Chapter 22: Run Away

**\[ALICE’s Point of View\]**

I looked up at him. Why did his glare feel like razor-sharp spears piercing my heart? I wanted this. I wanted him to end this senseless bond. But why did I suddenly hesitate as he towered over me with that mercilessly cold look in his amber eyes?

A loud gasp escaped from my lips when Bellamy grabbed my hand and dragged me inside the evergreen labyrinth. I was so flustered I didn’t have enough strength to stop him but Bellamy trapped me with his arms on my sides and the dwarf conifers behind me.

“W-What are you doing?” I asked him, nervous and confused. His breath smelled sweet because of the liquor and I didn’t know why I liked it. “Bellamy, let go of me!”

“What if I don’t? What if I want you to stay with me here?” he murmured, his voice raspy, and his warm breath gave me comfort from the coldness of the night.

I lifted my face to look into his amber eyes. He was doing it again—making me hate myself for pushing myself to him, and then when I finally decided to let go, he would pull me back again. “No, I am tired of this game, Bellamy! You know this will not work! You know it’s a mistake! You told me it was a mistake!”

He stared at me for what felt like an eternity, and my heart broke to see that ache etched into his handsome face. I gasped a little when his warm fingers caressed the side of my face and my heart was like a bubble going to burst. “I don’t know. I don’t know what is right or wrong anymore,” he whispered back—both in anger and in pain.

I knew what he was saying. I knew how he felt about everything that was happening between us. I knew he was struggling because I struggled with my feelings too. It is hard when you want something that you could never have. It was like holding something that would never last forever but you would still risk having it.

But what we had was different. It was much more complicated and we both didn’t want to hurt someone so dear to both of us.

“You told me you would do it! You told me you would let me go tonight!” I hissed at him yet my heart screamed otherwise. “Let’s just get this over with, Bellamy. We don’t have to suffer like this.”

“Who told you I am suffering?” his voice turned dark. Cruel. His eyes were glinting red as he bared his teeth to me, scaring me as if I were a little mouse in front of him. “I enjoy it, Alice. I enjoy the pain and it all thanks to you!” he snarled.

I frowned, disappointed and hurt at what I heard from him. He didn’t sound like himself but I didn’t care! He had no right to disrespect me. “I wish I never met you, Bellamy McKenzie!” I spat on him and pushed him so hard he lost his balance, giving me a chance to run away.

The first thing I had in mind was fear. I felt danger in his presence. He was acting strange and I didn’t know if it was because of the full moon or was it because of his wolf instinct that I was there with him as his mate. I smelled his desire all over his skin and if I stayed there long, which was not what I thought would happen, I knew it would be too late for the both of us to stop each other from making another mistake.

My heart wanted to stay.

My mind reminded me it was a foolish thing to do to give my purity to a man who didn’t even want me. The man who only had carnal desire because he thought he could have me anytime and anywhere he wanted.

That night, I wanted to prove him wrong. I wasn’t someone who he could claim and then dumped me after.

In my desperation to escape the labyrinth, I forgot to count my rights and lefts, resulting in me being lost in that place. I looked up and the moon still shined brightly above the sky and as long as I was trapped in this place, I knew I wouldn’t be safe from Bellamy.

Goddess! Why did I even think of going here?! Why didn’t I even think he would finally release me from the bond? Was he punishing me for what happened to his best friend? Was he blaming me?

I heard snarling and rustling of twigs around me, making me more nervous. Not scared. Nervous. I was never scared of Bellamy no matter how monstrous he was when he was angry. I even got braver to face him because I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. Or so I thought.

“Bellamy, don’t you f*cking scare me, you jerk! I thought you would release me from the agony of his matebond! Why are you doing this to me!” My voice shook as my back felt the greens behind me. “You don’t want me, right? You told me you don’t want to do anything with me and the bond was a mistake! Just reject me and I swear to you, I will never ever talk to you again!”

My heart pounded louder in my ears when the surroundings became eerily silent. But then I heard fast, heavy footsteps towards me and just froze to where I was standing, feeling cornered with my eyes closed in fear.

“Lady Alice!” 

I opened my eyes as an unfamiliar voice called my name and I saw a patrol guard in front of me looking puzzled and worried. “What are you doing here in the middle of the night? It’s cold out here.”

I didn’t know what I felt but I stood there, shocked and disappointed at Bellamy. I didn’t know anymore how so many g*dd*mned times he ran away, leaving me without a word.

How could he do this to me?

“Lady Alice?” The guard distracted me from the agonizing thoughts. Bellamy ran off again, leaving me hanging on the edge. How could I trust a man like him ever again?

Looking at the guard with teary eyes and anguished face, I replied, “Take me back to the resort.”

He obliged with a confused look on his face.