HARDIN
To my surprise, Elara didn't even look my way. Her attention was completely on the guy crumpled on the floor. That alone pissed me off, considering I only reacted because I thought something might've happened to her, and that he might be responsible.
To be fair, I didn't even hit him. Well… except for the part where I almost choked him.
"I'm so sorry, Martins. Can you stand?" she asked, helping him up from where he'd collapsed.
I tried not to react when his arm slid around her waist while the other rested over her shoulder. Shoving the feeling down wasn't the hardest part. It was the intense urge to crush him against the wall again. But I hadn't come here to start more shit.
They staggered inside, leaving me standing outside like I didn't exist.
"Man, you need to go in there and apologize to our mate."
Lyon's voice echoed in my head as I wrestled with the thought. I didn't need him to tell me. A part of me knew I'd gone too far.
But another part of me hated that I'd done it for her and she didn't even bother asking why. Instead, she ignored me like some kid who'd just been caught doing something wrong.
I had things to do tonight. I had Pack business waiting. Alliances to push. Damn lot to fix. Yet here I was, standing outside her door because the pull wouldn't let me leave without seeing her.
"I'm not backing you up this time," Lyon pushed, his voice echoing louder than usual. "You really screwed this one up. It's a simple fix."
Sometimes I wondered who controlled who. Lyon had this annoying way of getting under my skin, and sometimes he made me question whose body this really was.
"Fine," I muttered, turning back toward Elara's door.
After one knock, the door swung open. The glare that greeted me wasn't pleasant. If anything, it was worse than the one she'd given me earlier. Her scent slowly wrapped around me instantly. Still that warm and electric heat, with that faint edge of stress that made my wolf want to pull her close and fix everything.
"What do you want?" she snapped, her tone sharp enough to cut.
I slid one hand in my pocket, trying to play casual. "It's not exactly polite to leave a guest standing outside."
I tried to sound normal, but she scoffed like she was seconds away from punching me.
"Guest?" she shot back, her eyes widening. "Who invited you? Because last time I checked, I didn't. You showed up on your own unannounced, attacked my friend, and now you're acting like nothing happened? Care to explain that?"
I was about to answer when she shook her head. "Actually, forget it. I don't even want to know why you'd go after someone you just met. It's crazy, Hardin. Not everything needs to be solved with violence. Especially not in my house."
Honestly, most of what she said barely registered. The only thing that stuck was my name on her tongue. Hardin. Soft and gentle, even when she was clearly mad.
Fuck.
I couldn't help replaying the way it rolled off her lips, it made me want to steal the sound right out of her mouth with a kiss, until the anger melted into something else… "So… you're mad?" I asked.
"Annoyed." She corrected with a thicker tone. "And seeing you isn't helping."
I sighed, reminding myself why I'd come here. To apologize. If she had any idea about the thoughts running through my head right now, she'd probably slam the door in my face.
I nodded slowly, meeting her eyes. "Alright. I messed up. No excuses."
She raised a brow, "The guy you assaulted is the one who deserves to hear that," she said firmly. "Unless you're ready to apologize to him, you're not coming in."
No one ever spoke to me like this, with that kind of authority. It felt… new. Normally, I'd make my position crystal clear. If they were lucky, they'd walk away without a scratch. But Elara… she dragged out a side of me I barely recognized. A part that didn't want to dominate or intimidate. A part that wanted to earn her trust.
I didn't want to unleash the darker part of myself on her. Somehow… I wanted to fix that too. If apologizing was what it took to make her see me differently. Fine, I'll do it.
She looked like she was about to assume I wasn't going to do it, when I finally broke the silence.
"Fine." I said.
She studied me for a beat, then nodded once. "Good."
Then she stepped aside and let me in. The moment I walked past her, her scent surrounded me fully, and Lyon gave a satisfied huff in my head. For the first time, it felt like a step toward something I actually wanted.
Martins was sitting on her chair, a pillow tucked behind his back. I hadn't expected her to fuss over him like this.
She shot me a sideways look, like a silent reminder to do what I came for.
I forced the words out. "I apologize for my behavior, Martins. Elara means a lot to me. I'm sure you understand."
"It's cool," he replied easily. "She means a lot to me too."
My eyes snapped to Elara instantly.
What the hell did that mean?
My skin started burning again, rage bubbling up for the second time tonight. Lyon surged forward with a silent snarl. I didn't like that answer one bit. The claim in his voice set my blood boiling. I didn't need anyone to tell me this guy had something for her. Maybe she knew it. Maybe she didn't. Either way, I wasn't letting that sit for long.
I turned back to Martins. "Mind giving us a minute? Just me and her."
Elara looked at me, brows slightly drawn together in question. Martins didn't move at first, waiting until she nodded slowly. Her lips were pressed tight like she was holding back another wave of anger.
Finally, Martins pushed himself to his feet and stepped toward her. "Guess today's plans will have to wait, huh?" he said.
"Yeah… I'm really sorry," Elara replied softly. "I promise I'll make time tomorrow. That's okay?"
He let out a breath. "Yeah. It's fine. I'll text you."
He shot me one last wary look before walking out. All the while, I held the heat building inside me under tight control.
The moment the door clicked shut, my restraint snapped. I grabbed Elara by the wrist and yanked her toward me, pressing her back against the wall. Her free hand came up instinctively at my chest.
"What is your problem…" her voice raised.
I leaned in close, my body caging hers without crushing, my hand still wrapped around her wrist, my thumb brushing slowly over her racing pulse, feeling the frantic beat that mirrored my own. Her scent flooded my nose stronger, stirring with sharp anger and something sweeter underneath that made Lyon whine with need.
For a second, I just stared at her, at the anger burning in her eyes, at the way her chest rose and fell like she was trying to catch her breath.
A slow smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. "My problem?" I murmured roughly. I lowered my head until my lips hovered just inches from hers.
"It's you, Elara."
The mate bond pulled strongly between us, heat licking down my spine, every instinct screaming to close kiss her right then, to taste the anger on her tongue until it turned into surrender. But I held back, letting the tension twist the thin patience inside me.