Chapter 162 We’re Back
Chapter 162 We’re Back
ROWAN
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I massaged the bridge of my nose, the familiar pressure radiating behind my eyes. It had been like this the entire so–called “break.”
A break, they called it.
For me, it was nothing but a flood of responsibilities, endless numbers, meetings, and arguments. I had buried myself in work, and yet no matter how deep I dug, I couldn’t drown out the noise of my parents. Their voices were constant, like a hammer striking the same nail over and over again.
After Cade called me that night, after I answered and helped, when most wouldn’t–they never stopped reminding me of it. “Helping the enemy,” that’s what they said. “Helping the North,” as if the North were a sickness to be quarantined. But what did they know? What did they see of the reality? None.
All they cared about was their image and pride. They told me again and again: “Now look. Cade is the Praetor while you are stuck in this pack.”
But what they never admitted was that this pack was running because of me. The South had not crumbled because of me. The connections with the other packs–the fragile threads I had woven–those were my efforts. Not theirs. Not Wilder’s. Not anyone else’s. Mine.
And yet it was never enough.
I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. My hand went slack against the desk, ink staining the side of my thumb. Still, the thought slipped through before I could push it away.
Is she alright?
I closed my eyes and immediately, her face burned against the backs of my lids. The curve of her cheek. The look she gave me before everything shattered.
I shook my head hard, jaw clenching until my teeth ached. No. No, I wasn’t doing this again. She must still be in the North. So, she’s safe.-
The truth was simple, and I wasn’t about to cloud it with longing or regret. I helped that night because it was right. That was all.
I pushed myself up and left my office. The corridors of my house were too wide, carrying echoes that sounded like accusations. By the time I reached the kitchen, my throat was dry. I grabbed a glass and filled it with water from the pitcher, the sound of liquid splashing the only comfort in the room.
That was when I heard voices from the living room.
I frowned, lifting the glass halfway to my lips.
I stepped closer, leaning just beyond the archway where the light didn’t touch me. My father’s voice came first. “Wilder, your business is thriving. You’ve turned trade into something remarkable for the South
My mother chimed in. “And as head warrior, you’ve proven invaluable. The people move because you tell them to. They follow because they believe in you.”
17:11 Tue, 19 Aug
Chapter 162 We’re Back
I gripped the glass tighter.
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I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes for just a moment, fighting the bitter taste rising in my throat. When I asked for help to mobilize warriors to look for Arden and Tessa in Wilder’s favor, none of them had come.
I knew it then. Wilder never helped me. That was why I called Elias.
“Graduated from Elite, too,” my mother continued. “Not the new Elite, but the real Elite. That says everything.”
I let out a sharp, humorless laugh under my breath.
The real Elite.
My father’s voice lowered. “It would be nice if Rowan were more like you.”
The words were a dagger, but I had long since learned how to stand with blades in my back. I sighed and raised the glass to my lips, the water suddenly painful as it slid down my throat. With my free hand, I ran my fingers through my hair, tugging lightly at the roots.
Why couldn’t they understand? The old Elite was the place that had taken their son from them. Their precious Elijah. The old Elite was what had destroyed us, torn apart our family. It wasn’t Honey Callahan at all.
The irony almost made me laugh.
It would be nice if Rowan were like Wilder.
But what I couldn’t say out loud was this–it would be nice if Rowan were anywhere else but here!
I placed the glass down on the counter, listening to the faint clink as it touched the stone. My reflection wavered in the water, and I hadn’t finished.
I didn’t think I would prefer going to the Elite at this time, but I did.
***
I was back in Elite.
The place looked identical, but the feeling wasn’t. The halls were already filled with new faces. it seemed Cade pushed through with what he said to make Elite more accessible, yet still high quality,
Both new and unfamiliar faces looked at me when I walked by, smiling in a flirtatious manner.
I smiled back. What else was I supposed to do?
It has been like this for a while now.
My heart was closed off, locked behind walls no one here could touch. It was easier that way. No one could reach me anymore. Not even her.
So I did the one thing that felt like I had control.
17:11 Tue, 19 Aug
Chapter 162 We’re Back
“Alpha,” a girl I hadn’t seen before, wrapped her arms around my shoulder. “Are you still looking for fun these days?”
“Why don’t we get to know each other even if it’s not for points?”
I shrugged and grabbed her waist, leaning her figure against the locker and devouring her lips.
I didn’t even remember her name. Her lips pressed against mine with eagerness, shallow and meaningless. It was a distraction, and that was all I needed.
The point system was gone, abolished after everything that happened with Winters and his twisted games, but that didn’t mean I didn’t crave the release and recklessness of it all. Old habits die hard. Old scars, even harder.
When I pulled away, the girl was flushed, smiling at me like I’d just promised her the world. I didn’t promise her anything.
And then, like a punch to the gut, I saw her.
Tessa.
Standing not too far away, her books clutched to her chest, staring at me with those wide fucking eyes.
The same eyes that had haunted me for months.
The same eyes that had never stopped looking at me like I was something worth saving, even when I’d proven, time and time again, that I wasn’t.
Her lips parted, just slightly, but she didn’t say a word.`
I tore my gaze away, shaking my head as I brushed past her.
“Alpha?” the unknown girl asked, holding onto my wrist, but I just brushed her off and walked away, not glancing at Tessa because-
Why the fuck does she look like that?
So fucking pretty.
Tue, 19 Aug
