Alpha Adrian 24-25

Adrian smiled at her tenderly. He took her wrist and caressed it with his thumb.

“I have to go clean up a few things. How do you feel?”

“I’ll be fine.” She dipped her chin. “You won’t hurt that man, right?”

His smile thins and his shoulders drop as if disappointed. “I’ll only relocate him.”

“To a tomb?” Eva raised her eyebrow.

“No, because that would displease you,” he answered. “I don’t want that.”

“Why do I matter so much to you?”

“Because…” his smile widened, and his eyes softened. They’re the most gentle part of this giant.

“You were my gift.”

She wasn’t sure she would ever understand what that meant.

“I will move you from this place to my personal residence.”

Those words made her tense.

“You will have your own bedroom,” he quickly clarified. “I would never force you into anything. Not unless you ask.”

“So this is it?” she looked at the damaged wall. “You hide me until…”

“Until I find out how to introduce you to the council,” he finishes.

Silence dawns with subsequent exhaustion. The drama of the day was kicking her ass. She got quite the scare when Adrian showed up like a runaway demon.

“Come. Let me take you home.”

He gestured toward the door, and Eva took him in one final time. He was calm for her. This alleged half-man, half-wolf, fully-rich and fully-deadly male.

“To your home,” she whispered to correct him as she inched to the door.

An enormous hand touched the small of her back, and goosebumps erupted.

“Easy,” Adrian eased.

With his hand at her back, he took her out of the room, down an elevator, and outside. The nurses they crossed kept their gazes low when they passed. By the time Eva reached the front door, she was a little tired.

“Do you want me to carry you?”

“Um…”

She was torn. Adrian wasn’t ‘the good guy,’ but he certainly wasn’t the worst.

His arm reached further across her back to touch her hip, and he held her tighter as they crossed the darkness. She didn’t see anyone out here, but she heard a howl in the distance that nearly had her running.

“Don’t worry,” he told her. “That’s one of mine.”

One of his wolves? Not a pet, but a person that can explode into a puff of fur and teeth upon command?

“Zya has been dying to talk to you,” he said, probably to distract her because he could see the smoke coming out of her ears.

“Would you like to speak with her?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to speak with family as well? I’ll have to be there to watch over you, but I’ve held you from them long enough.”

“So this is happening? I can’t disclose my location to family or authorities because your owners would crack down thunder and come after me?”

His only reply was, “I have no owners.”

He pushed the door of a two-floor, Victorian style home, and Eva waited for faces to appear on the other side. Instead, she found the ultimate man-cave.

There was a huge fireplace, dark furniture, a collection of alcohol, little to no picture on the walls, and a dimmed chandelier. It was clean, but it was cold and empty beside all the furniture.

“This is…”

“You don’t like it?”

“It’s fine.”

Adrian made a sound at the back of his throat. “I’m alone here. No kids, no female, and I’m too organized to save my life.”

Why was he telling her all this? Because he hoped things would change now that she was here?

He led her up the stairs. “Here.”

The room he opened clearly had no owner. It was emptier than the living room. She noticed the nightstand was already stocked with medicine.

The bed was a little higher than usual, so Adrian lifted her by the hips without thinking much of it.

Then, he shifted his weight from one foot to another. He clearly had little experience feeling nervous.

“My room is across the hall.”

She dipped her chin.

“I’ll go take care of business. I’ll return later.”

He was off, and closed the door behind him. Eva didn’t have to check to know that he posted guards outside.

She planned on what she was going to tell Zya, her aunt, Sam, and her boss. It was a good thing she had a small circle. Tired of thinking, she paced the room a little and then rummaged through it. Surely enough, it was empty. No one resided in it.

She bit her lip when an idea crossed her. What did Adrian have in his room? Normally, she would never invade someone’s space, but she felt rebellious. What was supposed to be a sweet, unexpected romance turned into a nest of mystery and crimes.

She walked across the hall and into the wolf cave.

The wood of the double-doors was darker, as if giving a warning.

She pushed past it.

This room was twice the size of hers, with a king-sized bed, a balcony, and a walk-in closet. Both the closet and balcony were open, the wind caressing the white curtains.

She approached his bed. It was enormous, just like its owner.

There was nothing out of place, except for the grey boxers pooled by her feet. Were those there before? Did she knock them down without noticing?

Damn it, she should have never walked in here.

Now a wreck, she picked up the boxers with her index and thumb, going red in the face when she noticed how large they were.

During her internal debate, she handn’t the door squeak.

“Got lost?”

Her soul left her body, dribbled between heaven and hell for a few seconds, and slammed back into her chest.

She spun so fast that she collapsed against the bed.

“Adrian!”

He walked forward and bent at the waist to chuckle down at her.

“Hi.”

“I— I—”

“I see you couldn’t wait to get a hold of my underwear.”

That’s when she noticed she was gripping his boxers in a death grip.

“No!” She fussed to sit up, but her arm made it harder.

Adrian helped her as he laughed through her torture. “It’s alright. You can collect as many as you’d like.”

“I wasn’t collecting them or being a creep, I swear.”

“Don’t worry,” he smiled. “I just forgot my keys. I’ll return later.”

The door closed behind him a minute later, and Eva curled into a ball and waited for a heart-attack to take her. She shut her eyes tight, and that was her second error of the night. Somehow, as she tried to make herself invisible, she fell asleep.

“Sweetheart,” Adrian stroked her hair.

“Hmm?”

“Want me to carry you to your bed?”

A fire lit under her ass, and she shot up. She was indeed on his bed, with his underwear still clutched in her fucking hand.

She ran so fast out of the room that she could be confused for a werewolf.

In the morning, she was determined to avoid Adrian at all cost, even if she had to starve in there.

He had other plans, coming for her first thing in the morning. “Good morning, Eva.”

How did he know she was awake?

“I can hear your breathing.”

Oh.

“I’m— er, showering!”

“I don’t hear any water or smell any soap,” he chuckled. “Open up, love. I come in peace. I won’t tease you, I promise.”

With that peace offering, she opened the door. Adrian stood there with a plater in-hand. It was sweet, but she would probably get sick if she ate.

She opened the door wider to welcome him in. Setting the plater on the nightstand, he sank into her bed and offered his cellphone.

“You can make those calls I promised.” He looked serious, as if her boxer-kidnapping was the last thing on his mind.

Eva inched closer, eyes locked on that phone. This was a huge step for them.

She called her boss first to warm things up.

“Hello?”

“Eva? Hey! How is your vacation?” her manager asked.

Vacation?

She looked at Adrian as she replied, “I didn’t know I had any vacations day left.”

“You didn’t, but how could we deny you after that handsome donation we got thanks to you?”

Eva frowned, and then she remembered she had the interest of a millionaire werewolf.

“Right. Well, I was just checking in. Thanks.” She hung up and called her aunt next.

“Auntie?”

“Girl, where have you been?! How dare you send some texts here and there and ignore all my calls?”

Eva had definitely not been sending any texts. Adrian must be behind those, too.

“Sorry, auntie. I’ve just been having so busy with work.”

“Ah, it’s fine. I know how much you love taking care of animals. Just call me more often! I miss you.”

Adrian texted her aunt some lie, then.

“How is Sam?”

“Off with some girl he met and happy that the lawsuit was settled. He owes you his life.”

“Has he he asked about me?”

“Hmm… not really, sweetheart.”

That hurt. Eva had been through so much for him that she expected he would at least keep an eye out for her.

“Oh,” her shoulders dropped. “Well, I won’t bother him. Tell him I said hi and that I’m okay.”

“Sure thing, baby. Make sure you dress warm. Canada must be freezing.”

She was supposed to be in Canada?

“Okay. Bye.”

She hung up and returned the phone to Adrian. She tried her best to hide her disappointment.

“I should call Zya now.”

“Actually, she agreed to meet us at the island.”

“What island?”

“Yours,” Adrian reached out and touched her jawline with his knuckles. “You deserve a change of scenery. The doctors have cleared you for travel.”

“But I said I didn’t want—”

“Zya and Zena will be keeping you company. I know you’re not too comfortable with me yet.”

Record screech.

Zena was coming too? The woman that allegedly was or still is into Adrian?

Eva’s fingers and toes curled as an unpleasant feeling festered in her gut. She didn’t want Zena near Adrian, especially on a paradise island where they’d be half naked on the beach and tipsy.

Eva wasn’t on her best standing. Not only was she a troll compared to Zena the goddess, but she only had one fully functioning arm. She wouldn’t be able to do much, and Zena would shine brighter than her.

Jealousy. That’s what was poisoning her belly. She was jealous of the athletic, pretty, rich woman that she would never become.

“So? Are you excited?” Adrian smiled.

She wanted to chicken out, but that would be declaring defeat. Instead, she nodded.

“Yeah.”

Well, this is going to be interesting.

“Great,” Adrian grinned as if she’s the one that bought him an island

“You can buy yourself some things tomorrow, and we’ll fly out in two days. You’ll have fun.” He squeezed her hand and looked at her as if she was more precious than Bora Bora.

“Anything for you.”

She was burning under his gaze, so she stood and faced the bathroom. “I should clean up now.”

“Right. Call if you need me.”

If she slipped and fell in the shower, there was no way she was calling him. She’d rather drown in the bathtub.