Chapter 171 Unwelcome Company

Chapter 171 Unwelcome Company
Amelia's POV

Standing before me was the last person I expected to see in Shadow Kingdom territory. The same man who'd given me a ride when I'd been lost at Azure Lake Pack—Caius.

He looked different now. Instead of the tailored suit and commanding presence, he wore dark jeans and a fitted henley that somehow made him look both more casual and more dangerous.

His amber eyes—a rich, almost luminous shade that reminded me of honey in sunlight—studied me with predatory focus. Those eyes seemed oddly familiar, though I couldn't place why.

"Well, well. If it isn't the little lost wolf." His voice was smooth as whiskey, with an edge of ice.

I took an instinctive step back, suddenly aware of how vulnerable I felt. Alexander had just rejected me, and here I was, face-to-face with a virtual stranger who'd witnessed one of my embarrassing moments.

"I'm not lost this time," I said weakly, wiping away the remnants of tears with the back of my hand. "I... I'm sorry about that day. And thank you for helping me find my way back."

His eyes narrowed slightly, studying my face. "You've been crying."

It wasn't a question, and I hated how easily he could read me. I straightened my shoulders, trying to regain some composure.

"What are you doing in Shadow Kingdom?" I asked, avoiding his observation.

He tilted his head, that infuriating smile still in place. "I could ask you the same question. Last I checked, you were wandering aimlessly around Azure Lake looking like a tourist."

I glanced around the street, suddenly aware that this conversation was heading nowhere good. All I wanted was to go home, curl up in bed, and cry about Alexander's cold dismissal in private.

"I live here," I said curtly. "Now if you'll excuse me—"

"Wait." He reached into a messenger bag I hadn't noticed before. "I believe this belongs to you."

My breath caught as he pulled out a familiar package—the shirt I'd bought for Alexander a month and a half ago as a birthday gift. The one I'd accidentally left in Caius's car during my hasty departure.

"You kept it all this time?" I asked, bewildered.

"I'm not in the habit of discarding other people's possessions," he replied, extending the package toward me.

I hesitantly took the package, my fingers brushing against his. The brief contact sent an odd chill up my arm. Not like the electric current I felt with Alexander, but something different—something that made my wolf uneasy.

"Who are you, really?" I asked, studying his face. As I looked closer, I noticed how the jasmine scent seemed to intensify when he moved, and how carefully his hair was arranged to fall across his forehead, as though concealing something. There was something regal in his bearing that went beyond mere confidence—it spoke of birthright and power.

His smile widened, colder now. "So suspicious. Is that any way to treat someone who's gone out of his way to return your property?"

I noticed how his clothes, while casual, were still obviously expensive. The watch on his wrist probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. Yet something about him seemed different from when I'd met him at Azure Lake.

"Stop looking me up and down like that," he said with a smirk, brushing his hair further over his forehead in what seemed like an unconscious gesture. "Unless you're considering an upgrade from your current... situation."

My cheeks flushed hot with embarrassment and anger. "I wasn't—"

"You were," he interrupted. "But I don't mind. It's refreshing to meet a wolf who doesn't know who I am."

That statement only deepened my suspicion. "Should I know who you are?"

He laughed, the sound rich and confident. "Perhaps not. Let's keep it that way for now—it's more fun."

I clutched the package to my chest, torn between curiosity and the desire to escape this uncomfortable encounter. "Look, thanks for returning this. I appreciate that you helped me before, and I... I guess welcome to Shadow Kingdom. But I really need to go."

"Such a warm welcome," he said sarcastically. "Tell me, would you like to get a drink? It's a beautiful night for two wolves to get better acquainted."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you seriously hitting on me right now?"

"Would that be so terrible?" His amber eyes glinted with cold amusement, reminding me fleetingly of someone else I'd met—someone with the same distinctive eye color. "You're clearly upset about something—or someone. I could be a delightful distraction."

"You're unbelievable," I muttered, pushing past him. I needed to get away from this man and his unsettling presence.

I marched toward the nearest bus stop, hoping he wouldn't follow. No such luck. I'd barely settled onto the bench when he sank down beside me, maintaining a polite distance but still close enough to make me uncomfortable. The jasmine scent enveloped me, strangely familiar yet foreign at the same time.

"So, tell me about him," he said, his voice deceptively casual. "This mate of yours."

I stiffened. "I didn't say anything about a mate."

"You didn't have to. I can smell him on you." His eyes traveled over me, clinical and invasive. "Though not as strongly as one might expect. He hasn't claimed you yet, has he? Interesting."

"That's none of your business," I snapped, heat rushing to my face.

"Has he even tried?" Caius pressed, his voice dropping lower. "Or is he just... playing with his food before deciding whether to take a bite?"

I pulled out my phone, contemplating whether to call Alexander. My thumb hovered over his contact—"Alex" with a small heart emoji. But what would I even say? Hey, remember how you just told me not to come over? Well, there's this strange wolf following me around. He'd probably tell me to handle it myself.

"Alex, huh?" Caius's voice came from much too close. He was peering at my phone screen. "That's what you call him? How... intimate."

I quickly locked my screen, but the damage was done. Something in Caius's expression had changed—the playfulness vanishing, replaced by something cold and hard.

"That's none of your business," I snapped.

"No, I suppose it isn't," he agreed, his voice suddenly tight. "Though I find it... telling."

I stood up abruptly, no longer willing to wait for the bus. I'd call an Uber instead.

"I'm leaving," I announced, already pulling up the app.

His hand shot out, wrapping around my wrist. Not painfully, but firmly enough that I couldn't easily pull away.

"Let me drive you home," he offered, his voice deceptively gentle. "It's late, and I'd hate for anything to happen to you."

The thinly veiled threat wasn't lost on me. I yanked my arm free, taking a step back.

"This is Shadow Kingdom territory," I reminded him, infusing my voice with more confidence than I felt. "Nothing will happen to me here. And you should remember that you're a guest on our land."

He stood, towering over me with a presence that seemed to fill the entire space. "A guest," he repeated thoughtfully. "Is that what I am?"

"I don't know what you are," I admitted. "But I know I'm going home—alone."

"Tell me something," he said, ignoring my declaration. "Where is your mate tonight? While you're out here, alone and crying?"

The question hit like a physical blow. "That's none of your business."

"It's curious, isn't it?" he continued as if I hadn't spoken. "How he hasn't marked you yet. Makes you wonder if you're just a temporary amusement. Something to play with until he tires of the novelty."

"You don't know anything about me or my mate," I hissed, rage building inside me.