CHAPTER 11: Somewhere You Weren't

‎The bathroom door clicked shut behind her, and Alicia pressed her back against it as though she could hold back the storm waiting outside. Her chest rose and fell in uneven beats, each breath faster than the last.

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‎What was that?

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‎Her palms were clammy. She dragged a hand through her hair, fingers trembling, then forced herself to look up at the mirror above the sink.

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‎Her reflection stared back wide eyes, cheeks flushed a delicate pink. She looked wrecked, like someone who had just run miles, not a girl who had simply broken free from a wrist grab.

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‎But it wasn’t just the panic written across her face.

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‎It was her eyes.

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‎For the briefest second, she could have sworn the brown melted into purple. Not soft purple either but a strange, glowing shade that didn’t belong to her.

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‎Alicia blinked hard, leaning closer until her nose nearly touched the glass. Normal. Just her ordinary brown eyes staring back, mocking her for imagining things.

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‎“I must be going crazy,” she whispered, her voice shaky. “Am I seeing things?” Her mind flashed back to Raymond’s eyes, the way they had shifted color before. “Maybe it’s just homesickness,” she muttered, trying to convince herself.

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‎Her breath fogged the mirror. She wiped it away with the edge of her palm, but the unease clung to her.

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‎After what just happened with Raymond, the way his grip burned against her skin it didn’t feel safe to dismiss it as imagination.

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‎She turned from the mirror, gripping the sink like it could anchor her. Her pulse thudded in her ears, but even louder was the silence beyond the bathroom door.

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‎He was still there.

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‎She didn’t need to open it to know. She could feel him, the weight of his presence pressing against her skin, the heat of his energy bleeding through the wooden frame.

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‎Every nerve in her body hummed with awareness.

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‎Alicia squeezed her eyes shut, trying to breathe evenly, but it was like inhaling fire. No matter how she tried to center herself, she couldn’t ignore the pull waiting outside.

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‎Her heart stuttered at the memory of how close he’d leaned in. So close she thought he might actually...

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‎“Nope. No. Don’t go there,” she hissed, shaking her head hard.

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‎Her reflection caught her again lips parted, pupils wide. The face of a girl who had almost let herself get swept away.

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‎“It was nothing,” she told the mirror firmly, as though saying it aloud would make it true. “I was just angry, and he was too.” Her voice dropped at the end, unconvinced.

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‎She splashed cold water on her face, gripping the sink until her knuckles whitened. Drops clung to her lashes, slid down her jaw. The icy sting grounded her, but it didn’t erase the phantom of his touch on her wrist.

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‎Why did she feel like the bathroom walls were shrinking? Like she couldn’t breathe unless she stepped back out there?

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‎Her ear pressed to the door.

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‎Silence. But too heavy, too sharp. Like he was standing perfectly still, waiting.

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‎Her stomach tightened.

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‎“Get it together, Alicia,” she whispered, giving herself one last look.

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‎Her eyes: brown. Perfectly normal.

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‎---

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‎Raymond leaned against the wall outside, every muscle coiled tight, bracing for a battle that wasn’t with her but with himself.

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‎His wolf paced restlessly beneath his skin, scratching to break free. His blood burned too hot, his breathing too rough. All because of her.

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‎Her scent still lingered in the hallway, something richer, sweeter, not from any perfume. It filled his chest with every inhale until it became unbearable. He couldn’t even name it.

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‎Raymond clenched his fists, nails biting into his palms. He didn’t dare look down, didn’t want to see if claws had already broken through.

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‎What the hell is happening to me?

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‎He’d been around plenty of girls before, some who tried hard for his attention. But this... this loss of control was foreign. Unfamiliar.

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‎It wasn’t attraction. He knew what attraction felt like, the fleeting burn that faded just as quickly. This was deeper. His wolf responded to her in ways he couldn’t understand.

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‎And that infuriated him.

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‎From the other side of the door came the faintest sounds: the splash of water, the shaky exhale she thought no one could hear.

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‎Every sound cut through him, sharp and taunting.

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‎His reflection in the window pane blurred, then cleared, his eyes glowing faintly red. His wolf bleeding through.

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‎He cursed under his breath, slamming his hand against the wall. The wood rattled under the force.

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‎Why now? Why her?

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‎Never had his wolf been this unstable, not even in training, not under pressure. But this girl, this stubborn, reckless girl had shaken his control with nothing more than a look.

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‎Confusion gnawed at him. He didn’t know whether to hate her for it… or hate himself.

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‎Why does she affect me like this?

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‎His wolf gave no answers, only restless growls, as if searching for something in her that he couldn’t see.

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‎And that terrified him.

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‎---

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‎The bathroom door swung open. Cool air spilled out, brushing Alicia’s flushed cheeks. She stepped into the hall with deliberate slowness, head tilted high as though nothing had happened.

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‎Raymond was waiting, exactly as she knew he would be. Arms crossed, his gaze pinned her in place like he owned the floor beneath her feet.

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‎Raymond didn’t smile. His eyes burned into hers, steady, unrelenting. “Where were you last night?”

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‎Straight to the point. No games.

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‎Her smirk widened. “Still on that? I thought you’d have found a new obsession by now.”

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‎His jaw flexed. “Answer me, Alicia.”

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‎She rolled her eyes, sauntering past him like he was nothing but furniture in her way. “Answering you isn’t on my schedule today. Maybe tomorrow, if I’m feeling generous.”

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‎His hand shot out, catching her wrist again. Gentler this time, but his voice carried a dangerous edge. “I’m not playing. Where did you spend the night?” He didn’t know why he cared so much. Only that he did.

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‎She froze briefly, then yanked her hand free with a sharp twist. Her eyes glittered with defiance. “You don’t own me, Raymond. You’re not my father. So what gives you the right to interrogate me?”

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‎He stepped closer, heat radiating from him. “Because I care.”

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‎The words slipped before he could stop them. Harsh, but true.

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‎Alicia blinked, then laughed, short, sharp, cruel. “Care? About me?” Her gaze swept him up and down. “That’s rich. You can’t even take care of yourself.”

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‎His eyes darkened, something dangerous flickering there.

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‎But she leaned in, her shoulder brushing his as she whispered at his ear, “If you’re dying to know where I was… here’s your answer: somewhere you weren’t.”

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‎She pulled back, wicked smile gleaming, as though she’d won a game only she knew the rules to.

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‎Tension vibrated in the air, thick as a storm about to break.

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‎Raymond’s fists clenched. He wanted to demand more, but something in her gaze warned he’d never hold her.

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‎“Be careful, Alicia,” he growled.

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‎She tilted her head, mock-sweet. “Or what? You’ll growl louder? Try barking next time, it might suit you better.”

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‎She brushed past him, her shoulder grazing his arm, and walked toward the closet like she hadn’t just ignited every nerve in his body.

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‎Raymond stood rooted, chest heaving, wolf snarling beneath his skin. He didn’t understand it, why her defiance hooked him so deep, why her scent lingered even after she left.

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‎But one thing he knew, he couldn’t keep letting her slip through his grasp.

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‎---

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‎A knock shattered the air.

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‎Alicia froze mid-step. Raymond straightened, instantly on guard.

‎'Who's the uninvited guest?' he asked himself with a frown on his face.

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‎She moved to the door and opened it. Her brows shot up. Kevin.

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‎Her heart skipped. What’s he doing here? For a moment she wondered if he and Raymond were friends.

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‎Kevin gave her a small smile, his voice calm but direct. “Alicia, you left this behind.”

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‎He stepped in, holding her phone between his fingers.

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‎Her breath caught. Her phone? She hadn’t even realized it was missing. But then another thought struck like ice water

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‎'How does he know this is my room?'

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‎Raymond’s eyes snapped to the phone, then to Kevin, narrowing like a predator sizing up a rival. The tension, already thick, deepened until Alicia swore she could slice it with a knife.

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‎“Thanks,” she muttered, stepping forward to take it. But Kevin didn’t hand it over immediately. His eyes swept over her face, lingering on the redness in her cheeks, the slight mess in her hair. His brow furrowed.

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‎“You okay?” His voice was soft, laced with concern and something else, something protective.

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‎Alicia nodded too quickly. “I’m fine. Just tired.” She snatched the phone, her fingers brushing his briefly.

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‎Behind her, Raymond shifted, the sound of his knuckles cracking loud in the silence. “You shouldn’t barge into people’s rooms,” he said coldly, tone like ice.

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‎Kevin turned his head slowly, expression cool, unflinching. “And you shouldn’t bug someone.”

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‎Alicia’s stomach knotted. She looked between them, Raymond with his jaw tight, eyes faintly glowing gold, and Kevin, steady and calm, daring Raymond without words.

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‎The silent clash was louder than any shout. Two forces, neither yielding.

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‎Raymond stepped forward, casting a shadow over Kevin. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

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‎Kevin didn’t flinch. “I know enough.”

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‎The storm was building. If Alicia didn’t step in now, the whole building would feel it.

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‎“Enough!” Her voice cut the air, sharp and commanding. Both men turned to her instantly, but she wasn’t cowed. “I don’t need either of you fighting like idiots over me.”

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‎The silence after her words was deafening.

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‎Shoving her phone into her pocket, she stormed to the door. “I need air before I lose my mind.”

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‎She brushed past Kevin, yanking the door wider. But before leaving, her gaze caught on both their faces.

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‎Raymond’s anger, yes, but also confusion, raw and unguarded.

‎Kevin’s concern, steady in a way that twisted something inside her chest.

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‎She didn’t stay. She shut the door, leaving the storm inside.

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‎Inside, silence dragged heavy.

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‎Raymond exhaled, fists still clenched. “Stay out of this,” he muttered, though the bite had dulled from his voice.

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‎Kevin held his gaze evenly. “Not when she’s involved.”

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‎The words hung between them, dangerous and unyielding.