The warm shower washes away the embarrassment of being rejected. One minute Alpha Nikos


    acts like he wants me, the next he looks at me as if I''m the most disgusting thing he''s ever seen.


    It happened the second I touched his skin. In my stupid haze of pleasure, I forgot about the one


    thing he’s dead set against. How could I allow myself to do something like that? This man, he


    muddles up my head so I don''t think clearly when I''m around him.


    But why is it only his bare chest? What happened to him?


    /“He...has a past filled with pain. It would be a pity to see you add to it."/


    Is this what Maxim meant? Is this why he hates being touched and yet he can touch me? With a sigh


    and my mind made up, I get out of the shower, put on my PJs and go to his bedroom. This needs to


    stop now; either he tells me what he wants from me or I give this ring back.


    I open my bedroom door and see Josef sitting in his usual spot, ying with his knife and not


    looking up at me. “Is the Alpha here?” I ask.


    He looks up and nods. “He''s in his gym; he''s been there most of the afternoon and early evening.”


    “Take me to him,” I say and walk out of my bedroom. “Or I''ll ask someone else if you''re still pissy


    with me.”


    Ignoring Josef''sints, I walk down the hallway until he catches up to me. He''s about to say


    something until he sees the look on my face and shuts up. Nodding, he walks ahead and leads me


    further down the hall.


    Wee to a stop in front of twin oak doors, which he opens for me. “He''s in here,” Josef says and


    stands next to the door without looking at me.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    “Thank you, Josef," I say as I walk inside and he closes the door behind me.


    I am nearly knocked over by Alpha Nikos’ scent hanging heavy in the room. Leather and spice


    tinged with fury, I struggle to catch my breath the more I''m breathing it in. He''s been down here


    since he left the pool area, that''s basically what Josef said.


    But why is he angry? Is his fury aimed at me for touching him?


    The bed moves as if someone''s sitting down on it. “I don''t... don’t know what I want.” Alpha


    Nikos says before he sighs. “I won''t lose my temper again. Don''t worry.”


    “I can''t help but worry about you, Alpha. For both of you. You two are growing closer and you know


    how dangerous-"


    “That''s enough, Lh. Let me handle this,” he interjects, and I hear her sigh.


    “She doesn’t need more uncertainty,” Dr. Lh says before I hear her heels clicking and the door


    closing.


    I don''t know what this exchange is about but it sounded heated, as if they''ve been at it for a while.


    My heartbeat picks up at the thought of them arguing about me and I wonder what else they have


    said.


    "How long are you going to pretend you''re not awake?”


    His voice makes my eyes snap open and I sit up too quickly, causing the room to spin. I lean my


    hand on the pillow next to me while the other holds my head. “Ow...” I groan and I feel the mattress


    dip.


    Alpha Nikos is on his haunches next to the bed when I open my eyes again; his green eyes are


    wide and his brow is furrowed. He takes my hand in his and asks, “Are you okay?"


    I take my hand out of his grasp and swing my legs over the bed, forcing him to back up. “I''m okay,”


    I say, slowly getting to my feet, but he gently pushes me down.


    “Lh has put you on bed rest, so you''re not going anywhere, Mia,” he says with a stern expression.


    “You''re wee to stay here for a while. I''ll leave.”


    He doesn''t wait for me to answer and turns to walk out, but as he reaches the door, I call out to him.


    "Alpha Nikos.”


    Stopping as he reaches for the door, I hear his heartbeat picking up, but he doesn’t turn around to


    face me. “Yes, Mia?"


    I get to my feet and swallow deeply. “I wanted to apologize for touching you this morning. Being


    that close to you...it made me forget about your hard limits and turned you into... the person I saw


    in the gym today.”


    Alpha Nikos spins around, his crimson eyes wide with shock and anger. “You think it was your


    fault?” he asks in a low voice, stalking towards me.


    But I don''t back away this time. “Wasn''t it? You turned cold and rejected me as soon as I touched


    you,” I say, shrugging. “If I didn''t, you wouldn''t have-"


    He''s in front of me before I can breathe and takes my face in his hands; his crimson eyes shimmer


    back to their mossy green. Shaking his head, he looks at me in disbelief.


    “Mia, nothing was your fault. I don''t know why you would me yourself like that. This...the person


    you saw today...that was my fault, no one else''s.” He says. “Never me yourself like that. You''re not


    responsible for my triggers.”


    I scoff sadly. “That''s just it, though; I don''t know what your triggers are, I only know when I set them


    off. You say I''m yours, you say I make you feel and my head is such a mess when you leave. So


    please, tell me what you want from me, Nikos.”


    The pleading look in his eyes breaks my heart, and I don’t know what he’s thinking as he looks at


    me. What is he trying to say without using the words? What has hurt him so much that he’s taking it


    out on me?


    He smiles sadly and strokes my cheek with the back of his thumbs. “I want you, but my demons will


    only serve to ruin you more, Mia, because that''s all I ever do. So for now, I will keep my distance and


    not confuse you any more than I already have.” He says, then he kisses my forehead and lets go of


    me.


    I realize what he’s doing and snap out of my thoughts as he opens the door. “No...No, you can''t-!"


    “It''s for the best,” he says and walks out, leaving me a shattered mess on his bedroom floor. Once


    again I''m the one who''s left in tatters. Once again he walks away from me as if I''m nothing.