Chapter 156
[Amelia's POV]
The tension in Edward's office was suffocating. I could feel the weight of his amber eyes on me, calculating, judging. When he asked about the photos, Alex's response came without hesitation.
"If it were up to me, I would directly announce that Amelia and I are indeed dating."
His words hit me like lightning. Alex reached for my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine in a gesture so natural it made my heart skip. The warmth of his Alpha scent wrapped around me. I looked up to find him smiling at me, that rare, genuine smile that made everything else fade away.
But Edward's presence was like ice water on the moment.
"How... romantic," Edward said, his voice dripping with disdain. His gaze shifted to me, studying my reaction like I was some kind of lab specimen. "And what does our little Omega think about such a grand declaration?"
My throat felt tight. Part of me wanted to shout yes, to tell the world that Alex Pike had chosen me. But another part whispered warnings.
"I..." I started, then stopped. The words wouldn't come.
Edward watched my struggle with obvious satisfaction. "I see." He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled. "Well, it doesn't matter what either of you wants. I require you to announce that this was all a misunderstanding. That those photos are misleading or even fabricated."
Alex's grip on my hand tightened. "And if we refuse?"
"I will not acknowledge this relationship until you meet the conditions of our agreement," Edward replied smoothly.
Alex's hand tightened around mine. I could feel his frustration radiating through our connection, but when he spoke, his voice was controlled.
"I agree to do this, but only because I believe it would cause the least disruption to Amelia and my work within the Pack."
His tone was cold, businesslike. It stung, even though I knew he was putting on an act for his father.
Alex stood, extending his hand to me. I took it without hesitation, letting him pull me to my feet. We moved toward the door in silence.
"Good luck..." Edward's voice followed us.
I glanced back to see him turning toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the garden.
The moment we stepped outside Edward's office, Alex's carefully controlled facade cracked.
"Let's get out of this place," he said, his voice rough with suppressed emotion.
As we walked through the hallways of the Pike mansion, I couldn't help but notice how different this felt from our earlier arrival. There was no warmth here, no sense of home or family. Just business. Cold, calculating business.
"I don't really consider this place my home anyway," Alex muttered, as if reading my thoughts.
The Beta wolves we passed bowed their heads respectfully, but their gestures felt automatic, perfunctory. This wasn't the casual camaraderie I'd observed at Silver Moon Pack headquarters. This was pure hierarchy, all sharp edges and careful distances.
No wonder he never talks about his childhood, I thought, watching Alex's shoulders grow more tense with every step.
The drive from the Pike estate took us further from the city than I'd expected. As urban sprawl gave way to rolling hills and dense forest, I felt some of the tension in my chest begin to ease.
"Where are we going?" I asked as Alex turned onto a narrow road barely visible between towering pines.
"Somewhere quiet," he said. "Somewhere we can actually think."
The road wound deeper into the forest, and I caught glimpses of discrete security cameras mounted in the trees. Pack territory. Protected space.
Finally, we emerged into a clearing where a modest house sat nestled among the trees. It wasn't grand like the Pike mansion—just a simple two-story structure with warm wooden siding and large windows that seemed to invite the forest inside.
"This is yours?" I asked as Alex parked.
"Yeah." There was pride in his voice, the first genuine emotion I'd heard from him since leaving his father's office. "It's quiet here. Perfect for thinking, if you need to do that."
And boy, do I need to think.
Ashley stirred in my mind as we got out of the car, her attention caught by something I couldn't quite identify. The forest around us was alive with scents and sounds—pine needles and rich earth, the distant call of birds, the rustle of small creatures in the underbrush.
Home, Ashley whispered, surprising me. This feels like home.
Inside, the house was everything the Pike mansion wasn't. Lived-in. Comfortable. Real.
The furniture was well-made but not ostentatious—a comfortable couch covered in soft leather, bookshelves lined with actual books that looked like they'd been read, a kitchen that showed signs of regular use. There were little traces of Alex everywhere: a coffee mug on the counter, a laptop open on the dining table, a jacket thrown over the back of a chair.
This is where he actually lives, I realized. This is who he really is.
The feeling that hit me was immediate and overwhelming—like coming home after a long journey. My shoulders relaxed, the tight knot in my stomach loosened.
"Coffee?" Alex asked, already moving toward the kitchen.
"No, thank you," I said, still taking in the space. "I think I'm caffeinated enough for one day."
He chuckled, the sound warm and genuine in the quiet house. "Fair enough. Today's been..." He trailed off, running a hand through his hair.
"A lot," I finished for him.
"Yeah. A lot."
We stood there in comfortable silence for a moment, the weight of everything that had happened—the photos, the media circus, the confrontation with Edward—settling around us like dust after a storm.
But underneath it all, I felt something else. Something that scared me almost as much as it thrilled me.
He meant what he said. About wanting to announce our relationship. About choosing me.
The thought sent a shiver through me—part excitement, part terror. Because now that I'd seen what Alex was willing to sacrifice for me, I had to decide if I was brave enough to let him.
"Amelia?" Alex's voice was soft, concerned. "You okay?"
I looked at him—really looked at him. His hair was still perfectly styled despite everything we'd been through today, but there were lines of stress around his eyes that hadn't been there this morning.
"I'm..." I started, then stopped. Was I okay? I was confused. Scared. Overwhelmed. But standing here in Alex's private sanctuary, surrounded by his scent and the quiet peace of the forest, I also felt something else.
Safe.
"I need time to think," I said finally. "About everything. About what your father said, about the conditions, about what this all means."
Alex nodded, understanding flickering in his amber eyes. "Take all the time you need. We don't have to figure everything out today."