Chapter 25
ADELINE
a
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The first thing I noticed was the silence.
It wasn’t peaceful–it was deafening, pressing against my eardrums like an invisible weight. The only sound was the faint, rhythmic drip of something wet and the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. My head throbbed with a dull, relentless ache, each pulse like a hammer pounding against my skull. Slowly, I opened my eyes, blinking against the darkness.
The car was upside down.
Shards of glass sparkled on the ground–or was it the ceiling? I couldn’t tell. My thoughts were sluggish, tangled like cobwebs, refusing to piece together what had just happened. Warm, sticky blood trickled down my temple, the metallic scent thick in the air. I tried to move, but a sharp pain shot through
my shoulder, tearing a cry from my lips.
“Nicholas?” I rasped, my voice barely above a whisper.
Silence.
Panic flared, sharp and cold, clawing its way through the haze of my disorientation. My wolf stirred inside me, restless, growling low and insistent. Summoning her strength, I gritted my teeth and forced myself to move. Every inch was agony, but somehow, miraculously, I managed to crawl out of the wreckage.
Night had fallen. How long had I been unconscious? Hours? Days? The cool air kissed my bloodied skin, and I shivered, my body trembling from a mix of pain and adrenaline. I glanced around, trying to orient myself, and then I saw him.
Nicholas.
He stood a few feet away, his back to the wreckage, arms folded behind him. The faint moonlight bathed him in an eerie glow, accentuating the sharp planes of his face. He was staring off into the distance, utterly calm, as if the chaos behind him didn’t exist.
My heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t even tried to help me.
“Congratulations,” his cold voice cut through the night, startling me. “You survived.”
I stared at him, stunned. He really hadn’t pulled me out?
“You… you just left me in there?” My voice shook, a mix of disbelief and fury.
Instead of answering, he turned slightly, his eyes locking onto mine with an expression so devoid of empathy it chilled me to my core.
“If I were you,” he said, his tone dripping with indifference, “I’d stop wasting time and move. The car is about to explode.”
His words barely registered before I smelled it–smoke. My eyes widened as I turned my head toward the wreckage. Flames licked hungrily at the edges of the crumpled vehicle, and the heat began to seep into the air.
A strangled gasp escaped my lips as panic took over. Pain forgotten, I scrambled away from the car as fast as my battered body would allow. Each movement sent searing agony through me, but survival instincts drowned out everything else.
I’d barely made it a few feet when the car erupted in a deafening blast. The force of the explosion knocked me forward, and I braced myself for the impact. But before I hit the ground, an iron grip yanked me upright and pulled me away with inhuman speed.
The heat from the explosion licked at my back, and my ears rang from the noise. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst from my chest.
“What is wrong with you?” I gasped, struggling to catch my breath. My voice was raw, laced with equal parts terror and anger.
Nicholas let go of me, stepping back as if I were something unpleasant he didn’t want to touch and I fell to the ground.
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Chapter 25
“What?” he said, his tone laced with mockery. “You’re alive, aren’t you?”
Tears stung my eyes as I glared up at him. My entire body was trembling, though I couldn’t tell if it was from the adrenaline or the overwhelming anger boiling inside me.
“You got out of the car and left me there,” I said, my voice shaking. “You knew it was going to explode, and you left me there! What kind of monster does that?”
He tilted his head, his expression as impassive as ever. “I think,” he said slowly, “what you should be saying is ‘thank you‘ for saving my life, Your Highness.”
“Thank you?” I repeated, incredulous. “Are you insane? You’re the reason I almost died in the first place!”
Nicholas sighed, as though I were nothing more than a nuisance. He glanced at me with a hint of disdain. “You’re exhausting,” he muttered. “If I’d known you were going to be this annoying, I wouldn’t have waited for you to wake up.”
My mouth fell open, but before I could retort, he turned on his heel and began walking away.
I blinked, trying to process his words, his complete lack of remorse. My gaze darted between the burning car and his retreating figure, and for a moment, I was paralyzed.
“You’re a psychopath!” I yelled after him. “Do you hear me? A complete psychopath!”
He didn’t stop.
“If you don’t move your feet,” he called over his shoulder, his tone icy, “I won’t come back to get you.”
Something inside me snapped. As much as I hated it–hated him–I knew he wasn’t bluffing. I had no idea where I was o didn’t follow him, I’d be stranded.
far civilization might be. If I
My wolf growled in protest, but I pushed past my pride and forced my battered body to move. The pain was excruciating, but my wounds were already beginning to heal.
I stumbled after him, my breath ragged, my vision swimming. He didn’t slow down, his long strides quickly putting distance between us. I had to jog just
to keep up.
“Where are we going?” I demanded, my voice hoarse.
He didn’t answer.
“Answer me!” I shouted, the frustration boiling over. “You left me to die. You owe me an explanation!”
Finally, he stopped. His sudden stillness sent a shiver down my spine. Slowly, he turned, his cold gaze locking onto mine.
“Did anyone ever tell you,” he said, his voice low and menacing, “that you don’t know when to shut up?”
Still riding the wave of adrenaline, I met his glare with one of my own. “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re a heartless psychopath?”
His eyes narrowed, and the air between us seemed to grow colder. “I won’t tolerate any more insults,” he said, his tone as sharp as a blade.
I scoffed, crossing my arms even though it hurt. “What are you going to do? Kill me?”
His lips curved into a cruel smile. “Careful,” he warned. “You’re not as untouchable as you think.”
The threat hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. My wolf bristled, urging me to stand my ground, but a sliver of fear crept in.
Nicholas turned away again, his disinterest as infuriating as it was terrifying. Without another word, he resumed walking, leaving me no choice but to
follow.
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Chapter 25
As much as I wanted to hate him, to lash out and scream, survival took precedence. The anger that burned in my chest simmered beneath the surface, but I bit my tongue. I kept following him, each step a battle against the pain throbbing through my body.
I still didn’t know where we were going of even where we were. Shouldn’t he have men sweeping the area, coming to find us by now?
I wrapped my arms around myself, rubbing my hands up and down my trembling arms in a futile attempt to stay warm. My clothes, torn and dirtied from the crash, did little to protect me from the biting chill.
Then, the memory came rushing back like a tidal wave. The truck–how it had appeared out of nowhere, barreling down the road straight for us. The unease I’d felt in the moments before the crash prickled at me again, like an itch I couldn’t scratch.
“Do you think it was intentional?” I asked, my voice quiet, almost hesitant. In the oppressive silence of the forest, the words seemed to echo louder than i intended.
He didn’t answer. Of course, he didn’t.
I let out a frustrated sigh, my breath visible in the cold air. He just kept walking, his strides purposeful and steady, as though he didn’t have a care in the world. Meanwhile, my legs screamed with every step.
And then, he stopped.
The suddenness of it made me freeze mid–step, almost crashing into his broad back. He didn’t look at me. Instead, he shrugged off his suit jacket, the motion fluid and unbothered, and held it out toward me without turning.
I stared at it, stunned.
“You’re clenching your teeth, and it’s annoying,” he said flatly. His tone was as cold as the night air. “Put it on and stop irritating me with your shivering. Next time I tell you to wear something warm, do it.”
For a moment, I simply stood there, staring at the jacket in his outstretched hand. Was this supposed to be an act of kindness? Or was it just another way for him to assert control, to remind me that even my basic comfort was something he could decide?
I reached out, taking the jacket. But instead of putting it on, I threw it on the ground between us.
Nicholas stared at the jacket lying on the dirt between us, his sharp gaze lowering to it before slowly lifting back to me. The cold amusement I’d expected wasn’t there–instead, his expression hardened, his jaw tightening as his eyes darkened with something far more dangerous.
I took an involuntary step back, my wolf stirring uneasily inside me as his presence seemed to grow, swallowing the air between us.
“I’ll give you until the count of three,” he said, his voice low, each word laced with venom. “Only three seconds. Pick it up, Adeline.”
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