Chapter 19 Putting Her in Her Place
ELIJAH
A smile formed on my lips at the sight of Leo standing outside my door.
“Hey there, little man.”
I picked him up from the floor, bringing him up to eye level. He looked around for a moment, clearly searching for a way to communicate what he wanted. He hadn’t fully mastered sign language yet, so it was still difficult for him to express himself.
He kicked his legs in the air, mimicking kicking a ball.
“You want a ball?”
He shook his head, then touched my chest, touched his own chest, and kicked the air again.
“Oh, you want us to play ball together?”
He nodded enthusiastically, happy that I’d finally understood him.
Damn it, I’d completely forgotten it was already the weekend.
That was my dedicated time with Leo.
“I’m so sorry I forgot about our plans. I’ve had so much work piling up.” I ruffled his hair.
He frowned slightly and rubbed my nose—something he always did when he was disappointed in me.
“I said I was sorry.” I tickled him until he started laughing.
I’d completely forgotten there was someone else in the room until I caught movement from the corner of my eye.
Adriana had this huge smile on her face, but it wasn’t directed at me. Her eyes were completely focused on Leo.
I felt terrible about what had happened yesterday. Leo had explained everything to me afterward, but by then it was too late to fix it.
She’d probably already been asleep by the time I’d worked up the courage to apologize. That’s why I’d gone looking for her this morning and was told she’d gone to training.
Thank God I’d decided to check on her there, otherwise Hannah would have torn into her face.
Adriana finally looked at me, her smile fading as she cleared her throat.
“I should leave now.”
I wanted to ask her to stay, to tell her we could continue our conversation later, but she was already almost at the door.
Leo tapped my shoulder, pulling my attention back to him.
He pointed to the injury on his knee, then pointed at Adriana.
He wanted me to apologize to her. I wanted to apologize too, but I had no idea how to start. I’d completely overreacted yesterday and I knew it.
“Then just say that, you idiot! She’s leaving!” Ezra shouted in my head.
“How about you come out here and say it yourself?!” I shot back.
“Adriana, wait.” She stopped, and suddenly all the words I’d planned vanished from my mind. I looked down at Leo, who was watching me expectantly, waiting for me to speak.
“Yes?” Her eyes were slightly widened. They looked so clear. So pretty.
I couldn’t find words for the life of me. Why was this so difficult?
“I’m sorry.” My brain finally decided to work. “I’m sorry for what happened yesterday. I overreacted and acted without thinking.”
I braced myself for whatever response she might have. She’d already told me exactly how she felt about the Hannah situation.
“It’s okay.”
“Really?”
She actually laughed.
“Yes, really. It’s fine. I understand.”
Leo wiggled his way out of my arms and ran straight to her, wrapping his little arms around her legs.
She laughed and picked him up, and he immediately wrapped his arms around her neck. I’d never seen him laugh like that or hug anyone else before.
It made me incredibly happy to see him showing emotion and affection toward someone other than me. But at the same time, it made me worry.
The two of them were laughing together, completely forgetting I was even in the room.
“Would you like to spend the day with him? He obviously really likes you.”
I was genuinely worried she might say no because of yesterday’s incident, and I knew that would break Leo’s heart. But after one look at the boy in her arms, she nodded.
“I’d love to spend the day with both of you.”
“She said she’d like to spend the day with both of us,” Ezra repeated happily in my head.
I rolled my eyes at him.
“If you put this much energy into actually important matters, our pack would be unstoppable.”
“But that’s the thing—Adriana is an important matter. And I don’t think I can help myself when it comes to her.”
I ignored him and started walking behind Adriana. Leo had rested his head on her shoulder, clearly feeling completely at peace in her arms.
“He likes her. She’d be a perfect mother for him,” Ezra observed.
Not this again.
“Ezra, how many times do I have to explain that it’s not that simple?”
“Oh please, Elijah, how hard could it possibly be? She’s beautiful, she’s kind, she’s incredible with Leo, and you saw how she handled herself in the gym today. She’ll make an amazing wife and Luna. What more could you possibly want?!”
He wasn’t wrong. She had checked every single one of my boxes. I’d been particularly impressed watching her at the gym today. The way she moved—it was so natural, like she’d been born fighting.
No wonder she was so strong, both physically and mentally.
“She’s been here for barely a day and a half. I need more time to actually get to know her. I barely know anything about who she really is.”
At that moment, I remembered something important.
“Adriana, can you wait here for just a moment? I forgot something back in my office.”
I’d left some confidential documents out on my desk that weren’t supposed to be visible to just anyone.
As soon as I heard footsteps approaching my door, I knew it was time to stop what I was doing and put everything away.
“Hey, Elijah.”
I was just about to enter my office when I felt hands snake around my waist from behind, gripping tightly, and a head rested against my back.
I knew exactly who would have the audacity to do this. Only one person.
“What is wrong with you, Hannah?” I pushed her off me before Adriana could come back and have her suspicions confirmed.
“What? I was just hugging you.”
I walked away from her and entered my office, immediately clearing off my desk.
“Stop doing things like that, Hannah. I’m not your friend. I’m not your mate. I’m your Alpha. Stop acting like you’re somehow special. What’s wrong with you?”
“I’ve always been like this, even when Liam was alive. Why are you acting like it’s something new?”
Was she actually this clueless, or was she pretending?
“You were a child when Liam was alive, so I let it slide. But it’s getting really irritating now.”
I didn’t want her here. I had somewhere far more important to be.
“What do you want? If you’re here to talk about this morning, save it. I’m not in the mood.”
“But Elijah, it wasn’t my fault! She started it. You weren’t even there to see what happened.”
But I was there. I knew exactly how irritating Hannah could be. She’d been this way since Liam was here and hadn’t changed at all. Both Hazel and Aiden couldn’t stand her, but I had to put up with her and let her stay because of my relationship with Liam.
“I said I don’t want to talk about it. Let it go. Just don’t do it again.”
I needed her to leave. Adriana was waiting for me.
“Elijah, I—”
I slammed my hand on the desk and stood up abruptly, startling her.
“Are you deaf? I said drop it. Adriana is my guest and you will treat her with respect. What happened this morning was completely unacceptable. Don’t let it happen again.”
If anything happened to Adriana, I’d only have myself to blame.
I opened the door myself so she’d get the message that she’d overstayed her welcome.
“Leave. I have somewhere to be. I’ve put up with you because I saw you as a sister. Liam was more than a brother to me, and I extended that grace to you. If something like this happens again, don’t blame me for not showing you mercy.”
I left her standing there and locked my door behind me.
I had more than enough to deal with already.
Adriana had suffered more than enough in her life. I didn’t want her to meet another Lisa here.