Stubborn Woman

Sage

Eve, as they called her, jolted awake so violently that I almost laughed. Her eyes were wide, her breathing unsteady, and for a moment she looked like she wasn’t sure if she was still dreaming. I watched her in silence, letting her adjust to the sight of me on her bed.

“Are you finally awake?” I asked, my voice low as I reached out to touch the side of her face.

She slapped my hand away before my fingers even brushed her skin and scrambled back so fast she rolled off the bed. The thud made me wince. She groaned, clearly in pain, and every instinct in me reacted. I got up immediately and went to her side.

“Are you alright?” I crouched near her, studying her closely.

She shifted away as if I were the danger in the room. Maybe I was. But it still irritated me.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded. “How are you even in here? Who let you in?”

I raised a brow. “Should that even be a question? I thought you would be glad to see me.”

“What?” She scoffed and shook her head. “Why would I be glad about that?”

I shrugged, letting a small, slow smile tug at the corner of my mouth. “You tell me. Weren’t you the one who wanted me? Asked me to be your husband? Begged me to accept the proposal?”

She looked away, flustered. “I… I don’t think I want this anymore. I’m sorry I brought it up in the first place. I even wanted to tell you that I don’t want this anymore. Let’s act like it never happened.”

For a second, something tight pulled at my chest. It was faint, barely there, but I felt it. Annoying.

I straightened, watching her with a calm expression she probably hated. She had no idea how loud her emotions were. No idea how wrong she was if she thought she could simply erase this.

Erase me.

But I didn’t show any of that. I only let my smile sharpen a little, nothing more.

My smirk went wilder as I leaned in until our faces were only inches apart. Her breath hitched, and I could see the panic flicker across her eyes even as she tried to look brave.

“You sure about that?” I asked, letting my breath brush softly against her cheek. “Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

She swallowed hard and shifted back. “Leave now. Mia! Mia! Mia!” she shouted, her voice rising fast.

“There’s no need,” I said calmly. “Mia won’t come here. She won’t even hear you.”

The fear hit her instantly. She turned pale, eyes widening, heartbeat pounding so loud I could almost feel it vibrating off her. She pushed herself up, her legs slightly unsteady as she faced me.

“What did you do to my friend?” she yelled, her voice trembling even though she was trying to sound strong.

I rose slowly, brushing off a faint irritation that I didn’t want to analyze. “You need to calm down. Take a deep breath. Your friend is safe.”

“That’s not enough. I need to go look for myself.”

She pushed past me and rushed toward the door. I watched her for a moment, then sighed and ran a hand over my ear to mute the echo of her shouting. She had a voice sharper than I expected. Stubborn woman.

“She’s just so stubborn, isn’t she?” I muttered under my breath. “Always running headfirst into whatever scares her.”

Still, I followed her out of the room. I didn’t trust her not to trip over her fear and get into more trouble. Or maybe I didn’t want her panicking because of me. I wasn’t going to think too deeply about that.

I simply moved after her, the faintest smile threatening the corner of my mouth as I watched her frantic steps down the hall. She had no idea what to do with me, and for some reason, I didn’t mind it. Not at all.

I hadn’t intended to enter her home without permission. I knocked, like any civilized person, though the word hardly applied to me according to most of the pack. The moment the door opened, I found myself staring at a young woman with wide eyes and trembling fingers on the doorknob.

She recognized me instantly.

Everyone did.

Her breath caught, and her head lowered in the kind of instinctive respect people showed my father before me. “Alpha…” she whispered.

I lifted a brow. “Are you going to let me in?”

She didn’t even check who else might be outside. She stepped aside immediately, because people didn’t deny entry to someone like me. Not when they valued peace, and definitely not when fear had already settled into their bones.

“Where is she?” I asked once I stepped inside. “You know who I am talking about.”

The girl swallowed hard. “She’s… she’s upstairs, Alpha.”

“And what's her name again?” I asked.

She straightened a little. “Eva. I mean Eve! Her name is Eve.”

I watched her closely, not because I thought she was lying, but because she said it too carefully… like she was trying not to offend me. Interesting. Humans always looked guilty even when they were telling the truth.

Still, it didn’t matter. I wasn’t here for her.

“Good.” I tilted my head, letting my eyes drag over her just enough to make her uncomfortable. “Mia, was it? Give us privacy. Don’t come upstairs unless you’re called. And you won’t hear anything you don’t need to hear.”

“Yes, Alpha,” she replied immediately, her voice barely above a whisper.

That obedience always felt too easy and almost too expected. But I let it go. I headed up the stairs, taking my time, listening to the faint beating of Eve’s heart through the walls. She was asleep when I reached her door. Deeply asleep. Vulnerable.

And she had no idea I was about to walk into her world in a way she would never forget.