Chapter 5: Unwanted Protection
551 Words
I barely slept that night.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Alexander standing in front of my building, his words burning in my mind. "You're not safe alone anymore."
I hated that he was right.
By morning, I was exhausted but determined. I couldn't let him control my life. I'd built this new identity from nothing — late nights studying, endless rejections in the fashion world, proving myself over and over. No way was I letting some arrogant Alpha King ruin it.
I got ready for work, choosing a sharp black suit that made me feel powerful. Armor.
As I stepped out of my apartment building, I froze.
He was still there.
Not the same spot, but close — leaning against the wall across the street, sipping coffee like he owned the sidewalk. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes, but I felt his gaze on me immediately.
How long had he been waiting?
I ignored him and walked toward the subway. He fell into step beside me without a word.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I snapped, keeping my voice low.
"Protecting what's mine," he said calmly.
"I'm not yours."
"You are. The bond says so. Your wolf knows it too — I felt her last night."
I stopped walking and turned to face him. People streamed around us on the busy sidewalk.
"Listen carefully, Alexander. I don't want a mate. I don't want a pack. And I definitely don't want you following me around like some stalker."
His jaw tightened. "I'm not stalking. I'm guarding."
"From what?"
"From the people who don't want the Alpha King to have a Luna. Especially one who was rejected before. It makes me look weak in their eyes."
I laughed bitterly. "So this is about your reputation?"
"It's about your safety," he growled. "There are wolves who would hurt you to hurt me."
I wanted to argue, but deep down, I knew the werewolf world was brutal. I'd seen it.
"Fine," I said finally. "But you stay out of my way. No following me to work. No showing up at my apartment uninvited."
He tilted his head, considering. "Deal. For now."
I rolled my eyes and kept walking. He didn't follow this time.
But when I got to my office building, my phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number:
"Have a good day at work, little wolf. I'll be close if you need me. —A"
I deleted it immediately.
But I couldn't delete the warmth that spread through me when I read it.
Damn him.
At lunch, my assistant knocked on my office door. "Miss Voss? There's a delivery for you."
She brought in a massive bouquet of white roses — my favorite, though I'd never told anyone.
The card read: "Thinking of you. Dinner tonight? —Alexander"
I threw the card in the trash.
But I kept the flowers.
By evening, I was a mess of conflicting emotions. Angry. Confused. Attracted.
When I left work, he was waiting again — this time with a car.
"Get in," he said. "We need to talk. Properly this time."
I should have said no.
But I got in anyway.
Maybe part of me wanted to hear what he had to say.
Or maybe I was just tired of running.
- Writer
