CHAPTER 114: Something About Her
ADAM
She slapped me.
And it hurt.
The sting lingered on my cheek longer than it should have, a hot bloom that pulsed with disbelief. I just stood there, stunned, fingers hovering near the spot as if I could wipe the confusion away.
Humans couldn’t hurt me.
Not physically.
Not magically.
And yet
My memory spell had slid off her like water off stone. No flinch. No glaze. No sign it had worked.
She was still glaring at me, breathing hard, defiant and exhausted, yet completely… unaffected.
My voice came out low, raw.
"What... are you?"
I hadn’t meant to say it aloud.
But the truth was I didn’t know.
For the first time in my life, I couldn’t figure out what I was dealing with.
Magic had always been predictable. Humans had always been easy.
But her? She was neither.
I turned to leave, jaw clenched, when her voice stopped me cold.
"You’re seriously going to leave me out here?" she called out. "Alone? In the woods? That’s not very gentlemanly of you."
I froze.
Gentlemanly?
If only she knew who or what she was talking to.
I shut my eyes, inhaling sharply through my nose, counting backwards from ten.
Don’t lose control. Not here. Not because of her.
No one had ever gotten under my skin like this. No one had ever challenged me and lived to keep talking.
She’d be the first.
And if I had my way, the last.
I turned slowly, voice sharp.
"Don’t you remember the path you were dragged through? Take it back the same way."
My tone was clipped, final.
Her eyes welled up with tears silent, sudden.
I didn’t touch her. I hadn’t laid a hand on her. So why the hell was she crying?
"I don’t know the way," she whispered, voice cracking.
"I was walking home, just minding my business. Then someone grabbed me and dragged me here. I—I was almost raped..."
The air snapped out of my lungs like I’d been punched.
Sht.
This was not what I signed up for.
Zane, I snapped inwardly at my wolf. This is your mess. You dragged us here. You felt her scent and you followed it.
I rubbed a hand over my face, then ran it through my hair.
One good deed. That’s it.
Get her home, wipe her memory if I can, and never see her again.
"Fine. I’ll help you," I muttered.
She lit up like a damn sunrise.
"Yay!" she chirped, then without hesitation grabbed my hand.
What the fck
I glared at her, yanking my arm back.
"Don’t touch me."
She didn’t flinch.
Didn’t even blink.
"Your angry face doesn’t scare me," she said, smiling.
"You’ve got a body type I like. All muscles and mystery. Do you have a girlfriend?"
I stopped dead.
What. The. Hell.
"Shut up," I snapped, not even bothering to hide my irritation.
She didn’t seem the least bit offended.
"I’ll take that as a no. I don’t have a boyfriend, either," she said, like we were exchanging notes in a dating app.
I didn’t ask. I didn’t care.
But she kept talking, her words spilling out like a broken faucet endless, loud, and way too personal.
Deep breaths, Adam.
She’s human. Fragile. Annoying.
You can’t strangle her.
I clenched my fists at my sides and kept walking, biting back every sarcastic reply.
Somehow miraculously we made it to the edge of the city.
She pointed toward a small house tucked between two apartment buildings.
"That’s my place!" she said cheerfully.
I stared at it, then at her. I actually walked her home.
What the hell was wrong with me?
She turned with a big wave.
"See you later!"
I scoffed.
Not if I can help it.
I turned and disappeared into the woods without looking back.
I will never get involved with a human again.
The cabin exhaled around me still, dark, and smelling faintly of pine smoke and old wood. I let myself fall back onto the mattress, arms spread wide, eyes fixed on the ceiling that creaked softly above.
Her face wouldn’t leave my head. The fury in her eyes. The crack of her palm against my skin.
I brought my fingers to my cheek.
Still warm.
It wasn’t supposed to hurt.
But it did. A dull sting, a mark not just on skin, but ego.
That slap wasn’t just unexpected. It was impossible.
Magic didn’t work on her. And now… pain did.
There was something wrong with her. Or maybe something right. Either way, she wasn’t ordinary.
Not human not fully.
And definitely not safe.
I rolled over, dragging a hand down my face, willing her out of my mind.
Forget her. You won’t see her again.
Dawn slipped through the gaps in the wooden shutters, painting pale gold across the floorboards. The chirp of birds cut through the silence like needles. I squinted, groaned, and sat up, bare feet hitting the cold wood with a thud.
The need to move crawled under my skin.
Tugging on trousers, I stepped outside and shifted mid-stride, fur replacing skin in a ripple of motion. The forest rushed up to meet me leaves crunching underpaw, scents bursting in every direction.
I ran.
Let the wind whip the thoughts from my head. Let the miles put space between me and her damn smirk.
By the time the city skyline edged into view, the hunger hit me hard. I shifted back as I reached the outskirts, ducking behind a cluster of trash bins to grab the clothes I’d stashed earlier.
The scent of grilled meat floated through the morning air like bait. I followed it down the block, past a cracked sidewalk and flickering neon sign.
A bell above the diner door jingled as I stepped inside. The place smelled of burnt coffee, syrup, and grease—comforting in a way I’d never admit out loud.
A waitress in a faded pink uniform approached, scribbling on her notepad without glancing up.
"What can I get you?"
"Coffee," I said, voice low. "And a burger."
She looked up.
Time stopped.
Those eyes.
The same ones that had narrowed just before her hand connected with my face.
She blinked. Then her lips parted.
"It’s you!" she breathed, recognition lighting her features like fireworks.
My stomach dropped.
No. No, no, no.
Of all the greasy spoons in this godsdamned city, she had to work here?
She was grinning now, like we were best friends bumping into each other at a reunion.
I sat down heavily in the nearest booth, resting my arms on the table, staring into the peeling faux-wood surface like it could explain the universe.
Why her?
Why again?
Something was happening and for the first time in a long time, I had no control over it.
Author's Note
Okayyy guys… who's on Team Adam? 😏 Be honest what do you really think about how his life is spiraling lately? I mean, first the slap… now she's serving him coffee? 😂
Drop your thoughts in the comments I want to hear it all.
Should he stay away or dive deeper into this chaos called fate?