Sold to the Alpha With Silver Eyes - Chapter 27: Chapter 27

A weird sensation tickles through my body, my heart aching as I watch the fire in the pit outside. There wasn’t going to be a bonfire, based on the conversation I overheard. Just a fun gathering I couldn’t avoid, as Dev still refuses to leave me alone. It’s strange coming with him out in public, where people look at me and suddenly, the judgement I was so used to seeing isn’t there.
Not a single person sees me as malnourished or unworthy of being here. None of them know me beyond my first name, as Dev introduces me as his friend. I’ve been a homebody since coming here, and with my pending freedom, maybe he is trying to allow me to get used to socialization again.
“You okay?” His voice asks softly behind me, making me jump as I take a step back, away from the heat that makes me feel like my face is shrinking.
“Yeah,” I smile, my arms wrapped around myself, looking around. “This is a little bigger than you said it would be,”
He grimaces and grabs the back of his neck. “Is it too much? If it is, I can take you back home?”
“No,” I quickly shake my hands and plead with him. “This is fine. I need to get used to being around other people. I mean, how will I settle anywhere else if I just hide away like a hermit all the time?”
He looks out at the growing fire, warriors laughing as they toss dried wood into it, fake howling and dancing around it like they are performing some ancient ceremony. Dev can’t help but chuckle, before taking a deep pull from his plastic cup..
“They look like idiots.” He shakes his head, but I see the contentment in his eyes. Dev seems relaxed. For the first time since meeting him, it feels like he isn’t fighting some internal demons. Instead, he is just simply being and enjoying the simplest part of life. Existing.
“Maybe they are trying to do a mating dance?” I tilt my head to the right, my nose pulling up and lips tilting to one side. “Or scaring them off.”
He barks out a laugh, his glittering eyes meeting mine as he bites the rim of his cup and then looks away.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to unwind like this,” He says, his voice dropping. “You know it was always Hastings dragging me around to these parties, forcing me to talk to people and establish relationships.”
There is a ghost of a smile, as if he sees his lost friend in the flames that seem to swirl and dance with as much gusto as the brazen warriors stripping off their shirts now.
“Mmm, Leoni said he was always the outgoing one, the one who was optimistic out of the three of you.” I give him a weak smile, and he grins to himself before he exhales.
“Hastings was unusual and loyal without fault. If I had asked him to turn his back on this kingdom and leave with me, I believe he would have jumped right up and asked when we would leave.” He scoffs and looks away. His hand glides up as he wipes at his cheek and clears his throat. “I miss him.”
“He was your best friend. Of course you miss him. It’s okay to be sad about his death.” I tell him and he nods, putting on a fake bright smile.
“So, are you having a good time? Do you want to get closer to the fire?” He asks.
My throat tightens and my jaw feels slack as I shake my head violently.
“N-n-o. I am good from here.” I manage to struggle out without sounding too panicky. “Far enough away that I don’t have to worry about catching fire and close enough I can still sense the heat.”
“Does fire make you uncomfortable?” He asks me and I snort a laugh.
“Uncomfortable? Yeah. It’s impossible to predict, and it’s not just the flames that can harm you, but the heat, the smoke…all of it is dangerous. Even to werewolves.”
“Hey! Dev!” a familiar voice calls from across the fire, Topher’s face flickering in the light as Dev waves. “Come here, man!”
Dev looks at me and hesitates.
“Go, I am fine, I promise. If you allow me to monopolize all your attention, people will start spreading rumors about us.” I say, placing my hands on his shoulders and spinning him away from me.
“What kind of rumors?” He asks, pushing back against me as I shove at his back, laughing.
“That we like each other.” I groan, giving him a hard shove.
“Do we not?” He asks, looking over his shoulder at me, tossing a flirtatious wink.
“You must be drunk.” I scoff, hoping my always flushing cheeks stay one color and not give away how much I like the idea of him liking me.
“Buzzed maybe,” he agrees and I frown at him. “What? It’s lycan wine! It’s good stuff, I am telling you.”
“Just go see Topher,” I laugh at him, shoving hard one last time before he groans and waves me off.
“Fine, fine!” Then he saunters over to him, looking my way shyly two more times before he focuses back at the men in front of him. I watch him, my heart light and airy as I watch him laugh and greet everyone with a shake or fist bump.
“Hey!” a girl calls out to me, rushing over as she hands me a cup.
“Oh, uh, no thank you.” I smile at her as gratefully as I can before she shrugs and tilts her head back, chugging the drink.
“So, you are the new mystery girl, huh?” She asks, looking wantonly at Dev.
“No mystery about me.” I chuckle, my eyes scanning for any way out of this situation. It already makes me uncomfortable, and then being forced to probably lie to her about what Dev and I are…the last thing I want is to be here with her alone.
“No?” she asks, making a disbelieving face. “Came from nowhere, Dev is stuck to you like glue and you live with his best friend’s mate. No one knows who you are, aside from your name. Eden, right?”
“Uh, yeah. Eden.” I mutter.
“So, like, are you guys…doing it?” I choke on the air, my hand flying to my chest as I hammer at it.
“We most definitely are not!” I shriek in a hushed tone. She laughs, the air light and not at all judgemental as she looks at me again.
“That’s a shame. No one seems to be able to get his attention, then you get it and he doesn’t have the audacity to nail it down. Pun most definitely intended.” She giggles.
It’s contagious as I giggle with her, covering my face as it gets red.
“Nooo, Dev saved my life. I had nowhere to go, so he is helping me out. I’m just a helpless victim to him, I promise.” I insist and she sighs.
“Here I was hoping for juicy details about how he is in the sack.” She frowns, looking over her shoulder. “She isn’t screwing him!”
I turn, stunned to see a group of girls huddled together as if waiting for the hottest type of drama. Then the girl next to me walks towards the others.
“He just pities her because she was caught in one of those auctions. Nothing sexy is happening there.” She says the words loud, and everything goes quiet, my cheeks red and eyes wide as I refuse to look back at Dev.
“What the fuck, Michelle?” I hear Topher grumble, footsteps moving past me. “Stop drinking, you lush.”
“What?! Why? I’m only telling the truth! She said it too. In Dev’s eyes, she is nothing but a victim. He doesn’t want her.”
My feet feel rooted while the rest of me screams to run away. I can feel eyes on me of every varying degree of pity and shock. The last thing I want is to stay here and listen to more, or be seen by a single other person. But there is no running when your feet don’t respond, so instead, I drop my head, looking to the ground until a gentle hand presses at my back.
“Here, let me walk you back.” Dev’s voice is low, softer than a whisper, and I don’t have the heart to look up or speak as I move with his gentle directions.
“Eden, I am so sorry.” Topher whispers as we walk by. I force a smile at him, one that I hope conveys that I know this isn’t his fault, but rather my own. She is only speaking the words I spoke, but why does it feel like a direct cut to my artery when someone else verbalizes it?
Dev says nothing until we get into the house and he shuts the door behind me. I move to head straight to the room, but he catches my wrist, pulling me back as he steps and turns in front of me, pressing me into the wall.
My arm is trapped behind my back with his hand holding it as he places his other arm above my head, his eyes boring into mine with such intensity I don’t dare to blink.
“Is that what you think you are to me?” He asks, his words filled with such hurt that my mouth falls open to answer but I can’t form any words. “Do you still feel like a victim because of the breeder’s bond?”
I bite my lip, my head bobbing up and down as he exhales and leans impossibly closer.
“Is it such a burden to be close to me? Am I so unbearable that you can’t see yourself as anything but a victim when you are with me?”
“N-no…” I stutter out, my heart pounding so loud in my ears I swear he must hear it.
“Don’t stutter when you are talking to me. You are safe with me, so don’t you dare revert back to that habit like you fear me.” He growls, his body pressing into mine as I whimper with want.
“I thought that is all I was to you, all this tension and need between us…” I admit and his eyes scan my face, landing on my lips as his muscles seem to shake.
“Fuck, Eden.” He whispers, his eyes fluttering closed as if he is looking for his restraint. My breathing grows more erratic as I rise up on my tippy toes and press my nose to his. Our foreheads touch as he breathes me in, and I relish the warmth of his skin.
“I just wish I could know this feeling without this stupid bond.” I whisper and he shivers.
“Leoni needs to hurry with that fucking paper work.” He mumbles as I make up my mind.
For days I have been thinking about that memos tab on his laptop I made. Committing each potential option to my memory. I refuse to have sex with him. I am not his mate and he likely won’t want me beyond this pact, but if I don’t break this soon, I will give in and it will ruin both of our futures.
So my free hand reaches out, slinking up his neck and cupping his cheek before I press my lips to his. His body reacts like gasoline hitting a fire, his mouth coming to mine with a thunderous crash as he seems to inhale me, my body aching with need as his hands move, gripping face tightly as he guides me in a kiss so deep I can feel my toes curl.