MY ALPHA BODYGUARD

CHAPTER 9: CONFUSION

In the dreamlike haze, a man with a blurry face stood over the other, his voice firm with urgency. "You are the Alpha now. And the pack needs you," he said, his words heavy with expectation. The second man hesitated; his voice filled with uncertainty.

"But..." he began, his thoughts clouded.

"They killed your father! Don't turn your back on us for that human," the first man pressed on, frustration seeping through his tone.

Eris, watching this scene unfold, felt an overwhelming sense of confusion. 'Where am I? Who are they?' He couldn't piece together the disjointed fragments of what was happening. The second man, standing there, slowly began to turn toward him. His face—familiar. Eris moved closer, his heart racing. 'Yes, that's right. Face me. Let me see who you are.'

With trembling hands, Eris reached out and touched the man's face, his palm resting against the warm skin of his cheek. A sense of recognition surged through him as if the connection between them was deeper than memory alone. Eris helped the man fully turn to face him, to meet his gaze.

And then, he smiled.

"You said that I'm a coward..." the man spoke softly, his lips curling into a smile that should have been comforting—but it wasn't. Something was wrong. That face—'why was it Tom's?'

Eris' chest tightened as dread flooded his veins. Tom, with a smile twisted into something far more sinister, leaned closer. "Well, not anymore," Tom whispered before raising a handkerchief and pressing it against Eris' face.

The air around Eris vanished, replaced by the stifling suffocation of cloth and terror. Tom's wicked laughter echoed in the void. "You're mine."

Panic surged through Eris as the world around him started to fade. He couldn't breathe.

***

"Let's eat," Adam said with a calm but inviting tone. He really seemed to enjoy cooking, and in fairness, he was good at it. Eris sat at the table, trying to push the disturbing thoughts of Tom and his latest threats to the back of his mind. 'Focus on the present,' he told himself. Marco had hired a private detective to track Tom down and put an end to his games. But even knowing that, Eris couldn't shake the unease that lingered.

Adam handed him a cup of coffee. "Mr. Gray, you really don't need to do this," Eris said, feeling a little guilty about Adam's effort.

"No, it's okay," Adam replied with a soft smile. "Besides, I love to cook." Eris accepted the coffee, their fingers brushing slightly.

"Thanks," Eris said, smiling back. As they both sat down, the atmosphere in the room shifted to something more comfortable, something warmer. It felt good, having someone to share a meal with, especially after the chaos of the past few days. Eris took a bite of the food, savoring the taste. He hadn't realized Adam was watching him closely, clearly awaiting his reaction.

"Hmmm, it's good," Eris said, noticing how Adam's face lit up in response, like the feedback meant more to him than just a compliment.

Adam smiled, and then he asked, "Do you miss my cooking?"

Eris coughed, caught completely off guard. 'What did he just say?' "What?" he stammered, his eyes widening in confusion.

Realizing his slip, Adam's eyes quickly widened in panic, and he corrected himself, awkwardly. "I mean, uh, do you miss food cooked here... at your house?" His attempt to recover was clumsy.

Eris chuckled, feeling the tension break. "I cook here."

"By someone," Adam clarified, still fumbling a bit. "You know, cooked by a friend or by new people?"