The Beta's Temptation

ESME POV

I lay in bed, my body hot and restless as the feelings pulled me under. Cole grabbed my wrist hard, yanking me into the empty room at the back of the pack house, his grip bruising my skin.

He slammed the door shut behind us, his eyes dark with something raw and unforgiving. "You think you can just stare at me like that all these years without consequences, Esme?" he growled, pushing me against the wall, his body pressing into mine.

I felt his hardness against my thigh and my breath caught as he leaned in, his lips crashing onto mine in a rough kiss that tasted like dominance.

His hands roamed over my curves, squeezing my full breasts through my shirt, his thumbs circling my nipples until they hardened under his touch. "You're always hiding, but I see you," he muttered against my mouth, tearing my shirt open with one swift pull.

The Buttons scattered across the floor as he exposed me, his mouth descending to suck on my left breast, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin. I moaned, arching into him, my hands tangling in his hair, but he pinned my arms above my head with one hand. "No touching unless I say so," he ordered, his voice cold and commanding.

He switched to my right breast, sucking harder, his free hand sliding down my stomach to unbutton my jeans.

He shoved them down along with my panties, exposing my wet pussy to the cool air. "Look at you, dripping for me already," he said, his fingers dipping between my folds, stroking my clit in slow circles that made my legs tremble.

I gasped, trying to grind against his hand but he held me still from moving, teasing me without mercy. "Beg for it, Esme. Tell me how much you want my mouth there."

"Please, Cole, I need your mouth on me," I whispered, my voice breaking as heat built inside me.

He dropped to his knees, spreading my thighs wide as his tongue flicked out to taste my clit.

He sucked it into his mouth, alternating between gentle licks and hard pulls that sent shocks through my body.

My hips bucked involuntarily, and he gripped my ass to hold me in place, his fingers digging in. "You taste like failure, but I can't stop," he murmured against my skin, his words stinging yet pulsed the pleasure through my body.

He worked his mouth on me relentlessly, his tongue delving inside me while his thumb rubbed my clit, building the pressure until I was on the edge. "Cole, I'm going to come," I panted, my body tensing.

He stood up suddenly, unzipping his pants, pulling out his thick and hard veiny cock. "Not yet. I want to feel you around me first," he said, positioning himself at my entrance. Just as he started to push in, cold water splashed over my face, jolting me awake.

I sprang up in bed, gasping, my sheets tangled around my legs, my heart pounding from the unfinished scene.

Nolan stood there with an empty glass in his hand, his face twisted in disgust. "Are you planning to sleep all day, Esme? For once, act like an Alpha's daughter, even if you can't shift like one," he sneered, setting the glass down hard on my nightstand.

Water dripped from my hair onto my pillow, and I wiped my face, trying to shake off the lingering heat between my thighs. "It's Mom's death anniversary today, and you're still curled up like a worthless pup. Get your ass up."

I sat there, stunned, the dream's arousal clashing with the cold reality of his words. "Nolan, I was just... I didn't mean to oversleep," I stammered, pulling the covers up to hide my flushed skin. He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"Save it. Cole's coming back today, and the last thing I need is you embarrassing the family in front of my best friend. He's a hockey star now, made something of himself in the city, unlike you who couldn't achieve anything when you were sent there." His voice dripped with mockery and I felt the familiar stab of pain in my chest.

Cole was my brother’s best friend, he had left two years ago after high school, chasing his dreams while I stayed behind, crushed under the weight of our pack's expectations. I'd had a crush on him since we were teens, watching him train with Nolan, his loyalty to my brother made him even more untouchable.

But now in my dreams, he saw me, wanted me, even if it was rough and unkind. God, I must have been fantasizing a lot these days.

Nolan turned to leave, but paused at the door. "Hurry up. Dad's already in a mood, and if you're late for the memorial, it'll be your fault, just like everything else." He stomped out, slamming the door behind him.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, my wet nightshirt clinging to my body, reminding me of the dream's unfinished torture earlier. Mom had died five years ago, on my sixteenth birthday, during a pack raid gone wrong.

She was trying to protect me when a rival wolf attacked, and somehow, the pack blamed me for distracting her. "If you could shift, she might still be alive," Dad had said at the funeral, his voice flat and accusing. Nolan, who was supposed to be my big brother, turned on me after that, treating me like an outsider in our own home.

No one in the pack believed I was his baby sister anymore; whispers followed me everywhere, calling me the cursed one who caused her death. Mom was the only one who loved me unconditionally, shielding me from Dad's disappointment over my failure to shift.

Without her, the house felt empty, cold, like a prison where I was tolerated but never wanted. I stripped off my wet clothes, tossing them in the hamper, and pulled on jeans that hugged my plus-size curves. A simple black top followed, something somber for the anniversary.

I glanced at the clock—, I was already late for my third-year college classes at the pack's university. At least Dad and Nolan let me attend, though they reminded me constantly it was a waste since I couldn't contribute to the pack. "You're just taking up space," Nolan had said last week during dinner, shoving his plate away.

I freshened up quickly and dressed, grabbed my backpack, stuffing in my notebooks, and headed downstairs, avoiding the family photos on the wall that showed happier times. The kitchen was empty, Dad might probably be at the pack meeting hall already.

I skipped breakfast, my stomach too knotted from Nolan's words and the intensity of the dream I had earlier.

Reaching outside, I hailed a cab, the driver nodding curtly as I gave him the address to the pack college. "Rough morning?" he asked, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. "You could say that. Family stuff," I replied, staring out the window at the passing trees. He chuckled softly. "Alpha families are the worst. Always some drama with power and hierarchies."

We drove in silence after that, the cab weaving through the roads toward campus. Mom used to drive me to school, telling stories about her own shifts to make me feel less broken.

"It'll happen when you're ready, Esme," she'd say, hugging me tight. But it never did, and after her death, Nolan's cruelty ramped up, he'd lock me out during full moons, laughing as I shivered outside. "Maybe the cold will force your wolf out," he'd taunt, while Dad just ignored it all.

The cab pulled up near the college gates and I paid the fare, stepping out into the crisp air. Students milled around, some shifting playfully in the open fields. I shouldered my bag, heading toward the crosswalk. "Watch where you're going, freak," a pack member muttered as he brushed past me, his elbow jabbing my side. I ignored him, focusing on the road ahead as cars was zooming by.

As I stepped off the curb to cross the road, tires screeched and a black SUV swerved too close. Pain exploded in my side as the bumper hit and clipped me, sending me sprawling onto the ground.

My head hit the ground hard, my vision blurring and I heard shouts around me. "What the hell? Is she okay?" someone yelled from the car. I tried to push up but darkness tugged at the edges, my body aching from the impact.

The driver door opened, and heavy footsteps approached. "Esme? Shit, are you alright?" a familiar voice said, rough and edged with annoyance.

I looked up through the haze, my heart skipping seeing Cole knelt beside me, his face stern, no trace of warmth. "Get up. You're blocking traffic," he added, grabbing my arm to pull me to my feet. Pain shot through my ribs but I stood up, dusting myself off, the dream's heat clashing with this cold reality.

"Why'd you hit me?" I gasped, clutching to my side. He scowled, glancing around at the gathering crowd.

"You’re crossing out without looking. Typical Esme, always causing problems." His words cut deep, hiding any concern behind indifference, just like I'd feared after two years apart. Nolan would kill him if he showed anything else apart from hate for me.

"Come on, I'll drive you to the clinic," he said, pulling me toward the SUV.

But just then, a sudden jolt ran through me, quick and hot. My knees gave out for a second but his hand shot out holding me steady.

He went still and I frowned. “What’s wrong?”

His eyes stayed on me, unreadable but his jaw clenched.

Then he dropped his hand and stepped back.“Nothing. Get in the car.”