Page 23 of Falling for My Shifter Guardian

“Stop it,” I say, my voice trembling. “Just stop.”

But he doesn’t. His words come faster now, sharper, cutting into me like jagged glass. “You think I haven’t noticed? The way you look at him? The way you defend him? You’re so desperate for someone to care about you that you’re willing to trust amonsterover me.”

“Ben…” My voice shakes as I take another step back, my mind racing. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? What you’re doing?”

“I’m saving you,” he snaps. “Even if you’re too stupid to see it.”

His words cut deep, but anger flares hot and sharp in my chest. “This isn’t saving me, Ben. This is—this is betraying me. Betraying everything we’ve ever stood for.”

His face twists with anger, and before I can react, his hand shoots out, grabbing my arm in a bruising grip.

“You don’t get it, do you?” he hisses, his voice low and dangerous. “You think you’re so smart, so independent. But you’re just a stupid little girl who doesn’t know what’s good for her.”

Fear spikes through me, sharp and cold. But underneath it, something stronger burns—anger, determination.

“Let me go,” I say, my voice firm despite the tremble in it.

When he doesn’t, I yank my arm back with all the strength I can muster, stumbling a few steps away.

“Stay the hell away from me,” I spit, my voice shaking but steady.

Ben’s face darkens, but before he can say anything else, I bolt. I fling the door open and run, my heart pounding in my chest.

The cool night air hits me like a slap, and I don’t stop until I’m outside, breathless and trembling.

That’s when I see it—a familiar truck pulling up to the curb, its headlights cutting through the darkness.

Derek.

Relief rushes through me like a tidal wave, my legs already moving before my brain can catch up. I run toward the truck, my heart pounding in my chest. Derek barely has time to slow down before I yank open the door, throwing myself inside without waiting for him to park.

I’m still shaking when I climb into the passenger seat, my hands trembling so badly that I fumble with the seatbelt. Derek’s sharp, concerned gaze flicks to me as soon as I settle into the seat, his jaw tightening. The moment the door slams shut behind me, the weight of everything that just happened crashes down. My chest aches, tight and heavy, like I can’t quite get enough air. Ben’s voice echoes in my head—the anger, the betrayal, the way he looked at me like I was the enemy.

Derek doesn’t say a word as he starts the truck, his jaw tight and his knuckles white on the steering wheel. The tension radiating off him fills the cab, but it feels more like a shield than a threat. He’s angry, I can tell, but not at me. It’s the kind of anger that simmers just beneath the surface, controlled and contained, but no less dangerous.

I stare out the window as the truck rumbles down the quiet streets of Whispering Pines, the streetlights casting long shadows over the road. The silence between us is thick, but I can’t bring myself to break it. My thoughts are a jumbled mess, and I don’t even know where to start. Ben. The hunters. The awful things he said. The way he…gods, how did I not see this coming?

“Olivia.”

Derek’s voice is low, rough, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. I realize we’ve stopped, the truck idling in the parking lot of a small park. The familiar sight of the swings swaying gently in the breeze tugs at something in my chest. This place used to feel safe, comforting. Now it feels like everything else in my life—unsteady.

He turns to me, his steel-gray eyes locking onto mine. “What happened?”

His tone is firm, but there’s something else in it too—something softer, almost desperate. For a second, I can’t speak. The words are stuck in my throat, tangled up with the tears I’ve been holding back since the moment I ran out of my apartment.

“I—” My voice cracks, and I look away, blinking hard. “It’s Ben. He… he’s not who I thought he was.”

Derek doesn’t say anything, but his entire body tenses, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly I half-expect it to snap in half. I take a shaky breath, forcing myself to keep going.

“He’s been lying to me,” I whisper. “About everything. He’s… he’s working with the hunters.”

Derek’s growl is low, barely audible, but I feel it vibrate through the truck like a distant thunderstorm. His hands leave the wheel, one of them reaching out to grip the back of my seat like he’s trying to anchor himself. The other hovers near me, like he wants to touch me but isn’t sure if he should.

I swallow hard, the words spilling out faster now, like once I’ve started, I can’t stop. “He tried to convince me they weren’t dangerous, that they were just… trying to protect people. But then tonight, he—he said things, Derek. Awful things. About shifters. About you.”

His hand finally lands on my shoulder, warm and solid, grounding me in the chaos of my thoughts. I glance up at him, and his expression makes my breath catch. I’ve never seen him like this before—so raw, so completely unguarded. His eyes are dark, filled with something I can’t quite name, but it makes my heart skip a beat.

“Did he hurt you?” His voice is a low rumble, his thumb brushing lightly against my shoulder. “Tell me the truth, Olivia.”

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