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Chapter 17 Sydney

Chapter 17 Sydney

 

 

Opening the car door, I slid out of the front seat, relieved to escape. The drive to my apartment had been painfully awkward because I had no idea what to say to a man who I was convinced hated me.

“Thanks for the lift,” I muttered and took off toward the building.

Footsteps echoed behind me, and I sighed my irritation. The last thing I wanted was for Cole to come into my personal space.

“Why the rush, Sydney? Are you eager to run back to Adam’s place?”

Taking a deep breath to keep any flippant retorts at bay, I said, “Not at all. I’m tired, and I’d like to get some sleep.” Of course, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. Worrying about being hunted had me so on edge all the time. Sleep was a distant memory.

“So you’re not going to invite me in?”

Stopping abruptly, I spun around to give Cole a seething glare, but I gasped instead because we almost collided. With just a hair’s breadth between us, my wits immediately scattered. Cheeks burning, I took a step back.

“I know you only offered me a lift to keep eyes on me,” I said. “But there’s no need for you to come in.”

Those cool blue eyes were fixed on me, and it was disconcerting. “Have something to hide, Syd?”

“Don’t call me that,” I snapped.

“You didn’t complain when Alex called you that.”

“Only people I like get to call me that.”

Something akin to regret flickered in his eyes, which left me confused. His subtle reactions of remorse puzzled me sometimes because he didn’t appear to have any problems cutting me with his words.

Shoving my fingers violently through my hair, I sighed, and it rang with pure frustration. “You know what? Come and search every inch of my apartment if that will make you feel better.” Not waiting for his response, I tuned and marched up the steps. Bypassing the elevator that was still out of service, I headed to the stairwell with Cole hot on my heels.

Halfway to the fifth floor, he asked, “Are you comfortable?”

I glanced over my shoulder with a frown. “What?”

“Here, in your apartment.”

“Um…sure…”

“Good.”

Making my way up the rest of the stairs, I wondered why he’d even ask me that. I didn’t think he’d care about my comfort. On my floor, as we walked to my door, I asked, “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do you care?”

“Despite what you think, I’m not a complete monster,” he said.

Nibbling my lower lip, I contemplated his words. I suppose he wasn’t. He’d finally taken the time to hear me out tonight, and he hadn’t flipped on me as I thought he would after I was caught in the enemy’s camp. He’d been polite since I was taken to his office. Plus, what Macy said about him helping people free of charge still lingered in my mind.

“I like it here. It’s insane that I got this place at a price I can afford,” I shared. “When I first checked it out, the rent was sky high, but I couldn’t find anywhere else. I reluctantly came back, and miraculously, the rent was cut in half. More than half, actually.”

“I know,” he said.

“Excuse me?”

He gave me a fleeting glance as we continued down the hallway. “I knew you had your eye on this place, and I had a chat with the landlord. He agreed to my terms.”

My jaw practically brushed the tiles. “You…when…what terms?”

“That I take care of most of the rent,” he said casually.

Stopping in my tracks, I gawked. “What?”

Sighing, he stopped, too, and turned to me. “Look, don’t read too much into it. I’m not such a callous bastard that I’d reject you as a mate and have you living on the street or in an unsafe neighborhood. I wanted to ensure you had somewhere decent to live until I had you thoroughly investigated. It doesn’t mean I’m interested in you, so don’t get too excited.”

Picking my jaw up off the floor, I let out a humorless laugh. “Just when I started to think you’re not a total prick, you go and show me that you are. Don’t worry, Cole. There’s no excitement on my part. Thanks for the financial aid. However, I’ll be moving out of this place as soon as I can now that I know you had a hand in me getting it.”

“Don’t be foolish,” he said. “It’s the least I can do…unless I get concrete proof that you’re as treacherous as your parents, that is.”

I may not know my biological parents, and it didn’t matter that they were supposed traitors. I was still insulted. What hurt the most was Cole putting me in the category as a traitor. I’d never get him to seeme,and that was depressing. After a deep, sorrowful sigh, I continued to my door and pulled my key out of my pocket.

“Sydney…”

I glanced at him, hoping the lighting in the hallway was too dim for him to see my eyes glistening with tears. Then I remembered that he probably had very acute eyesight.

“That was a low blow,” he said.

It was surprising to see him look and sound apologetic about anything concerning me. “Yeah, throwing my dead parents in my face is pretty low.”

“I’m—”

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s just get this over with so you can go.”

As soon as I pushed my door open, that sensation of impending danger that I’d started to experience ever since my wolf was awakened hit me in the chest. However, it seemed Cole was way ahead of me in that department because before I even identified the threat, he spun us around, shielding me from something. His hiss of pain made me flinch without even knowing exactly what happened.

He whipped around and let out a growl while pulling something from his left scapula. I gasped at the sight of the blood-stained blade. It was identical to the one I’d stolen from the hunter.

“Oh, no,” I whispered. That’s when I saw the man in my apartment. Before I blinked, Cole made his way into my living room and had the intruder by the throat.

“Cole!” I instinctively gasped when fingers wrapped around my neck.

He spun around, still holding on to the intruder. His nostrils flared, and his eyes glowed red when he saw my predicament.

“Let him go, or she’s dead.” The familiar voice sent chills down my spine. From my periphery, I saw the scarred face that had been the source of many of my nightmares. It was the hunter who had attacked me in my motel room weeks ago.

“Hello, half-breed, we meet again. You didn’t think you could run from me forever, did you?”

My response was a strangled sound. No, I didn’t. I knew this day would come.

Cole released the other hunter, his gaze glued to the hand, squeezing the life out of me.

“Drop the knife,” my captor instructed.

The knife Cole had pulled from his back clattered to the floor. Although I struggled to breathe and my vision blurred, I was worried about the extent of his injury. Guilt pricked at me because that blade was meant to go through my heart. Cole saved my life.

“When I found my escapee half-wolf, I wasn’t expecting to get an Alpha, too,” the hunter strangling me said with glee. “This is an unexpected treat.”

“I bet,” Cole murmured. He kept his cool, but I saw the worry in his eyes. I guess he saw how close I was to losing consciousness. “As you said, you’ve got an Alpha. Let the girl go.”

“Not a chance,” the hunter said. “She’s not getting away from me this time.”

Cole’s irises flickered that strange red again, and a growl rumbled in his chest. He glanced at the hunter he’d had in his grip and then at the one that held on to me.

“Two abominations eliminated in one night. I call this a major win.” My captor took out a knife and poised it over my chest. Fighting to hold on to consciousness, I directed an apologetic glance at Cole. This was my fault.

Before my eyes closed, I saw the blade hovering over my heart plunge down, but it didn’t connect. There was no piercing pain in my chest. I heard a thud, and then the fingers around my throat loosened. I dropped to the floor, took a much-needed breath, and coughed. When my eyes opened, I was shocked to see one of the hunters lifeless on the floor with a pool of blood spreading around him. To my right, Cole had the other one pressed to the wall and had taken control of the weapon he held. I was amazed by how fast he moved. The tip of the blade almost sliced the man’s throat when a single sound like thunder erupted.

Cole’s body jerked, and he muttered an expletive. I sucked in a breath, fearing he’d drop to the floor any second, but he remained standing. However, the fresh wound inflicted by what I guessed was a gunshot made him lose his hold on the hunter. All hell broke loose after that. One of my windows shattered, and two more men dressed in full black ran into my apartment.

“Sydney, run,” Cole growled.

I shook my head. “I’m not leaving you.”

“Go!” The order came out as more of an animalistic growl, and it spurred me into action.

Scrambling to my feet, I aimed for the door. I looked back to see a massive white wolf leap over my coffee. The wolf’s jaw locked around a hunter’s arm, who had a gun pointed in my direction. The man howled in pain and dropped his weapon. As I ran, I heard thuds and more grunts of pain. Someone was sure to hear the commotion and call the cops. But then it all stopped.

I skidded to a halt and turned back to my apartment. “I can’t leave him,” I whispered. What if Cole had gotten hurt? He couldn’t take on three hunters. Hurrying back to my door, I burst inside and grabbed the nearest potential weapon. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a cheap, flimsy lamp I found at a flea market. Taking a deep breath and mustering my courage, I jumped around the corner, weapon ready.

My arm fell to my side as I took in the scene. Cole stood in the middle of the room, splattered with blood. Three men lay unmoving on the blood-soaked floor. I gawked. It was a massacre. Cole glanced over his shoulder with a scowl.

“Damn it, Sydney, I told you to run.”

“I…I came back to help you.”

His eyebrows shot up. “With that?” He glanced at the lamp.

Heat filling my cheeks, I shrugged.

Sighing, he turned around, and I realized he didn’t have a stitch on. “Whoa!” I quickly looked away. The fire in my cheeks spread to the rest of my face and chest. I spotted his shirt and pants which were now in shreds on the floor.

He snorted. “What, did you think I’d magically have clothes on when I shifted back?”

“I really have no idea how it works,” I said, fighting the urge to take another peek at him.

“Let’s go,” he announced, snatching up what was left of his garments. “I’ve got extra clothes in the car.”

“You’re going to walk back downstairs like that?”

“Of course not.” He headed to the bedroom where the hunters had come in through a window. “We’re going down the fire escape.”

I followed him, eyeing the bodies. “There are only three of them.”

“The other one got away. He’s fast. Skilled.”

“I know.” I sighed. “And he’s out for my head. I’m so screwed.”

Cole stopped and turned to rest his hands on my shoulders. I was held captive by his intense gaze, so I didn’t think to be embarrassed by his nudity.

“You’re not,” he assured. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you before. I won’t let them touch you, Sydney.”

Instantly, relief flooded me, and I already felt safer.

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