The elevator lights flickered twice before going off swallowing the space with darkness not completely but enough to make the edges appear dim yet subtle, it made a small space even smaller and for a moment there was silence that kind of silence that left only the sound of the heartbeat be heard faintly and it was kind of uncomfortable .
Isabella steadied herself against the wall adjusting her backpack exhaling keeping her cool as her head started calculating the schedule she had , the pain of being late to her appointment and the labour of juggling things for them to be in place , above all the irritation of being put behind by a lame fault when she is already behind
" what a pain , seroulsy of all the days " she muttered under her breath thus wasn't how she had planned things .
Then suddenly she heard it ,a sharp inhale ,too sharp it sliced just slightly the silence in the elevator. It was too fast and somehow hard not to ignore.
Her brows knit slightly, that didn't sound like annoyance nor irritation it was something else
And then it came again this time sharper ,uneven and shorter, it was starting to be hard to ignore.
Isabella turned her head slightly. Frank Xavier Mark stood a few feet away but something was definitely wrong ..his posture had changed , the confidence,the aura ,the effortless charm he had carried moments ago, completely gone ,replaced by tension .
His hand was around his collar tugging it as if it suddenly felt too tight .
"Damn it .."he muttered under his breath and it was followed by another inhale shallow and the air in the elevator shifted not physically but perceptbly.
Frank took a step back until his back hit the wall ,he ran his hand through his hair gripping slightly at the roots before dropping again a gesture he usually do for the sake of public attention was now a gesture for survival. His gaze flickered ,not focused,not steady searching
For peace ,for air , for something that was not there, the space felt small ,the wall tight and the ceiling closer .
"Claustrophobia " Isabella said quietly
His head snapped towards her, even in the dim light his gaze was sharp
"Don't " he inhaled his breath catching halfway "talk
She didn't react, flinch or look away instead she studied him calm observant and certain.
"Your breathing is getting worse " Isabella added instead another inhale ,this one louder and less controlled.
"I said .."he stopped jaw tightened as his chest rose quickly "Don't talk "
Isabella turned fully processing adjusting then
"Inhale " silence
Frank stared at her, like he couldn't believe she had said that .
Isabella inhaled slowly deliberate
"Hold " her chest stilled ,controlled, steady
Frank's tightened as his fingers curled slightly at his side
"Exhale " she let the breath out slow and even .
Seconds passed ,another inhale broke the silence and this time it wasn't hers .
Frank's shoulders lifted,uneven but trying
"Inhale "she repeated,softer this time
He followed this time reluctantly
"Hold " a pause
"Exhale "
Again
The rhythm wasn't perfect yet it was there ,breath by breath .
The panic didn't disappear, but loosened it's grip just enough.
Frank's back remained against the wall but his posture shifted ,it had become less rigid, less desperate.
His breath,though uneven became to slow .
The space didn't change ,the elevator still small,still enclosed,still suffocating.
But something about it felt less overwhelming
Because now he was nolonger alone in it
"You will be fine " Isabella said quietly. Not soft ,comforting or emotional ,just certain.
Frank gaze lifted to her, this time he really looked at her,no panic ,fear or reaction,just calm and for reasons he couldn't explain ,he believed her .
Seconds stretched ,longer, quieter and then suddenly a flicker
Lights snapped back on .
Both of them blinked .
The elevator jerked slightly before a mechanical hum filled the space again .
Movement followed ,finally things were getting into place
Ding , the door slids open . Noised rushed in .
Voices ,footsteps ,life.
Frank pushed himself off the wall immediately no hesitation and no pause ,he walked out , straight and dangerously composed like nothing had happened.
Like he hadn't just .....nevermind.
Isabella stepped out after him adjusting her bag as she looked at his retreating figure .
"Weirdo " she muttered ,and just like that she walked away going the opposite direction to the principals office..
For the very first time in history ,Frank Xavier Mark had showed a weakness she had happened to be the one to see it and worse she was the one who had managed to steady it .
And between breath and stillness, something had shifted completely. He couldn't name it and forget it either but he knew something had shifted in that elevator.
Later that day as Isabella and Andrea walked home she caught a glance of Frank and his Wolves at the school's parking lot . He had reclaimed his seat as the Alpha . She looked at him for a little long, the guy she was in the elevator was not the one she was looking at right now so each king as a weakness and she had just found Frank's weakness. She chuckled under her breath
"What's funny and you have been staring at the STRAY WOLVES,finally got my point " Andrea said
" nope l wasn't it's just something illuminating happened to me on my way to the principal office so l just thought of it ,nothing big ,come on let's go l still have to stop by the grocery shop to buy some stuff my mom asked me to buy " Isabella said as they walked to Andrea's car
As she walked away ,Frank turned to her direction, he kept staring at her as she walked away , something about her made him drawn to her and he didn't understand why but was ready to figure out.
Another girl was going to be on his list after all. He chuckled under his breath.
" Dude you okay " Kai asked
" Never been better " he replied as he ran his hand through his hair , things were going to get interesting
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