Chapter 47: I’m Going In
Elias tossed her phone into the bottle holder between the driver’s seat and the front passenger seat. He glanced at Lynsandra, who was sucking on the lollipop he’d given her to stop her tantrum. She had her arms crossed tightly under her bosom, clearly not pleased.
No wonder she let Cassian off easily, he thought, eyes on the road. She’s just like him when drunk.
He then noticed the phone light up again. Picking it up, he saw Virgo’s number and checked the message.
[Tire her out a bit. She’ll eventually calm down when she gets bored and return to a normal drunk state until she falls asleep.]
"Where are you taking me?" Her voice suddenly cut through the quiet, finally turning her attention to him. "Just in case you’re not aware, the Alpha King will not spend a dime on ransom. That’s his non-negotiable."
He didn’t react as he set the phone down again. Though in his mind, he knew the Alpha King wouldn’t pay ransom. Instead, he would come down from his throne and pulverize anyone who dared threaten him using his daughter.
Lynsandra leaned forward a little. "We’re going to play, right?"
"Mhm."
"Where, where?" Her eyes lit up. "Elias, let’s kill each other!"
"..."
"I’m so excited~!" she squealed, kicking her feet lightly as she stared out the window. "Are we doing it in a ring? We should call the Alpha King and—"
She snapped her fingers and turned to him. "The Alpha of the North, your brother. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to watch our death match."
She happily planned everything, eyes twinkling as her hands rubbed together. Elias didn’t question any of it. Deep down, he knew she meant every word: the death match, the honored guests, and the rules she was setting up.
Minutes later, she started yawning.
"Why are we driving for so long?" She leaned back, squinting at the window. "Didn’t we already pass this? Like ten times already?"
He didn’t answer. Ten times was a stretch. Although they had been driving in circles to make her dizzier and tire her out, he knew they hadn’t passed this place ten times.
When he noticed she had calmed slightly, he finally pulled into a familiar hotel. He could take her home, honestly. But in this state, he didn’t think she’d want people seeing her like this.
Most importantly... Cassian might set her off.
Just imagining Cassian and Lynsandra together right now made his head throb. She wouldn’t get bored for sure. Instead, she’d most likely start a death match in the harem.
"We’re here," he said as he parked.
Turning to the passenger seat, Lynsandra had already melted into it. Her eyes were half-closed, staring out the window, unmoving.
"Home," she muttered. "I want to go home."
"Go home tomorrow."
She frowned and turned to him. Elias’s brows rose as he saw her lips pressed into a tight line, her already flushed cheeks reddening.
"Ah, no—" he winced as an explosive tantrum followed. "See? This is why I can’t take you home."
He clicked his tongue, got out, and walked around the car while she continued complaining. Her voice grew louder when he opened her door.
"Come on," he muttered, reaching for her seatbelt. "Time to sleep."
The moment he unbuckled it, she lunged forward. Fortunately, he saw it coming. He stayed grounded as she clung to him like a monkey.
One of his hands went to her back, steadying her. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her arms around his shoulders, her teeth biting the side of his head like a cat. Good thing he had a thick skull.
Elias grabbed her phone, keys, and purse as if he didn’t have a grown woman trying to maul him, then carried her into the hotel. He didn’t stop at reception because the staff recognized him the moment he walked in.
"Mr. Hale," they greeted with a bow, brows furrowing as they peeked up.
"Is that... a woman?" one whispered. "...and she’s biting his shoulder?"
The staff glanced at Lynsandra, her face buried in his shoulder, head moving side to side. Her arm weakly pounded his back. Even though the situation looked alarming, they exchanged looks and shrugged.
"Mr. Hale wouldn’t do that," one chuckled. "He’s not the type to take advantage of someone."
*****
When Elias reached the penthouse suite, he tossed her things into the living area and carried her straight to the bathroom. Lynsandra still had her teeth on his shoulder, legs wrapped tightly around his waist, and claws dug into his leather jacket.
It looked almost normal... except this was Lynsandra. If she did this to an ordinary human — or even a beta — their pelvis and collarbone would be crushed.
"Take a bath first," he said, letting hot water run into the tub as he leaned back to look at her.
She peeked up at him, clearly showing no sign of letting go.
He smirked and raised an arm. "You can bite my arm," he offered, seeing her brows lift. "After the bath."
Surprisingly, she jumped off him without complaint and splashed into the tub, landing smoothly. Even like this, her muscle memory was still intact.
As the warm water hit her skin, Lynsandra smiled — a soft smile no one would ever see when she was sober.
A light chuckle escaped him, his eyes softening as he walked out while she began undressing. Holding the doorknob, he glanced back at her, sighing helplessly as she started singing.
"What a handful," he murmured, closing the door. "She hasn’t changed at all."
Lynsandra’s singing echoed from the bathroom into the bedroom where he waited. Elias sat on the armchair, tapping the armrest, his eyes flicking to the door every now and then. He glanced at his leather jacket, noticing the torn shoulder.
He shook his head, seeing that the white shirt beneath it was ripped on the same side.
"Lynsandra," he called, pushing himself up and walking toward the bathroom. "Come out now."
He stopped by the door and knocked once. Her singing had stopped a moment ago, so he stepped aside. But when she didn’t come out after a while, his brows knit together.
"I’ll come in if you don’t," he said firmly. "I’m going in."
Elias opened the door carefully, only to find her standing in front of the sink with a toothbrush in her mouth. Her eyes, however, were closed.
"How can she sleep standing up?" he deadpanned, scrunching his nose.
Since she already had her bathrobe on, the belt tied clumsily, he approached and pulled the toothbrush out of her mouth. His action made her eyes flutter open, but she didn’t react fast enough when he lifted her into his arms.
"I need to spit it out," she muttered lazily, but he didn’t even spare her a glance. She ended up swallowing it instead, her energy fading fast.
A moment later, he dropped her gently onto the bed. Her body bounced lightly as he grabbed the blanket and tossed it over her.
He exhaled, standing beside the bed, stretching his neck to ease the tension building there.
"I told Virgo where you are," he said. "Sleep now."
With that, he turned to leave before he lost control and rewarded himself for his good deeds. But just as he turned, she reached out and grasped the hem of his loose shirt.
Arching a brow, he looked back at her, catching her blinking slowly, weak and half-asleep.
"Elias," she called quietly. "...that night... was that you?"
