Defying The Norms

~Elsa~

I quickly dropped the tray and rushed forward, pulling Seraphina up. I could feel Alpha Lucien’s glare piercing through his lenses.

One of my cousins, Percy, hurried to clean the floor, but when he attempted to wipe Lucien’s massive shoe, a deep voice reverberated through the hall.

“Don’t touch, vermin,” Lucien growled.

His voice was orotund; deep, commanding, and strangely melodic. Yet, ironically, he was not a man of music. The hall fell into silence for a long moment before Alpha Lucien rose, towering above us.

“I’m not in the mood to pick up dirt among your pack, Seth. Take me to your balcony and let’s discuss our deals,” Lucien said while looking down at my father.

“I’m deeply sorry, Alpha Lucien,” my father pleaded.

“Don’t apologize again. Do what I said.”

Seraphina had been right. Once again, Dad looked far too afraid of Lucien. I watched as Seth obeyed immediately, leading Lucien up the stairs.

A wave of devastation washed over me. What was that immodest remark Lucien had just made? He didn’t want to pick up dirt? Did that mean he saw the Vance pack as nothing but waste?

I told myself I was taking it too personally, but when I glanced behind me, Seraphina was gone. No doubt she was fuming with anger.

As I stood there, I realized someone was still seated at the table, watching me. It was Jacob. The anger inside me melted the moment our eyes met. His gaze lingered, as if he was trying to place me, to confirm that he had seen me before.

He hadn’t interfered in the earlier commotion. Instead, he calmly swung the glass of juice in his hand, humble enough to drink without complaint. Perhaps he had been the one who requested it in the first place.

I found myself staring into his green eyes. Slowly, a smile spread across his face, and my breath hitched.

“What’s your name?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.

I hesitated. “Elsa,” I replied.

His eyes narrowed. “We’ve met before, haven’t we?”

“I’m not so sure, Alpha,” I said, bowing. He nodded, but his gaze lingered.

I turned and left for the kitchen. Walking out wasn’t meant as disrespect — I did it discreetly. Maybe I had lied back there, or maybe it was the right answer. Either way, I couldn’t compose myself around him. My wolf shifted restlessly beneath my skin whenever our eyes met.

As I arranged dishes and cleaned the walls, the door creaked. I turned, expecting Seraphina, still angry and ready to cause a scene.

But my heart somersaulted when I saw who it was, Jacob Draegor again. I quickly bowed in reverence.

“Is there anything I can do for you, Alpha?” I asked warmly.

“It’s Jacob,” he corrected.

I remained bowed, silent.

He didn’t stop walking toward me, glass in hand. He placed the cup on the counter as he drew closer. His breathing grew louder with each step, his shoes clanking against the marble floor in regular rhythm. He came close enough that his body brushed mine. His scent was intoxicating, making my skin tingle. My wolf purred within me.

“Too close?” Jacob asked.

I stared into his eyes like a child, then shook my head. I knew it was the wrong answer, but politeness compelled me. And strangely, that politeness felt good.

Jacob’s eyes locked with mine. “You lied, didn’t you?”

“A-About what?” I stammered.

“About whether we’ve met before,” he pressed. “You lied, didn’t you?”

“I’m sorry,” I confessed, lips trembling.

“Close your eyes,” he urged gently.

“What?” My voice was barely a whisper.

“I said close your eyes,” he ordered.

Slowly, hesitantly, I obeyed. Then I felt his lips on mine. I wanted to push him away, to remind him this was wrong. But I failed.

This was forbidden. Jacob knew it. Yet it felt so achingly right. His warm breath sent shivers through me.

“I’m sorry, I can’t hold back. I believe my wolf is right,” Jacob murmured.

I didn’t fully understand, but there was no space to process it. My body betrayed me—I had been waiting for this moment. His hand slid beneath my gown.

“D*mn, you’re drenched,” he muttered between kisses. “It shocks me how you’ve grown into such a beautiful woman, Elsa. You’ve stayed in my mind for years. I dreamed of you after you visited the Estate with Seth.”

Despite the embarrassment, I couldn’t resist. “Really?” I gasped.

“True. I’ve always wanted to see you again. Beautiful encounters fade, but I’m glad I found you. Tell me, did you feel something when I looked at you?”

“My… wolf,” I moaned softly.

“Yes.”

“It shifted,” I admitted.

“What did it say?”

“It only shifted.”

“Then this intimacy isn’t wrong,” he concluded.

Before I could respond, the door hissed, signaling someone’s approach. Jacob swiftly pulled me into the store. We panted in silence. He seemed to know our cuisine well, even finding an escape route.

Through the sl*t, I watched Percy drop off a tray before leaving.

I hadn’t realized Jacob still held me until I felt him thrust behind me. The suddenness made me cry out in pain and pleasure. Being a virgin wolf came with its price, and Jacob, unforgiving, brutal, and relentless claimed me.

Every movement drew me closer to climax. I kept my voice low, terrified Dad might overhear. Wolves were forbidden from intimacy without a mate bond, but I didn’t care. I wanted this. Every piece of it.

Jacob groaned deeply as heat filled me. I collapsed, moaning, before he pulled me upright again. I couldn’t meet his gaze, embarrassed by what had just happened. But instead of leaving, he cupped my face until I looked at him.

“Are you aware this isn’t ordinary?” he asked.

“Ordinary?”

“True. We need to start arranging the bonding ceremony.”

My face flushed. Was he confessing love so quickly? I feigned ignorance, though I knew the tradition.

“Bonding ceremony?” I repeated.

Jacob nodded. “Soon, you will become my mate. But I can’t tell Lucien yet that I’ve awakened a mate bond with you. I can only let him know I’ve marked you.”

His words left me with much to ponder. But one question gnawed at me. “Why don’t you want to tell him?” I asked softly.

Jacob exhaled, eyes flicking to the foodstuffs before returning to me. “Because Lucien doesn’t like the any pack. He's strange guy. He shows he wants nothing to do with anyone. He may want a bond, and we already have one. I’m sure all will be fine, and he will approve.”

I was stunned. So Lucien truly meant what he said earlier, that the Vance pack was nothing but dirt. It was painful to hear. Yet Jacob’s promise offered me hope. If he made me his mate, happiness might follow.

But standing in our way was Alpha Lucien Draegor, and possibly... my father.