CHAPTER 2: The Alpha's Suite

Jasmine’s POV

My wrist burned furiously in his grip as the man stared down at me with his dark eyes swirling with a sudden unnatural light that made my knees feel like water.

He smiled darkly. His handsome lips curved upward but the smile was entirely dead, never reaching those glowing dangerous eyes.

“Well, well,” he murmured. “What exactly were those quick little fingers looking for?”

“I… I…“ I stuttered. My brain completely short-circuited. I opened my mouth but I couldn't form a single coherent word to save my life. “I tripped. I am so sorry.”

His grip tightened just a little, delivering an agonizing promise of broken bones. “Try again.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of emerald green dress.. Zea. She had seen the slip-up from across the room and was already weaving through the wealthy crowd toward us with her face set in concern. She was no doubt cooking up some wild plan to help, probably preparing to spill another drink or feign a twisted ankle just to create a distraction so I could run.

The man didn’t even turn his head to look at her as a growl rumbled deep in his broad chest. It was so quiet that the surrounding partygoers clinking their glasses couldn't hear it.

“Tell your little friend that it would help if she stays back,” he warned with his tone dangerously soft and coated in absolute authority. “Unless she wants to get hurt, too.”

Zea froze mid-step. She was incredibly street-smart and she recognized a massive losing battle when she saw one. She chewed on her bottom lip with her bold brown eyes flashing with frustration.

“Is everything alright here, Mr. Glenn?”

I jumped out of my skin as a large broad-shouldered security guard suddenly stepped up beside us with his wary eyes darting between my trapped wrist and the stranger's handsome face. He looked incredibly respectful.. almost fearful as he addressed the man.

That same uncanny dead smile returned to the stranger's face as he smoothly adjusted his grip on my arm, shifting his fingers so it looked like he was merely holding my hand in an intimate manner.

“Everything is perfectly fine,” Glenn said smoothly with his tone light and breezy. “Are these two bothering me? No, not at all. The lady just lost her balance. Isn't that right, sweetheart?”

I swallowed a hard lump in my throat, forcing a tight jerky nod. “Yes. I'm fine.”

The guard hesitated for a brief second then nodded and backed away, melting quickly back into the loud crowd.

Zea took the unspoken hint as well, taking two slow steps backward to give us space but she didn't leave. She hovered near a tall pillar, keeping a very close eye out for any sudden movements.

Glenn finally released my hand and I immediately yanked my arm back, subtly rubbing my bruised wrist behind my back.

My heart was still doing violent gymnastics against my ribs and I desperately wanted to run.. to bolt for the side exit and never look back but my feet felt permanently glued to the floor.

Surprisingly, Glenn let out a breath and relaxed his posture.

“You look pale,” he observed, casually brushing the few drops of spilled champagne off his expensive suit sleeve. “Let me buy you a drink. You actually came to me at the exact right time.”

I stared at him, totally bewildered. “Excuse me?”

“I was bored to death of these rich men,” he said, waving a dismissive hand toward the group he had just escaped. “I wanted to do something different tonight.”

He turned and gestured toward the nearest open bar, clearly expecting me to follow him.

I didn't want a drink.. I wanted to escape back to the safety of the slums. But the lingering threat in his Alpha aura pushed me forward. Fear forced my legs to move, carrying me to the bar where he smoothly ordered two glasses of bourbon and handed one to me. I took the glass with my fingers shaking slightly, drinking it only out of sheer fear.

“Who are you?” I asked with my voice barely above a raspy whisper.

He took a slow sip of his drink with his dark eyes never leaving mine. “I'm Glenn.”

“Just Glenn?”

“Just Glenn.” He leaned his back against the bar, observing me like I was a fascinating complicated puzzle. “Now, what about you? Tell me about your life. What's your name? Who is your family?”

I took a frantic burning gulp of the bourbon. It burned a fiery trail down my throat but it gave me a tiny necessary spark of courage.

“My name is Sarah,” I lied smoothly, easily falling back on my practiced cover story. “My family owns a small shipping company out in the eastern territory. We're just visiting Cresthaven for the week to look at some real estate.”

Glenn stared at me for a long silent moment then a genuine chuckle escaped his lips.

“Fascinating,” he said, shaking his head slowly with an amused glint in his eye. “Because absolutely none of what you just said was true.”

My breath hitched painfully. “I don't know what you mean.”

“You carry yourself like someone who expects to be hit and your hands are much too fast for a pampered shipping heiress.” He stepped closer, completely invading my personal space.

He suddenly sighed heavily, glancing around the crowded hall with obvious distaste. “The place here is just too noisy for me. I've got a private suite upstairs. We can go there and catch up or something.”

Fresh panic immediately washed over me. “No. Thank you, but I really should get back to my friend.”

I turned to leave, desperate to put distance between us but his eyes suddenly steeled into cold hard flint.

“That wasn't a request,” he said with his voice dropping an octave.

I looked into those dark eyes and realized the horrifying truth.. I was utterly trapped!

I swallowed my pride and my terror. I had absolutely no choice here as I awkwardly began to follow Glenn with my legs feeling like lead as we walked away from the party and headed toward the staircase going upstairs to his private suite.

I glanced over my shoulder and found Zea. She looked terrified with her knuckles white as she gripped a champagne flute. I quickly gave her a subtle downward signal with my hand, telling her to be calm and stay put.

We walked down a quiet carpeted hallway and he unlocked the door to a massive luxurious suite and pushed it open. The moment the door clicked shut behind us, the silence in the room became incredibly deafening.

Glenn walked past me, tossing his suit jacket onto a nearby armchair and walked over to the edge of the large, king-sized bed then sat down, spreading his long legs comfortably and looking up at me with a dark expectant gleam in his eye.

“Put on a show for me,” he ordered casually.

I blinked, thoroughly convinced my anxiety was making me hear things. “A what?”

He let out an annoyed sigh, leaning back on his hands. “Don't act so ignorant. You tried to rob me and now I want you to strip tease for me.”

The sheer audacity of the man!

“You're out of your mind. I'm not doing that.”

I pivoted on my heel, entirely ready to walk out of there and take my chances with the Cresthaven enforcers but the moment my hand reached for the door...

A wave of aggressive dominance washed over me. His wolf was projecting a terrifying alpha command that made my knees physically buckle and the empty space in my chest where my wolf should be screamed in phantom agony while the amulet burned against my skin.

I was terrified. I couldn't fight an Alpha's aura when I was magically stripped of my own defenses..!

Tears of frustration pricked my eyes but I swallowed them down and slowly turned around, submitting to the crushing weight of his power.

I walked over to the small audio system on the side table and hit play. A slow music filled the silence and I kept my eyes locked on his, masking my fear with a glare of stubborn defiance.

I started to do the tease for him, moving slowly to the music as requested, I slid the straps of my dress off my shoulders, letting the cloth pool down to the floor and I stepped out of it with the cool air raising goosebumps on my skin.

I was down to my simple black undies and I stood there, feeling incredibly exposed with my heart pounding.

Suddenly, Glenn got up from the bed and reached up and started loosening his tie, pulling it completely from his collar and tossing it onto the floor. His eyes were dark, hungry and entirely focused on me as he walked closer and invited me to the bed.

Horror washed over me and I stood frozen for a second but then I took a deep breath and forced my mind to steel itself to do this.

I was drowning in my dead mother's terrible debts and I was living on borrowed time, working myself into the ground. If I was being honest with myself, this wouldn't be the first time that I'd be fucking a man for cash anyways. Survival was an ugly, brutal game in Cresthaven. If giving my body to this strange man meant I walked out of this hotel free and alive.. then I would do it.

I climbed onto the mattress...

***

Sometime later, the room was quiet except for the sound of the air conditioner humming. Glenn was fast asleep beside me with his broad chest rising and falling evenly after an incredibly intense fuck.

My mind was completely blown with my body still trembling with aftershocks because I had cummed countless of times. The pleasure had been so overwhelming and so consuming that I had lost total control of my body and had even squirted too, dampening the mattress beneath us.

I absolutely could not believe that the best sex of my entire life was with a creepy, demanding stranger who had essentially blackmailed me.

Glenn shifted, letting out a soft snore and showing clear signs of sleeping deeply. That was my cue.

I carefully slid out of the bed and grabbed my clothes from the floor then quietly but hastily began to dress up. I pulled my dress over my head, struggling with the zipper.. not even bothering to put my heels back on. I just carried them in my hand.

I began to creep away toward the door, desperate to get back to Zea and get the hell out of the Elysian Moor but then right as I passed the small glass table near the armchair, I stopped.

Sitting right there in the open and completely unguarded was the man's fat wallet. It was practically bulging with cash.

I looked back at the sleeping man then back at the wallet. I considered this my hazardous duty pay. Why not?

Without another second of hesitation, I reached out and grabbed it…