Bad Love an Alpha’s Regret by Elise Sinclair

Chapter 315

EMILY

Axel is infuriated, and I think he must have seriously heightened senses to be able to smell Ronan on me when we barely touched for more than a few seconds.

“No one!” I yell angrily–though that anger is fed by a healthy dose of fear now that I know who Axel really is.

“Tell me the truth, Emily!” he growls menacingly.

“Fine!” I yank harder, and this time he releases me, and I stumble a step. But he crowds closer to me until I’m backed up against a tree with no means of escape.

“It was just some guy,” I lie, hoping he can’t somehow tell I’m not telling him the truth. “I tripped over on the trail up there, and he helped me up. That’s all. It was just some stranger. We barely even spoke!”

Axel stares at me, eyes hard, glittering and threatening.

I half think he’s going to run off and track down Ronan to ask him for his version of events.

However, Axel doesn’t do any of those things.

Instead, he moves back just enough to give me room to breathe.

Still, I don’t know whether he believes me, or knows I’m lying.

“Shift, now. We’re heading back to the mansion.” Somehow, his already intimidating stare becomes even more threatening. “And don’t even think about running off on me again. You won’t like the consequences.”

Part of me wants to defy him.

I wish I was brave enough–like Ronan had said–to ignore his threats, to shift and run and escape him and my brother and their stupid suffocating rules.

But I’m not that brave.

least not today.

like Axel so aptly pointed out, I’m reliant upon Aaron for a roof

my clothes and food and pretty much

have to live in the human world, and

I could petition the Council to join another pack, but that wouldn’t solve my

be hiding the monster within

live in fear that

secret.

come for me, just like we

running the Council now with his status as a

stop any petition I might put to the Council.

So I’m trapped.

I was living in that isolated house

fast and I choke on

be weak. I won’t.

changing and I shove away from him and shift before I can allow myself to even

into his own. He’s squatting, watching me. And I don’t dare let myself–my wolf self–linger on the sight or scent of

I run.

terrain. The scents I encounter

was a complete oddity. We don’t traipse much near the public parks and the state preserves don’t typically see too many visitors this

home, I don’t bother to shift until I’m inside and in my room. I’ve been gone most of the day and it’s almost

packed and

own fault I wasn’t here to say goodbye, and Aaron probably viewed

I honestly didn’t

our own jet, he easily could have asked to postpone for an hour or two so I could

feels like Aaron is telling me how high his regard is for me, and where I am on his life

to say low to the point of