Rejecting Love

CHAPTER NINE:

Lucinda POV

It pained my soul to watch Dylan walk away, but turning my back on Caiden was the hardest thing I've ever done. My heart, which I thought hardened years ago, is ripping through my chest, yearning for the calming bergamot scent I've come to love.

My pulse races and my hands grow clammy. I straighten my shoulders, hold my head high, and take a deep breath. I can do this.

Felix drapes his arm over my shoulders and a rush of anger pours over me.

"Touch me again and you won't live to see the sunset," I say through gritted teeth. A low rumble erupts from his chest, he's laughing at me.

My fists tightly curl, causing my nails to cut into the delicate skin on my palms.

"Still so feisty," he whispers into my ear. "This will be more fun than I thought."

Turning the corner I steal one last look over my shoulder. I see Caiden standing in the same spot that I left him, pale as a ghost. He looks dazed and unfocused.

"Is something going on between you and the Alpha?" Felix asks nudging my shoulder.

"No," I snap.

"Oh, you two seem rather cozy," Felix says raising an eye brow in question. "Of course then there's the Beta too. You appear almost intimate with him."

"We're friends. Period," I say. Picking up my pace, I walk ahead of him and out of the mall exit.

"What a pity," he says shaking his head. "Both of them appear a worthy opponent."

"Leave them alone," I growl. He dismisses me with the wave of a hand.

"I mean it Felix!" I raise my voice and take an aggressive stance. Felix tenses and turns to me. The look on his face causes the hair on the back of my neck to immediately prickle up.

"You will submit to me," he says through a clenched jaw.

Our eyes meet, locked in a staring contest. We're both displaying signs of dominance, neither one willing to give in.

"It looks like the Alpha's got his act back together." Cody says clearing his throat he breaks the tension.

"Yes it does," Felix snorts. "I'll have to pay closer attention to him."

"What do you mean?" I can't help but ask.

"Oh, you don't know?" Felix asks, drumming his fingers across his bottom lip. He relishes in the excitement of dangling some unknown piece of information in front of me. A smirk creeps to his face.

It's bait, I know it is. I'm like a mouse attracted to the sweetness of peanut butter. But I can't help it - I want to know more about Caiden, so I walk into the trap.

"No," I say in a soft tone, lowering my gaze to the ground. I show submission.

"That's a good girl," he chides. I hold back a growl.

Cody holds open the car door for me and I climb in the backseat, Felix scoots in next to me.

"Let's just say he's been a little unstable since the loss of his mate," Felix says.

"What happened to his mate?" I ask. My heart pummels my chest, falling to the pit of my stomach.

"It was beautiful really, a very clever plan. I'm a little jealous I didn't think of it actually," he muses as he stares out the window.

"If you can't physically dominate your opponent, break them mentally," his lips curl into a wicked grin.

"What does that mean?" I ask.