I sit stiffly in the passenger seat, tied wrists resting uselessly in my lap. The silk of Rion's tie is warm from my skin, but the knot is merciless. I don't bother struggling. What's the point? I have no option left except silence.
Rion drives without a word, jaw tight, eyes fixed on the road with that storm-heavy calm he wears only when he's furious. I let out a long sigh and turn toward the window. The night is dark, and autumn has already begun its slow takeover. Leaves drift down the street like exhausted birds.
I miss the days when I used to sit on the campus bench for hours, watching petals fall from the trees… quiet, peaceful, untouched by chaos like this.
Back then, my thoughts were my own. No alpha. No claims. No impossible words.
I don't even notice when the car stops until the engine fades.
Rion turns to me slowly. His hand rises, fingers brushing my cheek—warm, steady, too gentle for the anger burning in his scent. I flinch, barely.
