Chapter 43

Ashley.

The car pulled up in front of the familiar building and sleek as I stared up at it, my heart pounding in my chest. “This is it,” I said, taking a deep breath.

I closed my eyes and tried to curb the feelings that came alive in me at the nearness of him in that building.

Keisha turned to me with a worried look. “Where exactly are we?”

I glanced at her and tried to muster some confidence. “It’s Aiden’s office. I need to talk..."

Her eyes widened. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, you said he’s been stalking you.”

“That’s why I need to talk to him,” I replied, my voice more resolute than I felt. “I need to confront him and make him stop.”

She hesitated, gripping the steering wheel. “Okay, but I don’t think you should go alone.”

“I’ll be fine, Keisha,” I insisted. “This conversation might take a while. You should go home.”

She looked like she wanted to argue, but instead, she sighed and nodded. “Alright, but call me if you need anything. I’ll come back in a heartbeat.”

“Thanks,” I said, squeezing her hand before stepping out of the car.

I walked into the lobby, the air-conditioned coolness hitting my face as I approached the reception desk. The woman behind the desk looked up and smiled. “Can I help you?”

“I need to see Aiden,” I said, not bothering to hide the urgency in my voice.

“Do you have an appointment?” she asked, her smile faltering slightly.

“No,” I admitted. “But it’s important.”

“I’m sorry, but he is in a meeting right now. You’ll need to wait—”

I didn’t have time for this. Ignoring her protests, I headed straight for the elevator. I heard her calling after me, but I didn’t stop.

My hand was shaking as I pressed the button for the top floor. The ride up seemed to take forever, and I tried to steady my breathing, preparing myself for the confrontation. I was about to ignore every need I had for him and tear into him.

Why would he have people follow me when he made it clear that he was going to stay away from me?

When the doors finally opened, I marched down the hallway, my heels echoing on the polished floor. I didn’t bother knocking; I pushed open the door and stormed into Aiden’s office. The room was filled with people, all of whom turned to stare at me in shock.

Uh Oh

Aiden stood at the head of the table, his expression morphing from surprise to fury. “Ashley, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

I glanced around the room, feeling a little foolish that I didn't listen to he receptionist earlier,  “I need to talk to you,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

God, I hope I wasn't interrupting something important.

He clenched his jaw, and for a moment, I thought he might throw me out. But instead, he turned to the group. “Everyone out. Now.”

The room emptied quickly, the men casting curious glances at me as they left. I started to follow them, but Aiden grabbed my arm, his grip firm but not painful. He shut the door and locked it, then pulled down the blinds, blocking out the view from outside.

“What’s your problem, Ashley?” he demanded,  “You just interrupted a very urgent meeting.”

“I don’t care,” I shot back, yanking my arm free. “I needed to talk to you about the men you have trailing me. It’s got to stop, Aiden. I thought you had given up in stalking me but it looks like you were lying out of your ass,"

He stared at me, confusion replacing some of the anger in his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb,” I snapped. “You said you’d stay away from me, but I’ve had men following me everywhere I go. I want it to stop.”

His expression softened, turning to something that looked almost like concern. “Ashley, I had my men stop trailing you weeks ago. I don’t know who you’ve been seeing, but it’s not my people.”

I shook my head, refusing to believe him. “You’re lying. You’re just trying to mess with me.”

He took a step closer, his eyes earnest. “I’m not lying. If someone is following you, it’s not on my orders. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

The sincerity in his voice made me falter. Could he be telling the truth? “Then who...?”

“I don’t know,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “But if someone is stalking you, I need to know about it. We need to figure out who it is.”

“We?” I scoffed. “I don’t need your help.”

“Yes, you do,” he insisted. “If there’s someone dangerous out there, you can’t handle it alone.”

I wanted to argue, but the truth was, I was scared. I’d been looking over my shoulder for weeks, feeling like I was losing my mind. Maybe Aiden could help, but trusting him? That was something I wasn’t sure I could do.

“What if it’s you?” I challenged. “What if this is just another one of your games?”

He looked hurt, and that threw me off balance. “Ashley, I know you don't trust me, but this isn’t a game. I wouldn’t put you in danger like that.”

His words hung between us, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to say.

“I just want to be safe,” I finally admitted, my voice cracking.

Aiden’s expression softened even more. “I know, and I want that for you too. Let me help you figure this out.”

I hesitated, torn between my need for safety and my mistrust of him. But if there was any chance he was telling the truth, I couldn’t afford to ignore it.

The idea that someone else might be trying to hurt me was terrifying. I started to tremble, my mind and whole body shaking with what-ifs.

“Ashley, calm down,” Aiden said softly, stepping closer. His voice was steady, soothing. “Nobody is going to hurt you .”

I took a deep breath, rubbing my arms. “I’m scared, Aiden. If it’s not you, then who?”

He reached out, gently placing his hands on my shoulders. “We’ll find out. I promise. But right now, you need to take a breath.”

His touch was reassuring, and I found myself relaxing slightly. The guilt attacked me for how I treated him. I disrupted his meeting and accused him.

“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I was just so scared and angry.”

“It’s okay,” he said, his grip on my shoulders firm but it was still gentle,“You had every right to be upset.”

I looked into his eyes, he was too good to be true. “Can we start over? Be friends, maybe?”

His expression darkened, and he shook his head. “No, Ashley. We can’t be just friends.”

The rejection stung, and I pulled away from him, hurt. “Why not? I thought... I thought maybe we could try to move past everything.”

He caught my arm as I turned to leave, his grip gentle but unyielding. “Ashley, wait. It’s not that I don’t want to be close to you. It’s just that... I can’t be just your friend because I want you.”

I froze as his words sank in. “What do you mean?”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Being around you excites my wolf. It’s hard to explain, but you make it hard for me to control myself.”

I stared at him, a lot of things running through my mind — curiousity, excitement, intrigue. “Your wolf?”

Aiden nodded. “Yes. When I’m near you, it’s like he’s on edge, always wanting to be closer to you. It’s why I can’t be just friends. I want more than that.”

The intensity in his eyes made my heart race. “Can you... can you shift? I mean, right now?”

He shook his head. “Not here. There are other wolves in the building, and it wouldn’t be safe.”

I couldn’t hide my disappointment. “Oh.”

He noticed and frowned. “I’m sorry. I promise I’ll show you another time. I owe you that much.”

I nodded, trying to process everything. “Okay.”

We stood there in silence for a moment, the weight of his confession was heavy between us. I had so many questions, and I didn’t know where to start. “Can you tell me more about werewolves?”

Aiden’s eyes softened. “Of course. What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” I said, sitting down on the edge of his desk. “I don’t know much about werewolves, just the stuff from movies and books.”

He chuckled. “Well, most of that stuff isn’t accurate. We’re not ruled by the moon, for one. We can shift whenever we want, though it does take a lot of energy.”

I leaned forward, intrigued. “So you can shift any time?”

He nodded. “Yes. But shifting in public or around people who don’t know about us is dangerous. We have to be careful.”

I bit my lip, trying to absorb the information. “Are there a lot of you? I mean, werewolves?”

“There are more than you’d think,” he said. “We tend to keep to ourselves, though. We have packs, like families, and we look out for each other.”

“Are you the leader of your pack?” I asked, recalling the way he commanded the room earlier.

He nodded again. “Yes. I’m the Alpha. It’s my job to protect my pack and make sure everyone is safe.”

“And that includes me now?” I asked softly, the realization hitting me.

“Yes,” he said, his eyes meeting mine. “I want to protect you too, Ashley.”

The sincerity in his voice made my heart ache. I wanted to trust him, but I was still scared. “What if the person following me is dangerous?”

“Then we’ll deal with it,” he said firmly. " I won’t let anything happen to you.”

I took a deep breath, feeling a strange sense of comfort in his words. “Thank you, Aiden.”

"Why did you ask about werewolves? I was under the impression that you weren't interested,"

A part of me yearned to be part of that world, to experience it firsthand. But I knew that accepting Aiden and everything that came with him meant complicating things with Logan.

“It all sounds so beautiful,” I said softly, almost to myself.

Aiden’s gaze was intense as he stepped closer. “Not as beautiful as you,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble.

The compliment made my heart skip a beat.

"Stop me," he murmured. waiting for my permission.

I didn't want to stop him, I needed his lips on me like I needed air.

Before I could respond, he leaned in and kissed me. His lips were warm and insistent, and to my surprise, I found myself kissing him back. The world seemed to melt away, leaving just the two of us and the passion that seemed to grow between us.

When we finally pulled back, I could see the uncertainty in his eyes. He was bracing himself for my reaction, expecting me to lash out. But I didn’t feel anger. I felt the opposite and it tasted like freedom.

Instead, a smile tugged at the corners of my lips.

He looked at me, his surprise evident. “You’re smiling.”

I nodded, unable to hide my amusement. “I guess I am.”

He seemed to relax a little, though confusion still lingered. “I thought you’d be mad.”

“I thought I would be too,” I admitted. “But I’m not. It’s just... complicated.”

Aiden sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Because of Logan.”

“Yes,” I said, the weight of the situation settling back over me. “He’s been there for me through so much. I can’t just turn my back on him.”

“I understand,” Aiden said, his voice gentle. “But you should know that my feelings for you are real, Ashley. They always have been.”