Red Eyes
1338 Words
June's POV
I stood there frozen, breathing hard, every nerve in my body on fire. My legs wanted to obey, but my mind screamed against it. I blinked, trying to hold on to that small sliver of strength still left inside me.
“No,” I whispered, even though my voice barely came out.
Hadrian’s eyes darkened. His hand reached out, cupping my face so gently that it confused me even more. Just a moment ago, he’d been all heat and dominance. Now, it was like he was searching for something in my eyes—something I wasn’t ready to give.
“Do you feel it?” he asked, his voice a low whisper, his lips brushing against my cheek.
I turned my face away. “It’s just the bond,” I said stubbornly. “Not real.”
He chuckled again. That same smug, irritating laugh. “If that’s what helps you sleep at night, little wolf.”
Lyra was howling in the back of my head now. Not angrily—but desperately. Let him touch us, she begged. He’s ours.
“No,” I said again, louder this time. “I won’t be just another conquest of yours.”
That must’ve hit something, because his jaw clenched, and for the first time since he walked in, he looked genuinely... hurt? No, it wasn’t hurt. It was something else. Frustration? Maybe even guilt?
He stepped back slowly, giving me space, and I quickly reached for the robe near the bed, pulling it tightly around my body. My legs were shaking, but I kept standing. I refused to fall in front of him.
“You think I’m playing games?” he asked after a moment, his voice steady again, but the fire behind his eyes told me he was barely holding himself together.
I looked at him, unsure what to say. Because yes, I did think that. Everything about him screamed control, pride, and danger. The way he touched me wasn’t gentle—it was possession. But it wasn’t cold either. It was... intense. Overwhelming.
Still, I wasn’t ready to lose myself to him.
“Hadrian,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “You can’t just walk in here and expect me to fall into your arms. I don’t even remember what happened yesterday. I don’t know how I ended up unconscious. I don’t know what you or anyone in this pack castle did.”
He stared at me for a long time. Too long. The silence stretched until it felt suffocating.
“I didn’t do anything to you,” he said finally. “But someone tried to.”
My blood ran cold.
“What do you mean?”
He turned away, running a hand through his damp hair, muscles tightening in his back. He looked like a man at war—with himself, with me, with the world.
“You weren’t supposed to go anywhere aside from the pack dinner last night,” he said.
“When I found you, you were mumbling, calling out my name. Then you collapsed. You’ve been out for almost twelve hours.”
My head throbbed at his words, a pulse of pain blooming behind my eyes. I sat on the edge of the bed, holding my temples.
Lyra was quiet now, which scared me more than anything else. She was never quiet. Especially not when Hadrian was this close.
“Someone actually planned on killing me?” I asked.
“Possibly.” He walked to the door and closed it slowly, locking it. “Or maybe something older. Something darker.”
Great. Just great. As if being mated to a dangerously attractive, smug Alpha wasn’t enough, now I had to deal with ancient magic too?
“I need answers,” I said. “From the witches. The seers. Anyone who knows anything or possibly help me.”
He stepped forward again, kneeling in front of me, his face now calm and oddly gentle.
“You’ll have them. I promise. But until then... I need you to stay close. Don’t wander off alone.”
“You mean keep me on a leash?” I raised an eyebrow.
He smirked. “If that’s what it takes.”
I shoved him slightly and stood, trying not to laugh. “You’re impossible.”
“You’re stubborn.”
“I reject you,” I said again, a little more playful this time, just to mess with him.
He grinned, but there was a flicker of something behind it—pain? Loss? No... hope.
“You can say it a thousand times,” he said, standing tall. “But the bond doesn’t care.”
“Then maybe I’ll break it myself.”
He looked down at me, his voice suddenly quiet. “Be careful what you wish for, Gwendolyn. Some bonds, once broken, never come back.”
I swallowed hard. “Maybe that’s for the best.”
He didn't argue. Instead, he stepped toward the door, unlocking it, but stopped before leaving.
“I’ll have food sent up. Eat. Rest. I’ll see you in the evening.”
Then he was gone, and I was left standing in the room, heart pounding, confused beyond belief.
---
Later that day, I sat in the tub Agatha had filled for me. The warm water and lavender helped soothe my nerves, but my thoughts were still all over the place. That look in Hadrian’s eyes when I rejected him—it wasn’t pride or arrogance. It was something deeper. Like he was carrying a secret.
What if he’s not as cruel as you think? Lyra finally whispered.
I ignored her.
After drying off, I wore a simple dress and braided my damp hair to the side. The food that had been sent up was mostly untouched, though I picked at it while pacing the room. I needed to get out of here. At least for a bit. Sitting around waiting for answers wasn’t going to cut it.
Dinner with the pack was overwhelming, Warriors, omegas, elders. All eyes on me as I entered beside Hadrian—even though I’d purposely walked a few paces behind him. I hated the attention.
Anya sat across the long table, looking like the goddess of smugness, flipping her perfect red hair while whispering something in Hadrian’s direction. I didn’t care. Not really. Except Lyra did.
“She wants him,” she growled.
“Let her have him,” I snapped back, though my eyes stayed on them longer than I wanted to admit.
Hadrian didn’t acknowledge Anya’s flirtations. He was too focused on something else—or someone else.
Me.
Every time I glanced at him, I found him already watching. It was annoying.
And… flattering.
No. I shook the thought away.
“Do you remember what you saw?” Agatha leaned close to whisper in my ear as the meal began.
I stared at her. “What do you mean?”
“You said something in your sleep. About red eyes. A shadow. A monster.”
I went still.
“Who else heard that?”
“Just the healers and I. Don’t worry. We won’t say anything. But... it wasn’t a dream, was it?”
My throat felt dry. “I—I don’t know.”
She gave me a knowing look. “Be careful, Gwendolyn. Some truths aren’t meant to be faced alone.”
I nodded, trying not to look too shaken. But inside, I was unraveling. That beast wasn’t just some hallucination. It was real. And I was the only one who’d seen it.
And the worst part? I was starting to think Hadrian knew exactly what it was.
Later that night, in the quiet of my room, I stared at the mirror.
Red eyes. Black fur. Rage.
It wasn’t a nightmare.
And every time I looked at Hadrian, I saw a glimpse of it. The same stare. The same raw energy.
Could it really be him?
If it was… what did that make him?
What did that make me?
- Writer
