It had been a few hours since I had left the dining room. I still could not believe that Dante had let me go. I was more than relieved that he had though. For a moment there, I thought he would have physically restrained and kept me there. He had looked so mad. It would have been doubly humiliating to have to obey him in the presence of Maddox and Madison. Having to bend to his will was bad enough. Considering Dante's authoritative personality, I guessed it was only a matter of time before he attempted to take control of my life entirely. I had to do something quickly. I had been docile long enough. In my room, an idea had suddenly occurred to me. I searched for my suitcases in the room, finding them tucked away in the wardrobe. The wardrobe was so ridiculously large that it made my belongings seem so small. It was like I had nothing. I scowled. What sensible person would have enough stuff that would occupy the wardrobe anyway? I shook my head in vexation and rummaged through the fi
Dante's POV "What's it going to be, Allison?" I asked, watching her every move. Allison hesitated, her gaze drifting towards the dagger safely put away in my pocket and the door which was her only means of escape. I had made the threat about not returning the dagger because, in the brief moment, I had asked her about how she came in possession of it, something in her face had changed. She was a really tough girl, but I could tell that the dagger had a sentimental value. It annoyed me that I had not had a glimpse of her face. I could not tell what she was thinking or feeling, her face half hidden behind that mask. Her expressive green eyes were all the indications I had of her emotions so far. More than anything else, I wanted to know all there was about Allison. The reasons for her actions, her motivations, and her drive kept me wondering- trying to figure out the enigma that was Allison. Shifting slightly, careful not to make any sudden movements, I stood in front of the door, ef
I stared at the closed door for a full minute after he left. I had been sure that he would maximize this opportunity of attempting to unsettle me. I half expected the door to open again, admitting him. When a few minutes passed and there was still no sign of him, I began to relax gradually. I sat heavily on the bed, the mattress dipping beneath my weight. Dante had seemed preoccupied when he received the mind link. I wondered what had happened. Well, it was none of my business after all. I fell back on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I was not in the right frame of mind to continue with the laptop. Hacking into the complex security system required skill and concentration. I most definitely had the skill, but I could not concentrate at this moment. One wrong move and Dante's security detail may be able to detect an alien presence trying to access their cameras. My mind went over and over the scene with Dante- how he had nearly touched me when I took off my mask. I had seen the shoc
"Beta Allison," said a voice quite close to me. It was one of the maids whose sole responsibility it was to remind me it was time to take my meals. To tell the truth, I did not even need the constant reminders. My mind ran like clockwork and I was well aware of the day's events. The maid looked at me warily. It had been a few days since I was brought here by Dante but I had showed no signs of settling in. My dispensation towards the everyone here had not softened and it was evidenced by the way the maid was staring at me. "It is time for breakfast and Alpha Dante-" She sighed. "-wants you to be in the dining room in five minutes." She curtsied, her demeanor apologetic. I sighed deeply. This had been the story of my life for the past few days. Forced meals in the company of people who I disliked, being ordered around. "Tell him I will be there- soon," I told her.She remained standing there for some minutes, afraid of going in there without me. Dante would be angry with her, but wh
Madison looked at Dante inquiringly. "You haven't forgotten, have you?""No, Madison." He rolled his eyes. "We are due in a few hours so there is still time." His eyes took in her clothes. "Thank goodness you are already dressed. No last-minute touches to your makeup, I hope? That means we can leave on time," Dante teased. Maddox chuckled, his frame vibrating. My eyes narrowed. Were Dante and Madison going out on a date? It was annoying that they were talking about going somewhere without taking any notice of me. Dante and I were mates after all. Even though I disliked and would not accept him as my mate, wasn't I somehow entitled to a little information about his activities since he knew all about mine? They were talking about it right in front of me after all and it would be courteous to at least give me a hint. Dante pointed at her plate. "Eat up Maddy. You have been talking so much, you have barely touched your food."Maddy, he had called her. Somehow the sound of that name on
"Right," Madison replied, nodding.She took in my clothes, her eyes lingering on my baggy t-shirt. Though she did her best to show it, it was obvious she did not approve of my clothes. Well, I did not have to put up with her any second longer than I had to. It was a stroke of luck that we all were not going in the same car. She was so meddlesome, I didn't trust myself not to lose it if we were at close quarters. I got in as soon as I heard I was going to ride with Dante. I sat at the very edge of the plush car seat- as far away as possible from him. I felt smug, knowing that Madison was no longer going to be in close quarters with Dante. I wondered if the decision to take Maddox along was a prearranged one, or if it was occasioned by my presence. My sense of elation was short-lived. Here I was, sitting in a car, forcing myself to tag along on a journey whose destination was unknown to me. I was wasting hours I could have spent attempting to hack into Dante's security system. With Dan
Dante's POV I watched her leave, a half smile on my face. I loved watching every nuance of her expression- her surprise, irritation, and anger. Right now, anger took center stage as she stomped into the shopping mall. The doorman gave her a look of surprise as she walked- stiff-legged- past him. If I knew anything about her, the staff of the mall were in for more of such surprises. Hell, she had shocked the hell out of me the very first time I saw her. She slammed the glass door so hard I was worried for a moment that it would shatter into a million pieces. Wincing, I braced myself and heard nothing. Then, I remembered. The type of glass most places like this had was tempered glass- strong and durable. I smiled wryly. Strong and durable were words that aptly described Allison. She was like no other woman I had known. Others would kill to shop in a place like this. With the way she dressed, her personality, and her strong dislike of her room decor, I knew she hated shopping. Madison
I had thought that I could endure at least a few hours of this but I was damned wrong. More than anything, I bitterly regretted coming here. This place was like a circus. The shopping mall was massive with all kinds of clothes and accessories cleverly displayed. I wondered why people would dedicate a whole lot of space to resources to create a comically huge shopping mall like the one I was in. As soon as we came in, we were swamped by attendants who offered to show us around. They probably knew Madison and had definitely seen Dante outside. His influence was felt here as they all but fawned over us. He was their Alpha, after all. I literally put my foot down, refusing to move an inch until Madison got rid of the attendants. It was bad enough that I was here. It would be worse if I was followed and fussed over by a bunch of giggling girls. Madison had wisely told them to leave, much to their disappointment. News had likely spread that I was Dante's kidnapped mate. I looked around. T