Chapter 129: Promise me.
ALEX.
I couldn’t help feeling restless.
The question continued to linger stubbornly at the back of my mind.
Who exactly had called her?
The call had ended so abruptly that I hadn’t gotten any answers, and the uncertainty was beginning to bother me more than I cared to admit.
Before I could ask anything else, Ella slowly pulled away from my embrace.
She took a quiet breath before looking at me.
"It’s my colleague, Alex," she said calmly, and a small smile appeared on her lips. "She is such a pest." she added, and the next moment, she laughed softly, the sound light and effortless. "You seem to be acting like a detective, Alex." She tilted her head slightly as she looked at me. "This isn’t the you I remember."
The teasing words instantly wiped the expression off my face.
I stiffened.
For a brief moment, I couldn’t even think of a response.
Had I gone too far?
Had I crossed a boundary without realizing it?
The last thing I wanted was for Ella to become irritated with me.
I had only just managed to get close to her again.
I couldn’t afford to lose that.
More importantly...I couldn’t bear the thought of her starting to dislike me.
"No... I’m not, Ella," I replied immediately the moment I recovered from my surprise, and the words tumbled out faster than I intended. "Don’t mind me."
I forced a small, casual smile onto my face, hoping she wouldn’t notice how unsettled I suddenly felt.
Ella didn’t respond. Instead, she calmly walked toward the bed and sat down.
She unlocked her phone and began scrolling through her social media feeds as though the conversation had never happened.
I quietly followed her.
Without saying a word, I sat beside her on the bed.
For a few moments, silence settled comfortably between us. Then, almost instinctively, I reached out and gently caressed her back.
The familiar gesture had always felt natural between us. At least...It used to.
"Don’t you have anything to do at the moment?" she suddenly asked without taking her eyes off her phone, as her voice remained calm.
Yet something about it made me pause. I couldn’t ignore the feeling that she seemed...uncomfortable. It wasn’t openly, but her reaction was enough for me to notice.
There was a subtle stiffness in the way she held herself beneath my touch, a tiny hesitation.
It was more than enough to make my heart sink.
But...Hadn’t she always liked it when I touched her like this?
Hadn’t she always leaned into my hand before?
Why did everything suddenly feel different?
The more I thought about it, the more confused I became.
One moment...It felt as though she still loved me, and as though she couldn’t bear being away from me.
Then the very next moment...she treated me like a complete stranger.
Sometimes it even felt as though my mere presence irritated her.
I genuinely didn’t understand anymore, and nothing made sense. Before I had the chance to stop myself, the words slipped out.
"Are you chasing your husband out of the room?" I aksed.
"Why would I, baby?" Ella asked casually, flashing me a gentle smile that instantly softened her features.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of annoyance on her face, and she sounded calm and patient, as though my question hadn’t offended her in the least.
"It’s just that the hour for the ceremony is fast approaching," she continued, as she spoke naturally, her tone remaining composed. "By now, the guests should already be arriving." She paused briefly before looking directly into my eyes."As the Alpha of Bloodfang, shouldn’t you be the one receiving them personally?" she added, as her expression became a little more serious. "They’re prominent figures from different packs." She held my gaze. "It would only be right for you to welcome them yourself." She said firmly.
For several long moments, I simply stared at her, as her words slowly replayed inside my mind.
At first, I didn’t know what to say, and then, gradually...I realized she was absolutely right.
Everything she said made perfect sense. I was the one who had organized this ceremony.
I was the Alpha.
The responsibility rested on my shoulders.
I should have been downstairs by now, welcoming our guests instead of remaining locked away inside this room.
Yet...despite knowing she was right...I couldn’t bring myself to move.
An overwhelming reluctance settled inside my chest. Every part of me resisted the idea of leaving her.
It felt as though the moment I walked out of this room...everything would change. As though I would never again have the chance to sit this close to her, never again have moments like this.
The uneasy feeling that had been haunting me all day suddenly returned. It was stronger than before, and heavier...more suffocating.
My chest tightened painfully, as I couldn’t explain it.
I only knew one thing.
I couldn’t live without Ella.
The mere thought of losing her terrified me. It felt as though I would lose my mind if she disappeared from my life again.
The fear wrapped itself around my heart until I could barely think straight.
Without even realizing what I was doing, my body reacted on its own and almost instinctively, I reached for her.
My arms slipped around her waist, and then I pulled her firmly against my chest. The embrace was tight and almost desperate.
"Promise me, Ella," I blurted out before I could stop myself, as my voice sounded strangely unsteady. "You’ll never leave me." I added, and as the words left my mouth, I tightened my hold around her even more. "Please..." I swallowed hard. "Promise me."
"Alex..." She called softly, as her voice sounded strained.
The tightness of my embrace was clearly making it difficult for her.
"Release me." she added, as she shifted slightly in my arms. "Let me go."
The words themselves were simple, ordinary.
Yet the moment they reached my ears...My thoughts spiraled completely out of control.
Let me go.
No! I couldn’t and I wouldn’t.
There was no way I was letting her leave.
She belonged with me.
She belonged by my side.
The fear inside me only grew stronger.
"Promise me, Ella!" I suddenly yelled, as my voice trembled despite my attempt to sound firm.
I could feel my entire body shaking, as an uncontrollable fear gripped every part of me.
What was happening to me?
What was this overwhelming feeling consuming me from the inside?
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