Chapter 3 : The man I dare not crave

Aurelia's POV

Hours Later….

My eyes flutter open to the familiar confines of the penthouse. I am still slumped on the bare floor, and the cool evening air bites against my exposed skin. The memories come rushing back, my heart clenches tightly, and my tears threaten to spill again, but I quickly blink them away.

It's okay, Aurelia. You will be fine.

I pat my thighs softly in self-consolation, then push myself up. I adjust my clothes and turn to leave, but I know the videos from earlier have probably circulated by now. The pack members and palace staff would probably know about it already, and Goddess knows I won't be able to withstand any more humiliation tonight.

So, I decide to wait until it gets darker.

To kill boredom and escape the thoughts in my head, I decide to take a tour of the penthouse, though I can't get into the main building. I start walking quietly so I don't attract the attention of the guards at the main gate.

I am admiring the grand and exquisite building when I walk past the swimming pool where Jasper and I always played as children.

Then I hear it.

A faint but unmistakable sound of moans and whimpers. My legs freeze instantly. 

I thought no one was here.

My brows narrow in confusion. Was it the guards? Of course, they could be the ones bringing women to the Alpha's penthouse.

The sound comes again, more guttural this time. Oh, fucking Moon. Just how intense is this person getting fucked?!

Before my mind can process it, my legs are already moving. I turn back and follow the path leading toward the pool, and the scene unfolding before me knocks the air from my lungs.

It isn't a guard. It is the Alpha himself.

One of my college professors, Elaria, is with him by the pool, and the sight of them together makes me stop dead. Alpha Alaric Viremont is standing in the water, his head buried between her thighs as she sits naked at the edge of the pool, her head thrown back in pleasure and her fingers gripping her big breasts tightly. 

The scent of their arousal and lust hangs heavily in the air.

It is disrespectful to watch, and everything inside me screams to leave, but I can't seem to look away.

“Oh… Alaric,” Elaria whimpers, her fingers buried in his dark hair, pushing him deeper inside her. “Yes… there… fuck.. oh."

I swallow hard.

Only minutes ago, I was crying over Jasper.

Now, something completely different is happening inside me. My body reacts to the scene before I can stop it, and I press my thighs together as a strange heat begins building in in my pussy. 

What is happening to me?

I have never looked at Alaric this way before.

He is the Alpha.

Jasper's father.

The man who took me in after my parents died.

I shouldn't be standing here watching him.

I should leave.

But I don't.

The full moon hangs above the penthouse, and a sudden wave of heat rolls through me. My breath catches as my body responds to the scent in the air, and I grip the wall beside me for support.

Then Elaria lets out another broken moan as things get more intense between them.

My cheeks burn with needs that should be desperately tammed . 

I need to get out of here before I lose myself completely. But before I can move, Alaric suddenly lifts his head. His eyes snap directly toward me and our gazes collide.

My heart nearly stops. For one terrible second, neither of us moves. His expression changes instantly, his eyes widening before anger takes over his features.

“Oh, fuck…” 

The sound of his voice finally breaks whatever has held me there. So, I turn and run. I don't stop until I am out of the penthouse and halfway down the street. When I finally reach the palace gate, I stop and press a hand against my chest, trying to catch my breath.

The Alpha saw me.

I know I am in trouble.

Deep trouble.

Not only did I trespass into his penthouse, where he barely allows anyone, but I also saw something I was never supposed to see.

Fuck.

I should have left the moment I heard those sounds.

Once I manage to steady myself, I make my way into the palace through the secret passageways Jasper showed me; that is where we often sneaked out from when we were younger. I press my back against the wall and tiptoe through the corridors until I finally reach my room.

Just like I predicted, I hear the other Omegas talking about me but I don't stop to listen.

Once I reach my room, I lean against the door and let out a long, exasperated sigh. I walk towards the bed and collapse on it. Staring up at the ceiling, but my mind refuses to rest.

I should be thinking about Jasper. About the rejection. About everything that happened at the institute.

But I can't stop thinking about the pool. About Alaric. His presence. The way he devours Elaria. Her moans. His voice. The way he looked at me when he realized I was watching.

I squeeze my eyes shut. What the hell is wrong with me? I turn onto my side, trying to force the thoughts away, but they only become stronger. The more I try not to think about him, the more clearly I remember his face.

I sit up abruptly. “No,” I whisper to myself. “This is ridiculous.”

He is the Alpha.

He is Jasper's father.

He is completely off-limits.

I remind myself as many times as I can just so it would stick, before I lie back down and pull the blanket over myself, hoping sleep will finally silence the stupid thoughts.

But tonight, something is different.

For the first time, I don't dream about Jasper.

I dream about him.

Alaric Viremont.

The one man I dare not crave.