Chapter 106: I dare you

Noah’s POV

Why am I breathing so hard?

Something about the way Elias is looking at me is unsettling. No, unsettling is a word that is too mild to use.

The way he’s looking at me is disturbing.

He’s looking at me like the time has gone back to the first few weeks we spent together.

Like we’re right back to the time when I was sure he hated me. The time when he wanted to really break me.

But even at that time, he had a touch of possessiveness in his eyes for me, but right now, there’s nothing.

His eyes are completely empty. They’re so empty that the deep brown almost looks black.

"Elias? What’s wrong?" I ask in a whisper, and he draws a ragged breath like he’s waking from deep sleep.

"Return to the table" he says coldly.

I flinch at the tone he just used on me, and I wrap my arms around myself, bracing myself to fight for him and for me.

"I don’t want to go back to the table. I want to go home" I say in a firm tone.

"Home? Home is right there" he points at the table behind me, and I look back at the place I just walked away from.

Dad is standing, he’s still crying about our fight. Julian is also standing, his eyes are calmly watching Elias and I.

I feel a flash of fear for Julian, and I turn my head back to Elias again. I’ll kneel and beg if I have to, but I don’t want to go back there.

My head is spinning too fast.

My dad knew about my altered memories, but he said he accepted it out of his love for his son.

A part of me is still defending and making excuses for him. What if he doesn’t know about Freya’s trafficking attempt? What if the Deus are right about Winslow and dad doesn’t know?

This conclusion makes sense...right?

"Go to the table, Noah. I won’t repeat this order again" Elias growls and I shake my head to reject his order.

Tears are starting to burn my eyes. Oh great, I’m crying again. I feel so useless.

"Don’t make me, Elias. Please don’t make me go back there" I beg with my eyes and he growls, tipping his head back to take a deep breath.

"Don’t do this to me, Noah. You wanted to meet your father and I let you, are you fucking playing with me?" he asks coldly.

He sounds so calm, yet his calmness is so scary that I wish he’s yelling at me instead.

Elias won’t hurt me. He didn’t take advantage of me on our wedding night. He didn’t touch me when I was traumatized by Freya and her men. Elias will never hurt me.

"Take me home, Elias. I don’t want to be here anymore" I say, daring to take a step forward and hold his hand, "Please" I whisper and the alpha looks over my shoulder at the men behind us.

"Noah, pup. You know I’m your father; I’ve loved you longer than you’ve been conscious of who you are. I will never hurt you on purpose, and I will be here if you need me, son" dad says and I sob slips past my lips before I can stop it.

"Elias, please...please" I beg him and in his steely eyes, I see a flicker of emotion. But the emotion dies just as soon as it is born.

He takes my hand off his wrist and turns to leave.

He doesn’t say a word, but I follow him. As we exit the building, my steps get unsteady and my vision starts to blur.

My heart is hurting with each step I take. I don’t know what’s real and what’s not. I don’t even know what to do with myself.

I stop walking just before we get into the car and I tug on my necktie to get some air into my lungs.

The suit feels so stuffy and I don’t want it.

"Noah" Elias calls my name impatiently and I whimper, looking at him and hoping he sees how much I need him.

"I need you" I whisper and his breath hitches. He leaves the car and comes for me, but before he can touch me. I lose consciousness and pass out.

When I wake up, I’m in Elias’s bed.

The lights are off and I take note of how I’m wearing one of his pajama shirts with a pair of gym shorts.

I toss and turn on the bed to find comfort. There’s no comfort if there’s no Elias, so I accept my fate and shut my eyes to chase sleep.

But before I can doze off, I hear a broken whimper and I sit up immediately.

Elias is in the room and he’s sleeping in that chair.

He’s sitting and his fingers are digging into the leather arms of the chair. His mouth is opened in a scream and his brows pinched together in a frown. He looks like he’s suffering in his sleep.

He’s having a bad dream again.

"Elias?" I call his name softly and he gasps but doesn’t wake up. I walk over to the chair and tap his shoulder.

"Elias" I whisper and his eyes snap open.

"What...what are you doing?" he asks in panic and I look down at his face in concern. There are beads of sweat on his forehead...just how bad is this dream he’s having?

"Do you want to talk about your nightmare?" I ask quietly and he slaps my hand away, growling at me aggressively.

"Get lost" he snarls.

Why does he get to lose his temper and I take it?

"I said get--"

"No" I snap and we hold each other’s eyes in a glare. I’m not going to get lost. He took me from my home, so he has to be responsible for every damage I come with.

"I’m warning you, Noah" he says and I don’t move away, instead, I pull the hotel move.

I climb into his lap and sit there like the space is mine.

"We’re two broken boys who have a lot to talk about, Elias. I don’t have my memories and you’re being haunted in your dreams. So, no. You can’t get rid of me unless you kill me by yourself" I say.

"I will do it" he says with spite in his voice.

"Go ahead" I say, looking in the eyes of death and daring him to take my life.