Chapter 3

Elena’s POV The rain hammered down harder, drumming against the shelter as if it knew I was trapped. The three men spread out slowly around me blocking the light and the air. Their eyes moved over me with mischief and my heart pounded hard. Oh God I need help! I prayed. “Well, look at this cutie,” one of them said, smiling without warmth. “Hiding out here all alone.” Another chuckled. “And looking too cute for her own good.” I tightened my grip on the jacket, pressing my back harder against the wall. “Stay back,” I warned, forcing my voice to stay steady. “I don’t want trouble.” Amused, they exchanged looks. “Trouble?” one scoffed. “Who says we're trouble? We just want to keep you company.” My heart kept pounding so loud I was sure they could hear it. I glanced around, searching for an opening, any way out. There was none. Yet I decided to push through. The moment I tried to run past them, one of them stepped in front of me, fast and effortless. “Not so quick,” he said. I turned the other way but was locked again. My breath came in sharp gasps as panic set in. Then a pair of hands grabbed the jacket. “Let go!” I cried, but it was ripped off me in one hard pull. Cold air hit my skin. My sleeveless dress clung to me, soaked and revealing. “Well, damn.” one of them said slowly. “look at your dressing. Playing hard to get, huh?” Another laughed, his eyes eating me up. “Running around like this and acting all innocent?” Shame burned through me, hotter than fear. I wrapped my arms around myself, trembling. “This isn’t what you think,” I snapped. “Back off.” But they only moved closer. I swung my arm frantically, aiming for anything and ready to fight them off or defend myself but I was just human and they were rogue wolves. I didn’t stand a chance. One of them caught my wrists and twisted them behind my back. Pain shot through my shoulders. “Let me go!” I screamed, struggling. Another stepped closer, and grabbed my waist. “Relax,” he said. “We only want to play with you.” I kicked, thrashed, fought with everything I had but it was useless. I was shaking, soaked and weak. “Help!” I screamed again, my voice breaking. “Someone help me!” They laughed. “Who’s going to hear you?” one said. “Everyone’s busy with that fancy wedding.” Tears streamed down my face as terror crushed my chest. I shut my eyes, praying for anything or for anyone. Just as one of them reached for my legs, a sharp, commanding voice cut through the rain. “Let her go and step away! Now!” The air shifted instantly and the rogues froze. The grip on my arms and leg loosened. Even the rain felt like it paused. I looked up, eyes blurted with tears, Eric Thompson stood a few steps away, his posture relaxed but lethal. His eyes were dark, unreadable and glowing with something that made me tremble. The rogues sniffed. “I said move,” he growled. Their faces drained of color. “Alpha…” one of them muttered under his breath. They tried to step back, panic flashing in their eyes and from the look on their faces, they were in big, deep trouble. No one dared touch me again. Eric’s gaze swept over me, taking in my soaked sticking dress, my bare shoulders, my shaking hands, the tears I couldn’t stop. Something cold, furious and dangerous crossed his face. “What you did,” he said calmly but coldly, “was a mistake.” The next moments happened fast. One rogue was shoved aside like he weighed nothing. Another hit the ground with a cry. The third didn’t get the chance to run. Eric moved with brutal precision; no wasted motion and no mercy, just pure dominance. When it was over, they scattered, groaning and crawling away into the rain. Then he turned to me as the fury in his eyes softened a bit. At that moment, my legs gave out and I didn’t even feel myself fall. Strong arms caught me before I hit the ground, pulling me against a solid chest. I clutched his coat without thinking, my fingers digging in as my body shook. “I’ve got you,” he said quietly. I couldn’t stop trembling. The cold had seeped into my bones, and my head felt light. His hand brushed my forehead, his touch suddenly urgent. “You’re burning up,” he muttered. “Damn it.” He lifted me easily, holding me close as if I weighed nothing at all. I pressed my face into his chest, breathing in his warmth. His scent wrapped around me and made my thoughts blur. “Stay with me, Elena,” he said firmly. I nodded weakly, clinging to him like he was the only thing keeping me alive. He carried me to the car as if I weighed nothing. “Nearest hospital,” he ordered the driver. “Now.” The door shut, cutting off the rain. I still couldn’t stop shaking. My body felt ice-cold and my head heavy. “Stay still,” he said. I tried but my body moved on instinct. I reached for him, my fingers clutching his shirt. “I’m cold,” I whispered. With a sharp breath, he pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders, his hands lingering a second too long. “There,” he muttered. “This will heat you up.” But the warmth from the jacket wasn't enough. It only made me lean closer. My fingers tightened in his shirt and my body pressing into his. His jaw clenched. “You’re not making this easy.” For reasons I couldn’t explain, his scent wrapped around me like a spell. Eric's jacket chased away the cold but clouded my thoughts. I wanted more warmth and without thinking, I shifted closer… then climbed onto his lap, seeking more warmth, seeking him. “Elena,” he warned, his voice rough. “Don’t.” I barely heard him. The world had narrowed to his breath, his heartbeat and the way his presence swallowed me whole. When my lips brushed his, everything snapped. He cursed under his breath and raised the privacy screen, sealing us into the dim, confined space. His pheromones flooded the car, heavy and commanding, leaving me dizzy and aching. My kisses were clumsy, desperate but they broke something in him. His restraint shattered. He pulled me down, his mouth claiming mine with fierce hunger, as if he’d been holding back for far too long. I moaned as my body responded instantly, betraying me in ways it never had before. Pleasure rippled through me, sharp and overwhelming. Even with Mark, it had never felt like this; never this wild and consuming, I arched closer, craving more, losing myself in the heat between us. Eric responded with equal intensity, he deepened the kiss while his hands roamed my body, touching places that made me ache and shiver. His hands reached between my parted thighs, shifted my g-string and explored deeper inside my wet cunt. He groaned as he tugged at my tiny pantis and just then, the car stopped. “We’re here, sir,” the driver said. The moment shattered. Eric stiffened, as if someone poured ice on him. Then he pulled away, his face blanking off completely. “We shouldn't be doing this,” he finally said hoarsely. I wanted to ask why. I wanted to understand how everything could change so fast. One second we were in cloud nine and the next, he turned cold. But the world tilted, faded… and went dark.