I Ran From My Psycho Step-brother Straight Into The Alpha's Lap novel Chapter 96

**When Night Grows Softer Hope Returns To Lead Us by Asa Rowan Finn – Chapter 96**

Brittany’s eyes widened, the heavy false lashes almost weighing them down like curtains.

She was clearly taken aback, never expecting Talya-Brandon’s typically meek little pet to actually stand her ground and bite back.

Sage’s complexion drained of color. She yanked my arm with urgency, her voice tinged with panic. “It’s okay, Brittany! She’s just… tired. Let’s get out of here.”

Talya glanced back over her shoulder. Brittany and her entourage were strutting away, giggling like a gaggle of geese.

A pack of fools, completely oblivious, prowling like hyenas on the hunt.

The fire still raged within Talya’s chest, a fierce heat that made her lungs feel as though they were on fire. She inhaled sharply, spinning around and marching toward the classroom, her pace quickening with each step, too furious to care about where she was headed.

Thud.

She collided with something solid, a wall of muscle that felt as immovable as steel armor.

Pain shot through her, her nose stinging as tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

Before she could crumple to the ground in a humiliating heap, a pair of strong, steady hands gripped her arms, preventing her from falling.

Talya looked up.

And up.

Wow. What on earth did they feed this guy?

He towered over her like a mountain, blocking her escape.

Even through the fabric of his shirt, she could see the muscles beneath, as if he were sculpted from granite. His hair was a perfect shade of blonde, and the stubble on his jaw looked carefully groomed—the kind that was undeniably attractive but would definitely leave her skin tingling if he got too close.

But there was something unsettling about the whole vibe.

Brandon liked to parade around, believing he was the Alpha, the ruler of this school. But standing next to this man?

Brandon was nothing more than a child playing dress-up in his father’s oversized suit.

The man’s gaze descended upon her, a playful smirk dancing on his lips.

For a moment, Talya’s mind went blank. It wasn’t solely because he was strikingly handsome—though he was distractingly good-looking—but rather the overwhelming aura of power radiating from him.

“I’m Sage. This is Talya.” Sage’s voice cut through the tension like ice water splashed on a hot day.

What was she doing? Why was she staring at a stranger like some lovesick fool? If Brandon saw this…

“Talya.”

The man uttered her name, his voice low and raspy, like sandpaper brushing against her most sensitive nerves. A jolt of electricity coursed up her spine, leaving her momentarily breathless.

It wasn’t just his voice that captivated her. It was the intensity of his electric blue eyes.

He didn’t regard her as just another stranger.

No, he looked at her like a wolf who hadn’t eaten in days, and she was the rare steak laid out before him on a silver platter.

“I like that name,” he murmured, his gaze tracing the line of her jaw with an intensity that felt almost predatory.

He was undressing her with his eyes, and it made her heart race in a way that both thrilled and terrified her.

Get a grip, Talya. Don’t act like a naïve village girl who’s never seen a man before.

“I’m Liam.”

Liam. The name echoed in her mind, almost instinctively, as if it were meant to linger there.

“We’re late.” Sage pinched her arm sharply, her voice dropping to a fierce whisper. “If your boyfriend sees…”

Boyfriend.

The word hit her like a hammer on a hangover.

Fear washed over Talya, clearing her mind of everything else.

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