Chapter 217: so different from others

VOLKOV'S POV

Elena was smiling and shaking her fans' hands. She was being so kind and friendly in return. After some minutes, I took a step back to make sure I was out of their way. But then in between photos, her eyes caught mine and I saw the cry for help behind her smile.

The wolf inside me stirred instantly. Even through the noise and flashing lights, I could sense her distress. Her scent spiked with the faintest hint of fear, and that was enough to send my instincts sharpening like a blade.

"Alright, I'm sorry ladies and gentlemen, I have to steal the prima away from you. Ms Hayes is currently very busy and I need to get her to her next appointment," I swooped in and wrapped my arms around her.

The crowd murmured, and several voices groaned, "Aw!"

Always so entitled to the time of others.

A low growl almost slipped from my chest, but I caught it just in time. My control was good, had to be good especially here, among humans who had no idea what I really was. People on the streets were still taking pictures, even those who might not recognize who she was just in case she was the celebrity, they couldn't recall at the moment. So I used my body to shield her and lifted Elena up into the car.

"Get us out of here, Antonio," I barked out, and he charged into the traffic a second later.

My voice carried that edge of command I usually kept buried. Antonio didn’t even question it; no one ever did.

Cars honked and the engine roared loudly as he pushed the vehicle to its limit for our escape. That moment was on the verge of becoming uncontrollable. It might have started with three old women, but they were drawing a massive crowd as they clambered around Elena. With how beautiful Elena was, she could have been the model or actress that they happened to run into on a street notorious for luxury shopping.

Everyone would have wanted to take a picture with her or talk to her, but now she was huddled into my side in the back seat with her face buried in my shoulder. She was trembling slightly and her fingers were curled in my shirt as she held me tightly. It was evidently showing that she didn't like being in the crowds and she didn't enjoy being the center of attention.

The tremor in her body reached me like a vibration in the air. My wolf didn’t like it, didn’t like the scent of her unease. Every instinct screamed to make it stop, to protect, to comfort, to claim.

Yet she enjoyed being the star of the show on the stage. There was still so much about her that I didn't understand and I wanted to learn more.

"Are you alright?" I whispered, running my hand along her back to soothe her anxiety. My palm burned slightly from where her warmth met my skin, the energy between us alive in a way that always unsettled me.

"Yeah, I will be," she took a shuddering breath. "Thank you."

"Of course, baby, I have got you."

I hugged her tight and placed a kiss on her head. She was mine and I took care of what was mine. If I needed to play her bodyguard in the crowd, it's no problem for me to step in and protect her. I would always protect her.

The wolf inside me rumbled in quiet agreement, the possessive note in my chest stronger than ever.

I mean I would always while she is mine. Shaking my head to push away my wayward thoughts out, I focused on something else.

"It's late, are you hungry?"

At the mention of food, Elena perked her head up and nodded. I caressed my knuckles along her cheek and she closed her eyes, leaning into my touch.

Her scent softened again, the fear fading, and I felt my heartbeat slow. My instincts settled with that small gesture, the way she trusted me enough to breathe against my hand.

"Are you alright going in the restaurant right now? Or would you prefer to dine at home?" If she was still on the edge, I didn't want to subject her to another crowd.

"I think I'm okay with either option right now. I don't know the best food here," she shrugged, not really meeting my gaze.

"Antonio, take us to The Penrose."

"On it," he tossed back, taking the next turn.

It took a minute to get through the traffic, then we pulled up at the restaurant settled on the 2nd Avenue.

Elena appeared to have relaxed during the short drive. When we got out of the car, I admired the curiosity in her eyes as she looked over the restaurant from the sidewalk. Their outdoor seating was full and loud chatter drifted to us as a light breeze drifted down the street.

The night air carried the scent of grilled meat and red wine, mingling with the city’s heartbeat. Beneath it all, I could still pick out the delicate rhythm of Elena’s pulse. Every beat of her heart thrummed faintly against my senses like a tether.

I didn't think twice about grabbing Elena's hand and led her inside.

The noise was muted in here and it wasn't as boisterous as the outside crowd. Even at the long bar along the back, there was silence. I chalked it up to being a Sunday night. But business overall was doing good and I liked to see that.

"Table for Volkov," I told the young woman at the hostess stand.

At the sound of my name, her head instantly snapped up and she stopped breathing.

The effect was immediate. The subtle scent of fear radiated from her pores, sharp and sweet, and the wolf within me inhaled it with satisfaction. Humans always reacted this way, even when they didn’t understand why. Some primal part of them recognized dominance.

"When did you make a reservation?" Elena questioned, and it broke the young hostess out of her stunned silence.

"Please, right this way, we have a booth open for you."

After the hostess fumbled over her words, she grabbed two menus and gestured for us to follow. Elena's eyes were wide and bright as she looked at me and then around the bar. It was obvious there was a wait and I hadn't made a reservation.

At the booth, Elena sat across the table from me and I realized it was making me frown deeply. I had to mentally remind myself to pull my face up and school my features. It was fine if she sat across from me. I didn't need to always have my hands on her.

That thought felt like a lie...

The wolf shifted uneasily inside my chest, wanting her closer. It didn’t care for boundaries or etiquette. It only cared about proximity about keeping her within reach.

"Here's the drink menu. Let me know if there's anything you need!"

The hostess that spoke this time looked as if she had seen a ghost as she looked at me. Elena narrowed her eyes at the girl's reaction. Ignoring Elena's blue piercing eyes, I watched the hostess scamper away to the bar and whisper to the bartender.

The bartender's eyes immediately widened and then he disappeared back into the kitchen. Alerting the others of my arrival, no doubt. Even in this human world, the Volkov name carried a weight that made people straighten their spines or tremble.

"I know you didn't make a reservation," Elena muttered as she glanced at the menu.

"I don't need to," I chuckled, then tapped my fingers along the edge of the table.

The wolf in me liked the sound, the rhythm of control.

"I own this place," I added.

A half-strangled laugh escaped out of her lips before she looked up at me.

"Are you joking right now?"

"No, why would I?" I smirked mischievously.

"Wow." Her blue eyes looked around again, but I suddenly felt on the edge.

It wasn’t the restaurant that unsettled me, it was her. The way her presence stirred everything primal inside me. The way the wolf quieted only when her gaze met mine.

She was human, fragile, and blissfully unaware of the world she’d stumbled into. But she had something.... something that made my instincts tighten like a leash.

Something that whispered she might not be as ordinary as she thought.

And that thought alone was dangerous enough to make even an Alpha like me wary.