CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
SANDRO DAVALO
Seems we’re stuck with her!
We could not bear being in our terrible mood for long, so I and Alex decided that we were still going to attend the party.
When we got there, I wasn’t comfortable with anything. The music thumped loudly around me-a pulsating beat that should have made the atmosphere lively and fun. But I couldn’t shake this nagging feeling that something was wrong, either with me or with someone I cared about.
Glancing around, I saw Alex over in the corner, frolicking with some of the girls, looking so carefree. He was chatting up Megan, a cheerleader with golden hair and a sparkling laugh, while I struggled to make sense of what was happening to me. I felt disconnected from the joyous energy around me like I was watching everything unfold through a hazy lens.
The room was filled with familiar faces-friends laughing, drinks flowing, and the aroma of popcorn and pizza wafting through the air. It was the kind of party that should have been the highlight of my week, but I just felt sick. There was this weight in my chest, and I couldn’t ignore it. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, trying to breathe through it, hoping that whatever it was would just disappear.
But if anything, it only amplified it!
One of the girls, looking hot and sexy with her tight dress and sultry makeup, walked straight up to me. Her confidence was radiant, yet I felt irritated by the attention. She slipped her arm around my waist and pulled me toward the dance floor. “Come dance with me,” she purred, her voice thick with flirtation. “I have more than a few steps to teach you.” The sultriness dripped from her words, but I wasn’t in the mood for any of it, unlike the regular me.
“Uh, no thanks,” I said, pulling away gently and trying to maintain my composure.
She pouted, and I could see her chemistry with me fade as realization hit. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked, more than a bit offended. She leaned in, using charm to try to sway me. “C’mon, don’t be a buzzkill. Just one dance for fun?”
“No,” I repeated firmly through gritted teeth. That unsettled feeling surged through me again, and my wolf was awakening just beneath the surface. The last thing I needed was some girl trying to pull me into something I wasn’t ready for. I could feel the primal energy in me rising, beckoning to be unleashed. When she saw the look on my face, the playful spark died instantly, and she backed away, fear replacing her flirtation.
“Okay, okay,” she said, raising her hands in mock surrender before slinking away back to her group of friends.
Just then, Todd, the guy who organized the party, strolled over to me, a grin plastered on his face. “Hey, Sandro! Why aren’t you dancing with any of the girls? You usually love to flirt with them!”
“I don’t feel like it,” I mumbled, a distant edge creeping into my tone. The pain in my chest was becoming too much to ignore.
Todd raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by my lack of enthusiasm. “What’s happening with you, man? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he prodded, concern lined in his voice.
I sighed, shaking my head. “I don’t know, Todd. I just have this feeling… like someone I care about is in trouble. It’s hard to explain.” My voice shook a little, and I could see Todd’s expression quickly change from amusement to surprise.
“Trouble? Like…” he started, eyes narrowing. “Like someone from our pack?”
“I-” I began to say, but I was interrupted when Alex suddenly appeared beside me, his face taut with concern.
“Let’s go,” he snapped, and without waiting for my response, he quickly turned and started walking away. I gave Todd an apologetic glance, but I knew that whatever urgency made Alex act like this was more important than a party.
We reached the outside, and I hopped into the passenger seat as Alex slammed the door shut behind him. The engine roared to life, and he tore out of the parking lot like we were escaping from danger.
“Do you feel the same?” I asked, trying to read him as we sped down the road, headlights piercing through the darkness.
“I do,” he muttered, gnashing his teeth together, clearly agitated.
“Who could it be?” I asked, confusion pervading my voice. “Is it Mom? Or Dad?”
“No, Sandro,” he said, his voice tight. “It’s our mate.”
Suddenly, the realization hit me like a rogue wave. “Our mate?” I repeated, stunned. “Nadia?”
“Yeah,” he replied, his voice laced with frustration, but he didn’t elaborate. Instead, he pressed the gas pedal harder, increasing the speed of the car as we drove deeper into the night. The darkness outside felt thick, shadows creeping at the edges of the road, reminding me just how utterly lost we could become.
The pain began to intensify, gnawing at my insides as I tried unsuccessfully to calm myself. My wolf was restless, pacing within me as we raced toward Nadia’s house. Alex was struggling to keep control of the vehicle, the urgency pushing him to the limits.
“Alex, take it easy!” I urged, gripping the dashboard to steady myself as the world became a blur.
He didn’t respond, eyes focused ahead, determination etched in his face. I could see the worry fester beneath his calm exterior, but I didn’t push him further; I knew he needed to concentrate.
Finally, the car screeched to a stop in front of her street. We shot out of the car without another word, moving nearly as one as we shifted into our wolf forms, muscles rippling beneath our thick fur as we embraced our predator instincts.
The moment the transformation was completed, a low growl escaped from my throat, resonating with the urgency inside me. We both looked at each other, the bond between us firing us up to protect what was ours.
Together, we shot forward, racing through the darkened street and over fences like shadows. The cold night air rushed past as we ran faster than we ever had before, compelled by some primal need to save her. We could hear her voice, crying out for help in the distance, and that only intensified our running, making each lunge feel like an act of defiance against fate.
“There!” I thought I heard Alex growl, and we reached her house in a heartbeat.
We crashed inside, and what we saw made my heart drop – a group of guys, larger and more menacing than we had anticipated, was surrounding Nadia. She was pressed against the wall, fear and panic etched across her features as she tried to fend them off.
As soon as the thugs noticed us, their eyes widened in shock, and a growl erupted from one of them before they too transformed into their wolf forms.
“Get out of here!” I growled, lunging forward, my heart pounding hard. But they did not budge. Instead, they advanced toward us, to attack us.
The fight was chaotic-things were flying, crashing against walls, and breaking apart as we found ourselves battling these intruders. Though the guys were fierce, Alex and I moved in sync, retaliating against every strike. Our wolves pushed us beyond normal limits, roaring into the night as we protectively shielded Nadia.
After an intense struggle, we overwhelmed them. They began to retreat amidst the wreckage of Nadia’s home, some fleeing out the back door as the adrenaline coursed through our veins like fire. The scent of blood lingered in the air, mixing with the wood and paint shavings that littered the ground around us.
Finally, the last of the intruders ran away, leaving destruction in their wake. We stood panting, our chests heaving as we turned our attention to Nadia, who was shaking against the wall, her eyes wide with shock and fear.
Transitioning back to human form felt surreal. My skin tingled as I shifted back, the warmth of my wolf slowly fading. “Stay away from me!” Nadia cried, staggering backward, her voice trembling.
The hurt in her expression hit hard. I wanted to reach for her, to tell her it was okay, but her words cut deep.
“Wait! Nadia, it’s us. It’s Sandro and Alex,” I tried to explain, stepping closer.
“Get away from me!” she shouted again, a tremor in her voice that made my heart feel like it was shattering.
My brows creased. “What? Why? We just saved you!”
She flinched, shaking her head vigorously. “You don’t get it! You’re the ones I fear the most! I don’t want anything to do with you two… Do you think you can just come here and act like heroes? Just stay away!”
“Seriously? After everything we just did?” Alex’s voice was dangerous, almost a snarl. “Get it together, Nadia! We risked our lives to help you!”
I could feel the anger rising in Alex, boiling over as his fists clenched at his sides. “You should be grateful! You think we’d come here otherwise?”
“Maybe you should’ve let those guys take me!” she yelled back, her eyes flashing with anger and hurt. “You both don’t understand anything!”
At her words, a realization hit me like a tidal wave, washing away any defenses I had left. “You’re right,” I said, voice low but resolute. “I regret coming here. I regret risking everything for you.”
Alex gritted his teeth beside me, fists still clenched as he glared. “Yeah, it’s true. And what do we feel, the mate bond? I reject it,” he declared, his voice echoing through the wrecked room, filled with pain and betrayal.
Nadia staggered back, the hurt in her eyes making my heart ache all over again. It was the last thing I wanted to say. I wanted to soothe her fears, to comfort her, but the painful truth was that we were just as conflicted as she was.
The heat of the moment simmered around us, and I could see the confusion and frustration flash in her eyes. I had thought saving her would rescue us from the pain we felt only moments ago, but now it seemed we were just stumbling from one dark place to another.
“Just go, please…” Nadia murmured, every ounce of hope stripped from her voice.
As we turned to leave, the weight of what we had said pressed down like a heavy stone, making me doubt whether we were truly saviors or merely monsters in disguise.
Surprisingly just as we stepped out of the door, with tears in her eyes, Nadia yelled. “Wait, please! Don’t go!”