I had finally seen him for who he truly was. Maybe too late, but unmistakably clear now.
“You want me to cry,” I said slowly, “because it makes you feel like you still matter.”
“Will you only stop when I’m dead?”
The question landed like a slap, silencing him instantly.
His hand hovered near my cheek, fingers twitching uncertainly.
But this time, he didn’t touch me.
Not out of respect for my space-because he no longer knew how to reach me.
He had no answer.
And I had nothing left to give.
We sat in heavy silence, staring at each other without a word.
Both of us drained, as if every ounce of energy had been sapped away.
After what felt like an eternity, I finally broke the silence.
“I’m hungry. I want something to eat.”
Xavien replied flatly, “I’ll get you something.”
He moved to open the car door, only then realizing we were practically stranded in the wilderness.
Where on earth was he supposed to find food?
The car was out of gas too.
I saw the hesitation flicker across his face.
“My leg isn’t fully healed, and you’ve made it worse. I can’t run away,” I said quietly.
Xavien didn’t bother to explain anything.
“I’ll go look for a convenience store or something. Stay in the car.”
“Mmm,” I answered weakly.
He stepped out, locking the doors behind him.
I watched until he disappeared from sight.
The moment he was gone, I scrambled to the back seat, reclined it fully, and crawled into the trunk.
Using the emergency release, I slipped out and into the night.
Though my injury had worsened after his assault, I was still able to walk-running was impossible, but normal movement was manageable.
I headed in the opposite direction, putting as much distance as I could between us.
After nearly twenty minutes, the pain in my leg grew sharper, a warning that if I pushed further, the wound might reopen and leave me stranded.
I glanced toward the nearby hillside.
Maybe hiding there for a while was my best option.
I’d been sending my location to Harlow continuously-perhaps she was already close.
Decision made, I carefully climbed the slope, finding a thicket of dense bushes to conceal myself.
I called Harlow again, sending her my updated coordinates.
She estimated she could reach me in about thirty-five minutes at the earliest and urged me to stay put, hidden, and not wander off.
I hung up, curling my arms around my knees, and gazed absently up at the stars twinkling coldly above.
Darkness enveloped me completely.
A soft sigh escaped my lips, a mixture of bitter sadness and ironic amusement swirling inside me.
About ten minutes later, I heard footsteps crunching nearby.
My body tensed instantly-Harlow couldn’t have arrived this fast.
Who was it?
Celina’s heart pounded fiercely in her chest, nearly stopping altogether when she caught the sound of footsteps drawing nearer through the stillness of the night.
Xavien? No, that couldn’t be right. Even if he had somehow realized I had escaped and guessed the general direction I’d taken, how on earth would he know I was hiding on this obscure hillside, miles from anywhere? The thought seemed utterly absurd.
But then, a cold shiver ran down my spine as a new, unsettling possibility struck me-the man who had shouted at me outside the car earlier. Could it be him? Had he been lurking nearby all along, watching as I crawled out of the trunk and stumbled down this lonely path? Was he following me this entire time without my knowing?
The idea made my skin crawl with dread. I instinctively crouched lower, pressing myself deeper into the thick underbrush, desperate to disappear into the shadows. But it was pitch black, and I couldn’t see the path ahead. Turning on my phone’s flashlight was out of the question-it would only give away my position. I was stumbling blindly through the brush like a frightened rabbit caught in a trap.
The footsteps behind me grew louder, more purposeful, sending a fresh wave of terror crashing over me.
My mind raced with the worst possible scenarios-being dragged off into the wilderness under the cover of darkness, my body never to be found; falling prey to traffickers; or something even more sinister. The fear was suffocating.
Maybe I should have stayed inside the car after all. But no-that was foolish. Even if I had stayed put, once Alpha Xavien left, whoever this stranger was could have easily smashed the window and attacked me there.
Ignoring the sharp pain flaring in my injured leg, I pushed myself to move faster.
Suddenly, a bright beam of light sliced through the darkness ahead. I thought I heard someone call my name, but my ears were ringing so loudly with panic that my pounding heartbeat drowned out everything else.
“Help! Somebody help me!” I screamed desperately, sensing the presence closing in behind me, hands reaching out.
I scrambled uphill, driven by blind terror. Then, without warning, a heavy weight wrapped around my waist, and my feet left the ground. A strong arm had lifted me completely off the earth.
“HELP! HELP! MURDER! HELP!” I shrieked, kicking wildly at whoever had grabbed me.
“No one’s trying to kill you,” came a calm, rich voice-smooth and unmistakably familiar-cutting through my panic like a blade. It was the kind of voice that, once heard, stays etched in your memory forever. Deep, but not too deep, with a clarity as pure as spring water flowing over ice.
I froze instantly.
Turning my head slowly, peering into the dim, hazy darkness, I found myself staring into a strikingly handsome face, pale and calm.
And just like that, my confusion deepened.
Anyone else appearing here would have made more sense. Even some supernatural creature would have been more logical than… Alpha Sebastian.
“Y-y-you…” I stammered, feeling oddly flustered rather than frightened now.
“Speechless with fear? Don’t recognize me?” Alpha Sebastian asked, his voice sending a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with terror.
Hearing him speak again made everything feel real. Relief washed over me so strongly that I nearly cried. “How did you get here?”
“Just taking a stroll,” he answered casually, as if that explained everything.
I blinked, momentarily incredulous. Of course, I knew he was teasing me. But honestly, my question was just as obvious-why else would he be here if not to rescue me?
Alpha Sebastian lifted one long leg onto the slope and gently settled me on his thigh, letting me sit while his arm shifted from my waist to drape loosely around my shoulders. “I called your name. Why did you keep running?”
“My ears were ringing,” I admitted honestly, perched on his leg like a reluctant child.
“Running so fast with your injury-weren’t you afraid it would reopen?” His voice carried a mix of concern and mild reproach.
As if on cue, a sharp, burning pain shot through my leg.
“Oh no,” I thought grimly.
Alpha Sebastian caught the wince on my face immediately.
“Celina, you’re not deliberately aggravating your injury just to extend your sick leave, are you?”
“What? Of course not!” I snapped back, offended.
His gaze remained cool and unreadable.
“Then why aren’t you resting at home instead of walking straight into an obvious trap?”
He let the silence linger just long enough to make me uncomfortable, then added dryly, “Maybe you should stop being my secretary and become my spiritual guide instead. You clearly have a talent for making me bow to your every move.”
I blinked, caught off guard by his sarcasm.
“Sorry,” I muttered, chastened.
Sebastian stepped closer, his voice still flat and calm.
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