Chapter 5

*Demarion's point of view*

I stepped into the room, silent and deliberate. The air shifted the moment I entered. She was there, lost in her own world, moving to the rhythm of music only she could hear. Her hands swept across the floor, brushing against scattered papers, her body swaying naturally. Every movement drew me in, like a thread I could not resist, and I hated it.

I hated it because I could feel my wolf stirring, restless and dangerous, drawn to her in a way I could not control. I hated it because my mind was screaming at me to stop, to turn away, to leave her alone. And I hated it most because every instinct I had wanted to dominate, to claim, to make her mine.

But I didn’t want her. I told myself that a hundred times. I don’t want a mate. I don’t want her.

I moved closer, my steps quiet, calculated. Her back stiffened before she even knew I was near. My hands found her hips instinctively, not touching roughly, but enough to let her know I was there. I saw her freeze, the sharp intake of breath, the tension in her body. My wolf growled beneath my skin, hungry, impatient. My human mind scolded me, but the pull of her, of Adele, was impossible to deny.

“You enjoy provoking me,” I whispered close to her ear, my voice low, smooth, almost a tease, though I hated myself for it.

Her gasp broke the quiet. I could hear it, feel it. My wolf growled again, as if warning me it could not contain its hunger. My fingers tightened slightly, keeping her still. Her head tilted toward me, and I felt my own control slipping. Every part of me wanted to claim her, to mark her, to tell the world she belonged to me. But I didn’t.

I didn’t want her.

She struggled. Her words were weak, hesitant. “Demarion, I cannot…”

“Enough,” I snapped, unable to hold back the edge in my voice.

In a heartbeat, I shifted. One motion, one speed—I had her pressed against the wall. My hands pinned hers above her head. My eyes locked with hers, burning, stabbing, desperate. Every part of me screamed, every muscle alive with the need to control, to dominate, to drag her closer. And yet, I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.

“Why are you doing this to me?” I demanded, my voice rough, shaking slightly despite my effort to remain steady. “I do not want you. Why won’t you leave me alone?”

Her eyes shone with tears, blurring her face but not her words. She said them clearly, softly, and each one landed like a dagger in my chest.

“You did this,” she whispered. “Not me.”

Every rational thought I had collided with my wolf’s hunger. I could feel her warmth, her presence, her body pressed to mine. Every fiber of me wanted to let go, to give in, to let her feel what she wanted, but my pride, my anger, my control—everything—stopped me. I could not. I would not.

She inhaled deeply, as if drawing strength from the very air around her. I felt it, the surrender, the momentary acceptance of being near me, even knowing it would be the last. And in that moment, the bond between us pulsed. It was sharp, cruel, unrelenting, reminding me that she was mine whether I wanted it or not.

Then she spoke the words.

“I, Adele Vernon, reject you, Alpha Demarion Jones, as my mate.”

I froze, hearing them echo against the walls. Every muscle in my body tensed. My wolf snarled in protest, wild and furious, but my human mind was equally stunned. The word “reject” burned across my senses. She had chosen, declared, severed the bond with intention. And yet… I didn’t feel relief.

I felt hollow.

I wanted to crush her in my arms, to tell her it didn’t matter, that she could not reject me, but instead, I stood frozen. Anger and desire warred with each other inside me, tangled so tightly I could barely breathe. She had done this to herself, she said. But in that moment, it felt like she had done it to me.

I stepped back slightly, my chest tight, my hands trembling. She was still there, tears glistening on her cheeks, staring at me, bracing herself. And I hated her for it, and I hated myself for feeling every tug of longing that her presence brought.

I didn’t want a mate. I didn’t want her. And yet… she had me.

The room felt unbearably quiet after that. Her rejection hung between us like a weight, heavy and suffocating. My mind refused to release her, refused to let her go, no matter how much I wanted to.

Because whether I admitted it or not, she was mine. And I was hers. Even if neither of us wanted it.

I froze, staring into her eyes, trying to read what she was thinking. Her gaze didn’t waver. She wasn’t scared. She wasn’t intimidated. She was… defiant. My eyes traced her face slowly, lingering on her lips for a moment before snapping back to her eyes. Did she really just try to reject me? Me, the Alpha? The thought was absurd, and yet it sparked something inside me I couldn’t ignore.

A low laugh escaped me before I could stop it. It started rough, then rose louder, sharper, echoing off the walls. I gripped my side as the sound shook out of me, tears threatening in the corners of my eyes. She stood there, confused, frozen, as if I had lost my mind. Maybe I had, a little.

Then the laughter died abruptly.

In an instant, I was on her, pressing her against the wall. My hands gripped her shoulders firmly, reminding her—reminding myself—who I was. She tried to push back, to pry me off, but her strength didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except the raw, magnetic pull I felt toward her.

“Do you really think I would allow that?” I growled, my voice low and dangerous. “Do you think you can reject me? Do you think you can walk away and I’d let it happen?”

Her body tensed beneath me, and I could feel the sharp, electrifying tension between us. I had to see, had to feel the truth.

“From the moment I saw you, you’ve been in my head,” I said, my teeth clenched, my voice rough. “I can’t focus. I can’t sleep. You’ve taken over my mind, my body, every thought I have. You think I’d just let you walk away from me? Do you think I’d stand aside while you pretend none of this matters?”

I moved closer, letting my forehead brush against hers, forcing her to feel the weight of my presence. I wanted her to understand that this wasn’t a threat. It wasn’t a suggestion. It was a fact: she was mine, whether she admitted it or not.

Her eyes widened as I leaned in, and I pressed my lips to hers. The kiss was harsh, demanding, driven by the frustration and chaos that had built up inside me. When she didn’t respond, didn’t give in, I pulled back, letting my palm slam against the wall inches from her head.

“Kiss me back,” I ordered, my voice low but unyielding.

I didn’t give her time to answer. I claimed her again, harder this time, as if I could imprint my will into her very soul. She was rigid beneath me, tense and unyielding, and the resistance only fueled the fire inside me.

When I finally released her lips, I pressed my forehead to hers, breathing heavily. My hands drifted to her waist, pulling her just slightly closer. The tension between us was unbearable. I had to let her feel what she did to me.

“This is what you do to me,” I whispered, my voice shaking with frustration and something deeper, something raw. “You make me lose control. And I hate it. I don’t want this. But I won’t let you leave either. No one else can have you. You’re mine.”

She stayed still, defiant even now. That only made my teeth grind. I leaned closer, letting my teeth graze just above where I would mark her, not enough to claim her yet, but enough to warn her.

“Say it,” I demanded.

Her voice shook. “S-say what?”

“You’re mine.”

She turned her head away.

“No.”

The room went still. My heart thudded in my chest, a hot, heavy rhythm that shook me from the inside. My eyes darkened, nearly black, as fury and disbelief roared inside me.

“What?” I growled, my hands gripping her arms tightly now. “What did you just say?”

“No,” she repeated, staring me down.

I could feel my control slipping, the line between restraint and chaos vanishing. My jaw tightened, my teeth ground, and every nerve in my body screamed. “Why you little—” I breathed, every word a warning.

I heard the door open.

“Hey Adele… oh my God.”

The voice cut through the room like cold water. Cindy’s shock was clear, even before she rushed to shut the door again. It slammed closed behind her, sealing the moment, but the damage was already done. The interruption snapped something inside me. The haze I was in began to crack.

I kept my eyes on Adele for a few seconds longer. Her chest rose and fell too fast. Her hands trembled at her sides. I could still feel the heat of her skin where I had been holding her.

Slowly, I let go of her arm.

I took a step back.

Then another.

Each step felt heavy, like I was forcing myself away from something I had no intention of truly leaving. When my back hit the door, I finally looked away from her face. My hands curled into fists at my sides as I fought to steady my breathing.

I spoke without raising my voice, but every word carried weight.

“No matter what you do,” I said quietly. “No matter how many times you deny it, this does not end.”

Her eyes stayed on me, wide and guarded.

“You are going to be mine,” I continued. “One way or another. That is not a threat. It is a promise.”

I reached for the door, then paused, turning back to her one last time.

“I do not like losing control because of you,” I admitted, my voice low and firm. “I never wanted a mate. But wanting has nothing to do with this. You belong to me. Whether you accept it or not.”

I opened the door and stepped out.

Cindy stood there, frozen. The moment our eyes met, she dropped her head quickly, heat rising to her cheeks as she bowed in embarrassment. I said nothing to her. There was nothing to say.

I walked past her without slowing, the door closing behind me.

But even as I left, I could still feel Adele.

And I knew this was far from over.