Chapter 235 Sorting Out

Chapter 235 Sorting Out
>>Riona
The question hit me like a sudden gust of wind. I blinked, my heart doing a strange flutter in my chest, and for a second, the world around me seemed to pause. I stared at him, unsure how to even begin to answer that. It wasn’t that I didn’t know the answer—it was just that I hadn’t fully realized it until now.
There was a pull. A quiet tug that I hadn’t noticed before, buried beneath the surface of everything I thought I understood. But now, with him so close, his steady gaze on me, I could feel it—a warmth that spread from my chest all the way to my fingertips. I hadn’t seen it before, hadn’t allowed myself to, but I found myself... noticing him in a way I hadn’t before.
Demos was attractive.
There.
I had thought it for the first time, and now it rushed through me like a wave crashing on a shore. It was as if something inside me was waking up, stretching itself into a new awareness, and I didn’t know what to do with it. He was standing there, inches away, with that smile that was both kind and... knowing, and I couldn’t stop the way my stomach flipped at the thought of his question.
I felt my face flush. A light warmth spread across my skin, and suddenly, I couldn’t breathe right. He had made me nervous, made me feel something I wasn’t ready for.
I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I had to get out of there. My mind was racing, too many thoughts coming at me too fast, and the sudden vulnerability of the moment was suffocating.
Before I could even think of a response, I took a small step back, then another, and before I knew it, I was turning toward the door. I didn’t think—I just moved. My breath was shallow, and I felt the panic rising in me, this strange, overwhelming panic that I couldn’t explain.
I didn't look back at him.
I needed space. I needed to breathe.
I left the room quickly, my footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway as I made my way toward the stairs. Every instinct in me screamed to run, to get away from this new feeling, this new awareness of him. I didn’t understand it. I didn’t know what it meant.
I heard the faint sound of Demos’s voice from behind me, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. Not yet.
I didn't even dare to look back.
I just kept walking, away from the room, away from Demos, away from whatever it was I had started to feel. And in that moment, I realized I had just left him with nothing but an unspoken question hanging in the air.
But I didn’t know how to answer. Not yet.
Not until I figured it out.

I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands pressed against my knees as I stared blankly at the floor. The quiet of my room only made my thoughts louder. I didn’t know where to begin. My mind felt like it was whirling, trying to make sense of everything, trying to find a way to untangle the mess of feelings I couldn’t seem to ignore.
How is it that I’m finding Demos attractive? I couldn’t help but ask myself that question. It wasn’t long ago that I had been engaged—about to marry someone else. Someone I was supposed to love, someone I had been promised to for years. Was it really that easy? Was it really that simple to suddenly feel drawn to someone else, to be in the presence of someone and feel this pull in a way I hadn’t expected?
A wave of confusion washed over me. Maybe I was losing my mind. Could it really be possible that so soon after everything I had been through, after all the pain and heartbreak with my engagement, I could be feeling... something for Demos? It didn’t feel right. It couldn’t. But the warmth in his gaze, the way he’d made me feel... It was different. I’d never felt like that before—not in the way I had with him.
It was unsettling.
I ran my hands over my face, feeling the weight of it all pressing down on me. My heart was in turmoil.
But then, as if to distract myself from the storm in my mind, I thought of Ava. My sister. The bond I had with her, the complicated and messy connection we’d always shared. Would she be angry? Would she understand if she found out about the way I was starting to feel? Ava had been so focused on me, on what was happening between us. It felt like everything was in flux, and I wasn’t sure how to handle it. Could I really tell her about Demos? Would she even approve?
I wondered if she had told Annamae about me.
My throat tightened at the thought. Annamae was sweet, innocent—the only person who didn’t dare doubt me even for a moment…
I let out a sigh
I want to go and meet her.
But my thoughts quickly shifted back to Demos and the cryptic words he had said earlier. The wolf. Why couldn’t the wolf be here all the time? Why had Demos been so evasive about it? It didn’t sit right with me. I’d grown attached to that wolf, to the calm it brought me. If Demos cared about me even a fraction as much as he appeared to, why wouldn’t he let the wolf be around when I needed it?
The question burned in my mind, unanswered and unsettling.
And just as the frustration began to build, a soft knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.
I froze.
“Riona?” a familiar voice called from the other side.
It was Demos.
My heart skipped a beat, but I didn’t know what to do with that sensation. I stood up slowly, my legs feeling a little weak, as if the pressure of my thoughts had finally caught up with me. I opened the door, only to be met with something I hadn’t expected.
The wolf!!
Standing in the doorway, its massive frame casting a shadow over the hall. Its black eyes locked onto mine as if it had been waiting for me all along. I felt an overwhelming rush of relief flood through me, as if I could finally breathe again. It was here—here in front of me, just like it had been before.
Without thinking, without a single word exchanged, I rushed forward, throwing my arms around the wolf’s neck in a tight embrace. My heart was pounding, but it wasn’t out of anxiety or fear. It was something else—something warm and comforting, something I couldn’t explain.
The wolf didn’t pull away. Instead, it stood still, letting me cling to it. Its thick fur felt soft against my cheek.
“Thank you,” I whispered
And somehow the feeling was very familiar to when I hugged Demos-
!!

I sat up straight!

God! Damnit!!!

I can’t get him out of my head!!
The wolf suddenly broke free from my embrace, stepping out of my arms with a swift motion, almost as if he’d decided he’d had enough of my hold on him. He trotted a few steps away, stopping by the door, and then turned to look back at me. His eyes locked onto mine, steady and intense.
I blinked, staring at him, wondering what was going through his mind. The moment felt strange, like there was something unsaid between us, something more than just the shared calmness we had in the room.
And then, it hit me—an unexpected wave of dizziness.
My head throbbed suddenly, sharp and unwelcome, and a sense of pressure built at my temples, as if something was trying to force its way into my mind. I clenched my jaw, trying to push away the sensation, but it was as if my thoughts were being invaded. The sensation was unsettling, like an intruder trying to slip into my consciousness, but I didn’t want it. I shook my head, pushing the feeling aside, and just like that, it faded, leaving me with nothing but a lingering sense of unease.
The wolf sighed, and I almost imagined it was in response to my discomfort, as if he knew exactly what had happened. But then, after a moment, he gave a small, almost imperceptible nod of his head, gesturing toward the door.
My brow furrowed, but I understood.
He wanted me to follow him.
I hesitated only for a second before I nodded back, following him out of the room, my feet moving on their own as I trailed behind the wolf. We walked down the hall and descended the staircase to the first floor. I didn’t question where he was leading me; there was something about the wolf’s quiet confidence that made me trust his movements.
When we reached the kitchen, I was struck by the scent that immediately filled the air—rich, savory, and comforting.
Fresh meatball spaghetti. It was enough to make my stomach rumble. I hadn’t even realized how hungry I was until that moment, and yet the sight before me made my mind swim with even more questions.
The wolf climbed up onto one of the chairs at the kitchen table, his large body surprisingly graceful as he settled down. He then looked back at me, his golden gaze steady, and gestured toward the seat across from him, as if silently inviting me to sit.
I stared at him for a moment, astonished.
With a small sigh, I sat down at the table, the aroma of the food growing stronger as I glanced at the plate of perfectly cooked spaghetti in front of me. The strands of pasta were twirled into a neat pile, topped with a rich meatball sauce that looked as if it had been made with care. My stomach growled again, and I didn’t even try to hide my smile. It had been too long since I’d had something this simple, this comforting.
I took a moment to appreciate the food before looking back at the wolf.
“Did Demos do this?” I asked, the question slipping out before I could stop myself.