4. His Rage and Anger

YILEYNA

The rain continued to beat down upon us, washing away most of the mud that had splashed in my face.

He reached up, brushing my dirty hair back from my face. My eyes fluttered shut under his touch, a touch that I welcomed…

A wave of relief washed over me. Theon was many things; mocking, aloof, cold, and arrogant, but he was not a monster.

“It seems you can’t stay out of trouble for even a moment.” He murmured quietly before his eyes sharply snapped to the two men who stood a mere few feet away.

“You should leave. Don’t interfere where it’s not your business.” Nikolai’s cocky voice came from behind.

The gold flash in Theon’s eyes made my heart skip a beat. Even if the rest of his face remained emotionless, the anger I saw in those eyes… for me. My stomach fluttered before Theon moved me behind him.

“As warriors of the pack, it’s a nice example to set.”

“This has nothing to do with you. Leave. You saw nothing.” Kyson added coldly.

I stared at the back of Theon’s head as I crossed my arms over my breasts, hugging myself.

“I saw enough to take this back to the Alpha.” Theon stepped forward and both men tensed.

I frowned as realisation hit me. They weren’t scared of Theon, but that he may be the future Beta… It just showed that rank made you everything or nothing…

The two exchanged looks, mind-linking before they glared at me coldly. The silent promise that this was not over was clear in their eyes. Both men walked past us, only for Theon to grab Nikolai by the collar and punch him across the jaw.

“What the actual fuck?!” Nikolai hissed, clutching his face as he stumbled back.

“Touch her again, and I’ll kill you,” Theon snarled, his voice dangerous and cold.

Both men walked off, but Theon turned towards me. I suddenly felt very bare, despite having paraded in front of him only yesterday... Today was different. The sheer weight of what could have happened to me suddenly made me feel dirty and used. I turned my back on him, not wanting him to see the vulnerable state I was in.

The fear that rattled me, my entire body, was beyond the point of exhaustion. I gasped when I felt his fingers brush my upper back. I bit my lip when he tugs a lint of wool from me.

The silence between us was loud, but I had nothing to say today. My heart thudded when I felt the warmth of his jacket being placed around my shoulders, his scent invading my senses. I closed my eyes. Despite the intensity of the comfort, it brought me, the sheer reality that I was now a no one… pretty much alone in this world, hit me hard.

My parents were dead… I couldn’t uphold the De’Lacor name, and I had no one…

You have Charlene and Theon… I tried to tell myself, but did I?

“Let’s get out of here.” His voice came, and I nodded, clutching the jacket tightly as he turned away.

To my surprise, he took hold of my wrist, glancing at my bruised hands, a frown creasing his brow as he led me away. I looked at his large hand wrapped around the sleeve of his leather jacket, my heart skipping a beat.

He had saved me…

‘Theon may become Beta…’

I glanced up at him sharply, wondering how true that was. Did he know? However, I was pulled from my musings when his grip on my wrist tightens until it was almost painful.

“What were you bloody thinking?” He snarled, startling me with the anger in his voice. I blink, the rain coming down harder as he yanks me after him.

“Pardon?” I asked, confused by his words. His entire demeanour had just changed in a blink of an eye.

“Have you learned nothing since the attack? You should know better than to wander off on your own. Especially after rumours are going around the kingdom!” He snarls venomously and I take a step back from him, startled and hurt. “How many times will you mess up?!”

Was he blaming me for what happened? Does he also blame me for their deaths? Like I asked for that to happen?

His words hurt despite his normally cold, arrogant attitude. I didn’t expect this from him, of all people. “You’re lucky I stumbled upon you.” He hisses, and I jerked my hand from his impossible grasp. The movement does not go unnoticed by him, making him spin around and glare at me. My back hits a tree as I take another step back, making me hiss in pain, my back already stinging from the assault.

His eyes blazed with fury. “Answer me!” He growled, slamming his hands onto the trunk at either side of my face, his chest pressed against mine. His face was so close that for a second I am simply stunned, losing my ability to speak. He was too close…

“Theon?” I managed to murmur and his eyes snap to mine and I swallow as his piercing amber eyes burn into me.

“You’re lucky I didn’t just keep walking.” He whispers harshly, making my stomach sink at his words, blinking back tears that thankfully were covered by the rain. His words anger me too. How dare he say that? Nothing I did warranted what they tried to do. I just wanted to go to train.

“Then why fucking didn’t you?” I hiss, the terrifying growl that left him made me want to take the words back and when he pressed his entire body against mine, pain slivers up my back as he pressed closer. I could feel every ridge of his body and my stomach knots.

“I bet you would have liked that, huh? So you can play the victim. Is that what you wanted and were simply playing hard to get?” He growled. “Is that what it was? Tell me Little Storm, do you like it rough?” His hand grabbed my throat and I struggled against him, trying to free myself.

“Theon! Stop!” I rasped out.

Theon leaned closer, his nose trailing across my cheek to my ear. “I can smell them all over you...” He growled dangerously, the sound sending a cold shiver up my spine and goosebumps spread across my arms. 

“Theon, please. Why are you acting like this?” I whispered, my heart pounding as I stared up into those burning gold eyes. His hand tantalisingly ran down my throat to my breast and he squeezed harshly, making me whimper, and sending a jolt of pleasure straight to my core.

“You risked your life because of your stupidity. You let them put their filthy hands all over you. You’re weak,” He snarled. “No one is to touch you…the only hands allowed to touch you are mine.”