Chapter 4

Aria:

His scent reached me before he did.

Smoke. Cedar. Danger. And despite myself, I couldn’t help but find myself being intrigued…

I’d been pacing his chamber for almost an hour, telling myself I wasn’t afraid. I should’ve run. I didn’t.

When the door opened, the air shifted, predatory, electric. Dominic stepped in, shirt half-unbuttoned, sleeves rolled to his elbows, eyes darker than I’d ever seen them.

“What are you doing here?”

The words came out rough, almost a growl.

“I was told to stay where you could watch me,” I said angrily. “You didn’t say where. And I believe that it is your guards who brought me here. Trust me when I say, the last thing that I want is to be in your presence, Alpha.”

His jaw flexed. “You’re testing me.”

“Maybe.” I leaned against the edge of his desk, crossing my legs slowly. “Maybe I just don’t like being paraded like a slave. Even worse, being treated like one. I hope that you enjoyed the show. I take that your Luna was furious about it.”

His eyes followed the motion, deliberate, hungry. “The fact that you dared raise a hand on me should have put your head on a stake.”

“What are we? The seventh century? Because as far as I am concerned, this is the twenty-first.” I said, taking a step towards him. “Slaves is something, but having heads on stakes is an old school game, which I believe died a long time ago.”

“You have a mouth on you.” He said, making me scoff. “And it amazes me that you have the guts to be as angry as you are when it is your father who sold you to pay the debt he had. Otherwise, you know, along with your family, you have been dead.”

His word stung, but I held my ground as I looked at him.

“Then tell me to leave or kill me.” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “Even better, reject me. It would a lot better than having to deal with this shit. And I believe that your Luna is going to be happy seeing as you have caused a scene earlier by defending me against her.”

Silence. Only the sound of his breathing.

When he didn’t answer, I tilted my head. “Thought so.”

He moved before I saw it coming, hand gripping my waist, spinning me against the desk, his body pinning mine. The wood bit into my lower back. I had to bite the inside of my mouth to stop myself from whimpering at his touch.

“Do you know what you’re asking for?” he said, voice low enough to scrape down my spine. “Do you even think that you can tell me what to do? Even worse, do you believe that you can get away with challenging me?”

“I am not challenging you, though it would be tempting. I am telling you to stop pretending.”

His breath hit my cheek. “Pretending what?”

“That you don’t want this. You look for me in the crowd despite me arriving as a slave. That your Luna is jealous of my presence, and yet, you can’t find it in yourself to reject.”

A harsh laugh escaped him. “You have no idea what I want.”

“Then show me.”

The space between us vanished. His mouth crashed against mine, a collision of restraint and fury. Heat shot through me, the kind that burned and begged at once. His fingers slid up my neck, tangling in my hair, pulling until a soft sound broke from my throat.

He swallowed it. Deepened it. Even growled into my mouth against it. He lifted me to sit on his desk, grinding against me as he made me feel his want for me.

My body gave in, despite myself, as my wolf seemed to want this more than I wanted to admit. But forcing myself to focus, I pushed him back. His eyes widened, and I raised my hand, wanting to hit him. He wrapped his hand around mine, holding it midair, forcing me to look him in the eye. His grip firm, but not harsh.

“I let it go the first time, it doesn’t mean that I will again.” He said, making me let out a low growl. He returned it, tightening his grip around my wrist enough to show me that he could hurt me, he was choosing not to.

“Then by all means, show me your worst.” I said darkly.

His eyes flashed gold. But he let my wrist go. “Get out.”

The words hit like ice. But I refused to show him that it affected me. I refused to allow myself to react.

At the door, I paused. “Goodnight, Alpha.”