Cara’s pov
The cold air of the night nipped at my skin as Brian carried me through the woods like a child, my body bouncing slightly with each step he took. His arms were strong and unyielding, like I weighed nothing to him. But to me, every second was an eternity of humiliation. I had no strength left to struggle, not after the day I’d had. Instead, I fumed in silence, boiling with anger and frustration.
When we finally reached the cabin, Brian kicked open the door and stepped inside, his jaw clenched as he set me down. My feet barely touched the ground before I exploded my anger on him.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” I yelled, pushing at his chest. “Why do you keep doing this? Embarrassing me in front of everyone! Dragging me around like some… some damsel in distress! I don’t need your protection, Brian! I don’t need you!”
My voice cracked as I glared at him, my heart pounding not just from the anger but from the confusion and hurt that seemed to follow him everywhere. Why did he always have this effect on me? Is it really because of this stupid mating bond that makes me dream about hom almost every time and fantasizes about him when i am alone. Why couldn’t I just ignore him? I seethed in frustration.
Brian didn’t flinch at my words, but his eyes darkened. He took a step toward me, closing the already small space between us. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Cara,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. “You don’t understand what is happening, nor what I have been doing just so you can be safe”
I crossed my arms, trying to appear stronger than I felt. “Then explain it to me. Stop treating me like I’m fragile and incapable of making my own decisions!, tell me everything now! ”
For a moment, he didn’t respond. His chest rose and fell as he took deep, measured breaths, like he was trying to control himself. Then, finally, his expression softened, and he ran a hand through his tousled hair, looking exhausted.
“Cara, you don’t understand because I haven’t told you everything,” he said, his voice quieter now, almost vulnerable. “I’ve been trying to protect you, yes. But not just because I think you’re weak. It’s because…”
He paused, his eyes searching mine as if he was contemplating wethere to continue or keep on hiding like he always do. “It’s because I care about you.”
My breath hitched, and for a moment, I was speechless. “Care about me?” I echoed, my heart doing a strange little flip.
Brian nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. “More than you know. More than I’ve been willing to admit to myself, i care about you so much it hurts.”
I swallowed hard, my anger beginning to fade as confusion and something else, something warmer, began to develop. But i shook my head to not let his flowery words get to me. “Then why act like this? Why push me away, then drag me back whenever you feel like it?”
“Because it’s not safe!” he snapped, and I flinched at the intensity in his voice. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, and I could see the frustration in his eyes. “You don’t understand what’s coming. The enemies we’re facing… they’ll use anything and anyone to get to me. And you…” he hesitated, his voice dropping lower…” they won’t blink twice in using you to get to me.
“So it’s is about you right,” I scoffed, ” it’s about me not becoming a burden to you, right?”
“Noo, you are the most important person to me, Cara. If anything happened to you, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.” That’s why I try to push you away. He said with so much heaviness as if a heavy load had been carried down from his head.
The air between us felt thick, charged with emotions I wasn’t sure how to process. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing thoughts.
“But I’m not helpless,” I said, my voice softer now. “I have my powers, Brian. I’ve been training, Debby has been training me. I can protect myself.”
His eyes softened as he looked at me, and for the first time, I saw something other than cold indifference or barely restrained anger. I saw… fear. Fear for me.
“You are a cupbearer Cara, a pureblood. do you know what it means, do you know the number of people in Ellorin that will stop at nothing to get have you for themselves” he said, raising his voice.
“I know you’re strong, Cara,” he said, stepping closer, his hand brushing against mine, causing small electric currents to tingle my fingers. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not terrified of losing you. I’ve already lost too much in this life. I can’t lose you too.”
His words hit me like a punch to the chest. I didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to respond to the raw emotion in his voice. This was a side of Brian I hadn’t seen before. The strong, stoic Alpha was… vulnerable, his walls crumbling as he opened up to me in a way I hadn’t expected.
“You didn’t know what i went through when you ran away from the pack, I thought you were gone, or worse, the case had been kidnapped. Did you know how many times Garreth convinced me not to come there myself and unleash my anger” but I didn’t because I know you wouldn’t want that.”
I blinked, my heart pounding in my chest. This was too much, too fast. But at the same time, it was what I’d wanted, what I had always needed to hear.
“I don’t know what to say,” I admitted, my voice shaky. “You’ve been so… cruel at times. Cold. It’s hard to just… forget that.”
“I know,” he said, his hand finally resting on mine, his touch sending a jolt through me. “And I’m sorry, Cara. I was wrong. But I need you to understand… I did it because I thought it was the only way to keep you safe.”
I looked into his eyes, searching for the truth in his words. And what I saw was something real, something that made my anger melt away, replaced by a warmth I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Maybe… maybe he wasn’t lying. Maybe he really did care. And maybe… I cared, too.
For a moment, the cabin was silent. The only sound was our shallow breathing. I could feel the weight of his confession settling between us until Brian broke the silence.
“You will stay here, I have ordered my warriors to guard this cabin, and I will be back.” he said, turning to leave. At that point, I felt a fire down my stomach. my body that has been fighting to stay awake crumbled beneath me.
“Brian…” I whispered in panic, but his well strong arms caught me before i would connect with the ground, a look of deep worry on his face.
” You have overstressed yourself today,” he said with anger. “Perhaps those nurses need to be taught a lesson”
“Noo, it’s my choice, I am just a little bit lightheaded” I said, trying to stand on my feet, but another wave of nausea came, but Brian was still there to catch me.
He carried me bridal style to the bed and tucked me in, but I clutched at his clothes, unwilling to let him go.
For a moment, his face hovered over mine, our lips breaths apart from connecting.
” noo, I think this time is not a good…” he was saying, but I covered the distance, shutting him up with my lips.
He groaned in my mouth, sending chills up my spine. My heart was beating fast like it would jump out of mouth.
“I was kissing Brian, and the worse I had initiated the kiss” my thought was on a rampage, it was as if a fire was growing in the pit of my stomach and all I wanted was to quech the fire, and kissing Brian was all i needed to quech the fire.
Brian was still in shock. Even after I disconnected from the kiss, he was still staring at me, as if he couldn’t believe what was happening.
“I…I am sorry,” so many emotions were going through me. embarrassment, shocked bewildered, shame, shame, and shame.
I face was burning, maybe it was on fire but I could not tell, maybe that was why Brian was still staring at me like an alien.
I forced myself to look him in the eyes, but what I saw sent chills up my spine. His eyes were dark red, red like the devil’s, I was drawn to it, unable to look away.
I wanted to pull away, or at least do something that would show me I was still in control of my body, but all was in vain. Brian, now gone, I realised it was his wolf I was looking at, sniffing the air around us, Its lips curved into a predator smile. Every instinct i had told me to run bit before I could do anything
” You shouldn’t have done that, mate!” An animalistic growl pierced the night as Brian’s lips crashed on mine with unmatched hunger, taking my breath away.