Chapter 40 AGAINST ALL LOGIC
Dylan's POV:
The hallway blurred around me as I walked.
No—stormed.
Every step felt like it shook something loose inside my chest, something I’d been keeping locked down for years… maybe my entire life.
But it didn’t matter.
Nothing mattered in that moment except one thing:
Asher’s words were still ringing in my skull.
Stark and penetrating.
And the worst part?
They came from him.
The one person I never thought would use them.
I reached the elevator, stabbed the button harder than necessary, and waited - jaw pulsing, throat tight.
My fingers were still trembling, not from fear… but from the kind of hurt that crawls under the skin and refuses to leave.
The elevator doors slid open.
I stepped in, leaned back against the wall, and exhaled shakily.
For years - years - I had taken hits for that man.
Protected him.
Covered for him.
Followed him.
Not because he was the Alpha.
Not because I owed him.
But because I believed in him.
Because I thought we were… something more than titles. Something stronger than hierarchy.
Brothers.
That’s what we always said.
Brothers in everything except blood.
But tonight?
Tonight, he tore that belief apart with one sentence.
“You’re just a stray my father allowed to stay.”
I forced my eyes shut.
I’d heard worse things in life - far worse - but nothing had ever landed like that.
Nothing had ever cut that deep.
Because Asher wasn’t supposed to say it.
Not him.
Not the boy who once shared food with me when I had none.
Not the young Alpha who used to punch anyone stupid enough to call me ‘street dirt.’
Not the man who swore he’d never treat me like I was beneath him.
And now?
He had said it himself.
Beneath me.
The elevator opened with a soft ding.
I stepped out into the parking lot, the cool air hitting my face like ice - sharp enough to sting, but not sharp enough to numb anything that mattered.
I didn’t slow down.
Didn’t think.
I got into my car, slammed the door harder than necessary, and started the engine.
The deep rumble filled the silence, but even that couldn’t drown out the echo of his voice.
The moment he struck me.
The moment he grabbed my collar.
The moment he said I was nothing before his father.
I swallowed the burn building in my throat as I pulled out of the parking lot, tires skidding slightly on the asphalt.
I wasn’t angry at the punch. Hell, I’d taken worse hits.
No.
I was angry because he meant every word he said.
At least in that moment… he meant it.
And the painful part?
He wasn’t even angry at me.
He was angry because of her.
Clara Bennett.
The girl who didn’t even know she had the strongest Alpha in the North tearing himself apart over her.
The girl who had everything to do with our father’s death - and everything to do with Asher losing control.
My grip tightened on the steering wheel as I drove, knuckles whitening.
If Asher wanted to lie to himself, fine.
If he wanted to drown in denial, let him.
But dragging me down with him?
Using our father’s death as a weapon against me?
Calling me nothing?
No.
That… I couldn’t ignore.
Not this time.
The wind rushed harshly against the car as I sped down the empty road, and I paused, jaw clenched so tight it hurt.
Because for the first time since I met Asher Kaelan Blackwood…
I didn’t know if we were still standing on the same side.
The city lights blurred past my windshield as I drove. My grip on the steering wheel was tighter than it needed to be.
I didn’t even notice how fast I was going until a flash of neon caught my eye.
‘The Ember Lounge’
The logo read, pulsing in reds and golds. The music spilled out through the cracked-open windows, a lazy, hypnotic rhythm that almost made my chest ache less. Almost.
I eased past it, but the wolf inside me stirred suddenly, sharp, insistent.
“Stop.”
I froze mid-gear, engine humming low, eyes flicking to the bar. He hadn’t spoken since the brawl - the silence had been oppressive, heavy - but now it was back, clawing at the edges of my mind.
“We need it… inside.”
I blinked, jaw tight. For a moment, I just sat there, leaning back, staring at the glowing lights of the bar.
I didn’t want to go in. All I wanted was quiet. A shower. A bed. Anything but this…
But my wolf wasn’t letting up. It growled low, sharp, impatient.
“You’ve been cooped up in your head for too long. We need… distractions.”
I exhaled, tired, shoulders slumping.
“Alright, alright, buddy… anything you want,” I muttered, voice rough.
I turned the wheel, slowing down as I found a parking spot along the curb. The neon light reflected in the side mirrors, bathing the car in a warm glow.
My wolf snarled softly, satisfied this time, and I shut the engine off.
I pushed open the door, feeling the cool night air brush my skin. The music thumped faintly through the windows.
I walked toward the bar, hands in pockets, shoulders tense.
I pushed open the door, letting the warmth of the bar wash over me. The music thumped lazily through the air.
But the place looked almost empty - just one waitress standing near the counter, her eyes fixed on me.
She bit her lip, and the way she looked at me… I already knew exactly what she wanted.
I felt it, but I didn’t have the energy to care. Not tonight. Not after everything that had just happened.
When I finally walked over to her, she leaned closer, letting her chest push forward just a little, just enough to show… well, more than necessary.
Her lips curved into a knowing smile.
“Well, hello there, handsome… looks like you walked in just for me. Tell me, what can I get for you tonight? Anything at all—my pleasure.”
If I weren’t in this state - drained, still seething, still carrying the weight of the words he had thrown at me - I probably would have gone along with it.
Just a temporary distraction. Just to feel something other than pain and anger.
But I didn’t. I ignored the act entirely.
“I’ll have a Dark rum.” I said flatly, keeping my tone neutral, controlled. My eyes didn’t leave hers, but I didn’t smile. I didn’t flirt. I just stated what I wanted.
She paused, smirk faltering, eyes widening just slightly. I turned away before she could recover and walked toward a quiet corner of the bar.
The floor creaked under my steps, and the sound of the music felt distant, almost soothing.
I eased onto the corner seat, letting my body sink into it like I was shedding every ounce of tension.
My head leaned back, eyes shutting without thought. The exhaustion hit me all at once - the adrenaline, the rage, the disappointment… all of it weighed me down until I couldn’t even hold myself upright properly.
The waitress’s expression shifted from confident smirk to embarrassed curiosity as she realized I wasn’t here for her.
She turned back to whatever she had been doing, muttering underneath her breath. I didn’t care. Not even a little.
And for the first time in hours, the wolf inside me was silent. No growls, no nudges, no restless energy clawing at my mind.
He’d wanted this and followed me here, but he wasn’t demanding anything. He seemed… calm. Finally letting me exist in the quiet storm of my own making.
I exhaled slowly, letting the silence fill the space around me, letting my body sink into the bar corner.
The sudden clink of something landing on the table jolted me from my thoughts. I jerked my head up.
A glass sat in front of me. Dark, rich liquid swirled lazily inside it. The waitress was nowhere in sight.
Good. I let the thought slip through my mind like a sigh. Exactly what I needed… peace and quiet.
I reached for the glass, fingers brushing the cool rim, and tilted it back. The burn hit my throat almost immediately, deep and sharp, and I welcomed it.
Felt like it cut through some of the tension coiling inside me. I let my head fall back against the corner of the seat, eyes closed for a fraction of a second, savoring the moment.
But then, a movement at the far end of the bar caught the corner of my eye.
A guy, sitting close to the window. Black suit. Hair messed up like he’d run a hand through it a dozen times.
Leaned back slightly, holding a wine glass with this detached, almost distracted elegance.
His gaze was far off, like the rest of the world didn’t exist - just him and whatever he was lost in.
I tore my eyes away almost immediately, forcing my attention back to my own drink.
“Who on earth wears a suit to a club?” I muttered under my breath.
Seems like everyone’s got it messy these days…
The warm burn of the rum slid down my throat again, and I let out a quiet, almost imperceptible exhale.
My eyes drifted back to him.
I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to, I really did, but something about the way he leaned back, casual yet detached, hair messy… the way the light hit his side profile… I just couldn’t look away.
“….and damn it, why did he look cute…. Like annoyingly cute.”
Wait... cute? I froze mid-sip, heat crawling up my neck.
Since when do I notice guys like that?
What the hell's wrong with me?
My stomach twisted in a mix of irritation and disbelief. I hadn’t even realized I’d actually said it aloud until the corner of my mouth twitched in a way I couldn’t control, and I caught myself smiling at him.
Great. That's it. I'm officially malfunctioning.
I slammed my drink down on the table, the liquid sloshing dangerously, and shoved a few bills next to the glass.
My movements were sharp, abrupt, filled with my own irritation at myself. I stood, grabbing my jacket, trying to walk out like nothing had happened.
And then my wolf barked - loud, sharp, indignant.
“No. We can’t just leave.”
I shot him a glare. “Shut the hell up, buddy.”
I shoved my hands in my pockets and tightened my jaw, trying to steady my pulse. He growled again, low, insistent, pushing at the edges of my thoughts.
I clenched my teeth. “Shut. The. Fuck. Up.”
I reached the door, fingers curling around the knob, ready to escape the chaos I’d just created in my own mind.
And then… the whisper came.
Just one word, soft, almost impossible to believe.
“Mate.”
I froze. Hand on the doorknob. Every instinct in me screamed, what did I just hear?
And then again, just as clear:
“Mate. Ours. Ours.”
My pulse stumbled. Heart thudded erratically, like it had betrayed me before I could even process.
I turned back slowly, almost afraid to see if I’d imagined it, and then - our eyes met.
He was looking at me, directly at me, his lips tugged into a frown that didn’t quite reach his eyes, but it was there… that pull, that silent acknowledgment that… yeah, we both knew.
My wolf had gone completely quiet now, as if watching me unravel, smirking in its own silent way. And I… I couldn’t even argue with it.
Hell no!