Page 69 of The Alpha's Crimson Vow

But I’m not.

Because no matter how much I want to shut it down, there’s a part of me—a small, stubborn part—that does care. That doesn’t want something bad to happen to him.

I hate that part.

I take another sip, exhaling slowly.

Then I hear a voice from behind.

“Katherine?”

My body goes rigid before I even turn. And when I do, my eyes widen slightly in disbelief as they rest on Alex.

He’s standing there, his broad frame seeming even larger from where I sit. His presence engulfs me instantly, swallowing up the space between us without even moving.

There’s a split second where my mind scrambles to catch up—where I take in the sight of him, the way his eyes are locked on me, unreadable yet intense.

Then realization crashes over me like ice water.

Did he… follow me here?

Heat rises up my neck as my pulse picks up, my stomach twisting with irritation.

He takes a step forward, slow, cautious. “Katherine,” he says again, his voice deep and sure. “We really need to talk.”

I let out a sharp breath. “Did you follow me here?”

“Yes, I did.” His tone is infuriatingly matter-of-fact, like he’s stating something completely normal. Like people just follow other people around and it’s no big deal.

My brow furrows. “You think that’s okay?”

He exhales through his nose, his jaw tightening. “Katherine, I know you’re upset. But we have to talk.”

Something about the way he says that—that wehaveto talk—grates against every nerve in my body. Like I owe him this. Like I have to hear him out.

And the worst part? Some small, traitorous part of me wants to listen.

But I shove that part deep, deep down. I’m not falling for anything again.

“We don’t have to talk, Alex.” My voice is firm, my words clipped.

His expression hardens, just a little. “Katherine—”

“I don’t want to talk to you, Alex. We’ve had this conversation.”

“We haven’t,” he argues, his voice still calm but more insistent now. “Not really. And it’s important. I need to explain things to you.”

Before I can snap back, another voice cuts in.

“I think that’s enough.” Alice says.

Her voice is sharp, firm, laced with an authority that demands attention. She steps forward, inserting herself between us, her presence a brick wall between me and Alex.

Her eyes locks onto his, unwavering. “She’s made it very clear she doesn’t want to talk to you.”

Alex doesn’t flinch. But there’s a change in his expression, a flicker of something unreadable. It’s clear to me that he wasn’t expecting to see Alice here.

The moment stretches between them, thick with tension. They’re squaring up now, standing just a breath apart, locked in some silent standoff. My pulse pounds harder.

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