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.

not

I’m reliant upon Aaron for a roof over my

clothes and food and pretty

live in the human world,

Council to join another pack,

hiding the monster within me.

live in fear that

secret.

out and come for me, just

his status as a wolf with the power of

petition I might put to

So I’m trapped.

living in that

well up so hard and fast and I choke on them.

I won’t. Never

Axel’s features changing and I shove away from him and shift before I can allow myself

watch as he picks up my clothes and rolls them into his own. He’s squatting, watching me. And I don’t dare let myself–my wolf self–linger on the

I run.

terrain. The scents I encounter

traipse much near the public parks and the state preserves don’t typically see too many visitors this far out. Why was Ronan here, I

I’ve been gone most of the day and it’s almost dark

and Leah have already packed and left for Romania, I try not to

here to say goodbye, and Aaron probably viewed it as me being petty and spiteful

I honestly didn’t think about it.

private jet had been booked to take off. And because it is our own jet, he easily could have asked

simply left, and it feels like Aaron is telling me how high his regard is for me,

is to say low to the point of