Chapter 3
1294 Words
Ayla’s POV
I told myself I could handle him.
Cassian Hale was supposed to be a tool in my plan, nothing more. The Alpha who would help me climb high enough to destroy Lara’s world. That was it. But every day I spent near him, I could feel my control slipping—bit by bit.
I came back to Silverpine for revenge. I did not come back to feel.
And yet, every time his eyes found mine, something inside me trembled.
The next morning began like any other. I reached the office early, just as the sunlight touched the glass towers of Hale Enterprises. I liked being the first one in. It gave me time to breathe, to remind myself who I was and why I was here.
My desk faced the Alpha’s office. I kept my movements quiet and mechanical, typing, sorting files, pretending not to notice how his scent lingered even when he wasn’t there.
When he finally arrived, the air in the room seemed to shift.
He walked past me with that same calm power, the kind that made people instinctively lower their gaze. “Morning,” he said.
“Good morning, Alpha,” I replied without looking up.
But I felt his eyes on me—steady, unreadable. Like he was trying to solve a puzzle that refused to fit together.
By noon, the entire floor buzzed with a quiet tension. Cassian had called for a surprise meeting with the senior staff and investors. I organized the documents, double-checked the slides, and followed him into the conference room.
I froze the moment I saw her.
Lara Blackthorn.
Her laugh was soft, fake, exactly how I remembered it. Her black hair framed her perfect face, and she wore that same smug confidence she used to wear back in The Hollow.
The moment her green eyes met mine, I saw it—the flash of disbelief, then panic.
It took everything in me to keep my expression calm. “Ms. Blackthorn,” I said politely, handing out the files.
Her smile wavered. “Do I know you?”
I tilted my head, pretending to think. “I don’t believe so.”
Cassian’s gaze shifted between us briefly, as if sensing the unspoken current. Then he began the meeting.
I tried to focus on his words, but I could feel Lara’s eyes burning into me the entire time. Her scent had changed slightly—stronger, more artificial—but the arrogance was the same.
When the meeting ended, Cassian dismissed everyone except me. “Ayla, stay.”
Lara lingered near the door, watching with a faint smirk. “She’s very efficient, Alpha. You must value her highly.”
Cassian’s voice was flat. “I value results. Good day, Ms. Blackthorn.”
Lara’s smile faltered, and she left.
When the door closed, I let out a quiet breath.
Cassian’s eyes were on me again. “You knew her.”
I kept my expression neutral. “She’s famous in Silverpine. Everyone knows her.”
He studied me for a long time. “That’s not what I asked.”
I swallowed, forcing a calm tone. “It doesn’t matter who she is to me. I’m here to work.”
He walked closer, stopping a few feet away. “You’re hiding something.”
My chest tightened. “Everyone hides something, Alpha.”
His eyes darkened. “Not from me.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke. The air between us grew heavier, charged with something I didn’t have the strength to ignore anymore.
He reached out suddenly, his fingers brushing my wrist. The warmth of his skin sent a rush of heat up my arm. His eyes flickered silver, his wolf rising beneath the surface.
“Why can I touch you?” he said quietly. “Why you, when I can’t stand anyone else?”
My breath caught. “Maybe because I’m not afraid of you.”
His hand tightened slightly, not in a cruel way, but like he was afraid I’d disappear. “You should be.”
I met his gaze. “I’m not.”
He exhaled sharply and stepped back, as if breaking his own spell. “Go home, Ayla.”
I hesitated. “You look tired. You should rest too.”
He looked at me for a long second, and for the first time, I thought I saw something real behind his walls—loneliness.
Then his mask returned. “That’s an order.”
I nodded and left the room, pretending the tremor in my hands was from anger, not from how close I’d been to losing control.
That night, I couldn’t stop thinking about the look in his eyes. The Alpha, who never let anyone near him, had just let me touch him.
It scared me. Because part of me didn’t want to stop.
The part that remembered what warmth felt like.
But I couldn’t let that happen. I had to stay focused. Lara was already suspicious, and one wrong step could ruin everything.
So the next morning, I wore my calm-like armor again.
When I arrived, Cassian was already in his office, looking over some files. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, veins visible along his forearms. His hair looked slightly messy, like he hadn’t slept much.
He didn’t look up when I greeted him. “Close the door,” he said.
I obeyed quietly.
Without warning, he asked, “What did she do to you?”
My breath hitched. “Who?”
“Lara Blackthorn.” His eyes finally met mine, sharp as a blade. “Your scent changed the moment she walked into the room yesterday. I could feel your heartbeat from across the table.”
I stayed silent.
He walked around the desk and stopped in front of me. “If she’s a threat, I need to know.”
“She’s not a threat,” I said softly. “Just a memory.”
He frowned. “A bad one.”
I looked down, my voice barely above a whisper. “The worst.”
For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, unexpectedly, he touched my chin, lifting my face, so I had to meet his eyes.
“No one hurts what’s mine,” he said quietly.
My pulse jumped. “I’m not yours.”
His gaze dropped to my lips, his wolf flickering behind his calm. “Then why do I want you to be?”
I froze. I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. The room felt smaller, the space between us disappearing. I could feel the heat from his body, smell the faint scent of cedar and rain that always followed him.
He leaned closer, his breath brushing my ear. “Tell me to stop.”
But I didn’t.
Because I couldn’t.
Every rule I’d made for myself shattered in that moment. The wall between revenge and desire cracked open.
His lips brushed mine, soft but brief—like a question he wasn’t sure he should ask. I felt his hand tremble slightly, as if even he couldn’t believe what he was doing.
When he finally pulled back, his eyes burned silver.
“This shouldn’t be possible,” he muttered. “But it is.”
I stood frozen, heart racing, the taste of him still on my lips.
He turned away suddenly, his voice rough. “Leave.”
“Cassian...”
“Now.”
I left before I could see the look on his face.
But as the elevator doors closed behind me, I pressed my hand to my chest, feeling the wild rhythm beneath my palm.
He was supposed to be the target.
He was never supposed to touch my heart.
And as the elevator descended, I realized something worse...
Lara had seen everything.
- Writer
