Chapter 56
Adeline West.
As I drove back to my pack, my hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white. The road ahead
I was blurred as my thoughts swirled in a storm of anger, confusion, and something else I didn’t want to acknowled furious–furious at Killian for what he did, furious at myself for coming to meet him, and furious at the situation that had gone so far out of control.
He kissed me. How dare he kiss me like that? How dare he invade my space, force himself on me, and make me feel… make me feel things I shouldn’t be feeling? The thought of his lips on mine, the way he had pressed me against the wall, caging me in with his body–it all made my blood boil. I was so pissed at him that I could barely see straight.
But beneath the anger, beneath the outrage, there was something else–something that made my heart race and my breath hitch whenever I remembered the way he kissed me. That kiss… oddly, it felt familiar. Everything felt like déjà vu to me. It left me more confused than angry.
We never kissed, but why does it feel like this? Why does it remind me of the night in the meeting hall? The night with that stranger. That kiss, the dominating touch–everything reminded me of him. What is this? What is the connection? Killian never kissed me or let me get close to him when we were married, not even after I told him that he was my mate. All those memories of me looking at Killian, holding Laurel and craving for his attention rushed back to me.
That kiss… It wasn’t just a kiss. It was something more, something intense, something that burned with a desperate hunger I hadn’t felt in years. The intensity of it was terrifying. It was like he needed it, like he craved it, like it was oxygen, and he would die if he didn’t take it. He claimed every inch of my mouth with a ferocity that left me reeling, and even now, the memory of it sent a shiver down my spine.
I shook my head, trying to clear the thoughts that threatened to overwhelm me. No. I couldn’t let myself think like that. I couldn’t let myself feel anything for Killian, not after everything that had happened. He was the enemy. He was the one who had rejected me, humiliated me, and cast me out like I was nothing. I hated him. I had to hate him. There was no other option.
But the more I tried to convince myself of that, the more the memory of his kiss clung to me, like a shadow I couldn’t shake. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I shouldn’t have felt anything but hatred for him, but here I was, my body still tingling from the feel of his lips on mine.
“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, hitting the steering wheel in frustration. Why did he have to do this? Why did he have to come back into my life, stirring up all these old wounds and making me question everything I thought I knew?
As I neared the pack grounds, the tension in my body only grew. I didn’t want to see anyone; I didn’t want to talk about what had happened. I needed to be alone to process and figure out how to get my emotions back under control..
The gate to the pack opened automatically as I approached, and I drove through, feeling a mix of relief and dread. Home. I was home. But it didn’t feel like home. Not with the storm raging inside me, threatening to tear me apart.
I parked the car and sat there for a moment, staring at the steering wheel, trying to steady my breathing. I couldn’t let anyone see me like this. I couldn’t let them know what had happened. They wouldn’t understand. Hell, I didn’t even understand.
With a deep breath, I finally forced myself to get out of the car and head inside. The house was quiet, everyone asleep, unaware of the turmoil that had unfolded just an hour earlier. I was grateful for the silence and for the chance to escape to my room without having to explain myself.
And why did he want to know about my children’s father? The question echoed in my head, adding to my frustration. What did it matter to him? He had rejected me, banished me from his pack, and moved on with Laurel. So why, after all these years, was he suddenly interested in my life and my children? It made no sense.
Then it hit me. The timing of everything. The way Killian suddenly demanded to meet me, the way he questioned me about the kids–it was all too coincidental. My gut twisted with suspicion.
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Chapter 56
Was this some twisted game of his to mess with my head? Or was it Laurel? She’d always been manipulative; she always had her claws deep in Killian, even when we were married. Could she have put him up to this? Did she tell him about that night? Or worse, was she orchestrating something on her own?
I still remember her words when I was leaving Killian’s house with my kids.
Was it her? Even if it was her, I won’t let her win this time. I know what happened that night, and she can manipulate Killian all she wants. I don’t care. I won’t let them get near my kids. No matter what. I will protect them with everything I have.
But as I climbed the stairs, my thoughts kept returning to that kiss, to the way Killian had looked at me, as if he were fighting some internal battle. His eyes had been filled with anger, yes, but also something else–something darker, more complicated. It was like he was torn between wanting to push me away and wanting to pull me closer.
And that terrified me.
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