Chapter 21
At the top of the staircase, he slipped into the restroom, leaving me outside, testing foolish My mind spun with confusion and anger, and a silence settled, heary and unteering
After a few minutes, he emerged, the cold water he’d splashed on his face glistening on his chiseled features. His eyes, still tinged with the remnants of suppressed cotton, be ohto mine, and he stepped closer, the air between us charged.
“What’s your problem?” I demanded, unable to hide the frustration in my voice
Instead of answering, his grip tightened on my wrist, his fingers like ice. His gaze, intense and unreadable, sent a shiver down my spine. Something changed in him, a flicker of anger sparking to life. Before I knew what was happening, I turned instinctively to run, but he caught me, his hand transforming, clawed and wolfish, his fangs glinting
I bolted, leaping off the balcony, but he was right behind me. Around us, people gathered, cameras raised, recording every second of my humiliation. My momentary distraction was all he needed to tackle me to the ground. His weight pressed down, pinning me beneath him as his eyes bore into mine, glowing with raw intensity.
“This isn’t right,” I whispered, cheeks flushed. “Let me go!”
Instead of answering, he lifted me effortlessly, dragging me from the balcony, down the staircase, and through a throng of onlookers in the main hall, every step a painful reminder of the control he held. He didn’t so much as glance back, his expression as cold and resolute
as stone.
I struggled, a flush of embarrassment creeping up my neck. “Stop! We’re in public! You’re making me look like a criminal!”
But he remained silent, a wall of unyielding determination. Outside, we stepped into a crowded plaza, the bustling sounds of life suddenly muted, as if the world was holding its breath. Eyes followed us, curious, wary, but no one dared intervene. Ethan’s reputation was enough to silence them.
Eventually, he maneuvered us through a secluded pathway, his destination a familiar
Chapter 21
red–brick building. The lab. My heart sank as memories of hours spent in research and experiments flooded back. He yanked me forward, his hand still gripping mine tightly. ignoring my protests.
“What are you trying to prove?” I snapped, my voice trembling with the anger I could no longer contain. But he didn’t answer, only pushing open the door.
Inside, the fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as a few startled lab personnel turned goward us. An older doctor, Dr. Saunders, looked up from his microscope, his expression a
mixture of shock and confusion.
“Take her DNA,” Ethan ordered, his voice hard as steel,
“What?” I sputtered, pulling my arm back. “On what grounds?”
“Shut up,” he barked, his eyes blazing with a commanding fury I hadn’t seen in a long time. The weight of his authority settled over the room, stifling any protests before they could
even form.
Dr. Saunders hesitated, his gaze flickering nervously between us. “Honored Alpha,” het began carefully, “Miss Claire is one of our finest researchers on werewolf health. Isn’t there
some misunderstanding?”
“There’s no misunderstanding,” Ethan replied, turning his intense gaze on me. “Do as I said.”
I swallowed hard, crossing my arms defensively, summoning whatever courage I had left. “Alpha, I’m not part of your pack. What right do you have to treat me like this?”
His eyes, still laced with that unholy red glow, seemed to burn with some unspoken torment. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of hesitation, but it vanished as quickly as it had come. “Do as I say, Claire,” he ordered, the finality in his voice like a gavel’s strike.
The lab staff shifted uncomfortably, their loyalty divided between their Alpha and a colleague they respected. Dr. Saunders exchanged a troubled glance with the assistant, Mark, who had once worked closely with my ex. Mark caught my pleading look but lowered. his gaze, too intimidated by Ethan’s wrath to intervene.
“Fine,” I bit out, practically spitting the word at him. “But remember, whatever you’re trying to prove, it’ll never justify the way you’re treating me.)
Chapter 21
A tense silence settled, heavy with unspoken words. Finally, Dr. Saunders approached, his voice soft as he held out a cotton swab. “Miss Claire, please, it’s just a quick sample.”
Suppressing the urge to scream, I allowed him to take the swab. Ethan’s eyes didn’t leave me for a second, like a hawk watching its prey, ready to pounce at the slightest movement. When the doctor stepped away, I turned to Ethan, my voice low but trembling with barely contained rage.
Are you satisfied now?”
Ethan’s gaze didn’t waver. “Not yet.”
The tension in the room thickened, each lab worker pretending not to watch the standoff unfolding before them. I glared at him, fists clenched, my pride and fury battling against the odd sensation of pain that lingered underneath.
“I hope you’re proud of yourself,” I sneered, forcing my voice to remain steady. “Abusing your power to humiliate me. If this is what you think a mate bond is about, then you’ve only proven how wrong you are.”
He didn’t respond, his face an unreadable mask. I fought the urge to slap him, to let the heat of my anger consume every reminder of why I had once cared for him.
As I turned to leave, the tremor in his voice caught me off guard. “Claire…”
I paused, the edge in his voice surprising me. I didn’t turn back, but I could feel the weight of his stare boring into me, words tangled in his throat.
(2)
