Chapter 24 Need A Ride?

Chapter 24 Need A Ride?

ARDEN

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Everyone turned to me in an instant. I could see how Jaxon attempted to walk over, but Sienna held him back. I nced down at my dress and noticed it was stained bwith /bbthe /bwine sloshing in Sienna’s hand.

“I’m so sorry.” she eximed amidst the noise of the party. “I didn’t see you there.”

I pursed my lips, choosing to remain silent as I grabbed Tessa’s hand and started to walk away from the scene. Theirughter lingered behind me like a bitter echo, but I tried my very hardest to tune them out.

I wasn’t a stranger to such antics. When bI /bwas in high school, I had experienced even worse bullying. However, it stung even more when it was your past best friend orchestrating this kind of chaos.

We made our way out of the sprawling mansion and onto the empty streets. There weren’t many signs of life; it seemed all the excitement was contained within the confines of that party,

“What a bitch” Tessa muttered under her breath, reaching into her bag for a handkerchief and beginning to wipe the stain off

bmy /bskin

“Is Jaxon really your mate?” she asked.

A bsmall /bsmile appeared on my lips bas /bI bnodded/b. “It’s bhard /bto believe, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” she murmured, her expression growing more serious. “He’s supposed to protect you. A mate onlyes once in a lifetime.”

“That’s what I thought too. But then bagain/b,” I added, an attempt at humor creeping bback /binto my voice, “I dodged a bullet, don’t you think?”

Even my joke couldn’tpletely mask the trauma I bwas /bfeeling. Tessa’s eyes softened with empathy, and she pulled me into a warm hug.

b“/bYou don’t bhave /bto pretend bthat /byou’re bokay /bwhen you’re not. You’ve endured so much, haven’t you?”

Her words triggered something deep within me–bemotions /bI had hidden for far too blong/b. A tear escaped my eyes, and before I knew it, I was crying into her shoulder.

“There, there,” she soothingly murmured,forting me like a mother would a child. “Those losers are nothing but losers.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her bbluntness/b, and after a while, we bfinally /bseparated.

“Well, it seems my bconcealer /bbisn’t /bwaterproof after all,” she bsaid /bwith a wry smile, ncing at the smudges on her makeup. “Or at least, it isn’t tearproof”

1 chuckled once more, dabbing the corners of my eyes with the bback /bbof /bmy hand.

Tm sorry about the dress,” I said.

She stepped back. “You still pull it off really bwell/bb. /bbAnyway/b, it’s not something that bleach couldn’t fix. We need to bsoak /bbit /bbASAP/bb, /bthough.”

“Let’s go back to the dorms,” I suggested, eager to escape the remnants of that painful encounter.

She nodded in agreement, wrapping bher /bbarm /baround mine. We began bour /bbwalk /bto the bbus /bbstop/b, bbut again/b, the streets felt bremarkably /bdeserted, like ban /bunsettling ghost town. bTessa /bnced bdown /bbat /bher bwatch /b“Why aren’t the busesing at regr

“Could it be because of the party?” I ventured, looking at her with bcuriosity/b.

She sighed. “It must be. The bintervals /bare probably longer because they assume nearly all the students are at the Elite

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Chapter 24 Need A Ride?

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Mansions

“I don’t mind waiting,” I said with a bsmall /bsmile, trying to lighten the mood.

Just then, a luxurious car–a striking all–ck model with tinted windows–pulled up right in front of us. I turned to Tessa. confusion etched on my face, but she mirrored my bewilderment.

I instinctively stepped back, feeling a sense of wariness. The window rolled down, revealing Alpha Rowan, leaning casually against the frame.

“Need a ride?” he asked, a yful wink apanying his words.

I pursed my lips, ncing at Tessa, who appeared to be frozen in ce, I hadn’t fully noticed it before, but there was a certain tension about her, especially every time Rowan was near. But then again, she was from the South, too. It only made sense bthat /bshe might feel some awkwardness around the True Alpha of her faction.

“The buses aren’t going toe until midnight, he stated matter–of–factly. “They do this during parties. Unless you want to stand around for another hour, I suggest youe with me,”

Right?” he added, bnow /bturning to Tessa for confirmation.

She cleared her throat and nodded, “Yeah, it’s getting cold out here.”

1 let out a resigned sigh and nodded in agreement. “Alright. But you better not do anything weird.”

bRowan /braised both bhands /bin mock surrender. “You don’t have much faith in me, teammate?b” /bhe bteased/b, referring to our group project for Miss Loveson’s ss.

I didn’t respond, simply bfollowing /bTessa to the backseat. “bOnly /bone person can ride in the back,” Rowan remarked casually. “It’s filled with my stuff.”

bTessa /bnced at me before biting her lip thoughtfully, “You can take the front seat,” she suggested, a hint of hesitation in her

voice.

I sighed, finally entering the front seat, where bRowan /bgreeted me bwith /bba /bdisarming smile bthat /bshowcased bhis /bperfectly bwhite /bteeth. The bmoment /bI settled in, bhis /bscent enveloped me–it was bintoxicating/b. But balongside /bit lingered something more bprovocative/b, an overwhelming aroma of desire band/b… Just, which prompted me to instinctively bcover /bmy nose.

He chuckled softly bas /bhe began to bdrive/b. “Sorry about bthat/bb,/bb” /bhe bsaid/b, amusement twinkling in his eyes. “Someone bwanted /ba quickie before I left. I bcan’t /breally turn down someone when they’re in the bmood/b, you know?”

iughed hollowly at hisment, a dry sound that bonly /bseemed to amuse him further.

Where to?” he asked.

“Hades dorm,” I muttered.

Rowan let out a low whistle of bsurprise/b. “You live in that ce?”

“Yes,” I replied, trying to keep my tone neutral. “Not everyone can afford to live in the Elite Mansions like you, bAlpha/bb” /b

The glint of amusement never left bhis /bgaze. “You’ve really got a bsharp /btongue, hummm? It bmakes /bbyou /brather intriguing”

“Tim d byou’re /binterested in something bother /bbthan /bsex, I retorted, injecting a hint of bsarcasm /binto my voiceb. /b

Woah,” he chuckled, feigning shock. Have I really built bthat /bbkind /bof breputation /balready?”

I answered bluntly. “A yboy Who else would suggest a knot for ba /bpresentation!”

was merely a suggestion,” he replied, the bsmile /bsull lingering on his lips. “bBesides/b, it’s not my fault bthat /bothers bwant /bme so bmuch/b. I just can’t deny them their quest for real pleasure”

“It’s not like I bhave /bba /bmate l’im tied to, either,” he bmurmured/b, his tone surprisingly softer now. I nced at him, noting the,

10:43 AM c

Chapter 24 Need A Ride?

tension in his jaw. I tilted my head, bsensing /ba vulnerability there that I couldn’t quite ce.

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However, just as quickly, that vulnerable expression vanished as he turned to me, his cheeky demeanor resurfacing. “What? Do you find my side profile handsome?”

I pursed my lips, suddenly feeling flustered. “We’re bhere/b,” I said, exhaling ba /bsigh of relief.

Tessa wasted no time in opening the door, offering a small “thanks” before hopping out.

Iattempted to leave the car as well, but Rowan grasped my arm, his touch surprisingly warm against my skin, causing me to gasp in surprise.

“No goodbye kiss?” he teased, a smirk dancing on his lips.

Tessa stood outside, bshifting /bawkwardly.

I nudged him away with a re. “What’s with the attempts when I’m clearly not interested?”

“Nothing,” he replied, tilting his head like an inquisitive puppy. “It’s simply intriguing how you seempletely uninterested bin /bme.”

I scoffed, shaking my bhead/bb. /b“Of course,” I snapped back.

“Not everyone will like you, Alpha Rowan.

“I know,” he replied, the smile never faltering. “But that just makes it more fun to change those people’s minds.”