Chapter Eight

Kian’s POV

The silence that settled in the car wasn’t uncomfortable..

It was soft, warm, the kind that felt like it belonged there.. until Jax’s call shattered it. I mentally pouted because of it.

The ringtone was loud and familiar, a typical kind of ringtone. It  echoed through the car’s speakers. River could only sigh.. but there was a faint, amused smile tugging at his lips as he tapped the answer button.

“Yeah?” River said, keeping his eyes steady on the road.

“Finally! I thought someone had kidnapped you, or you drove off the edge of the map or something,” Jax’s voice boomed through the speakers, bright and unmistakable. I stiffened slightly in the passenger seat, suddenly hyper-aware of everything — how I was sitting, how my hands rested in my lap and the quiet absurdity that I was freaking sitting in River Sinclair’s car at all!!

“Don’t think nobody noticed you vanishing. The guys texted me you suddenly ran away! Anyways, the pack’s already asking. Zane and Caleb have an actual betting pool going, for your information. Hunter just placed fifty bucks on ‘he’ll be back in an hour with a terrible excuse’.”

River’s fingers tapped lightly against the steering wheel, a quiet rhythm. “I’m fine. I’m just dropping Kian off first, then I’m heading straight back. I’ll be there in twenty minutes tops.”

“Oho! ‘Dropping Kian off first’—suspiciously nice of you. Not to mention, you didn't tell us about this~” Jax teased, dragging the words out. “You know, Kian could just come over. We’ve got more than enough space. Nobody would mind. Actually—”

“Jax.” River’s voice was calm but final. “I’ll see you guys soon. Bye.”

He ended the call before Jax could say another word, tapped the screen to silence it completely, and the car fell back into that quiet hum—engine, tires on asphalt, the distant drift of city lights sliding past the windows.

“Ignore him,” River said, glancing over at me for just a moment before his gaze returned to the road. “He gets carried away. I’m sorry about that.”

My heart actually fucking skipped a beat. I mean.. it is always seemed like this whenever I’m around him. I bit my lip and nodded. “It’s… it’s okay. That’s probably just Jax being Jax.”

“Still. He shouldn’t be prying.” He paused, then asked gently, “Could I get your address? I’ll put it in the GPS.”

I gave it to him, my voice steadier than I felt. He typed it in quickly, and automated voice gave us the route and estimated time.

Then silence again… 

Five minutes. That’s all it should have been. Five minutes of peaceful quiet, watching the city roll by. I rested my head back against the seat, eyes closing for just a second, breathing in that faint, clean scent that clung to everything in here — River’s scent, warm and steady, like pine and rain and something inherently… safe.

And then it started.

It crept up slowly, a faint, uncomfortable prickle of heat at the base of my spine. I told myself it was nothing — just a warm evening, just a long day catching up with me. 

But I knew exactly what it was. 

My suppressants were wearing off earlier than usual, and I was overdue for my shot. The heat was building beneath my skin, slow and relentless, and I knew what came next if I didn’t get it under control fast.

My hands trembled just slightly. I curled my fingers tight into my palms, pressing my nails into the skin, and focused. Deep breaths. Keep it locked down. You’re fine. You’re just tired. 

You’re a beta. You’re fine.

I wrapped my awareness around myself, tight and careful. Holding everything exactly where it belonged. No slipping. No escaping. Not even a hint. 

I’d had months of practice at this. I knew how to build walls high enough and thick enough that nothing got past them. Not a single wisp of scent. Not a single ripple in the air around me.

I was doing it. I was holding strong. I kept my breathing even, kept my gaze fixed on the streetlights passing outside, counted them one by one to keep my mind occupied.

I was doing okay.

I thought I might actually make it through the ride without anything happening. Until—

“You alright, Kian?”

The question was soft, gentle, but it still made me jump just a little. I turned toward him, and he wasn’t looking at me yet, but his head was tilted slightly, like he’d picked up on a change in my posture, or the way I’d gone still. His eyes flicked over to me, briefly, concern in his expression.

My heart skipped, but my hold on myself didn’t break. Not even a little.

“Yeah,” I said, and I was proud my voice only shook just the tiniest bit. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just… getting a little warm in here, that’s all. And tired. It’s been a really long day. All I want right now is to crash on my bed and sleep.”

River studied me for another moment, and I held perfectly still, perfectly composed, every wall in place, every secret locked safely away. He couldn’t smell anything. There was nothing to smell. I’d made sure of that.

But he was still watching me with that quiet, attentive care that made this all so much harder than it needed to be.

“We’re almost there,” he said softly, turning his eyes back to the road. “Just a couple more turns. Hang in there.”

I nodded, letting out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, and sank back against the seat. The heat was still there, thrumming beneath my skin, but it was contained. I was safe. He hadn’t caught anything. I’d done it.

The rest of the drive passed in that same comfortable quiet. When he pulled up to the curb outside my building, he shifted into park and turned to me.

“Here you are,” he said. Then, more quietly, “Kian? Seriously. If you don’t feel well later, or if you need anything at all… you know how to reach me. Okay? Anytime.”

“Thank you, River,” I said, meaning it more than I could say. “For the ride. And… for everything.”

“Take care of yourself.”

I stepped out into the cool evening air, and the moment the door closed behind me I walked steadily toward the entrance. Though every step felt heavier than it should have. I didn’t look back, but I knew he waited there until I was inside. And once I was in the elevator, alone, I finally let my shoulders drop and took a shaky breath. I’d made it. I’d gotten through…

Now I just needed to get to my room, get that shot, and rest. Everything would be okay.