Fall in love with wolf

Ch.3

For the rest of the day, Elena found herself unconsciously looking toward the door, expecting the tall figure to reappear. But even more disturbing to her was the haunting feeling of being watched. She saw a man in a suit sitting on a bench across the street, who didn't leave until the coffee shop closed; and noticed that every time she stepped out the back door to throw out the trash, she always heard footsteps if nothing else.

As night fell, the winter rain of New York poured down with a biting chill.Elena stood under the awning at the back door and watched the rain form a curtain of light under the dim streetlights.Sarah had gone on a date today and left early, leaving her alone to close the store.The phone screen lit up with a message from a man in a suit.

The screen of her cell phone lit up with a text message from an unfamiliar number: “Do you need me to send a car to pick you up? This weather isn't good for waiting for the subway. --A.”

Elena stared at the simple monogrammed signature, her fingertips hovering over the screen for a long time. Eventually, she replied with a simple, “No, thanks.” She didn't want to admit it, but the concern sent a warm glow through her heart.

Just as she was about to walk out into the rain, a dark shadow suddenly flashed around the corner. The figure was eerily fast, so fast that it almost seemed like an illusion.Elena's heart raced steeply and chills crept up her spine. She subconsciously took a step back and bumped into the door frame.

At that moment, a black Range Rover slid noiselessly into the back alley, the window lowered to reveal Alexander's chiseled face, “Get in, Elena,” his voice was undeniable.

“I said no ......”

“Get in the car.” This time there was a hint of urgency in his tone that Elena had never heard before.

The moment she hesitated, the dark figure flashed again, this time close enough for her to clearly see a pair of eyes glowing an eerie red. Fear pierced her heart like a sharp blade, and almost instinctively she pulled open the car door and got in.

Alexander hit the gas and the car roared into the rain.Elena realized she was shivering, not sure if it was from the cold or the shock.

“You were following me?” She asked when her breathing calmed down and she opened her mouth.

“I'm protecting you,” Alexander corrected her, keeping his eyes glued to the rearview mirror, ”There's a big difference.”

“Protecting me? Protecting from what?” Elena laughed sarcastically, “Against hallucinations that somehow appear?”

Alexander's hands tightened on the steering wheel, “What did you see?”

“I ......” Elena was suddenly speechless. How was she supposed to describe those red eyes? That unnatural speed? Saying it would only make her look like a deranged lunatic.

“There are some things,” Alexander took a deep breath, ”that this is not the time to explain. But I need you to trust me - you're in danger.”

“Why?” Elena pursued stubbornly, “I'm just a regular barista.”

Alexander was silent for a moment, “Maybe it's because you're so ‘ordinary’ that makes you so special.”

The windshield wipers oscillated rhythmically as the rain snaked over the windows, turning the world outside into an abstract painting.

“Let's get you home first.” Alexander said as the car sped down the waterlogged road, “After that ......” He trailed off, glancing at Elena's pale face, “After that you need to make a choice.”

Elena didn't press for what choice. The silence in the car at the moment gave her an eerie sense of security instead. The sound of the rain lapping against the windows, the hum of the heater, and Alexander's steady breathing all made her feel inexplicably at ease.

That sense of security wasn't shattered until the car pulled into the neighborhood below her apartment. Alexander suddenly tensed up, as if he smelled something threatening. His eyes darted quickly between the rearview mirror and the street on either side of him, and a low, barely audible growl escaped from deep in his throat.

“You live here?” There was a hint of disapproval in his voice.

“What?” Elena subconsciously got defensive, “Not upscale enough?”

Alexander shook his head, “Too many dead ends, security is null and void.” He paused, “Get a new place to stay.”

“Wait,” Elena found the conversation ridiculous to the point of being laughable, ”What makes you think you can interfere in my life? Because you're the CEO of some big corporation? because you 'saved' me twice?”

“Because I don't want to have to regret why I didn't stick around after something happens to you.” Alexander turned his head and looked her straight in the eyes. Those gray eyes glowed strangely in the dimly lit compartment, “Elena, do you think that figure tonight was just an illusion? Do you think Isabella is just a common troublesome customer? There are too many things hidden in this city for you to imagine.”

“Then tell me the truth,” Elena met his gaze, ”or don't expect me to follow the advice of a secretive stranger.”

Alexander's brow was furrowed as if he was making some kind of hard choice. Just then, a piercing catcall came from deep in the alley. His entire body instantly tightened, like a beast ready to pounce.

“Damn,” he cursed under his breath, ”they really won't leave tonight alone.”

“Who are they?”

“There's no time to explain now,” Alexander quickly opened the car door, ”Trust me just once, okay? Just this once.”

Elena looked at his outstretched hand and hesitated. Reason told her that she should hurry and escape this crazy situation, but some voice deep inside urged her to take the hand. In the end, she chose to trust her instincts.

The very moment her fingers touched Alexander, several pairs of red eyes suddenly lit up in the darkness.

Alexander's reaction was incredibly fast. He pulled Elena behind him almost impossibly fast while letting out a low warning sound. The sound sent chills down Elena's spine - it wasn't a sound a human could make, but the growl of some kind of beast.

“How touching,” a familiar voice came from the darkness.Isabella stepped into the circle of light from the streetlamp gracefully on her high heels, ”Guardian Alexander, when did you become so concerned about an ordinary human?”

“It's none of your business Isabella,” Alexander's voice was cold as ice, ”You know the rules.”

“Rules?” Isabella let out a soft chuckle, “Rules are made to be broken, dear.” Her gaze crossed over Alexander and stared straight at Elena, “Besides, is she really ‘normal’?”

Elena felt like a rabbit being stalked by a snake, unable to move.Isabella's eyes glowed unnaturally in the dim streetlight, a violet color that seemed to look right into one's soul.

“Enough,” Alexander took a step forward, ”Do you want to start a war?”

“War?” Isabella laughed lightly, “We've been at war for a long time, it's just that you're still playing your ridiculous peace games.” Her gaze swept over the darkness around her, “I just came tonight to ...... to say hello.”

As her words fell, red eyes in the darkness began to move. It took Elena a moment to realize that it was at least five or six of them, and that they had surrounded the area without a sound. She subconsciously grabbed Alexander's arm, but was surprised to find his muscles taut as steel.

“Final warning, Isabella,” Alexander's voice was so low it was almost inaudible, ”leave.”

There was a suffocating tension in the air. Elena felt her heart beating so fast it felt like it was going to pop out of her chest. She didn't understand what was happening, but instinct told her she was standing on the brink of a conflict beyond imagination.

Isabella c****d her head as if thinking about something, “Well, that's it for tonight.” She turned, her heels making a crisp sound on the damp ground, “But Alexander, you can't protect her forever. Sooner or later, she'll learn the truth, and by then ......” She smiled meaningfully, “It'll be fun.”

Those red eyes faded into the darkness as Isabella left. It wasn't until the last hint of menace dissipated that Alexander relaxed his tense body a little.

“Take you upstairs,” he said, his voice returning to its usual gentleness, as if nothing had just happened.

Elena opened her mouth, but didn't know what to ask. She had too many questions, but each one seemed to lead to an answer she wasn't ready to face.

Alexander escorted Elena all the way to the apartment door, his eyes constantly scanning every corner of the hallway. The worn fluorescent tubes flickered with flickering light, casting wavering shadows on the walls.

“Let me check the room,” he said, his tone undeniable.

Elena would have refused, but everything that had happened tonight had robbed her of the strength to argue. With trembling fingers, she pulled out her key and opened the door to her room.

It was a typical New York bachelor pad - cramped but cozy. A few watercolors hung on the walls, the work of Aunt Rose, and Alexander's silhouette nearly filled the small space as he scrutinized every room, even opening the closet to look around.

“It's safe for now,” he said at last, ”but you can't live here anymore.”

“Why?” Elena finally couldn't help but ask the questions that were weighing on her mind, “What the hell is going on and who is Isabella? And what are those eyes?”

Alexander's expression became incredibly complex. He stood by the window, the moonlight gilding his rigid profile with a silver rim.” Some truths,” he said slowly, ”once known there is no turning back. Are you sure you want to know?”

“I'm already involved, aren't I?” Elena smiled bitterly, “And apparently someone doesn't care if I ‘want’ to know.”

Alexander was silent for a moment, “Tomorrow night, I'll send someone to pick you up and take you somewhere safe. Until then ......” He pulled a small silver pendant out of his pocket, “Put this on and don't take it off no matter what happens.”

Elena took the pendant and realized it was an antique shaped wolf's head. When her fingertips touched the metal surface, she seemed to feel a warm pulsation.

“What is this?”

“Protection,” Alexander replied briefly, ”It's late and you need to rest. I'll be downstairs ......”

“Wait,” Elena called out to him as he prepared to leave, ”You're going to stay downstairs all night?”

Alexander turned around, the corner of his mouth curling into a wry smile, “Like I said, I'm protecting you.”

“But this is ridiculous! You're a ......” Elena was about to say, “You're a CEO of a major corporation,” but the words escaped her lips. For some reason, she felt that this identity might be the least important aspect of Alexander.

“Go to sleep,” he said softly, ”it's going to be a long night tomorrow.”

After sending Alexander away, Elena leaned against the door, feeling that the night had been absurdly like a dream. She looked down at the wolf's head pendant in her hand, the silver metal glowing softly in the moonlight. As she slipped it on, an inexplicable sense of reassurance enveloped her.

It was still raining outside the window, and the sound of raindrops hitting the glass reminded her of the nights when her mother was still alive. Back then, whenever it rained, her mother would tell her stories, mostly legends about mysterious creatures. Now that she thought about it, maybe those stories weren't all fiction?

Elena walked over to the window and looked down through the rain curtain. Alexander's silhouette was clearly visible as he stood under the streetlight, motionless like a statue. Even from this distance, she could still feel that predator-like alertness radiating from him.

Her cell phone suddenly vibrated, it was a text message from Sarah: “Sister, I just saw a handsome guy driving you back in a luxury car? Account for it!”

Elena hesitated for a moment and replied, “It's a long story, we'll meet tomorrow to talk about it.”

“Don't try to fool me! Get to the point!”

“Seriously, Sarah, I can't even make sense of what happened tonight.”

Sarah called immediately and Elena took a deep breath and picked up.

“God, you sound weird,” Sarah said, keenly aware of the anomaly, ”What the hell is going on?”

Elena looked out the window at Alexander's silhouette, weighing her words, “Do you believe that there is something... in this world? Something supernatural?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, “Elena Parker, are you hallucinating from all that work?”

“Maybe,” Elena smiled bitterly, ”but tonight I saw things that can't be explained by common sense.”

“Such as?”

“Like ......” Elena was about to go on when she suddenly saw Alexander looking up at her window, those gray eyes clearly visible even in the night. She somehow thought he could hear what she was saying.

“Never mind,” she said instead, ”let's wait until tomorrow to talk in person.”

After hanging up the phone, Elena lay in bed, but with no sleep. Everything that had happened tonight replayed over and over in her mind - those red eyes, Isabella's wry smile, that vaguely feral aura about Alexander. She unconsciously touched the wolf's head pendant around her neck and unconsciously fell into sleep.