The Elevator

Poker Face

The name that slipped through his mouth was one that I hadn't heard in eight years. I could feel my body tensing up as I tried to maintain my composure. Thanks to the walls I had resurrected, I could keep my emotions in check. Camouflaging my disgust at that name that seeped through his lips, I calculated my next words.

Thoughts raced through my head. Do I ignore what he said and let the silence consume us until he says something else? Do I scream and shout at him, calling him every name under the sun for not realising I was his mate sooner? Do I curse and spit at him for even letting my name leave that snake of a tongue of his?

"Louise?" I ask. My tone filled with fake confusion. I look at him with a slight tilt to my head.

"Yes, Louise? Is that you?" He whispered. My heart pounds slightly as my name comes out as a plea.

"Sorry, who is Louise?" I decide to play stupid. There will never be a time or place for me to have the type of conversation he wants to have.

"Erm, Loretta. Sorry, you just reminded me of someone." He muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets as he leans the side of his body on the elevator. His gaze lowering to the floor.

"You sounded like her." He murmurs.

My wolf stirs in the back of my head, coming out of her haze. I'm scoffing at her weakness as she tries to come out of my mind after being in a comatose state for eight years. She left me to deal with the heartache, the pain. She left me with the inability to shift. I was human. Her abandonment caused me to become more callous and cold to those around me. The one person who was there for me through all the pain and trauma - just left. Now, she wants to make her appearance because her bastard mate is in my vicinity.

The speakers soon interrupted my thoughts in the elevator. "Miss Romano, I apologise for the inconvenience, but our engineer is on the way. There is some delay, as there is a gridlock, so we can not expect how long it will take for the elevator to be fixed." I groaned at my misfortune.

Honestly, out of all the days to be stuck in a confined space, it had to be today, and it had to be with Jacob Warner. I close my eyes, cursing the moon goddess, trying to determine what the hell I did to deserve this? Throughout my upbringing, I learned the value of respecting my elders, as well as the importance of academic success. I was kind to people growing up. Yet all I had received in return was pain.

"Well, it looks like we are going to be here for some time." Jacob said. He pushed himself from the wall and shrugged his blazer and placed it on the floor. His white crisp shirt showcased his refined body as he fell to the floor with his back pressed against the wall. I looked down at him. The disgust was clear on my face as I tapped my foot. "May as well get comfortable." He shrugged.

My head fell back as I looked at the ceiling and took a deep breath, refusing to show Jacob any sign of weakness or emotion. I sighed, sat on the other side of the elevator, crossed my ankles, stretched my legs and put my hands in my lap, knowing that I'd be there for a while.

I refused to make conversation with him, as I could not risk the charms breaking. I needed to maintain an emotional distance that would conceal my true identity. However, there was a nagging feeling in my mind that was curious to why he was thinking about Louise. No matter how much I tried, I just could not kill that curiosity.

"So who's Louise?" My face was expressionless, not wanting to clue him onto my true intentions. The minute I said her name, his shoulders tensed and his eyes closed. I could tell it was too personal for the stranger in the elevator, but I didn't give a fuck.

"Someone I used to know." He replied nonchalantly.

"Seems to be someone special if you're imagining her voice." I taunted.

His closed eyes opened and his gaze became hardened. The amber eyes he had were now deep and black. There was an undercurrent of pain lingering behind his gaze. He breathed heavily, showing his discomfort. I chuckled internally at the wolf that was surfacing, his anger becoming apparent. Ah, Mr Alpha doesn't have a poker face like I do and he can't do a single thing about it because he senses I'm human, not a wolf.

"She's none of your concern." He spits and turns his gaze away from me. An involuntary chuckle escapes my lips at his response. If only he knew the girl was me.

"Ah, Mr Warner, I was only making friendly conversation. As you said, we are going to be here for a while." I flash him a toothy smile. I was enjoying the torment he was he going through at hearing her name.

He scoffed at my taunt. His eyes glinted with anger, and I could see the faint outline of his wolf form just beneath the surface. Despite being given an opportunity to speak, he remained quiet and said nothing. He remained motionless, simply sitting there and stewing over the situation. His anger was like a storm brewing, gradually intensifying and thickening in the air. I could only hear our shallow breaths.

I tapped my fingernails gently on the floor. Strumming them lightly, thinking of ways to enjoy his inner torment.

"You know, sometimes it's easier to talk to a stranger about your problems." I stated.

"What are you, a therapist?" He sneered as his eyes narrowed.

"Nope. I am just an extremely bored woman looking for something to entertain her."

He looked at me and as I stared back. I couldn't help but admire him. He had definitely grown more handsome over the years. The eight years apart didn't stop me from finding him attractive. I remember the days I would spend getting lost in his eyes.

"You wouldn't understand." He murmured.

"Try me. I am a very intelligent woman, Mr Warner." I replied.

He couldn't help the low growl that escaped him. An average woman wouldn't have heard this, but a shifter could pick it up. The problem I had was that growl was that it wasn't threatening. It was a growl filled with lust and promise as the words Mr Warner escaped my lips.

I continued with the tapping of my fingers against the cold floor. Tap tap tap tap. Tap tap tap. My fingers kept strumming and strumming as a small smile graced my lips.

"Will you stop tapping your fingers!?" He exclaimed, running his hand through his thick locks of hair.

"If you tell me about this, Louise." I hummed.

"Fine!" 

Edit 08/09/2023