ELARA
I knew exactly how to deal with arrogant men like Hardin, the kind who walked around like the world owed them everything just because they had those stupidly perfect abs, and that dominating presence that commanded all the air in the room, not to mention those mesmerizing golden-flecked eyes that had almost pinned me to the wall a second ago like I was already his.
Yeah… no. If anything, he'd just woken up the wild part of me. And he was about to regret every second of it. Arguing was pointless with Hardin, so I didn't waste my breath with any of it.
Instead, I lifted my foot and slammed it down hard on his neatly polished leather shoe.
I didn't even give him time to process the sting of the pain before I grabbed his ear, yanked him toward the door, flung it open, and shoved him out into the hallway with every ounce of strength I had.
"What the hell was that?!" he snapped, already looking like he might rip the door off its hinges if I tried to slam it in his face because that was exactly what I planned to do next if that strong look of his didn't scare me a little.
But… God. He was supposed to look ridiculous right now; eyes scowling, glare clearly showing off frustration, plus he'd been completely thrown off his game. But somehow the frown only made his jaw look sharper, his shoulders broader. It was infuriating how hot he still managed to be while I was trying to hate him.
Asher stirred inside me then, restless and insistent, pushing against my ribs like she wanted to claw her way out of my skin and drag him right back in which made it a terrible freaking timing.
"Your job here is done," I said flatly, planting myself in the doorway like the strong wall of jericho.
Hardin stepped closer, hands slipping calmly inside his pocket, his voice dropping into that low, dangerous tone that sent unwelcome heat skittering down my spine. "You're really starting to test my patience, Elara. You made me apologize for protecting you, and now you're throwing me out like some stray dog?" He cut himself off, running a frustrated hand through his hair, jaw flexing a little with a breathy scoff. "I came here for you tonight only because it's my responsibility as your future Alpha. Don't act like it's about you."
Asher's husky voice slammed into my head with urgency: Elara… we need our mate. Tonight.
The words ignited something deep in my chest, a dangerous pull that made my pulse stutter. I opened my mouth to fire something back at Hardin when the first real pain hit me so hard in my lower belly. A sharp, twisting burn forming around it slowly, like someone had poured molten metal and it was shrinking my intenstines. My vision blurred for a second, so I had to grip the doorframe, my nails digging into the wood as heat bloomed behind the corners of my eyes, then sank heavier, coiling tight and intense in my stomach.
Why was I suddenly feeling this way now? It was definitely different from the mating heat I felt before… So, what the hell was happening to me? I thought frantically in my head? Of all the damn times…
Asher pressed harder: Talk to me directly. I can hear you.
My head throbbed in time with my racing heart. I tried shoving her voice down, ignoring the way the strange heat was already spreading, licking through my limbs, making my skin feel too tight, like my bones and veins were considering rearranging themselves without my permission. Another wave crashed in, hotter and deeper under my skin, as if a furnace was roaring to life there, shooting to my core. Sweat prickled along my spine and forehead. My legs felt unsteady, but I locked my knees, refusing to let Hardin see me like this.
"Why are you quiet?" Hardin was obviously not backing down yet. His eyes narrowed with that sharp, alpha concern I didn't want or need at the moment. "A second ago you had plenty to say."
"You need to leave," I forced out. The words crawled raw from my throat, weaker than I wanted them to sound. Damn it. My stomach twisted again, a fresh spike of agony that made me want to groan with a cry.
Hardin's whole expression shifted instantly as if he finally caught on. His frustration melted into something darker, more serious now. His hand shot out and gripped the edge of the door before I could slam it. "Something's wrong with you. I can feel it. The bond…"
I rolled my eyes, even as another burning pulse ripped through my abdomen, making my breath freeze in my oesophagus. Dammit! Don't you dare say bond right now. I screamed in my head before shooting my words like a stray bullet. "If this is your newest tactic to get to me, Alpha Hardin, it's not working." I grabbed his wrist and yanked his hand off the door, my fingers trembling under the pressure. "Now leave."
Before he could push any further, I slammed the door in his face.
The second silence filled my room, my legs gave out completely. I slid down the wall to the floor like a heap of load, the pain slamming into me full force now. The kind of feeling you get when liquid fire was racing through every veins in ypur body; every muscle seizing and spasming as if my body was trying to tear itself apart from the inside. A low groan escaped me before I could stop it. My stomach felt like it was being wrung out by invisible claws.
Sweat beaded on my forehead, trickling down my temples. My vision swam again, as my fist tightened, nails piercing the inside of my palms as I felt the room tilting above me. That's when another vicious wave of heat rolled through me, deeper this time, centering lower in my belly like something was waking up and stretching sharp with hungry claws.
Okay… this was bad. Really, really bad.
I'd be stupid to keep ignoring Asher at this point, even if I hated the idea of relying on her. Not when it felt like my insides were melting and reforming all at once.
What the hell is going on with me? I demanded silently, directing every ounce of my panic straight at her.
She went completely silent.
Of course. She'd been nonstop chatter when I didn't want her input, and now, she decided to go mute. Very typical.
My chest rose and fell rapidly.
Asher. I know you can hear my thoughts. Tell me why it feels like my stomach is about to explode and my bones are on fire.
Another brutal wave hit me, so sharp it dragged a gasp out of me. My veins straining, muscles locking, a deep, excruciating blow building again in my gut that made me curl forward, forehead pressing to my knees as I fought not to cry out. Heat pulsed between my legs. Something I had never felt before until now, heavy, and maddening.
Asher's voice finally came through, softer this time, almost hesitant but laced with quiet urgency: I'm sorry, Elara. I wasn't ignoring you. It's… it's about you. I think it's happening tonight…
I exhaled sharply, still clutching the worst spot, my nails digging into my own skin the second time, like that could somehow hold me together. "Stop making me guess. Just tell me what's happening. I don't get it, why does it feel like I'm dying?"
The pain spiked again, white-hot and unrelenting, a full-body burn that made my back arch off the wall for a second. I felt Asher hesitate, then her voice pushed through clearer, carrying the weight of that clarity that told me something a lot bigger was going on with me.
You're…