Chapter 56
“Done,” I said simply, leaning back into my seat. The air between us felt heavy, charged with an unspoken intensity that made my skin prickle,
As the car rumbled to life, I stared out the window, replaying the interaction in my mind. Was I trying to please him?
Because he was throwing a tantrum?
The thought irritated me. Had I avoided the topic of kids too quickly? Was this man out of his mind?
He made a slip of the tongue, and when I tried to let him off the hook, he wasn’t happy?
My fingers drummed against the armrest as my thoughts spiraled. Maybe I should just mock him outright. ‘Hey, Ethan Blaine, want to have kids with me? Well who told you not to cherish me back then? You have no chance now!‘
But even as the sarcastic retort formed in my mind, I dismissed it. It would make me look like I cared–like I wanted something from him. And I didn’t. Not anymore.
The silence stretched between us, punctuated only by the hum of the engine and the occasional crunch of gravel beneath the tires. Ethan kept his eyes fixed on the road, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.
I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, wondering what was going through his mind. The man was an enigma, a whirlwind of contradictions that left me both exasperated and…
curious.
I tried to ignore the silence, focusing instead on the road ahead. The moon hung low in the sky, its silvery light casting an ethereal glow over the landscape. Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled, its mournful cry echoing through the night.
As we drove on, the silence between us began somehow grew even more silent—I didn’t even know that was possible. I even began to wonder if we would ever find some common ground–even if it was only for the sake of solving this case–we had to stop with the
16:40
Forsaken Mate: Alpha’s Second Chance at Love
29%
awkwardness.
Even after a few more painfully awkward and tense minutes, the drive was still silent.
The hum of the engine filled the heavy air between us, a monotonous backdrop to the tension. Ethan sat in the driver’s seat, his strong hands clenching the steering wheel, his jaw set like stone. Regardless of his handsomeness, I instead tried to focus on the road, but it was hard to ignore the palpable sourness in the car. Our expressions were as sour as a emon; it was like I was sitting next to a boy who hated me back in kindergarten.
I had tried to help him–fastening his seatbelt when he seemed too distracted–but he hadn’t even acknowledged it. His stony silence only added to my own frustration, though I bit it back. The memory of last night lingered like an unwelcome ghost. Ethan had risked everything to save me. No matter how grating his current attitude, I owed him.
Clearing my throat, I decided to break the silence. “Well… Mr. Blaine,” I began hesitantly, searching for something, anything, to ease the awkwardness.
“What?” His response was curt, but I could hear a tinge of regret in his tone, as though he realized his temper was unwarranted. He was eager to break the ice but unsure how.
Glancing at him using the rearview mirror, I softened my expression and offered a sincere smile. “As an Alpha who has to deal with law enforcement, you’re probably always in danger. Make sure to stay safe.”
His eyes flicked to mine in the mirror, his features relaxing just a little. “You want to control me?” He asked, his voice laced with something I couldn’t quite place–teasing, maybe?
I blinked, caught off guard. “Control you?”
“Remember the old days?” He pressed, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “We were blessed by the Moon Goddess as mates.”
Oh no. This was spiraling. Fast. My hands tightened on my sides, focusing on the road ahead. “Ethan,” I began cautiously, trying to steer the conversation back to neutral territory.
3
But he wasn’t done. His voice carried a newfound confidence, one that made my skin
prickle. “Do you want to restore our mate relationship?”
I nearly choked on my own saliva. My jaw dropped as I processed his words. “I-” Words
16:40
Forsaken Mate: Alpha’s Second Chance at Love
failed mic. “I didn’t mean thatt” I stammered, sitting up straight as if a good posture could somehow salvage the situation. I chose just to watch the Cityscape outside the window,
desperate for an escape from this bizarre turn of events.
Ethan also just focused on the road ahead, his tone dropping to something slower, almost calculated. “Only my mate can control me.”
I caught my reflection in the rearview mirror, my expression a mix of disbelief and texasperation. What was I supposed to say to that? Deciding silence was the safest bet, I pressed my lips together and focused on anything else I could.
