Chapter 131
Chapter 131:
“The apothecary,” I lied smoothly, my heart hammering against my ribs. “The storm has my nerves frayed. I need valerian root, or I won’t sleep a wink p>
She eyed my damp coat but eventually nodded, stepping aside. “Be quick. The Alpha doesn’t like the gates opening this late p>
The Alpha. Braydon.
I suppressed a shudder and hurried out into the rain.
Thirty minutes later, the elevator doors to the penthouse office slid open with a soft chime.
The entire floor was dark, illuminated only by the blue glow of computer monitors and the city lights bleeding through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The air was heavy, saturated with the scent of ozone, expensive leather, and the deep, woodsy cedar that was unmistakably Dallas. It smelled like a storm trapped indoors.
“I told security not to let anyone up,” a voice rumbled from the shadows.
Dallas stood by the window, his back to me — a silhouette of broad shoulders and barely contained tension, a glass of whiskey dangling from his hand.
𝗦𝘩𝖺𝘳𝖾 𝘆ou𝗿 𝘁𝗁𝗈𝘂ght𝘀 o𝘯 ѕ.c𝘰𝗺
“I’m not anyone,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. I walked to the desk and set down the takeout bag I’d grabbed on the way, a pathetic peace offering. “Azalea said you hadn’t eaten p>
“Azalea has a big mouth.” He didn’t turn around.
The coldness in his tone was worse than the rain. It snapped something inside me. I had walked through a storm, lied to my captors, and come here to comfort him — and he wouldn’t even look at me.
“Why did you send that text?” I demanded, stepping closer. “You saw me. You saw Braydon grabbing me, and you just drove away. And then ‘Sleep well’? That’s it? That’s all you had to say to me p>
Dallas took a slow sip of his drink. “You seemed busy. Reconnecting with old flames p>
“Reconnecting?” I choked out a laugh, incredulous. “I was fighting him off! I told you I was going to see Victoria. I didn’t choose for him to be there p>
“And yet, there you were.” He finally turned.
The look in his eyes stopped the breath in my throat. His irises were almost black, his pupils blown wide as if Ragnar were clawing at the surface. He looked exhausted, haggard, and terrifyingly beautiful.
“I am not one of your corporate acquisitions, Dallas,” I said, my voice rising. “I am not something you can turn cold on because my past is messy. If you think I’m weak because I don’t have a wolf to fight him off p>
Smash.
The sound hit like a gunshot.
I jumped back as Dallas hurled his whiskey glass against the far wall. Crystal shattered, raining down onto the carpet like diamonds, the amber liquid splashing against the plaster.
“Weak?” he roared, the sound vibrating in my bones. He crossed the room in two long strides, closing the distance between us until his heat radiated against my skin. “You think I left because I think you’re weak p>