Chapter 31 Middle of a Mess
Sienna
“This is your fault!” Gael yelled, her face red as she blocked my way. She was acting like a human shield, making sure I couldn't even get a look at the door where they’d taken Elizabeth.
The second Elizabeth went down, I didn't think. I just ran. I booked it back to the inn through the deep snow, my lungs burning, just to get help. When I arrived, everyone was losing it. The panic only got worse when they saw I was alone, looking like a drowned rat. I told them exactly what happened, but I guess the truth doesn't mean much when people want a villain.
Gael was busy twisting every word I said into something ugly. I wanted to roll my eyes so hard they’d get stuck, but I held back. I felt like crap that Elizabeth was actually hurt, so I just stood there and took the heat.
“That’s enough, Gael.”
Tristan stepped out of the clinic room, with the Alpha right behind him. This clinic was a tiny, tight place near the inn, and it felt way too small the moment Sev walked in.
“How is she?” I asked.
“Her wolf is strong. She will recover in due time,” Tristan said, giving me a small, formal nod.
I let out a breath I’d been holding since I saw her hit the bottom of that hole. I shouldn't have let her come with me. I should have been meaner and pushed her back inside.
“It was an accident,” Sev said, his voice deep and calm as he looked at Gael. He must have heard her yapping from inside. “There is no one else to blame for this.”
Gael looked like she was about to explode. Then, her face changed. She got that look someone gets when they think they’ve finally found a way to win. “Unless… it was not an accident,” she said.
“Explain yourself, Gael,” Sev’s voice got real low. It was that scary, quiet tone he used when he was about to lose his temper.
“I remember,” Gael said, pointing a finger right at my face. “Sienna mentioned pushing someone into the storm while we were at the springs. She made a joke of it.”
My heart skipped a beat. “We were joking! You were the one who brought it up first!”
Gael just shook her head, looking at the guys with fake tears in her eyes. “She is just jealous because Elizabeth is perfect.”
“Jealous? You’re being crazy!” I snapped. My hands were shaking in my pockets.
I looked at Sev, waiting for him to tell her she was being ridiculous. “I would never do that because of... jealousy.” My voice trailed off because Sev had this look on his face. He wasn't looking at Gael. He was looking at me, and he looked like he was actually considering it.
Wait. Was he really doubting me?
“I wish to hear no more of this nonsense,” Sev said, rubbing his head like he had a massive headache. “Once the snow clears and Eli wakes, everyone is to return to Regalia immediately. This trip is finished.”
“But Sienna did this!” Gael cried out.
Sev’s patience finally broke. His jaw got tight, and he looked at Gael with eyes that could freeze the sun. “You will return. Do you have any further complaints, Gael?”
Gael started shaking. She looked like she wanted to turn into a ghost. “None, Alpha,” she whispered.
“Return to the inn. At once.”
We all moved. I didn't say a word, I just walked fast and got way ahead of Gael. I went straight to my room and locked the door. If I had to hear her blame me one more time, I was going to lose it.
A knock at my door made me jump. I knew that scent. I opened the door immediately, and Sev was standing there, looking way too big for the narrow hallway.
“It was an accident, truly,” I blurted out. I didn't even give him a chance to breathe. I had to get the words out before I lost my nerve. “There’s this child, Rice. She just... she bolted right into the white-out. I couldn't just stand there, Sev. I saw Elizabeth in the hall and she volunteered to come, and I felt like I had no choice but to let her. Then she fell. It was one of those snow trenches the lady warned us about. I didn't push her. I swear.”
He didn’t interrupt. He just stood there, watching me with those heavy, dark eyes, listening with a patience that made me even more twitchy.
“I am aware,” he said softly, his voice smooth and perfectly composed. “May I come in?”
I blinked, a bit taken aback by how calm he was. “Of course,” I mumbled, stepping back to let him pass.
He slid the door shut and locked it. He walked past me and sat down on a small wooden chair by the window, and I almost felt bad for the furniture—it looked like it was about to snap under his weight.
“Come here,” he commanded.
I walked over before my brain could even say no, feeling messy and damp and totally out of place. He reached out, his large, warm hand wrapping around mine. He started rubbing my fingers against his palm, the heat of his skin making my breath hitch.
“Were you cold?” he asked, his eyes searching mine.
“N-not anymore,” I stuttered. I couldn't get used to how he was treating me. It felt different. Maybe it was because of that... well, aggressive night we’d shared.
“Do you believe me?” I asked, my voice dropping to a whisper. “Truly?”
“I do.”
I couldn't help it—I pouted. The way he said it was too easy. It felt like he was just humoring me because he didn't want to deal with the drama.
“Cease that at once,” he muttered, his grip on my hand tightening just a fraction.
“Cease what?” I asked, biting my lip. I was a nervous wreck. The room was already small, but with him in it, it felt like his whole presence was wrapping around me.
He let out a low groan, a sound that started deep in his chest. He reached up, his fingers sliding into the hair at the back of my neck, and pulled me toward him.
“That. Seducing me.” he replied.
Before I could even get out a protest that I wasn't doing anything on purpose, his lips were crushed against mine. It wasn't a gentle kiss. It was aggressive, hungry.
His tongue danced with mine, a wild, demanding rhythm that sent shivers straight down my spine and settled deep in my core. My hands scrambled for something to hold onto, finally landing on his broad shoulders for guidance.
“Sev…” I moaned against his lips, my head spinning. I felt his hands slide under my coat, his palms searingly hot against my skin.
Shit. Shit. My mind was racing a mile a minute. Are we really doing this? Right here, right now?
And for the love of the Goddess... shouldn't I at least take a shower first?!