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Chapter 52
Killian Volkov
As I walked into Laurel’s house, I felt the tension in the air, like the calm before a storm. Something wasn’t right, and it wasn’t just Laurel’s place; it was me.
Laurel appeared from the kitchen, her smile wide and inviting, as if nothing had changed. But I wasn’t in the mood for her games today. I barely managed to return her smile, and even that felt like a burden.
“Killian, you’re here!” she exclaimed, crossing the room to greet me. Her hands immediately went to my chest; her touch was possessive and familiar. “I missed you.” She said, placing a kiss on my cheek.
“Yeah,” I replied, my voice devoid of any real emotion. I couldn’t bring myself to reciprocate her enthusiasm. My mind was elsewhere, plagued by the words my grandfather had drilled into my head.
“You really think that? You’really believe Adeline would have done that to you?”
“And what if you’re wrong? What if there’s more to the story than you know?”
I’d pushed those words aside and locked them away as I always did, but they kept clawing their way back to the forefront of my mind. And now, here I was, in Laurel’s perfect home, unable to shake the weight of it all.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she purred, her voice laced with that seductive edge she always seemed to carry. “It feels like it’s been forever.”
I forced a smile, my hands automatically resting on her waist as I tried to shake off the unease that had been clinging to me since I left the office. “Yeah, it’s been a long day,” I replied, my voice sounding distant even to my own ears.
She pulled back slightly, her eyes narrowing as she studied my face. “You look tense,” she observed, her fingers trailing up to my shoulders. “Let me help you relax.”
She led me to the bedroom, her hands skillfully working on the buttons of my shirt as she guided me onto the bed.
“You just need to relax,” she murmured, her voice low and seductive. “Let me take care of you,” she said.
Get those filthy hands off of us!! Bitch!!!
My wolf yelled in my head. Angry at Laurel.
I hate even sniffing her scent!! Ugh!! I want to puke!!
He kept groaning in disgust.
I sighed as Laurel’s hands moved over my shoulders, her fingers digging into the tension there. I tried to let go, to let her touch soothe the storm raging inside me, but it was no use. My body might have been there, but my mind was far away.
“Laurel,” I began, trying to push her away gently. But she wasn’t having it. She straddled my waist, her lips brushing against my neck, trying to coax a response from me that just wasn’t there.
“We can finally focus on us now,” she whispered, her breath warm against my skin. “Adeline’s gone. We can be together, just the two of us, like it’s supposed to be.”
I stiffened at the mention of Adeline’s name, a surge of irritation flashing through me. The last thing I wanted was to talk
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about her, but it seemed like, that was all anyone could do these days.
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“We should celebrate,” she murmured, placing a trail of soft kisses down my neck. “It’s just the two of us now. We can do whatever we want, whenever we want.”
I tensed under her touch, my body reacting automatically even as my mind screamed at me to stop. This wasn’t what I
wanted.
Not now.
Not like this.
“Laurel…” I began, my voice tight with the effort to keep it steady
She ignored me, her hands sliding down to the waistband of my pants. “I’ve missed you,” she murmured, her lips brushing against my ear. “Let me show you how much.”
My wolf kept yelling in my head, disgusted and hating her touch like he always does. Ishut him off as usual.
“Laurel, I’m not in the mood,” I said more forcefully, pulling back and pushing her off me. The words were harsher and colder than l’intended, but I didn’t care. I needed space–space to think and to breathe.
She sat back, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. “What’s wrong with you?” she demanded, her tone sharper than before. “You’ve been distant ever since you got here. What’s going on, Killian?” She said her eyes were on me.
“Nothing,” I snapped, already regretting coming here. I should have just gone home and buried myself in work–anything to keep my mind off the mess that was my life.
But Laurel wasn’t letting it go. She crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing further as she stared me down. “Don’t lie to me,” she hissed. “You’re thinking about her, aren’t you? You’re still hung up on Adeline!”
“That’s not true,” I retorted, but even as the words left my mouth, I could feel the doubt gnawing at the edges of my consciousness. Why couldn’t I get her out of my head? Why did she still have this hold on me, even after everything she’d
done?
Laurel let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. “She’s gone, she’s moved on, and you’re still obsessing over her like some lovesick puppy.”
“Watch your tongue Laurel!” I said, my jaw clenched, anger bubbling just beneath the surface. Laurel flinched at my tone. “I’m not obsessing over her,” I growled, but the more I said it, the less convincing it sounded–even to me.
“Then what is it?” Laurel shot back, her voice rising. “Why can’t you just let her go? Why are you still thinking about her when she’s with Sebastian right now, laughing at how easily she played you?”
The mention of Sebastian hit a nerve, and I felt the anger flare up, hot and uncontrollable. “Shut up,” I hissed, my fists clenching at my sides.
But Laurel wasn’t backing down. She was like a dog with a bone, relentless in her pursuit of a reaction. “You know what I think?” she sneered. “I think she was behind that attack on you all those years ago. The one where she conveniently showed up to ‘save‘ you? I think she planned the whole thing. She’s a liar, Killian. She’s been playing you from the start.” She said, her tone filled with contempt.
“That’s enough,” I warned, my voice dangerously low. I could feel the rage building, but I fought to keep it under control. The last thing I needed was to lose it here, with her.
But Laurel didn’t stop. If anything, she doubled down. “She’s a liar, a murderer,” she spat, her eyes flashing with fury. “She killed your sister, and now she’s trying to destroy you, and you’re too blind to see it!”
That was the breaking point. I snapped, my control shattering as I surged to my feet, towering over her with a rage that I
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hadn’t felt in years. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” snarled, my voice shaking with barely restrained fury. “Adeline wasn’t behind the attack–she saved my life.”
Laurel recoiled, fear flickering in her eyes for a split second before she masked it with anger. “You’re delusional,” she hissed. “She’s playing you for a fool, and you’re letting her.”
“Enough!!” I yelled out.
Laurel recoiled, her eyes wide with shock at my outburst. But I didn’t care. I was done with this conversation, done with her accusations. Without another word, I turned on my heel and stormed out of her house, slamming the door behind me.
The cold night air hit me like a slap in the face, but it did little to cool the fire burning in my chest. I was seething, a storm of emotions swirling inside me–anger, confusion, and something else that I didn’t want to name.
I started walking, not caring where I was going, just needing to move to get away from everything. Laurel’s words echoed in my head, mingling with the doubts that I’d been trying so hard to ignore.
Was I really so blind? Was I clinging to the past because I couldn’t face the truth?
Before I knew it, I was pulling out my phone, my fingers moving on their own as I dialed a number I hadn’t called in years. The ringing in my ear was sharp, cutting through the silence of the night.
“Hello?”
Her voice was like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, I couldn’t speak. Memories came flooding back.
“Adeline,” I said after a brief pause.
“What do you want?” She said again, her voice tinged with confusion.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady the chaos in my mind. “We need to talk,” I finally said, my voice rough with emotion.
There was a pause on the other end, and I could almost picture her, biting her lip the way she used to when she was thinking, her brow furrowing in that familiar way. I’d seen it a thousand times, and the memory of it stirred something deep inside me–something I’d thought I’d buried long ago.
“There’s nothing left to talk about,” she said. “I’ve said everything that needs to be said.”
“You’re wrong,” I replied, my voice firm. “There’s something you need to know.”
Before she could respond, I spoke, “The kids.” I lied, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “I’ll be at your place in an hour,” I said, my voice hard and serious. “We need to talk face–to–face.”
