Chapter 33
SHANE
“Go and change. There’s a bathroom behind that door.” He gestures, ensuring I make eye contact with the other man. I stand and practically run to the bathroom. Inside, I lock the door.
I toss my clothes and purse on a shelf. I dry my face with the provided towel, and in the mirror, I see I resemble a raccoon with smeared makeup. My hair is soaked, my dress ruined. Quickly, I strip out of the dress, thankfully my bra and panties are still dry. I look at the shower, then the bathroom door, and decide to shower quickly to get rid of all this mess, wash off the rain, and avoid catching a cold. Once finished, I dry my body and thoroughly clean my face. Then, I wrap the towel around my hair.
I search for the clothes the man gave me and, upon examining them, realise they are an incredibly large black shirt. Apparently, the man is taller than I’d assumed, possibly nearly two metres. I pull on the grey sweatpants, and honestly, I feel quite comfortable in them. However, a small problem arises: how would I leave this mansion, full of people amidst their annual celebration, dressed like this? And now that I think about it, where was the king I’d heard so much about? Ignoring his own gathering is hardly polite.
While untangling the towel from my hair, I hear voices on the other side of the door. Nervously, I press my ear against the wood to try and listen. There’s a lot of male murmuring, but I can’t make out what they’re saying, the wood is thick. I stifle a small shriek and cover my mouth with my hand to stop myself from making any noise. How was I going to get out of this? I’ve undoubtedly gotten myself into trouble.
Suddenly, someone knocks on the door. I hear the voice of the man who’d “rescued” me, if that’s the right word.
“It seems one of you has lost something,” his tone is authoritative. I only hear murmured responses. “Silence,” he commands, and the room is completely silent. I move restlessly; my pulse races, making it hard to hear anything. “If you’ve lost it, it’s not truly important enough to deserve the care it deserves.” Ouch! That stings.
I decide to open the door a crack, just enough to see the man on the other side.
“Yes?” I ask in a low voice.
He stares at me intently.
“Are you alright?” A slight note of concern in his voice.
“Yes,” I whisper.
“You can leave.” That sounds like a question, but something tells me it isn’t.
The words echo in my head. Does he want me to go out into a room full of men? Why? Alarm bells start ringing in my mind. No. That’s not up for discussion.
“No.”
“That wasn’t a request.”
“Are you crazy? I didn’t think you were. There are other people there. Why do you want me to go out?”
He raises his eyebrows, surprised, but I don’t know why. Now I clearly hear the men murmuring.
“I thought you’d want to leave.”
“I do. No doubt about it.”
“Then leave.”
“No. I’ll leave when everyone’s gone.”
“This might take a while.”
I smile sweetly.
“Take your time. I’ll be fine here.” Having said that, I slam the door in his face, but not before catching a glimpse of his faintly retracting smile, which makes me smile broadly as well.
“Well, it seems we’ll have this quick reunion.”
I finish styling my hair while waiting for them to leave. I fold the dress and place it on the sink. I sit on the toilet seat, waiting what seems like an eternity; I even fall asleep. It’s the sound of the door that wakes me. I jump up, dizzy in the process, and open the door a crack.
“Asleep?” My stranger asks.
“A little. Have they all gone?”
“Yes, it’s safe to come out.” I nod, go back for my purse, and open the door; I freeze upon seeing Liam standing on the other side, arms crossed, watching intently. I’m sure he wanted to know who was hiding behind that door, but I guess he knows now, after all, I am his mate. I can’t tell if he’s angry or not.
“Shane,” he says, his tone is serious, so he’s angry, great, because I am also angry for seeing him kiss Ana.
“Liam,” I reply with bitterness. “I thought you said there was no one else.” I reproach my stranger.
“And there isn’t. I believe you know my Chicago Alpha.” My stranger says, “My Alpha?” I frown, looking at the stranger.
I don’t get a chance to reply when Liam adds:
“Didn’t know you knew King Hassel.”
“I don’t. Wait, what?” I jump back from the man beside me, now acutely aware of his true identity. “King?” He nods. I reel back, dizzy. Am I in trouble?
“Are you King Hassel?” I ask, my mouth dry, a knot tightening in my stomach. My mind races as each fragment of doubt, each suspicion I had about him crumbles before the overwhelming reality. The man I’d spoken to so casually, who’d treated me with familiarity, was none other than the king of the wolves.
Confusion and surprise overwhelm me. I can’t grasp how I’d misinterpreted his behaviour all this time. I’d thought he was just a werewolf, someone I couldn’t trust, just an “alpha” of a pack. But now, I understand he’s the damn king, a being to be respected and feared.
Hassel smiles, trying to display a closeness that now seems excessive. However, my panic manifests as an instinct I can’t ignore. I pull back my body, as if trying to put distance between us. He was a king, and I was a human, someone nobody had put any significant expectations on. Seeing his smile, illuminated by understanding, I realise I’ve made mistake after mistake.
Liam finally steps forward, intending to approach me, but the image of him kissing Ana fills my mind. I can’t bear the thought of him lying to me. My heart breaks as I realise I will never be enough for a werewolf, let alone one like him. So, I raise a hand abruptly, as if that could stop his advance.
“No…” I murmur, my voice trembling. “Don’t touch me. I don’t want you to touch me again.”