18. Restless

Anya

My fingers tremble as I push away from the table, still reeling from the tension that clung to the air like an invisible fog. “Thank you for dinner,” I manage to say, my voice betraying a vulnerability I can’t afford to show.

“You’re welcome, Anya,” Bastien replies, his voice a calm counterpoint to my internal turmoil.

I’m almost at the door when he adds, “Remember, tomorrow at seven.”

“Yes, Alpha,” the words slip out before I can think, and I swear I feel the atmosphere in the room shift, as if something significant yet indiscernible has just occurred.

Shaking off the heavy aura that surrounds me, I hurry down the corridor to my room, my steps faltering the closer I get. As soon as I cross the threshold, I shut the door behind me and press my back against it. My heart pounds in my chest like a caged bird desperate for release. I close my eyes for a moment, letting out a shaky breath.

A bath, I decide, turning towards the bathroom. It’s a desperate attempt to regain some semblanc