0005: Compromised

KAREN’S POV

My pulse pounded in my ears as the weight of what I had done settled in. Had I gone too far? Would he punish me for this? But if he thought I would cower like some meek omega, he was wrong.

"Do it," I dared, offering him my cheek, my voice trembling but fierce. "Punish me. But I won’t bow to you. I refuse to—"

I was forced to swallow the rest of my words as his mouth crashed onto mine. The world spun. His lips were rough, demanding, stealing my breath, my thoughts, my anger.

I pushed against him, but my hands fisted in his shirt instead, pulling him closer like my body had a will of its own. The bond roared between us, a wildfire I couldn’t control, consuming every scrap of resistance I had left.

For one reckless, shameful moment, I kissed him back with everything I have got. Then reality crashed over me, cold and brutal. I tore away, chest heaving, lips tingling, my entire body trembling with the aftershocks.

His smirk was infuriating, triumphant. "Hold that thought, sweetheart," he murmured, voice thick with satisfaction. Before I could react, he pushed open the door behind me. "Go in and rest. Tomorrow, we finish this."

Then he was gone, leaving me breathless, furious… and terrified. Because the worst part wasn’t the kiss. It was that, for a second, I wanted it. And that scared me more than any rejection ever could.

The moment the door clicked shut behind me, I pressed my back against the cold wood, my chest rising and falling in ragged, uneven gasps. My heart pounded so violently I could feel it in my throat—each beat a frantic drum against my ribs, refusing to calm no matter how hard I tried to steady myself.

My fingers trembled as they brushed against my lips, still warm, still tingling from the ghost of Jackson’s kiss. What the hell was that?

I had sworn—sworn—I wouldn’t let the mate pull control me. That I wouldn’t be weak again. That I wouldn’t fall into the same trap of longing and humiliation. And yet, the second his lips met mine, every shred of resistance had crumbled like ash in the wind. I hated myself for it.

Hated the way my body had melted against his, how my wolf had howled in ecstasy, how for one fleeting, reckless moment, I forgot everything—Alex, the rejection, the years of being nothing but an Omega, a burden, a disgrace. For those stolen seconds, I had felt wanted.

And that was the most dangerous lie of all.

I squeezed my eyes shut, nails digging into my palms until the sting grounded me. No. This isn’t happening again. Jackson didn’t know the truth yet. He didn’t know his so-called mate was nothing but a lowly Omega, the weakest of the weak.

The moment he found out, his eyes would darken with disgust, just like Alex’s had. His touch would turn cold. His lips would curl in revulsion. I can’t survive that again.

I pushed away from the door, my legs unsteady as I stumbled forward. The room was spacious, luxurious—far more than I deserved. The bed looked soft, inviting, but sleep wouldn’t come tonight. Not with the memory of Jackson’s hands burning into my skin, his scent—sweet and something wild—still clinging to me.

I paced, my bare feet silent against the plush carpet. My wolf whined inside me, restless, aching for him.

‘Stop it’. I gritted my teeth in warning. ‘He’s not ours. He’ll never be ours’.

But my traitorous wolf didn’t listen. It never did. Instead, it replayed the way his voice had dropped to a rough whisper when he said my name. The way his fingers had tangled in my hair, possessive and demanding. The way my entire body had sung and melted under his touch.

I groaned, pressing the heels of my hands against my eyes. Focus, Karen. You came here to heal. To prove yourself. Not to fall apart over an Alpha who doesn’t even know you yet.

But the bond pulsed between us, a relentless, living thing, tugging at my ribs like a leash.

I wouldn’t give in. I couldn’t.