CHAPTER 26 – GROWING TENSION
The cool night air wrapped around me as I stepped out of the restaurant, heels clicking against the pavement. My chest still raced from the chaos inside—the tension, the stares, the almost-brawl between two of the most powerful men I had ever met. Adrian's protective growl, Dante's dark insistence, both calling my name in unison… it was too much.
I pulled my jacket tighter around my shoulders, trying to steady my racing heart. I needed air. I needed space. I needed to think.
I walked down the quiet street, my mind spinning. What had just happened? Adrian, always so composed, had been aggressive, protective, and utterly charming at the same time. His words—"I'm courting you"—had sent my heart skipping a beat, even though I knew it was bold and almost inappropriate considering the situation.
And then there was Dante. That smirk, those dark, piercing eyes, the way he made me feel simultaneously safe and dangerously flustered. His words—"She's mine"—echoed in my mind, and I shivered.
I rounded a corner, trying to put some distance between me and the men, but before I could take more than a few steps, I felt a shadow fall over the sidewalk.
"Running away already?" Dante's voice was low, smooth, teasing—and undeniably commanding.
I froze, heart racing, as he stepped into the light. His coat brushed the breeze, perfectly tailored, and his eyes were fixed on me with an intensity that made my knees weaken.
"I… I just needed some air," I said, trying to sound calm, though my voice trembled.
"Air?" He tilted his head, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Or a way to avoid me?"
I felt heat rise to my cheeks. "Neither," I whispered, trying to ignore the way my pulse betrayed me.
Dante took a step closer, closing some of the distance between us. "Auri…" His voice softened, more vulnerable than I had expected. "Why do you keep running? You know I won't hurt you."
I swallowed hard, heart thudding. "I… I just need to think," I said honestly. "This… all of this is too much."
His smirk returned, playful but still intense. "Too much?" he echoed. "I'm just trying to claim what's mine."
Before I could respond, another shadow fell across the street—Adrian, moving quickly, eyes sharp, jaw tight. "Auri!" he called, striding toward us. His hand reached for mine, and I felt the warmth and insistence of his presence.
"Step away from her, Dante," Adrian said firmly, standing just behind me, protective and imposing.
"I could say the same to you," Dante replied coolly, stepping closer, his dark gaze locking on Adrian.
My stomach dropped. Two alpha men, both insisting I was theirs, standing inches apart, tension crackling between them. My face burned with embarrassment and exhilaration.
"Stop it!" I shouted, taking a step forward. "Both of you!"
Both men paused, turning to me, eyes wide. "You need to listen," I said, voice firm despite the flutter in my chest. "I… I can't have either of you fighting over me. Not like this!"
Dante's jaw tightened, but he didn't step back. Adrian's hand hovered near his coat pocket as if he was ready for a fight, but his gaze softened slightly when it met mine.
"You're mine," Dante said, voice low and dangerous, almost a growl.
"I'm courting her," Adrian said, stepping closer, his tone equally dangerous, but tinged with protective warmth.
I groaned, covering my face with both hands. This is insane… My heart raced, torn between two men who were both so infuriating, so compelling, so impossible to ignore.
"ENOUGH!" I shouted, pulling my hands down. "I'm leaving! You're both impossible!"
Without waiting, I spun on my heels and walked briskly down the sidewalk, heels clicking loudly, adrenaline pumping through me. My hands gripped my bag tightly, my mind focused only on putting space between myself and the chaos I had caused.
Behind me, I could hear them both calling my name, voices rising over the night air.
"Auri!" Dante's voice was low, urgent, filled with desire and frustration.
"Auri!" Adrian shouted, frustration and concern echoing through his tone.
I didn't look back. I kept walking, forcing my heart to calm and my thoughts to catch up with my racing mind. I wasn't ready to deal with this—the intensity, the attention, the impossible pull I felt toward both men.
I ducked into a quiet side street, letting the sounds of the city swallow the echoes of their voices. My heart still raced, chest tight, and cheeks flushed. I leaned against the brick wall, taking deep, trembling breaths.
How did it come to this? I thought, pressing my palms to my cheeks. Dante… Adrian… two of the most impossible, intense, infuriating men I've ever met… and somehow, I'm supposed to choose?
I shook my head, trying to steady myself. I didn't have an answer yet—and maybe I wasn't supposed to.
For now, all I could do was walk, breathe, and keep moving… until the storm calmed.
The city lights blurred past as I walked briskly toward my apartment, my heels clicking against the pavement like a frantic heartbeat. The night air was cool against my flushed cheeks, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside me. Every step felt heavier than the last, weighed down by thoughts I wasn't ready to face.
The dinner… Adrian had been so… so different. Gentlemanly, caring, attentive. Every word, every gesture, even his teasing smirk—it all felt deliberate, designed to make me feel special. When he had said, "Consider this our first date," my heart had skipped, my mind had frozen, and I couldn't stop the tiny shiver of excitement that ran through me.
And yet, as much as I had enjoyed his company, the words didn't settle into the corner of my heart like I thought they would. Because even amidst the chaos, the public stares, and the almost-brawl between him and Dante, my thoughts had constantly returned to Dante.
Dante.
The memory of his dark, piercing eyes, the way his smirk tugged at my nerves, the heat that seemed to radiate from him without him even touching me—it haunted me. Adrian's words, Dante's presence, the attention from both men… it had been overwhelming, yes, but it had also made me painfully aware of the truth:
I loved Dante.
I hadn't admitted it to anyone—not even myself until now—but sitting there on that quiet, cold street, I couldn't deny it. My heart belonged to him. Every small glance, every teasing smile, every brush of his hand in the past weeks had drawn me in, until there was no denying the pull I felt toward him.
And yet… the doubt gnawed at me.
Did he feel the same way?
He had been so close, so intense, so undeniably interested—but he had never said it. I love you. Not once. All his words, all his actions, made it clear that he wanted me, yes, but was that enough? Could I trust that what he wanted was more than desire, more than the thrill of chasing someone who didn't belong to him?
I shook my head, frustrated, pushing a strand of hair from my face. Stop thinking about it, Auri. But the image of him—the way his eyes darkened when he claimed me in front of Adrian, the way his lips curved when he smirked at me—refused to leave my mind.
And then there was Adrian.
The unexpected confession, the insistence that he was courting me, the gentlemanly attention—it had made me blush, made me giggle, made my chest tighten. He was a different kind of pull—steady, protective, calm, and utterly charming. I could see why anyone would fall for him. And yet, my heart had no room for him.
No, my heart had already been claimed.
I let out a long, shaky breath as I fumbled for my keys, finally unlocking the door to my apartment. Inside, the warmth was comforting, and I leaned against the door for a moment, closing my eyes. The night's chaos replayed in my mind like a film I couldn't pause.
Adrian had made it clear what he wanted, and Dante had claimed me without hesitation. Both men were bold, confident, and unapologetically drawn to me—but only one of them had my heart.
I sighed, letting myself sink into the sofa. The city hummed outside, distant car horns and faint music drifting through my open window. I hugged a pillow to my chest, trying to calm the whirlwind in my mind.
And then it hit me—Dante had never said he loved me. Not once.
He wants me, I thought bitterly, but does he love me? Or is I just… someone to him, something he desires?
The thought stung, and I buried my face in the pillow, letting out a frustrated sigh. I didn't want to think like this, but I couldn't help it. My heart wanted him. My body wanted him. But my mind… my mind wanted answers.
I could almost feel him there, as if he had followed me home, as if his presence lingered in the room even when he wasn't. The intensity of his gaze, the teasing, dangerous way he had made me feel last night—it was intoxicating, and frightening.
Part of me wanted to call him, to demand answers, to pull him into my arms and stop thinking for a while. But another part of me, the part that had learned to protect my heart, knew better.
No. Not yet.
I had to know where we truly stood. I had to know that he wanted more than just desire, that what we shared meant more than just a fleeting thrill. And until then… I would remain cautious, hesitant, even though every beat of my heart longed to rush toward him.
I sank lower into the sofa, hugging the pillow tighter. The quiet of my apartment enveloped me, but the chaos of the night still raged inside. My heart ached, my mind spun, and my thoughts drifted to two men—two impossible, infuriatingly captivating men—each claiming a piece of me in their own way.
And yet, only one held my heart.
Dante.
I exhaled slowly, eyes closing as exhaustion and frustration mingled with longing. I didn't know what tomorrow would bring, I didn't know if he would finally say the words I longed to hear, and I didn't know how I could navigate the storm that both men had created in my life.
But one thing was clear.
No matter how chaotic, confusing, or frustrating it got… my heart was his.
For now, that was enough.