But when Alpha started the car, I tensed up considerably.
"I don't think we need to go anywhere. We can talk here."
"No, we can't go here." Turning the wheel, Carter turned the car, and we drove out onto the road.
"Where are you taking me?"
"To your place."
We were silent the whole way. I was constantly nervously looking out the window, trying to figure out where exactly Carter was taking me. Judging by the streets, we were heading downtown, but that didn't make it any easier.
Sometimes I turned around and let my gaze slide over the Alpha. I saw how hard he was gripping the steering wheel. Until his knuckles turned white. As if he wanted to crush it.
Stopping at traffic lights, Carter was scrolling through something on his phone. As it turned out, information about me, my family, parents, place of residence, schools, and more was obtained.
He was sent these files because, looking at Alpha's phone again, I realized that I definitely wouldn't find anything like this in the public database.
On the one hand, this made me uneasy. Not because of the fact that Carter was essentially watching my entire life right now. Rather, because of how easy it was for him to get such information.
But, turning back to the window, I decided not to react to this at all. At the moment, something worse was happening in my life.
About ten minutes later, Carter stopped the car near a ten-story building. But before that, we drove through the gate into the closed territory of the local courtyard.
To say that it is beautiful here means to remain silent. A well-kept garden, several gazebos, and even a huge swimming pool. Everything that can be photographed right now and put on the covers of interior magazines.
And this is the courtyard of an apartment building?
It hurt me to think how much housing could cost here. It is better not to think about it at all.
Carter got out of the SUV. I also opened the door on my side, but did not have time to jump onto the asphalt. Alpha, going around the car, without asking my permission at all, took me by the wrist and took me out of the car, after which he pulled me along with him. Too fast. As if we had no more time and had to hurry.
"Why are you grabbing my hand?" I tried to pull it away, almost tripping on the steps we were just climbing. "Let go. I can walk on my own."
Carter pushed the glass revolving door with his hand and, walking through it, we found ourselves in the hall. It was huge. Two stories. With a crystal chandelier hanging almost to the floor, and a seating area. Once I looked at all this, I began to believe even less that residential buildings could be like this.
"I'm serious. Let go of my hand!" I tried to pull it away again, but Carter pulled me towards himself and dragged me into the elevator. There he pressed the button and pressed me against the wall, squeezing my chin with the fingers of his free hand and forcing me to throw my head back. In this position, he hung over me and again stared into my face.
Because of all this, I was scared, confused, and froze, but, forcing myself to freeze in a matter of seconds, I clenched my teeth and said:
"A little more and I'll start screaming. Don't grab me, don't press me, and watch your distance. I'm a beta, not some kind of thing, and I have the same rights as other people. I demand at least some respect for my personal space."
My angry tirade could have been much worse. First of all, because I knew what a bastard Carter could be. I remembered very well what he did, even when he was just a kid. And now he was grabbing me and dragging me again. As if he saw the previous "unfinished" toy and decided to fix it.
But everything I wanted to say froze at that moment when Carter ran his thumb over my lips, pressing a little on the bottom one. I jerked and, opening my eyes wide, asked:
"What are you defending?"
But I didn't get an answer. Carter removed his hand. Then he moved away completely, and I stood near the wall for a while, not understanding how to react to this.
"Sometimes I don't understand you at all and you scare me like crazy with it," I finally said on an exhale, but I still didn't move away from the wall. Was it normal for me to veil the words "you're crazy"?
"At the university, you knew who I was from the start?" Carter put his palms in his pants pockets.
"You mean, did I understand that you were my childhood friend?" I asked again. The too abrupt change in the conversation confused my thoughts. "Of course. Even though I was little then, I remembered your name. As well as you in general."
Even though I tried to forget. Sometimes, especially persistently.
"Why didn't you tell me right away?" Carter tilted his head to the side slightly, and his gaze burned.
"Should I have?" I couldn't help but smile ironically. For me, his question was more than stupid and inappropriate.
It must have felt great. "You turned my life into hell with special sophistication when I was a child. I can't even imagine what could have happened if my mother hadn't taken me to another city. And after that, I had to come up to you at the university and say "Hi"?"
The elevator doors parted, and I fell silent.
"Get out," Carter nodded towards the corridor.
"I don't want to come to you. You're weird," I said, pursing my lips. "Maybe we should go downstairs?" I saw the sofas in the hall.
"I can take you to my apartment," he just shrugged and walked towards me, as I jerked away. Abruptly went out into the hallway.