Chapter 45
Terrified and disoriented, I immediately try to scream. The sound is muffled as a large, callous hand presses over my mouth. I struggle as violently as I can, kicking and punching in the darkness wildly. I can hear my attacker grunt, but his grip on me
doesnât waiver.
Fear and adrenaline course through my veins. When my kicking and punching donât succeed in halting my attacker, I switch to clawing, violently scraping my fingernails where I guess his face might be in the darkness.
I hear a distinctly male voice grunt as it seems my attacks finally hit. In response, he slams me up against the alleyway wall and tries to pin my arms to my side. Even with the burst of strength that my adrenaline gives me, the man is much bigger than me. I donât stand a chance to defeat him on my own.
Panic floods through my body as I realize that Iâm completely trapped. All my struggling seems to accomplish is exhausting me further. I let out another scratched, strangled scream. Any help I have a rescue is slim â no one would be nearby to hear me scream right now.
It feels like this might really be the end. One of my attackerâs free hands goes to cover my mouth and nose, making it harder and harder to breathe. I feel dizzy. I donât want to give up, but it seems thereâs no hope for me.
Carol!
Aiden. A mixture of disbelief and relief floods my system. Iâm shaken from my daze as the sound of thundering footsteps approach. The man is ripped off of me with extreme strength. Suddenly, Iâm free again.
In the darkness of the alley. I can just barely make out Aiden overpowering my assailant. The man doesnât stand a chance Aidenâs strength as an alpha has always been obvious, but in this moment, heâs fiercer than Iâve ever seen.
Aidenâs strength is even more obvious than when heâs on the rink. His movements are quick and decisive as he shoves the attacker to the ground and begins to subdue him. I fed almost outside of my body while I watch the two of them fight. Itâs only instinct that leads me to pull out my phone and call the police to the location
Itâs only a few moments before blue and red lights shine down at the very end of the alleyway. I find myself frozen with shock, fear, and most of all gratitude. Finally, the police come running down the alleyway and drag off the assailant-who has now been more than a little bloodied by Aiden. Aiden seems almost reluctant to stop hurting the man.
As soon as the police have apprehended the man, Aiden wraps me in his arms. I bury my face against his chest and try my hardest not to sob.
him
âItâs going to be okay,â he whispers against my hair. I knot my hands in the back of his shirt and hold him tighter. I want h to be right, but it couldnât feel further from the truth right now.
I vaguely hear the sound of one of the police cars pulling away, Ikely with the attacker inside. A police officer approached us slowly. Most likely, heâs hoping to ask us questions, but instead itâs Aiden that speaks up first.
âWho was that man?â He asks sternly. âDo you have any information on him? Is he local, or is he from the Capital?â
âHeâs local. Just some jobless drifter,â one of the officers explains, confusion evident in his tone. Thereâs no indication heâs connected to anyone from the Capital, Whyâd you ask?â
Aiden and 1 exchange a meaningful glance. Jobless drifterâ was starting to feel like a pattern. The mystery only seems to g deeper and deeper. Aiden looks like he wants to push further, but his eyes meet mine.
I can practically feel the protectiveness wash over him. He shake his head at the police officerâs question âForget about that, Letâs just get you home sale, okay?
With a gentle hand, Aiden leads me away
ay from the scene. The feeling of his hand on my back feels almost like a soothing balin against the rawness of my emotions.
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Chapter 45
Time seems to pass in a blur as the shock of what happened setsin. One moment, Iâm walking with Aiden. The moment next Iâm sitting in the passenger seat of his car. I can vaguely hear him speaking, but I feel too numb to fully register what heâs saying.
âF*ck. The one time Iâm not there. I was hoping to surprise you in the audience. When you went offstage, I tried to find
I you. If Iâd been just a second later. F*ckâ
His voice is as raw as I feel. All I can manage to do in response is reach across the car and squeeze his shoulder. His eyes look bloodshot when they meet mine, but he manages to give me a grateful smile anyway.
As we step inside, the reality of what could have been hits me like a ton of bricks. I lean back against the door as soon as it closes. Aiden pulls me into his arms once more, his embrace filled with desperation.
âNever again,â he whispers hoarsely. âI never want to see you hur like that again.â
1 feel tears prick the back of my eyes. I wrap my arms around him almost desperately. The feeling of his arms around me is the silent reassurance I need, telling me we made it out of that nightmare together.
Our warm embrace soon isnât enough to comfort the both of us. The knowledge that I might not have ended the night in Aidenâs arms drives us closer and closer. Our hands begin to roam over one another hungrily, and within moments our lips meet in a passionate kiss.
The fear and uncertainty of the night only spurn us closer and closer to one another. Our bodies intertwine in a dance of passion and longing. Every move of Aidenâs body shows his desperation and fear. His hands hold me tightly yet gently, like something precious. It makes me tremble.
Aiden scoops me up into his arms. My legs wrap around his waist almost automatically. He doesnât break the kiss as he takes me all the way to the bedroom. We collapse onto the bed together in a tangle of bodies.
Thereâs an extra level of hunger to our tryst tonight. Aiden doesnât take his hands off of me once as we both lose layer after layer. His skin is almost burning hot against nine as he presses closer and closer.
Aidenâs protectiveness seems to extend even to the bedroom, tonight. He holds a hand behind my head and practically completely covers me as our bodies join together. I find my ecstasy building more and more, until finally both of us canât take it anymore.
As my body is flooded with pleasure, Aidenâs voice is rough and ragged in my ear.
âCarol⦠My mate⦠Mine.â
âYours,â I whisper. âOnly yours.â
As the two of us come down from the high of our pleasure, Aiden wraps me in another tight embrace. I bury my head in his chest, trying to shake the feeling of the strangerâs hands on my throat.
I want to feel safe. Still, despite everything, something tells me our hardships are far from over.
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