Chapter 16
It’s been four days now since she started following me to the repair store. On our way back, I decided to get my regular shave.
I’m at the counter, paying for my supplies, when I glance over at her. She’s standing frozen in the middle of the aisle, staring at
something I can’t see.
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The chips she’d taken from the counter are now on the floor. Her face has gone completely white, and her hands are shaking so badly I’m
surprised she’s still standing
“Athena?”
She doesn’t respond. It’s like she’s not even there, like her mind has gone somewhere else entirely. Somewhere dark and terrifying.
“Athena!”
Still nothing. I can see her lips moving, whispering something I can’t hear, and the terror in her eyes makes my blood run cold.
“Ath!”
Finally, she turns toward me, and the look on her face is one I’ve never seen before. Pure, primal fear. The kind of fear that comes from being hunted, from knowing that something wants to hurt you and there’s nowhere to run.
She tries to smile, tries to pretend everything is normal, but her face is twitching with the effort. Whatever she saw, or thought she saw,
has shaken her to her core.
Then I hear it. A woman calling across the store.
“Daxon, come back here this instant!”
A little boy, maybe five years old, comes running past us with his mother chasing after him. Just a normal family doing their shopping.
Daxon, hangs in the air like a curse.
But the name
I watch Athena’s reaction, the way she spins around looking for threats that aren’t there, the way her breathing becomes shallow and rapid. Whoever Daxon is, the mere mention of his name is enough to send her into a full–blown panic attack.
I wanted to say something. Do something. Shake her till she starts spilling why she looks like she has seen a ghost, but instead no say something different.
“Can we leave now?” I ask, keeping my voice gentle but firm.
She nods quickly, not trusting her voice, and follows me out of the store on unsteady legs. I want to wrap her in my arms, want to tell her she’s safe, that whatever happened before can’t touch her here.
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18:26 Fri, Jan 2 d
Chapter 16
But I can tell she harely holding herself together, so I just walk dowly, planning bark to make sure there stii with
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The rite home is torture. I can feel her shaking behind me, her grip so tight it’s cutting off circulation in my arms. Every protective Instinct i haw is screaming at me to stop the bike, to turn around and demand answers. But I force myself to keep driving to get her
where safe where the can fall apart if the needs to.
The moment we reached the house, she practically threw herself off the bike before it had even fully stopped.
I thought I saw an old friend,” the claimed–a blatant lie.
I didn’t believe a thing she said; we both knew the truth, but I let her go in anyway,
I should have followed her inside, should have forced her to talk to me, should have done something besides just standing there, watching
her flee.
Instead, I ran away, just like I always do.
Instead of facing the hard conversation, instead of being the protector she needs me to be, I get back on my bike, when it was time and
ride toward the woods.
It’s what I always do when things get too heavy, when the constant ache of guilt and regret doesn’t feel quite so suffocating. I run.
I didn’t feel like visiting the ring today, I just wanted to ride till I can’t no more.
The forest has always been my sanctuary, the one place where I can think clearly, where the memories of that night, don’t feel quite so overwhelming.
Tonight, I ride deeper into the woods than usual, pushing the bike hard on the winding trails, trying to outrun the image of Athena’s
terrified face.
But no matter how fast I go, I can’t escape the questions that are eating me alive. Who is Daxon? What did he do to her? And why couldn’t I protect her from it?
I’ve been riding for maybe an hour when I feel it strong it makes my chest tight.
–
a sudden, overwhelming pull to head home. It’s not just a feeling; it’s a compulsion so
My wolf is pacing, restless and anxious in a way that sets every nerve on edge.
Then I hear it. Her voice, clear as day inside my head.
Tristan, please help me.”
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The Biker Alpha Who Became My Second Chance Mate
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
