Chapter 154: Behind Bloodshot Eyes

Amelia's POV

My back pressed against the wall as Alexander's body caged me in. His eyes—those usually mesmerizing hazel eyes—were now bloodshot and wild with fury. I'd never seen him this angry before, not even during our worst arguments.

"Alex, I—" My voice trembled as I tried to speak.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was?" He slammed his palm against the wall beside my head, making me flinch. "Do you?"

I swallowed hard, feeling tears forming. "Alex, please, I went out because—"

"Shut up!" he roared, his face contorting with rage. The veins in his neck bulged as he leaned closer. "I nearly crossed to the other side of Azure Lake looking for you!"

Azure Lake? What was he talking about? I wasn't anywhere near any lake. His words made no sense, but the intensity behind them terrified me.

"I don't understand," I whispered, shrinking against the wall. "I was just in the city. I didn't go to any lake."

Alexander's eyes flashed gold for a split second, his wolf dangerously close to the surface. "You only stay safe when you're with me. Once you lose your way..."

His voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "You have no idea what's out there waiting for you."

The pressure of his body against mine increased, his grip on my arm tightening painfully. This wasn't my Alexander. This was someone—something—else entirely.

"You're hurting me," I choked out as tears spilled down my cheeks. I couldn't comprehend why he was reacting this way. Yes, I'd wandered through unfamiliar streets today and gotten temporarily lost, but his reaction seemed wildly disproportionate.

My words seemed to pierce through his rage. Alexander blinked rapidly, his eyes gradually fading from that eerie gold back to their normal color. He looked down at his hand gripping my arm and slowly released me, as if surprised by his own actions.

He took a step back, running both hands through his disheveled hair as he drew in several deep breaths. The silence between us felt heavy, charged with unspoken emotions.

"Look at me," he finally commanded, his voice still carrying that unmistakable Alpha tone that made my spine straighten involuntarily.

I shook my head, wiping tears away with trembling fingers. "No. You're scaring me right now."

His jaw tightened as he reached out, capturing my chin between his fingers and gently but firmly turning my face toward his. His touch was gentler now, but the intensity in his gaze remained.

"Where did you go?" he asked, his voice low and controlled. "Tell me the truth."

I looked up at him through tear-soaked lashes, my chest heaving with suppressed sobs. "Happy birthday, Mate."

Alexander froze, his expression shifting from anger to confusion in an instant. His hand dropped from my face as if I'd burned him.

"What?" The word came out barely above a whisper.

"I wanted to surprise you," I continued, my voice breaking. "So I went out to find something special, and then I had to pick up the cake, and I..." I couldn't continue, the lump in my throat making it impossible to speak.

Only then did Alexander seem to notice our surroundings. His eyes swept across the hotel suite, taking in the decorations I'd meticulously arranged hours earlier. The cake with unlit candles sitting on the dining table. The champagne chilling in ice. The rose petals scattered across the floor leading to the bedroom.

The anger drained from his face, replaced by a look of dawning horror.

I seized the opportunity to push past him, needing space between us. I moved to the window, staring out at the city lights as fresh tears blurred my vision. I'd spent the whole day planning this surprise, even wearing the blue dress he liked, and now everything was ruined.

"Fuck," I heard him mutter behind me, followed by the sound of his fist hitting something solid. "Fuck!"

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold it together. The city lights below swam in my vision, distorted by tears. This whole trip, I'd been so focused on showing him I could be a good mate, that I could support him. Yet here we were, in the middle of another emotional disaster.

I sensed him approach before I heard his footsteps. His reflection appeared in the window behind me, his expression a mixture of regret and self-loathing.

"Don't cry, little wolf," he murmured, his voice now achingly gentle.

His arms encircled my waist, pulling me back against his chest. The familiar warmth of his body should have been comforting, but I remained tense, hurt still radiating through me.

I turned to face him, keeping my arms folded between us like a barrier. "I don't want to talk to you right now."

Alexander's eyes tracked a tear as it rolled down my cheek. He caught it with his thumb, his touch unexpectedly tender after his earlier roughness. "I forgot my own birthday," he admitted quietly. "I haven't celebrated it in years."

His gaze dropped to my dress, recognition flickering in his eyes. "And you dressed up for me."

When I didn't respond, he lowered his head, brushing his lips against the mating mark on my neck. The contact sent an involuntary shiver through me.

"I'm sorry, mate," he whispered against my skin.

The contrast between his current tenderness and his earlier rage left me disoriented. I stood perfectly still, uncertain which version of him to believe—the terrifying man with golden eyes who'd slammed his fist against the wall, or this contrite lover whose lips now traced gentle patterns on my skin. Both were Alexander, both were real, and that realization frightened me more than his anger had.

His hand found mine, our fingers intertwining despite my resistance. I watched as he lifted my hand to examine the wrist he'd gripped so tightly minutes ago. Faint red marks were already forming—they would be bruises by morning. His expression crumpled as he brought my wrist to his lips, kissing each mark with a reverence that made my chest ache.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," he murmured against my pulse point. "When I couldn't find you, I thought..." He swallowed hard, unable to finish the sentence.

"Thought what?" I pressed, needing to understand what had triggered such an extreme reaction.

His eyes darkened with memories he seemed unwilling to share. "It doesn't matter now. You're safe."

Safe. The word hung between us, loaded with implications I couldn't fully grasp. What exactly did he think would happen to me in a tourist-filled city in broad daylight? What monsters lurked in Alexander's past that made him react with such visceral fear?

I wanted to push harder, to demand answers about Azure Lake and whatever other secrets he was keeping. But exhaustion swept through me, draining the fight from my body. The emotional whiplash of planning this perfect surprise only to have it shattered by his rage had left me hollow.

Alexander seemed to sense my withdrawal. His arms tightened around me as if he feared I might disappear. His heartbeat, strong and steady against my back, gradually slowed to a calmer rhythm. The familiar scent of him—cedar and something uniquely Alexander—enveloped me, making it harder to maintain my anger.

"I'm sorry, mate," he whispered against my skin.