CHAPTER 12 – IN THE CAR

CHAPTER 12 – IN THE CAR
Sloane P.O.V.

He just stands there, watching me leave. What an idiot! Call me back, grab me, do something!
No, he keeps standing there like a lost puppy. Why men are so stupid sometimes? 
Did he think he could get back on my good book by saying I am sorry? After practically calling me a slut to my face and hurting my feelings. You will have to work harder than that mate, and if you don’t, it means I don’t mean enough to you, and I will have to let you go.
Rejection. That is something I don’t want even to think about; mate bonds are sacred; how can we throw away something so precious so easily? But if he is really hellbent on not wanting me as his mate, then I suppose there’s nothing else I can do.
I make my way into the packhouse’s dining hall for dinner, I don’t even care to take a shower and make myself decent first, I feel too disheartened for that. And I honestly don’t care if other people think I am disgusting, the only person who really matters thinks that already of me, so anyone is welcome to join his club.
I fill up a tray and sit down at an empty table, not seeing Daniel anywhere in the hall.
“Someone’s in a bad mood.” Axel’s voice comes from behind me.
I turn to look at him, he’s as handsome and well dressed as always. I wonder what he’s doing here, he usually eats in his quarters, not in the common hall with us plebeians.
“You have been off these last few days, what’s wrong? Feeling homesick?” he asks seemingly concerned, but he could just be faking it. 
“Maybe,” I reply curtly, not really in the mood to make conversation.
He takes a seat opposite me and places his elbows on the table, and his chin on his hands, studying me closely.
“I prefer happy Sloane; grumpy Sloane is no fun. Why don’t you come with me to a club this evening? It will be fun, and we’ll get to spend some time together. After you have started training is like I am never seeing you around.”
I am honestly in no mood for clubbing, and dancing will just give him the perfect opportunity to place his dirty paws on me. I am going to pass, when Daniel materializes out of thin air and says, “That’s an awesome idea, Alpha! Let’s go clubbing tonight! We could ask the other teachers to come too; it would be a great opportunity for bonding.” 
He winks at me discretely, and I laugh internally, there goes your romantic set up Axel. 
“It’s fine by me. What do you say, Sloane?” 
Both Axel and Daniel looked at me expectantly for a couple of long moments, before I crumbled and gave in like the good punchbag I am. 
Axel gives me one if he’s perfect white teeth victorious smile, and says,
“We’ll leave at 9, please be kind enough to assemble the teachers, I will have a few cars ready at the packhouse’s entrance. And wear something nice.”
I look at his retreating figure appalled, “wear something nice” my head, who does he think he is? I hate this kind of patronizing behaviour, if he really were into me, he would love me even if I were to wear a garbage bag.
 Daniel immediately gets to the task of informing the other teachers, and I can’t help wondering if Nathan will decide to come or not. Do I want him to come? The only idea of him being there is making me nervous.
“Come on Alpha, enough eating, you need to get ready, you have a Romeo to conquer,” Daniel says through the link. 
This means he’s coming; my nerves spike up immediately at the thought, it’s going to be a hard night.
I shower, put on some make up, eyeliner and my signature red lipstick, and a low cut short blue dress; the skirt is shorter in front and longer on the back, and the fabric is a little bit shiny, the colour changing with the light. It is quite sexy and revealing, and I wonder what Nathan will think when he sees me in this; will it confirm his idea of me? 
“What’s wrong? You don’t like the dress?” Daniel asks me, while coming into my room, and seeing me eyeing myself uncertainly in the mirror.
“Mhh, do I look slutty?” 
“Are you worried about what Nathan would think? Just be yourself, don’t let his words get to you. You are Alpha Sloane, a sexy beautiful woman who has the right to show her body to whoever and in whichever way she wants.”
Daniel always gets me and knows how to cheer me up or make me feel confident again. Why can’t he be my mate? Although we don’t really have any kind of attraction between us, we are just friends, and I am happy with that.
We gather at the entrance of the packhouse, everyone has put some effort in dressing up, and we are looking like a fancy and sexy bunch. I am starting to feel excited for the evening.
Axel joins us, and to my surprise he takes my hand and pulls me close to him. 
“You look ravishing,” he says with a smile, his eyes filled with lust, while his hands wrap around my lower back, pretty close to my behind.
That cold shiver which I have come to know as Nathan’s cold stare on me runs down my spine uncomfortably, and I immediately push on Axel’s chest and free myself from his hold, putting some distance between us.
“You look good yourself, Alpha King.” I try to sound polite but not affected, hoping that he can chill a little.
“Shall we?” he asks, offering me his arm. I take it, just not to embarrass him in front of everyone, and he leads me towards his Maserati. “You are driving with me.”
Just great, alone in a car with Axel, the last thing I needed.
He opens the car door for me, and I get in trying to keep my dress from running up, which would give him a good view of my panties. He straps me in, his warm breath lingering on my collarbone, making me shiver, but not in a good way, like a pray ready to be slaughtered.
He shuts the door and climbs on the driving side, straps himself and then roars the engine to life with much fanfare. Show off.
He gives me a sexy smile, probably feeling all high and mighty, and the next thing I know, we are speeding out of pack borders at top speed, leaving the other instructors who are still mounting on the SUVs behind.
To keep him busy during the drive I bubble on and on about training, how the kids are learning incredibly fast and are behaving much better than expected. I talk about our progress on the preparation for the ball, improvements I think we should make, and anything that comes to mind. I just need to keep him occupied until we get to destination, before he gets strange ideas.
“I love your enthusiasm, Sloane, it is something I lack in many departments. The only thing that excites me at the moment is you,” he says, placing his right hand on my thigh.
Once a pig, always a pig; even my tedious babbling hasn’t prevented his thoughts from going in that direction, and most probably this was his plan all along.
“If you care about our friendship, I suggest you remove your hand from there,” I say in the iciest tone I can conjure. 
I might have put on a glacial front, but inside I’m burning with anger, and the only thing which is preventing my mask to melt down and a punch to land fair and square on his jaw is the possibility that we might cause an accident and injure someone innocent, otherwise I’ll beat him to a pulp right in his millionaire’s pile of scrap metal on wheels.
“Easy there. We are just having fun; I wanted to help you relax a little. It’s not like we are going to have sex in the car,” he says playfully, his smile still in place, but at least he removes his hand from my thigh.
Pervert!
I don’t deign him of an answer, and we spend the rest of the drive in an awkward silence, with me staring stiffly ahead, and him stealing glances this way now and then, but not daring saying anything. I’m incredibly relieved when we park at the club. I get out immediately, not waiting for Axel to open my door, wanting to put some space between us, but he gets around the car quickly, and manages to catch me before I’ve even taken three steps in the parking lot. 
He stands before me, blocking my way to the club’s entrance, then he gingerly takes my hands in his, and says, sounding truly repentant,  
“Sloane, I’m sorry, I was out of line. Will you forgive me?”  
He kind of sounds sincere, and if he’s faking it, then he’s a damn of a good actor.
I study him a little, pondering slowly on what I should say and do. I don’t want to make things bad between us, we still have 11 days of training to go, plus the final ball, and it would be unfortunate if we weren’t even on speaking terms. On the other hand, I don’t want him thinking that he’s won me over and that he can do with me what he pleases. I made him clear to him more than once that I have no feelings towards him, but I also led him on a couple of times to make Nathan jealous, and now I’m getting payback. I’ll just have to make clear with him where we stand.
“You’re forgiven, this time, but no more of this between us; we are just friends, and we won’t cross that line.”
Axel smirks in that bad boy kind of way that has all the women on the planet falling at his feet.
“I hear you, but you are also aware of my feelings for you, you know that I like you, and it’s difficult for me to control myself around you, especially when you are dressed like a sex bomb,” he says huskily, trailing his gaze all over the length of my body, making me cringe. I should have definitely chosen another dress, or pants maybe, pants are the best.
Then, suddenly, he catches my chin his hand, and whispers roughly, “I assure you that soon enough you will beg me to take you, and I will savour every sweet inch of you.”
He licks his lips suggestively, while straining up, and leaving me completely speechless and totally grossed out. Before I can recover from the shock, he places his hand on my waist and starts leading me towards the entrance, making me feel like one of his bimbos, whom he can do what he wants with. 
I am starting to see what Nathan has been accusing me of, maybe I really look easy to others.