Shadows of the Past

Eleven

I stepped backward, only to press against the closed door. My breath sounded funny.

"N-no!" That was the only thing my brain could tell my mouth to say. My tongue was dry and heavy.

River was close. Too close. If I raised my arm, my hand would touch his chest.

His eyes lowered to mine, but they remained that almost-iridescent grey color, so I knew his wolf wasn't about to surface. That information only made me feel slightly better. When he came to realize the state I appeared to be in, he instantly distanced himself from me and raised his hands. I let myself take a deep breath now that I felt like I had room.

"I'm sorry!" He exclaimed, his smiling expression replaced with a stricken one. "I should've guessed you might react that way. Emerald, I would never-" he sighed, running a hand down his face. I took a deep breath through my nose.

"I'm not— I wouldn't—" His voice fell, as if he were devastated I would assume he would try something right away. He brought me to his room, what was I supposed to think?

He didn't try to speak, and the silence stretched until it wasn't as thick and tense.

"Okay." I whispered finally. My eyes were trained on my Converse that covered my feet.

Letting out a long exhale, he repeated it. "Okay."

Then I felt my nose stuff and my eyes prick without warning. Oh, now I was going to cry about it? Wonderful.

I pressed my eyes closed with the palms of my hands, trying to keep any tears at bay. It didn't work of course, because once the prick started between my eyes, anything could set me off. Stupid hormones ruined everything, every time!

When my hands dropped, so did the tears. But I was able to contain the noise, and let them be silent droplets against my cheeks.

River noticed, and he stepped towards me once before thinking better of it and staying about five or six feet from me. "What's wrong?" He sighed. "That was a stupid question. I should've made sure I'm not scaring you. Am I?"

I forced my lips to stay down when they tried to lift into a hint of a smile. Using the back of my hand, I quickly wiped at my cheeks. "I'm not scared of you."

He straightened. "But you were. For a moment, I watched you panic."

"I was afraid of your intentions." I admitted. "But not of you."

To tell the truth, I was more afraid of myself. Of the mate bond. I didn't want to get wrapped up in wanting him, needing him like other wolves described. I needed to stay firm to my plan on becoming alpha, and having no mate.

"Tell me what's on your mind."

I hated that he was so gentle and soft. I hated that he was so likable. Ugh!

"I-" Did I tell him? Did I tell him that I didn't want to want him? That I had been set on a different goal my entire life?

"Okay," he said. "You don't have to. But I'm also not sending you back down to those guest rooms. An omega brought your backpack up here."

"How?" My brain was functioning one word at a time. I meant to ask how he did that so fast when we were all talking in the foyer.

His grin returned, and he seemed to know exactly what I was asking. "There's another set of stairs. And the second I locked eyes with you, I knew who you were, so when your enforcers' things were brought in, I requested the alpha's daughter's things to be brought here."

Suddenly a very embarrassing thought crossed my mind. "Oh no. Oh, goddess, do the omegas think. . ." I couldn't bring myself to finish that.

Now he laughed. "That I was just interested in sleeping with the alpha's daughter? Probably not." His shoulder lifted in a shy shrug. "I'm not that kind of guy."