Page 60 of The Heart of Winter

Hell, it was very possible.

Maybe even likely.

He was setting me up. Trying to break me. Mock me.

The decision had to be made for my safety. I wasn’t going to fall for this. No matter how much he got under my skin.

No matter what those sharp, cat-like eyes of his did to me, how they made something inside me bloom like a damn spring meadow.

No. Enough. For my own sanity, I had to set a boundary. Keep my distance. Avoid him at all costs. I had to protect myself.

And then, the very next day, I failed.

***

When I arrived at work that morning, Sariel was already waiting by the elevator with a group of employees.

I stepped up beside them, eyes glued to my phone, pretending I didn’t see him.

Silence.

The elevator chimed. The doors slid open.

I slipped into the farthest corner, but Sariel stepped inside right beside me.

More people kept piling in. Too many. The building itself belonged to Lowens, but it housed multiple companies, one of which was apparently hosting an event, and the crowd was getting ridiculous.

People from the back called out, "Come on, squeeze in! We’re gonna be late!"

And then, just like that, I was being crushed from all sides.

I hated this.

I hated being touched by strangers.

Annoyance flared in my chest—

But before I could react, something unexpected happened.

Sariel shifted sideways and braced one arm in front of me, shielding me from the press of bodies.

He created a stable barrier around me, arms locked against the walls, holding back the crowd. Now, I was the only one in the elevator who wasn’t being crushed.

I lifted my eyes slightly, meeting his gaze. Why did he care whether I was getting squished by the employees? Surprisingly considerate, almost as if he had read my mind.

Sariel wore a faint smile, looking at me from up close. We were nearly touching. I stood there comfortably, while he had to struggle against the weight of the crowd. I could see the strain on his face, his arms tensing as he resisted the pressure.

As an alpha, he was undoubtedly the strongest person in that elevator, alphas had strength comparable to gorillas, while betas and omegas didn’t stand out much beyond what ancient humans had.

Finally, the last of the people forcing their way in decided it was full enough. The doors closed with some effort, and the elevator began to move.

Sariel kept watching me, and I kept watching him.

I felt a little strange, standing there in silence, but I also knew that if I said anything, I’d just be feeding into whatever peculiar thing was forming between us.

His smirk irritated me. Did he have to be like this? Was this all part of his game?

He seemed oddly immune to all signs of my disinterest, in a way… relentless. But that only fueled my suspicions.

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