Eclipsed Bonds: Canine Whispers

Chapter 20 (the unsettling feeling)

Alex's Pov:

The door clicked shut behind James, and I leaned against it, my heart racing. What just happened? I closed my eyes, trying to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions coursing through me.

James. Just thinking his name sent a shiver down my spine.

I pushed off the door and headed for the shower, desperate to clear my head. As the hot water cascaded over me, I couldn't shake the memory of his touch, his kiss, the intensity in those striking red eyes.

"Get it together, Alex," I muttered to myself. "You're here on a job, remember?"

The job. Right. I stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist, and walked to the dresser where my burner phone lay hidden. No new messages. Good.

I quickly got dressed, opting for nondescript jeans and a plain black t-shirt. As I laced up my boots, my eyes fell on the piece of paper on the nightstand. James's number. I picked it up, running my thumb over the hastily scribbled digits.

Could I really call him? Should I?

A knock at the door made me jump. I instinctively reached for the gun hidden under my pillow before catching myself. Calm down. It's probably just housekeeping.

"Who is it?" I called out, moving silently towards the door.

"Room service!" a cheery voice replied.

I frowned. I hadn't ordered any room service.

Cautiously, I opened the door, keeping the chain on. A young woman in a hotel uniform stood there, holding a covered tray.

"I didn't order anything," I said.

She looked confused, checking a slip of paper. "Room 237, right? Breakfast for Mr. Alexander?"

Alexander. My full name. Alarm bells rang in my head.

"There must be some mistake," I said, forcing a smile. "I'm not Alexander."

The woman apologized profusely and left. I shut the door, my mind racing. Someone knew I was here. Someone knew my full name - a name I hadn't used in years.

I grabbed my phone, fingers hovering over the keypad. I should call it in, report the incident. But something held me back. If I reported this, they might pull me out. And for some inexplicable reason, the thought of leaving now, of never seeing James again, made my chest tighten.

Instead, I found myself dialing a different number.

"Hello?" Kailer's voice came through, groggy with sleep.

"K, it's me. I need a favor."

"Alex?" He sounded more alert now. "What's going on?"

I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "I need you to look into someone for me. Discreetly."

"Okay..." Kailer said slowly. "Who?"

"James Lightwoods," I said, the name sending another involuntary shiver through me. "He runs some kind of family business in town. I need to know everything you can find out about him and his... associates."

"Sure, I can do that," Kailer said, curiosity evident in his voice. "But Alex, are you okay? You sound... different."

I sighed, sinking onto the bed. "I'm fine, K. Just... be careful, okay? And don't tell anyone about this."

After hanging up, I stared at James's number again. I should throw it away. Forget about him and focus on the mission.

Instead, I found myself saving it to my personal phone.

As I gathered my things, preparing to scout the town and gather intel, I couldn't shake the feeling that everything was about to change. The mission, my life, everything seemed to be shifting, realigning around the gravitational pull of James Lightwoods.

And the scariest part? A part of me was thrilled by it.

Shaking off these dangerous thoughts, I checked my weapon one last time and headed out. Whatever was going on, whatever James's role in all this was, I had a job to do.

And that terrified me more than any mission ever had.

I fell asleep on the bed all tired and exusted from our little date , I had with James today.