Chapter 50 Scariest Truth
“I’m going to check on my cousin and see if what you just told me is the truth,” Tonia said.
I nodded, even though my heart was pounding hard against my chest.
I watched as she walked away with her friends and settled at a table in the farthest corner of the restaurant. My fingers curled tightly around the edge of the counter, my wolf stirring uneasily inside me, like it sensed danger long before I could fully understand it.
“Are you okay, Diana?” Bethany asked, staring at me with concern.
Only then did I realize how sweaty I was. My palms felt clammy, and my chest felt tight. I forced a small smile.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, though my voice sounded distant even to my own ears.
I stepped away from the counter and headed toward the kitchen, but my thoughts refused to slow down. Alpha Warren… the man from that night? The father of my unborn pups? I had been working around him for weeks, standing close to him, breathing the same air, and I hadn’t known.
My jaw clenched as everything started to make sense. Layla’s sudden change. Her possessiveness. Her hatred toward me. She must have known. She must have realized that Alpha Warren was my mate.
But then why did she claim to be his mate?
My heart thudded painfully as I walked down the hallway toward the kitchen. I was so lost in thought that I bumped into one of the workers.
She yelped, and what she was holding flew from her hand, crashing to the floor. I crouched immediately to help her up, but she shook her head.
“I’m fine,” she muttered, pulling herself up. “Don’t worry. Are you okay?”
I nodded numbly. She gave me one last look before walking away.
I leaned against the wall, my breathing uneven. My mind drifted back to Tonia’s party. The memory hit me all at once—the scent, the pull, the heat of the bond. My breath hitched when my mind matched the face from that night to Alpha Warren’s.
My skin crawled, and a sharp headache wrapped around my skull. I pressed my fingers to my temple, willing it to stop.
After standing there for a while, I finally forced myself into the kitchen. I grabbed something small to eat and returned to the counter, but my mind remained unsettled. Time dragged painfully slow, and every sound felt too loud.
Collen noticed at some point.
“Diana, are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” I replied quickly.
A few others asked the same thing, and I gave them the same answer. But deep down, I wasn’t fine. Not even close.
When the last customer left, I picked up my tote bag and told Collen I was heading out. As I stepped outside, the evening air hit my face, but it didn’t ease the heaviness in my chest. I felt more tired than I ever had.
“What’s with the long face?”
My heart jumped straight to my throat. I froze before turning sharply, my wolf flaring in alarm.
Aiden leaned casually against a wall nearby, arms crossed, eyes sharp and unreadable.
I let out a shaky breath and placed a hand on my chest. “Jeez, you scared the wolf out of me,” I stuttered.
A knowing smirk tugged at his lips, making him look even more handsome than he already was.
I quickly looked away and started walking, acting like I hadn’t seen him. He pushed off the wall and followed, his tall figure moving easily beside me. There was something about his presence—quiet, controlled, dangerous.
“Let me guess,” he said calmly. “Your day was stressful, and you’re worrying about your mate.”
I stopped so suddenly I almost bumped into him.
“How did you know that?” I asked, staring at him.
A slow smile appeared on his face. “I told you. I can tell what people are thinking just by looking at them.”
My breath caught as our eyes met. Something about the way he looked at me made my wolf restless. With this guy around, I knew I had to be careful—very careful—about what I thought.
“Why are you stalking me?” I blurted out, folding my arms.
He raised a brow. “I’m not.”
“That’s hard to believe,” I said.
“I was passing by,” he replied calmly. “I saw you and decided to walk with you.”
I didn’t believe him. Not fully. But a small part of me liked seeing him, and that made everything even more confusing.
We continued walking down the street in silence. My feet started to ache, a dull pain spreading up my legs from standing all day. When we reached a black SUV parked by the roadside, Aiden stopped.
“Come inside,” he said, opening the passenger door. “I’ll take you home. It’s not okay for you to trek all the way.”
I stared at the car, then at him. “Why are you doing all this?”
He looked at me, his expression unreadable. “Is it bad to offer to take a lady home?”
I wanted to argue, to tell him I didn’t need his help. But my feet throbbed painfully, and my body felt weak. When he opened the door wider, I gave in and stepped inside.
He closed the door gently and walked around to the driver’s side. As he got in, the warmth of the car wrapped around me. I turned slightly toward him without meaning to.
Our eyes met.
Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I quickly looked away, my heart beating faster for reasons I didn’t want to think about.
He drove quietly, his focus on the road, his presence filling the car. My wolf felt strange around him—confused, drawn, yet cautious.
When we got to Cora’s house, he stopped the car and stepped out. He walked over and opened the door for me.
My cheeks warmed again, and he smirked faintly.
“Thank you,” I said softly.
He watched me closely as I walked toward the front door. His gaze followed every step, and the way he stood there made his behavior feel… strange. Controlled. Like he was waiting for something.
I unlocked the door and went inside. Before closing it, I glanced through the window.
Aiden stood by his car, watching the house. Only after the door closed behind me did he get into the SUV and drive away.
I remained by the window long after he was gone, my heart racing, my wolf unsettled.