DANGEROUS PROXIMITY
539 Words
The private elevator ride down from the executive floor was silent, save for the quiet hum of the machinery.
I leaned my head back against the mirrored wall, letting out a long breath I hadn't realized I was holding. The adrenaline from confronting Ethan was slowly fading, leaving a strange mix of satisfaction and exhaustion in its wake.
"You handled yourself exceptionally well in there," Lucian said, breaking the silence. He was standing close—close enough that I could smell his subtle scent of rain and crushed pine.
"I couldn't have done it without your backing," I replied, looking up at him. "Though I noticed the hand on my back. Was that part of the business strategy?"
Lucian’s lips curved into a slow, tantalizing smile. "Consider it a double investment. It proved to Ethan that you are no longer under his shadow, and it reminded him that you have someone far more capable standing behind you."
The elevator dinged, opening into the private underground parking garage. Lucian’s driver held the door of the sleek black SUV open for us.
As we stepped out, a harsh voice echoed through the concrete space.
"Maya! Stop right there!"
Ethan came marching out from the stairwell door, his face flushed and his chest heaving. He had taken the stairs just to cut us off.
Lucian immediately stepped in front of me, his posture shifting into a defensive, dominant stance. "You're crossing a line, Vance."
"Get out of my way, Blackwood! This is between me and my..." Ethan hesitated, the word mate catching in his throat as he looked past Lucian's shoulder at me. His gray eyes were bloodshot, filled with a desperate mixture of pride and confusion.
"Your what, Ethan?" I asked, stepping out from behind Lucian to face him directly. "Your rejected mate? The girl you threw away in front of the entire pack?"
"I was under pressure!" Ethan snapped, taking a step forward before stopping under Lucian's icy stare. "Victoria's family had leverage over my father's old contracts. I thought... I thought you would understand. I thought you would wait for me to sort it out!"
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "You expected me to sit in a corner and watch you marry my half-sister while you played Alpha? You really don't know me at all."
"I made a mistake, okay?!" Ethan yelled, his voice cracking. "I felt the bond snap, Maya. I haven't slept in a month. Every time I look at Victoria, I feel sick. Come back to the pack. We can fix this—"
"Touch her, and I will tear your pack apart piece by piece, Ethan," Lucian’s voice dropped into a low, rumbling Alpha growl that made the concrete floor subtly vibrate.
Ethan glared at Lucian, his fists clenching, but he couldn't deny the sheer gap in their power.
I looked at Ethan with complete clarity. The pull of the old mate bond was gone, replaced by a cold, unwavering focus.
"It's too late, Ethan," I said quietly. "You made your choice that night. Now, live with it."
I turned and climbed into the SUV. Lucian followed, shutting the heavy door behind us and leaving Ethan standing alone in the shadows of the garage.
- Writer
