Page 21 of Into The Darkness

The man with the deep-blue eyes looked back at me before the corner of his lips twisted.

“Hello, Ember Solis.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, my eyebrows furrowed.

“H-how do you know my name?”

“Everyone here knows your name.” He looked around at the guys who hadn’t bothered to even look up from their game.

“How?” I asked, but he only shrugged.

“Hey, neighbor.”Hisvelvety smooth voice echoed from behind me, and I turned to face him.

I had forgotten how beautiful he was with his brown curls and tanned skin setting off his perfect green eyes. His broad chest and chiseled features looked to be carved by God himself. He was truly a sight to behold.

I stomped toward him and stood tall as he eyed me up and down.

“Why the fuck does everyone know my name?” I asked. Fuck. Why did I ask that question first? There were so many questions, like why Ash was here and if he knew about the tattoo.

He leaned in to whisper into the shell of my ear, “Everyone knows who you are, Ember.” His thumb slid down my jawline as he lifted my chin so my eyes were locked with his. The touch stole the oxygen from my lungs, like I was a balloon deflating.

His touch lit me on fire, and everything suddenly felt so warm.

“Why?” I furrowed my brows.

Ash let go, and I snapped out of my reverie and back to the reality of sitting in the foyer of this fraternity.

“Because you were invited to the party, and we know who we invited.” He shrugged and turned around, but I was struggling to believe that was the depths of the truth. It felt like there was something more, something missing?

I grabbed his shoulder to turn him around. A chuckle came from behind me, but I didn’t have time to look and see who it was from.

“What the fuck, Ash?” I barked as he turned on his heel.

“I told you not to get involved, Ember.” I didn’t know what about that statement made me want to go apeshit, but I wanted to fucking scream. I wanted to slam him into the door and just yell.

“Fuck you,” I spat. “I came to this fucking house for a party I was invited to. I had to watch people fucking next to me—”

“Did you hate it, though?” he asked as he leaned against the wall, giving me a cocky smirk. I ignored the statement and continued with my rant.

“I came here thinking it would be a safe place surrounded by college students from Isles, only to find out I was fucking drugged. I woke up in my bed with just my underwear on, and who the fuck knows what else happened—”

“Nothing happened, Ember.” His voice was low, and he pushed off the wall and walked over to me. He sounded so believable, but nothing about this man made sense. He was always present in situations that seemed to embarrass me, yet always absent and alluring.

“If nothing happened, how the fuck did I end up with a goddamn tattoo behind my ear.” My chest heaved, but I tried to keep my voice as cool as possible.

We stood there, eyes locked, not moving. He didn’t say a thing. His body language didn’t say a thing, and his face was stone straight.

“I don’t get what is happening or what you want from me, but if this is about my brother or the Alphas—”

He pulled me by my waist, bringing his mouth a hairsbreadth from my lips while hovering over me.

“This has nothing to do with that stupid fraternity. I need you to get your fucking bag right now, Ember, before anyone else hears you. Get in your car and get the fuck out of here,” he whispered so close to my lips that if I looked up, our lips would connect. Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed everyone had paused their game and watched this unfold.

“Little Miss Goody Two-Shoes somehow found her voice, though,” he said as he stepped backward. “I am proud of you.” His praise made me tingle all the way to my core.

I leaned over to pick up my bag. “I would get in my car, but the stupid thing decided to get a flat tire, so I am walking,” I mumbled as I slung the bag over my shoulders and headed to the door.

This had to be a sign of where my life was going. I’d come here determined to wage war on these people, and now I looked like some pathetic person, having to leave with no car or way to get home in the rain.

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