Chapter 113 113

Chapter 113 113
SCOTT

I walked down the hallway with a lightness in my step that I hadn’t felt in days, a quiet smile playing on my lips despite everything that had been happening around the pack. The tension, the strange incidents, the unease that seemed to linger in the air... it all faded into the background as my thoughts centered on her.
Amanda.
I had missed her. More than I cared to admit.
Every step toward her room felt longer than it should, anticipation tightening in my chest. I replayed the memory of our last meeting over and over again... the way I had left her so abruptly, the unfinished moment between us, the look on her face before I turned away.
Guilt crept in.
She must have been upset.
Still, I convinced myself that once I explained, once I saw her again, everything would fall back into place.
It had to.
I stopped in front of her door, my heart beating just a little faster than usual. For a moment, I hesitated, adjusting my posture as though that would somehow prepare me for whatever reaction she might have.
Then I knocked. Softly.
The door opened after a few seconds, and there she was.
For a brief moment, everything else disappeared. Her face. Her eyes. Her presence, but something was off.
“Did you miss me?” I asked with a small grin, trying to lighten the mood.
She didn’t smile. Not even a little. Instead, her expression remained cold... distant in a way I had never seen before.
“What are you doing here, Beta Scott?” she asked, her tone sharp enough to cut. “Don’t tell me the Alpha sent you, right?”
The words hit harder than expected.
I blinked, caught off guard.
“I… what?” I stammered, thrown completely by the sudden shift in her demeanor.
That wasn’t how she usually greeted me.
That wasn’t how she looked at me.
Confusion settled in, quickly followed by realization. Last night. I left her. Without explanation. Without warning. Of course she would be upset.
“Are you angry about what happened last night?” I asked gently, stepping closer. “I’m sorry. It’s just… I couldn’t leave the Alpha alone, and I couldn’t also... ”
I stopped mid-sentence.
She wasn’t listening.
Not even a little.
Her gaze had drifted away, her expression unreadable.
“Is that what you came to say?” she cut in flatly.
I stared at her, stunned.
“What? Don’t you want to see me?” I asked, and to my own surprise, there was a trace of anxiety in my voice.
Why did she look so angry?
My wolf stirred uneasily.
She’s not just upset, it muttered. Something is wrong.
I felt it too.
I had noticed her earlier when we were dealing with the situation in the hallway... the girl who attacked Lyka. Amanda had been there, but she seemed… off. Distant. Tense.
I had brushed it aside at the time.
Now, I wasn’t so sure.
“Actually,” I said, trying to regain control of the conversation, “I came to tell you that the cause of the girl’s death wasn’t linked to Lyka at all.”
It wasn’t the real reason I came.
But I needed time.
Time to understand what was happening.
“Oh?” she said, raising a brow. “Then what is it?”
I hesitated. Damn it. “I’m sorry,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly. “I can’t tell you that. It’s confidential, and... ”
“Yes,” she interrupted sharply, her voice rising. “Of course. Someone like me... you’re just sleeping with... doesn’t need to know anything, right?”
Her words hit me like a slap. My face flushed instantly.
“No... that’s not what I meant,” I said quickly. “I was just... ”
“You don’t have to explain,” she cut in again, her voice cold and final. “I’m a very understanding girl. I know exactly what you meant. So you can leave now.”
She began to close the door. Panic surged through me.
“No... please don’t do this!” I blurted, stepping forward and blocking the door with my leg.
She froze, glaring at me.
“What are you doing, Beta Scott?” she snapped, her anger now fully visible.
“I don’t know what I did,” I admitted, frustration creeping into my voice. “But you can’t just shut me out like this. If I did something wrong, tell me.”
She let out a short, bitter laugh.
“Really?” she said, stepping closer.
Before I could react, she closed the distance between us and brushed her lips against mine.
My breath hitched.
For a split second, my mind went blank.
Instinct took over.
I pulled her closer and kissed her properly, losing myself in the familiarity of her touch, the warmth of her lips. I didn’t care that we were in the hallway. I didn’t care if someone saw us.
Nothing else mattered in that moment.
Then she spoke.
“Do you have a mate?”
The words sliced through the haze instantly.
I pulled back as though burned.
My eyes widened.
“What… what are you saying?” I asked, my voice unsteady.
She stared at me like I was something vile.
“I’m sure you heard me clearly,” she said coldly. “Or are you going to pretend you didn’t?”
My mind raced. She knew. Somehow, she knew. And judging by the look in her eyes, there was no point in denying it.
“From the way you reacted,” she continued, her voice quieter now but no less sharp, “I can tell it’s true.”
I swallowed hard. “How did you find out?” I asked cautiously.
She scoffed.
“You lied to me,” she said, her voice trembling slightly now... not with anger, but something deeper. “And you still have the audacity to ask me that?”
Guilt twisted painfully in my chest.
“I didn’t mean to lie,” I said quietly. “I just… didn’t see a reason to tell you.”
The moment the words left my mouth, I knew I had made it worse.
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “You didn’t see a reason?” she repeated softly. “So what does that make me, Scott? Just someone you pass time with? Someone who doesn’t deserve the truth?”
“That’s not what I meant... ”
“Then what did you mean?” she shot back.
I had no answer, because the truth was messy. Complicated. And painful.
“You must have thought I was stupid,” she continued, her voice breaking slightly. “A loose girl who didn’t need to know anything.”
“That’s not true,” I said firmly.
But she shook her head.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, stepping back. “I’m done wasting my time.”
This time, I didn’t stop her.
The door closed.
And I stood there, staring at it, feeling something heavy settle in my chest.
I had lost her.
Or at least… I was about to.
I exhaled slowly, running a hand through my hair.
What was I supposed to do now?
Beg? Wait? Give her space?
After a long moment, I turned away.
“I’ll come back later,” I muttered under my breath, though I wasn’t sure if she would even want that.
My steps were heavier now as I made my way back down the hallway.
But then... I stopped. Something felt wrong.
A figure moved at the far end of the corridor, slipping into a room that should not have been occupied.
My brows furrowed. That room… It wasn’t supposed to be accessible.
The Alpha won’t like this, my wolf muttered darkly.
Neither did I. Slowly, cautiously, I approached the door. Every instinct in my body was on high alert. Something was off. Very off.
I reached for the handle and pushed the door open.
What I saw inside made my blood run cold.
“What the hell is going on here?” I roared, my voice echoing through the room as my claws slid out instantly, ready for whatever came next.