Chapter 10

Anita’s POV

After some time, Martha went inside. I stood up and dragged the bag from the table, wanting to go in too but as a first step, the sound of Martha’s brother, Zach, yelling from the living room broke through the quiet stillness in our small apartment.

“Martha! Take out the trash!” Zach’s voice rang through the walls, followed by a frustrated sigh from the other room.

They both walked into the kitchen, meeting me there. I turned my face to Zach, meeting a cold stare from him and to Martha.

She groaned loudly immediately, her head falling back against the wall behind her in defeat. “Why do I always get stuck with the grossest chores?” she muttered, looking at me for sympathy.

I smirked, “Because you’re the youngest, and he knows you’ll do it,” I said, half teasing but mostly glad it wasn’t me.

Before she could protest further, Zach appeared in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. “Martha, come on. It’s literally your turn. Don’t make this a thing.”

Martha rolled her eyes dramatically and got up from the table, muttering under her breath. “Yeah, yeah. But you could help sometimes, you know,” she shot back as she reached for the trash bag under the sink.

As she tied up the bag and got ready to head out, something lingered at the back of my mind. “Hey, wait,” I said, “I heard there’ve been some sketchy people hanging around the building lately. I’m coming with you.”

Martha glanced at me, surprised but also grateful. “Really? You don’t have to, but I’m not going to say no. Just in case, you know?”

I grabbed my jacket from the back of my chair and slipped it on. “Besides, I’m a strong wolf. If there’s any trouble, I can handle it,” I said with a wink, though part of me was genuinely concerned. The idea of anything happening to Martha wasn’t something I was willing to risk, no matter how little it seemed.

Hand in hand, we headed toward the door, with Zach shaking his head as he watched us. “You two act like there’s a whole army of bad guys out there. It’s just trash.”

“Better safe than sorry,” I shot back, giving him a playful glare as we stepped out into the hallway.

The air in the building was cool and slightly stale, as usual. The narrow hallway leading to the elevator always felt a little too quiet, but tonight it was different. It was as if something was hanging in the air, a tension I couldn’t quite place. I glanced at Martha, who seemed oblivious, happily swinging the trash bag between us as we walked.

We reached the elevator, pressing the call button, and stood there, waiting in silence. I could hear the distant hum of the elevator as it climbed toward us.

It dinged softly as the doors slid open. Martha and I stepped inside, still leaning close and whispering about nonsense to pass the time.

"I still can't believe you think Alpha Hades could be into me," I said, lowering my voice as if speaking the thought aloud might make it real.

Martha chuckled, nudging me with her elbow. "I'm just saying! He gave you a fancy gift, and he's been acting weird around you. Stranger things have happened."

I rolled my eyes, though a part of me couldn’t shake the idea. I had been trying to push it out of my head all night, but her teasing kept bringing it back to the surface.

Suddenly, the elevator slowed to a stop, the doors sliding open again. I barely glanced up, still focused on Martha’s teasing words. We stepped out, hand in hand, ready to make a quick trip to the trash bins outside. But just as we walked past the doors, something tugged at my awareness, a presence, a familiar body that I have seen before.

I glanced to the side, my heart skipping a beat as we passed by a tall figure stepping out of the elevator. I didn’t look directly at him, but something about the way he moved was familiar.

Martha and I were still leaning close, whispering, our heads nearly touching. Her voice pulled me back into the conversation, and I kept walking, not giving the man a second glance.

But then, I heard it—faint but unmistakable. A voice calling out my name.

"Anita?"

I stopped in my tracks, the sound freezing me in place. The voice—it was so familiar. My mind raced, trying to place it, and my heart thudded in my chest as recognition settled over me.

Alpha Hades.

It couldn’t be… could it?

I turned slightly, just enough to glance over my shoulder, but the elevator doors had already begun to close. I caught a glimpse of his silhouette as he stood there, watching the doors slide shut, a look of hesitation on his face.

I hesitated for a second, the urge to turn back pulling at me, but Martha tugged at my hand, pulling me forward. "Come on, Anita. Let’s just get this over with," she said, not having noticed the moment that had just passed.

I followed her, but my mind was still stuck on that voice. Had it really been him? Why would Alpha Hades be here, of all places? And why would he be calling my name?

As we stepped outside into the cool night air, Martha must have sensed my distraction because she turned to me with a curious look. "What’s up with you? You’ve been acting weird ever since we got into the elevator."

I shook my head, still processing everything. "I don’t know… It’s just—" I hesitated, unsure if I should say it aloud. "It sounded like someone was calling my name back there."

Martha stopped walking, her eyes narrowing with interest. "Calling your name? Like who?"

I glanced back at the apartment building, the lingering feeling of Alpha Hades’s presence still gnawing at me. "It sounded like… my boss."

Her eyebrows shot up, and a teasing grin spread across her face. "Your boss? You mean Alpha Hades?"

I nodded, feeling a little foolish for even thinking about it. "Yeah. But that doesn’t make any sense, does it? Why would he be here?"

Martha’s grin widened, and she nudged me again with her elbow. "Maybe he’s following you. You know, because he’s secretly in love with you or something."

I groaned, pulling my hand away from hers and swatting her playfully. "Oh, come on, Martha. Be serious for a second."

She laughed, but there was a glint in her eyes that told me she wasn’t about to let this go. "Hey, I’m just saying. You’ve been acting all weird ever since he gave you that gift, and now he’s showing up at your apartment building, calling your name? You have to admit, that’s a little suspicious."

I shook my head, trying to brush off the whole thing. "It’s probably just a coincidence. Maybe it wasn’t even him. I mean, what would Alpha Hades be doing here anyway?"

Martha gave me a knowing look, clearly not convinced. "Uh-huh. Sure, it’s just a coincidence. But you know what they say—there’s no such thing as coincidence when it comes to fate."

I rolled my eyes, though her words stuck with me more than I wanted to admit. Could it really have been him? And if it was, why would he be here? There was no logical explanation for it. Alpha Hades didn’t have any business in this part of town. At least, none that I knew of.

But the more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going on. Something I wasn’t seeing yet.

"Alright, fine," Martha said, breaking the silence as we reached the trash bins. She tossed the bag into the dumpster and turned back to me, her expression serious now. "What if it was him? What if Alpha Hades was calling your name because he was looking for you?"

I shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "Then I guess he’ll find me tomorrow at work."

Martha rolled her eyes dramatically. "Ugh, you’re no fun. If some hot Alpha was calling my name, I’d be running after him, not walking away."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Yeah, well, you and I are different. Besides, I’m not chasing after anyone. If he wants to talk to me, he knows where to find me."

Martha gave me a playful look, but there was a hint of seriousness in her eyes. "Just don’t close yourself off too much, okay? You never know what’s going on in someone else’s head. Maybe there’s more to this than you realize."

I didn’t respond, but her words stuck with me as we made our way back to the building. Could there really be more to this? Or was I just reading too much into a simple moment?