Chapter 24

“Darius, give it back!” she hissed, her cheeks flushed with anger—or maybe embarrassment. It was hard to tell with her.

Ignoring her protests, I flipped the folder open. My eyes scanned the contents quickly, and my stomach twisted when I saw what was inside. The contract. The fucking contract between me and Charles Cartwright.

“Well, well,” I said, holding the paper up so she could see it. “Looks like you’ve been doing your homework. Care to explain why you’ve got this?”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she glared at me with those fiery eyes of hers. “It’s none of your business.”

I leaned in closer, so close I could feel her heartbeat pulsing in the air between us. She tried to turn her head away, but I caught her chin with my free hand, forcing her to look at me. “Oh, but it is my business, Elise. You’ve got my name on that piece of paper, and I’d like to know what the hell you were planning to do with it.”

She clenched her jaw and stayed silent. Stubborn as ever.

“I’ll ask you one more time,” I snarled, my voice a low growl. “What were you planning to do with this?”

“Go to hell,” she spat.

I let out a dark chuckle. “You’ve got guts, princess. I’ll give you that. But you’re playing a dangerous game over here.”

Still, she didn’t budge. I could see the resistance in her eyes, the way she squared her shoulders even though I had her pinned. She wasn’t going to break easily. But I had other ways to get what I wanted.

“Fine,” I sighed, tightening my grip on her wrists to keep her from squirming. “You want to do this the hard way? Let’s see how far you’re willing to go.”

Her eyes widened as I moved my free hand to the button of her jeans. I popped it open with deliberate slowness, my gaze dead-set on hers, letting the threat hang heavy in the air.

“What the hell are you doing?” she demanded, her voice rising in panic.

I leaned in, my lips brushing against her ear as I spoke. “Giving you one last chance. Tell me what I want to know, or you’re fucked.”

She froze for a moment, her breathing quick and shallow. But when I slid my hand past the waistband of her jeans, she started thrashing again. “What the f—”

“You’re not answering my question,” I breathed, my tone as cool and collected as I could muster up. My hand moved lower, cupping her ass through the thin fabric of her underwear. Her skin was warm, and I hated the way my wolf stirred at the contact, wanting more.

She squealed, her panic spiking as she kicked out at me. “You’re not getting a damn answer out of me!”

“We’ll see about that,” I said, dipping my hand lower. My fingers grazed the curve of her ass before venturing dangerously close to the heat between her legs. The scent of her arousal hit me like a goddamn truck, and I had to grit my teeth to keep my wolf in check. Fuck. This wasn’t supposed to be affecting me.

“Fine!” she snapped, her voice cracking. “Fine, I’ll tell you. Just let me go.”

I withdrew my hand immediately, stepping back to give her space. She yanked her jeans back into place, her face a mixture of anger and humiliation as she glared at me.

“I need a member of the Bloodmoon Brotherhood to vouch for me at the academy,” she said through gritted teeth. “Otherwise, they won’t let me enroll.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And why the hell would I do that?”

“Because it’s your fault I’m in this mess in the first place!” she shot back, her voice rising. “You, Jace, Hunter, and my asshole of a father ruined my reputation. No one wants to be associated with me now. If I don’t get someone to vouch for me, I’m screwed.”

I shrugged, feigning indifference. “Sounds like a you problem, princess.”

Her hands balled into fists at her sides, and I could practically see the steam coming out of her ears. “You’re such a dick, Darius.”

“Maybe,” I said, holding up the contract. “But I’ll sign your papers. Hand them over.”

Her mouth popped open in shock. “What?”

“You heard me. Education is vital, isn’t it?” I smirked, enjoying the way her expression twisted between disbelief and suspicion.

“What’s the catch?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“No catch,” I said, tucking the contract back into the folder. “Just doing my good deed for the day.”

She snorted. “Yeah, right. If you touch me like that again without my consent, I’ll make sure you lose a hand.”

I laughed, a deep, rumbling sound that filled the room. “Are you sure, princess? Because I can still smell your arousal on my hand like a blazing fire.”

Her face turned a furious shade of red, and she looked like she was about to lunge at me. But instead, she spun on her heel and stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

I stood there for a moment, the faint scent of vanilla and honey still lingering in the air.

“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath. Elise Cartwright was going to be the death of me.