Ansel addresses his men again. “You all may go. ” There is a slight pause as none of them head towards the door.
“Why do you need he—” Ansel peers over his shoulder, and the man immediately silences. Contagious fear bounces from man to man at the sharp look that Ansel gives them. They avert their eyes to the ground, and I can sense their fear mix with my own. “Understood. My apologies, sir,” the man says after a little while. They hastily exit, and lock the door, leaving me behind to face Ansel again. I don’t want to look at him. If he can make men twice my size that afraid, there is no telling what will become of me.
His eyes shift in color to an amber that resembles the crackling fire still going in the fireplace. He looks almost feral, like someone working overtime to contain a monster that threatens to escape. My eyes widen. The golden wolf from before…could that have been him? I’d never seen him in wolf form before, but if it was, then the terror I witnessed on the gamma’s faces makes even more sense.
Ansel takes a step towards my cage with a disdainful look that makes me wrap my tattered veil tighter around my body. Through the chaos of the night, my clothing had been little of a thought to me until now. The damaged blue sarong my dealers clad me feels even smaller with his piercing gaze on it.
He sneers at me. “It’s difficult to shield yourself when you aren’t wearing much. Isn’t it?” His eyes roam over my torn sarong, and he curses under his breath “Why were you in that place?” he asks, folding his arm over his chest.
It doesn’t feel like a question, but a judgement, and I purse my lips. Where in the past his voice was always soft and smiling, now it feels like no matter what I say, nothing will change how lowly he clearly thinks of me. Every part of what made him once familiar to me was drowned out by his new callous nature.
“Please, just let me go,” I whisper, and he shakes his head.
“I don’t think so. From what I heard from your dealers; you would be of good use to me.” He pulls a crumbled brochure from the back of his pocket. “Lily, the chief attraction,” he says, pointing to my picture. “Beautiful she-wolf who can produce high-quality heirs. Of course, they weren’t so kind describing you in person. If I remember correctly, they said you were one of the best whores they had because you crave to be fucked.”
My bottom lip trembles at the sight of pure disgust on his face.
I can’t tell him who I really am.
I think to myself. If a stranger could illicit such a strong detest from him in less than twenty-four hours, finding out I was really his mate would send him over the edge.
I know what I need to do.
He may hate me for rejecting him, but I rather that than the alternative presented in front of me.
“Answer my question,” he says, keeping me under his razor-sharp gaze. “Why were you in that kind of place?”
“I-I…I don’t know.”
“Don’t bullshit me,” he snaps.
Ada rages inside of me. “He’s angry. Tell him who we really are and why we were there!”
“No!”
“Yes!” She pushes out of sync with me, as if trying to get to Ansel herself. The longer I’m quiet, the more I can see his temper bubbling over.
“Why.were.you.there?!” he shouts unable to keep it in.
I lock eyes with him, and heat covers my entire body. “They already told you, so why do you need to hear it again?!” I scream. “I was there so I could go to the highest bidder, and things were going to plan until you interrupted. Since you need a reminder, fine. I’ll happily give you one. I’m their beautiful Lily; their favorite whore that gives as good as she gets. Is that enough for you or would you prefer I belt out a song?!”
Ada pushes against me, trying to take control, but I refuse to change my mind. I need him to be angry. Maybe If I push him enough, I’ll be sent away, and he’ll never know who I truly am.
I can tell each word I say infuriates Ansel more, and I fight the urge to cower away from him. The rise and fall of his chest as he exhales sharply gives him the resemblance of a raging bull.
I square my shoulders and let out a scoff. “Don’t look so sick to your stomach, mister,” I say, putting on the bravest face I could muster. “I don’t know you well enough to care about your judgement in what I do and don’t enjoy. I may not be your cup of tea, but there are plenty of men who would kill for just a drop of me on their tongue.”
Silence permeates every crevice of the room as the last sentence leaves my mouth. Ansel’s jaw is flexed so tightly, I’m sure he will soon crack a tooth. A violent storm of emotion brews in his eyes as he contemplates my words, and I realize I’ve gone too far. They glow a golden as bright as the furious beast I’d seen slaughter the dealers’ moments prior. I brace myself to endure the brunt of his fury.
“Strip,” he says, his eyes boring into me. My hands raise and find the hem of my sarong. I can’t refuse. The longer he stares at me, the more my body feels as if it’s completely under his power. “Are you aware that I can make you do anything I want with just one look?” he asks.
My eyes widen and he grins. “My guess is that you weren’t. It’s a special ability of mine; one that I’ve mastered over the years. Now that you know, do you really wish to continue to provoke me, little wolf? I have as much control over my temper as I do your body right now, which is why confidently I can tell you that your plan won’t work. No matter how much you vex me, you’re not going anywhere.”
Shit.
My throat dries. I part my lips to speak but he puts his finger up. “Let’s skip the games, shall we? I’m a busy man, and it’s been a long night. Just answer me this, is that strawberry shaped birthmark still on the inside of your right thigh?”
“What?”
“You heard me, Karin.” His eyes return to their natural hue, and he remains stoic, as if baiting me to lie again. “Did you really think I wouldn’t know who you were? Come on, give me more credit than that. Can’t you see that I’m not the frail little boy you once rejected?”
“I-I—” I stammer and waves his wrist in front of me as if demanding the words to fully exit.
“Y-you what? Drop the lies and don’t insult my intelligence again. I know you. I know you have a strawberry shaped birthmark on the inside of your thigh”—he points through the bars.—“right there. Look if you don’t believe me.” I don’t need to look. I’ve had the mark since I was born. I’m out of options. He knows the truth, and the blaze in his eyes tells me he’s once again trying to control his wolf. “I’ve had enough of this, Karin,” he growls.
Swiftly, he raises his hand, and I duck. “Please don’t!” I yell and shield myself as the metal of the cage cracks around me.
I wait for the pain to come from the sting of his hand across my face, but it doesn’t. “Please,” Ansel says above me. Hesitantly, I peek at him, and he lets out a scoff. “I’m not that much of a brute,” he says, rolling his eyes.“I-I don’t understand.” The cage vibrates. I’m not imagining it; he’s broken it with little force. Rods fall one by one from around me, making an enormous bang when they hit the floor. Ansel grabs one, stopping it just in time from colliding with my head. I can hear my heartbeat as I stare wildly at the metal pole in his hand.He extends it to me, and the ice of his eyes brews a storm in them again. “That cage was a bit of a buffer. Now we can actually have some fun.” My face pales at his words and his face breaks into a devilish grin. He chuckles. “I’ve told you already, I’m not a brute…well not THAT much of one, but that doesn’t mean I can have you continue to lie to me. Are you finally ready to admit that I’m right about who you are, or am I going to have t
Ansel laid on top of me with his jaw clenched, diminishing any amount of bravery I once had. I find myself petrified. He may have said that he wasn’t a brute, but the sharp look that he gives me makes me feel different. I could feel his hardened manhood still pressed against me.“I could smell you on the stage,” he says through clench teeth. “I’d know your scent anywhere. Suzuran. Lily of the Valley. How fitting that they lied about your name using Lily in particular?” He tightened his grip around my wrists, and I fight the urge to cry out. “I loathe liars, particularly the ones who have the boldness to lie to me right in my face. I take it very personal when people don’t have the conviction to speak the truth or do right by others, especially those who have never harmed them.”I know the words hold a double meaning. This is revenge. His hatred for me and my rejection is clear. I don’t want to speak, but I gather my bearings. Maybe I could use his current state to my advantage. I swal
I quickly lower my head and avert my eyes.Nice going Karin.I scold myself. It had taken me less than five minutes to destroy the only positive interaction we’d had since reconnecting.You have to st—oh…I purse my lips, noticing the growing bulge protruding through the towel. I look up at Ansel, and his eyebrows are knitted into a deep line. He looks like he wants to say something, but when he parts his lips, the growl of my stomach beats him to the punch.My cheeks redden and I cover my stomach out of embarrassment. “Sorry. I guess I’m a little hungry,” I say with a chuckle. He doesn’t laugh, and I rub my hand up and down my arm. “Can I have something to eat? Maybe salmon…and I don’t know…a strawberry milkshake?” The thought of a delicious meal makes me lick my lips. Ansel’s eyes darken slightly, and the redness of my cheeks increase.“Let me get dressed,” he says and retreats to the bathroom. After a bit of commotion, he reappears in a relaxed silk robe set. Parts of his brawny
Ansel’s eyes darkened to the blue of murky waters. I took a step back from the desk and watched his face contort into a snarl. “Of course. Do not be fooled by this arrangement. This is not personal, only business. I need an heir, and your surrogacy will provide me with one. What you do after the baby’s arrival is none of my concern.”The words stung worse than any amount of abuse I’d endured from the traffickers prior. Ada whimpered inside of me, and I sighed.“Now do you believe me?” I say to her, but she only whimpers again.I place the contract on the desk and pick up his pen. “Alright then, I accept,” I say as I sign. The pen is still warm to the touch, causing the corners of my mouth to turn up into a small smile. Years ago, Ansel’s illness left his fingers deathly cold, and I was always afraid that I would soon receive news of his passing. Waking up and rushing to make sure that he was alive had become as much of a routine for me as brushing my teeth.I remember wanting nothing
ANSEL POV“Well, go on, don’t keep me in suspense,” Aron coaxed on the edge of his seat.Ansel grumbled, “Two hard-ons aren’t really that big of a deal…”Aron's eyes almost popped from his head. “Two?! You’ve gone from months of nothing to now having two erections with the same woman at the source?!” He smirked. “Who is it, Ansel?”“Karin. She was the one I rescued from the dealers that night.”“K-Karin…as in your mate that—”“Rejected me,” Ansel finished for him, his jaw tightening. “That is correct, so again, don’t overthink it.”“I’m not. I’m just a little surprised. How does it feel having her back in your life?”“I feel no way about it.”“The whitening of your knuckles and snarl on your face says otherwise.” Ansel relaxed his hands and exhaled sharply. “I feel no way about it,” he repeated. “I do plan to use this for my benefit, however.”“How so?”“A surrogacy contract. She’s going to provide me an heir.”“Tread lightly,” Aron said, shaking his head. “Lust is an emotion that ha
Ansel says nothing and walks out of the room. Shifting my weight back and forth, I remain planted unsure of what to do next. He swiftly reappears. “Head back to your room,” he says.I purse my lips. His expression isn’t cold, but it’s clear that this conversation is over. I bustle from the den and find my way back to my room. Entering, I curse and pace around. “Karin, learn to shut up sometimes,” I scold. “You’re going to ruin everything, and then your father will never get out of prison.” A knock on the door stops me.“Madam may I come in?” an unfamiliar voice calls from the other side.“Yes, you may enter.” A woman who looks about in her thirties enters my room. She closes the door and clasps her hands in front of her. “Hello, my name is Maggie. I’m the new maid assigned to you.”“Excuse me?”“Sir Ansel said that I am to take care of everything you need from now on. I am the new head maid, and I will make sure there are no more problems moving forward.”“What about Meredith?”“She n
“What?!” I shout, practically falling over myself. “I-I-we-because-that’s actually impossible considering he’s only finge—”“Karin!” Ansel roars, scaring me quiet.I lower my head. “Sorry.” I didn’t mean for my outburst, but the accusation had caught me completely off guard. There’s no way that I could be pregnant when Ansel and I have never had sex. My face turns as white as a sheet.Oh God. What if he was suggesting that I was pregnant before I got here?The idea of that thought infiltrating Ansel’s mind scares me more than the suggestion prior.“I’m not pregnant,” I say as evenly as I can. “It’s just a lot of food in such a small span of time. I know I overdid it before, but this is really a bit much.” My face grows hot to the touch, and my mouth salivates. Standing, I dart to the bathroom to vomit. “I appreciate everything, but please take it all away,” I say between breaths.“Of course,” Maggie says on the other side. There is shuffling and I can hear the clatter of plates and di
Maggie hands me a towel to wrap around my body. Helping me out of the basin, she provides me a lotion that pairs well with the scent of the rose petals. After, she holds up a bag. “This is for you to wear,” she says.I eye the bag curiously, then take it from her. Inside there is a pink satin cami romper that reminds me of a ballerina costume, but way more revealing. I put it on, and slide the spaghetti straps up my bare shoulders. The fabric clings to my skin, and my nipples harden as the fuzzy trim tickles the insides of my thighs. I clear my throat with a flushed face. “Is this another request from Ansel?”“Actually, I picked this one out based on his response from your dress earlier. Something tells me that this is right up the Second Prince’s alley.” Reaching for a glass of liquid from the bathroom counter, she extends it to me. “One more thing. You need to drink this.”“What is it?” I ask as