Chapter 150: What did you do?

Dorian couldn’t understand the sudden, violent jolt that slammed through his bloodstream the moment his eyes locked onto Elvira.

It felt as though his mind was being forcibly rewired, the mate bond flaring with an overwhelming intensity. He couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Inside his head, Shadow was thrashing violently against his subconscious, while Soren retreated into the back of his mind, overwhelmed by the sudden sensory assault.

Only when Alyssa reached out and squeezed his hand tightly did he summon the willpower to snap his gaze away from Elvira.

He turned to Alyssa, his brow furrowing in deep, disoriented confusion.

"Are you okay, Dorian?" she asked softly, searching his face.

Dorian shook his head slowly. He glanced around the table, taking in the bewildered, concerned expressions of the faces staring back at him.

Elvira stepped fully into the dining room, a soft smile on her lips. "Good morning, everyone. Good morning, Dorian, Luna Alyssa."

Alyssa ignored her completely. She took Dorian’s trembling hands, turning his shoulders so he was forced to look directly at her. "Dorian, talk to me. What’s wrong? Are you in pain?"

Dorian couldn’t form the words. Something was terribly wrong, but he couldn’t grasp it. Why was Shadow reacting so obsessively to Elvira? Why was her sweet, fruity scent suddenly suffocating his senses, clouding his judgment until she threatened to consume his every thought?

"Alpha?" Jake called out tentatively, stepping away from Henna. "Is everything alright?"

"What’s wrong, Dorian? You’re completely pale," Pandora added, her voice laced with rising anxiety.

Every question sounded distant, echoing as if spoken from the bottom of a deep abyss. His mind was drowning in the oppressive wave of Elvira’s scent and the unnatural thrum of the mate bond.

He had to get away immediately before he lost control of his beast and committed an act he would regret for the rest of his life.

"I need to leave," he muttered, his voice hollow.

He ripped his hand out of Alyssa’s grip, turned on his heel, and strode out of the dining area.

"Dorian!" Alyssa called after him, hurrying to match his quick pace.

He didn’t stop. He pushed through the front doors onto the driveway, snatched the keys straight out of André’s hand who had been waiting to drive him and Alyssa to the Academy, and threw himself into the driver’s seat.

Engine roaring to life, he reversed the Rolls-Royce recklessly out of the driveway, almost crashing into the limo parked inches away behind him.

"Dorian!" Alyssa screamed his name, reaching the porch just as he tore down the driveway without casting a single glance in her direction. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she watched the tail lights turn sharp at the main gates and vanish down the road.

Tears welled in her eyes, her mind spinning into chaotic spirals. What just happened? He was supposed to reject Elvira this morning. Why had he looked at her as if under a spell, only to abandon me without a single word of explanation?

Jake, Alec, and the rest of the group poured out onto the porch behind her, staring at the empty driveway in disbelief.

"What came over him?" Pandora demanded, her eyes wide. "Why would he leave like that?"

No one had an answer.

Jake looked down at Alyssa. Despite the caution he had maintained around her since learning the truth of her bloodline, a sharp pang of sympathy pierced his chest.

"Don’t worry, Luna," he said quietly. "I’ll go after him and bring him back."

"I’ll come with you," Anthony offered. He gave Alyssa a reassuring smile. "Jake and I will track him down and bring him home. Just try to stay calm, okay?"

Alyssa nodded weakly as a single tear escaped and tracked down her cheek. She watched the two men jump into an SUV and speed off through the gates in pursuit of the Alpha.

Left on the porch with Pandora, Alec, and Henna, Alyssa stood frozen. Henna reached out, gently taking her hand.

"The Alpha will be fine, Alyssa. Don’t worry too much about him."

"But what could have triggered that reaction from him?" Alyssa whispered, her voice trembling. "He has never acted like that before. He... he didn’t even look at me."

"Alyssa, don’t do this to yourself," Pandora urged softly, stepping to her other side. "There has to be an explanation for this. We just need to wait for Jake and Anthony to find him."

"He will be fine, Luna," Alec assured her. "The Alpha likely had a severe reaction to something we are unaware of. When he comes back, he’ll explain to you."

Alyssa wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. She didn’t even want to go to the Academy anymore, not after what just happened. She had totally lost interest in it.

And then, out of the blue, a realization hit her like a cold wave.

Dorian’s sudden trance had begun the moment Elvira walked into the room. Something about her had triggered him, and she would stake her life on the fact that Elvira was behind it all.

Her distress instantly hardened into fury. She spun on her heel and marched back inside the mansion, ignoring Pandora and Henna’s calls.

She stormed into the dining area, her eyes locking onto Elvira who was calmly seated at the head of the table, helping herself to breakfast.

"What did you do?" she demanded, her voice shaking with anger.

Elvira paused, her fork hovering in mid-air as she looked up with a mask of wide-eyed innocence. "What?"

"What did you do to my husband? What did you do to Dorian?"

"I did nothing to him!" Elvira snapped back, rising to her feet as Alyssa charged straight across the room toward her. "I have no idea what you are accusing me of."

"Alyssa! Stop!" Pandora yelled, sprinting into the dining room and grabbing Alyssa by the shoulders to pull her back.

"She did something to him!" Alyssa shrieked, fighting against Pandora’s grip. "She did! I know she did!"

She lunged across the table suddenly, intent on clawing the innocent look off Elvira’s face.

Henna rushed forward, helping Pandora restrain her with everything she had.

"TELL ME WHAT YOU DID!" Alyssa screamed, her voice echoing off the high ceiling.

"I didn’t do a thing!" Elvira screamed back, retreating a step behind her chair.

"Alec!" Pandora yelled toward the doorway. "Help us hold her!"

Alec sprinted into the room to assist them, but Alyssa was already past the point of restraint.

And none of them noticed her blue eyes bleeding into a fiery crimson, nor did they see the jagged cracks rapidly spreading across the glass windows.