Without a word, he stepped outside.
Infuriating.
A moment later, he opened my door.
I glared at him before carefully attempting 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 black 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 deliberately breaking whatever had just passed between us.
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 though carrying an injured girl around was perfectly 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've hurt yourself."
"As if you care."
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Something unreadable flashed across his face.
Gone too quickly for me 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 he needed to convince me.
"I just don't want to break you so easily."
I rolled my eyes.
But my stupid heart betrayed me anyway.
Because despite his words...
His hold never loosened.
Because despite his coldness...
He carried me carefully.
Because despite everything...
I felt safe.
The scent of old books, rain, and forest air surrounded me.
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.
Then stepped back.
And just like that—
The walls went back up.
Without another word, he turned toward the door.
Rude.
Arrogant.
Impossible.
The door clicked shut behind him.
And suddenly, the room felt far too empty.
I stared at the closed door for a long moment.
Trying to ignore the ache in my chest.
Trying to ignore the truth.
I already missed him.