5| The Alpha Prince and the Witch.

DAISY

When I returned to the hall, the Alpha King raised his glass in a toast to me, acknowledging me before everyone for saving the continent. I hated the attention, hated being the center of hundreds of curious eyes, but I just had to force a polite smile.

He lifted his glass again, his deep voice resonating throughout the room. “Next, I want to raise a toast to my son, Gideon. He has been a wonderful son and a perfect Alpha Prince. It is only proper that I hand things over to him.”

He paused before continuing, “Tonight, before everyone gathered here, I step down as Alpha King and entrust the throne to my son. The date of his coronation will be announced soon.”

The entire hall stilled. Everyone turned towards a single direction, shock evident in their eyes. Murmurs soon erupted throughout the hall. My heart skipped when I saw who they were all staring at.

The guy from the bar.

Gideon.

So that was his name.

Wait, what? My eyes widened in shock as the Alpha King’s words crashed into me. Gideon was the Alpha Prince. Soon to become the Alpha King.

Blood drained from my face, heat rushing in its place as memories of our encounter in the bar played in my mind. I had mistaken him for a warrior when he was the fucking Alpha Prince!

Fuck.

His dark eyes locked onto mine across the hall. A slow, knowing smile curved his lips, enjoying my misery.

As if Aldric had noticed that, he wrapped a possessive arm around me, tugging me closer to his side.

Gideon’s expression shifted instantly. Rage flared in his eyes, his nose twitching and the tips of his ears burning red. His jaw clenched so hard that the muscles along his neck flexed.

For a fleeting moment, he looked ready to rip Aldric apart. But just as quickly, he spun on his heel and stormed away.

I couldn’t get him out of my head for the rest of the evening. Even during the ride back to the pack house, his face remained a permanent picture in my mind.

My attraction to him was as exhilarating as it was irritating. I was furious with myself. Furious for feeling anything for him. All the Alphas in the West were fucked up, every single one of them.

Gideon was no exception. He had slept with me despite my drunken state, despite the fact that I couldn’t give consent. That alone made him no different.

He had asked me to meet him at the bar, but I’d be so stupid to oblige.

I will not go. I will not go. I will not go. I chanted endlessly in my head when I considered it for a flicker of a second.

I changed into a plain sweatshirt and pants for comfort while still telling myself not to give in.

My emotions kept twirling, alternating between hatred and want for him. No matter how I tried to deny it to myself, I knew I was so damn attracted to that man. Something kept pulling me towards him, giving me the urge to get naked for him.

I couldn’t even think straight anymore. My body was so damn hot at the thought of his lips, the heat of his breath against my skin, the intoxicating scent that clung to him. It drove me mad.

When he had handed me that coat, it had taken every shred of willpower not to bury my face in it.

After several minutes of wrestling between my brain and heart, I finally gave in.

I told myself that I was going there to confront him. That’d be just it.

Before I could even stop, I already found my way to that bar, looking around for him. But he wasn’t there.

I waited for several minutes, and when he didn’t show up, disappointment twisted in my chest as I turned to leave.

As I slipped through the entrance, I bumped into a wall. My heart thundered in my chest when his scent invaded my lungs.

“Leaving already?” he said with his sultry voice.

I swallowed hard and met his gaze. “You’re an Alpha Prince. Soon to become the Alpha King.”

“Mm-hmm.” He nodded casually, leading me towards the open bar.

He gestured at the bartender and ordered a drink. When he asked what I wanted, I shook my head vehemently. There was no way I was letting him take advantage of me again.

“You lied to me,” I snapped, glaring daggers at him. “I thought you were a warrior.”

He shook his head. “I didn’t lie. You never asked. You assumed. Just like I didn’t know you were the witch.”

He leaned closer, his lips near my ear, his hot breath making me shiver. His voice dropped to a husky whisper. “You looked good tonight, by the way.”

My breath hitched, heat rushing through my veins. My thighs pressed together instinctively, my core clenching with raw arousal. Fuck.

Bile rose in my throat as self-loathing throbbed through me. I shouldn’t react this way to his touch.

Gathering the last brain cells I had, I pushed him away and rushed out of the bar. One more minute with that wolf and I might lose every control. He drove me crazy.

Before I could even get far, he blocked my path with his body. He pressed me against the nearest wall and caged me with his frame.

Pure, raw want burned through his eyes as they stared deeply into mine. “Daisy...”

I couldn’t hold myself back anymore. With a desperate gasp, I flung my arms around him and crashed my lips into his. The kiss was rough, deep, and needy. My body trembled, the smell of my arousal filling the air around us.

I didn’t even know how it happened, but I found myself in the same hotel room, being thrown on the bed.

My body buzzed with so much excitement. It was electric.

He jumped on top of me, his eyes raging with a desperate need. He leaned in and sucked my lips into his. I felt like I was going to explode.

“So damn beautiful,” he rasped when he finally pulled away from the kiss. He slid his fingers into my pants band, plunging them into my core. “And wet.”

A loud moan escaped me, my chest heaving up and down.

“Everything about you is so damn fascinating.” He leaned in and kissed the top of my forehead, making me feel seen and cared for.

I couldn’t understand how I was insanely pulled to this man. I wanted to push him away, but I couldn’t. I wanted his hands all over me. He was like a drug I couldn’t do without.

When his hands gripped the hem of my sweatshirt, ready to pull it off, a loud knock suddenly thundered against the door.