<h4>Chapter 28: Royally Screwed</h4>


    <strong>Elena’s POV:</strong>


    Stupid, insufferable alpha male. Narcissistic jerk. If only I could beat some sense into this so-called mate of mine. My entire body was on fire, every nerve left tingling and aching, and this cocky, arrogant idiot had the audacity to just... leave me like this? How dare he!


    My mind raced with all the names I wanted to call him, all the ways I could make him pay. He was dragging me back to the car, one hand gripping my wrist like he owned me, while I stumbled along, my legs practically jelly and my frustration at an all-time high. My body was still pulsing, desperate for the release he’d so cruelly denied me. I could practically feel his smug satisfaction in every step he took, and that made it worse.


    I nced at him, fighting the urge to do something rash, like bite his arm or... or scream at him to finish what he’d started. My wolf, Zena, was absolutely no help. She was practically panting, pacing in my mind with an air of frustrated need. *Just a little more... just a little friction,* she whined, egging me on with her desperate, shameless desire. Honestly, she was practically ready to throw herself at him, and that only made me more furious.


    "Let go of me," I hissed, tugging my wrist in an attempt to break free. But he just shot me a look, that cocky, infuriating smirk ying on his lips.


    "Careful, little mate," he said, his voice low, dripping with amusement. "Keep testing me, and you’ll be begging before I’m done with you."


    Ugh. If only I could punch that smug look off his face. But right now, all I could think about was the maddening ache he’d left behind, and I hated him even more for it.


    "Stupid... arrogant... self-absorbed... jerk!" I muttered under my breath, trying to burn off my frustration. "I hate him. I hate him so freaking much. How <i>dare</i> he leave me like this!"


    Every nerve was still buzzing, my body practically screaming for the release he’d taunted me with, only to snatch away. And now, here I was, being dragged along behind him like some helpless damsel, which made me angrier. *Never. Never again will I let him touch me,* I vowed, teeth clenched.


    He could go screw his self-obsessed, narcissistic self for all I cared. Let him get all smug and satisfied by himself. The jerk.


    As we approached the car, I noticed something strange—the driver was nowhere to be seen. <i>Weird. Did he go looking for us?</i> I barely had a moment to look around and process before Kane, the insufferable alpha, yanked open the passenger door and practically shoved me inside. I barely caught myself before face-nting into the seat.


    And then, to top it off, he mmed the door shut with a force that made the whole car shake. What the hell was his problem? Shouldn’t I be the one who was mad here?


    I red at him through the window, crossing my arms and huffing, a hundred insults on the tip of my tongue. But of course, <i>he</i> looked calm and unbothered, as if he hadn’t just hauled me around like a sack of potatoes and left me on the edge, both physically and mentally.


    Thinking fast, I lunged into the driver’s seat and hit the lock button, sealing all the doors before Kane could make it around to the other side. The look on his face when he realized he’d been locked out? Priceless. His mouth dropped open for a split second, his eyes zing in disbelief and fury. I allowed myself a split-second grin. <i>Gotcha, Alpha.</i>


    But I didn’t have time to savor the victory. Kane looked one second away from shattering the ss with those ridiculous fists of his, and I had no intention of sticking around for whatever he had nned next.


    Scrambling, I searched for the ignition, praying the keys were still there. <i>Come on,e on,</i> I muttered, adrenaline rushing through me. If I could just get this car started and put some distance between us, I’d have a chance to think, to breathe, to cool down from the heat still pulsing through me thanks to that... <i>stupid jerk</i>. Because if he caught me again, I knew it wouldn’t just be denied release and a few spanks—he’d make sure I learned my lesson, in ways I was both terrified of... and kind of didn’t want to think about right now.


    This time, I wasn’t letting him catch me.


    I found the keys still in the ignition—bless that forgetful driver. As I twisted them, the engine roared to life, and I smirked, shooting a nce out the window. Kane was mouthing something, his face all dark and stormy, no doubt threatening me with his usual "If you don’t open this door, I’ll—" h, h, h.


    Yeah, yeah, scary alpha. Not today.


    He started pounding on the window, his fists making the whole door shake, but I didn’t flinch. Instead, I stepped on the elerator,unching the car forward with a jerk, leaving him in a cloud of dust. The look on his face as I sped away? Priceless. Maybe he’d finally get a taste of his own medicine. <i>Serve him right</i>.


    As the scenery whipped past me, a wave of triumph and satisfaction washed over me. It felt <i>amazing</i> to have the upper hand for once, and Iughed, a little wild, a little breathless, adrenaline making my heart race.


    He could chase me all he wanted, but right now? I was the one in control.


    Oh, hell no.


    I nced in the side mirror, and there he was—a massive ck wolf tearing down the road after the car, his form sleek and powerful, eyes fixed straight on me. My heart dropped into my stomach. <i>Shit</i>. I knew Kane was fast, but this? This was on a whole other level.


    "Crap, crap, crap," I muttered, pressing down harder on the gas. The car picked up speed, but he wasn’t slowing down. In fact, he was gaining on me, his strides long and relentless.


    <i>Great n, Elena</i>. Now I had an enraged alpha wolf on my tail, and from the look in his eyes, he wasn’t exactly in a forgiving mood. I was royally screwed.