Power and Control

My eyes flew open and a sleepy yawn filled the air. It was the best night of sleep I had had in a long time.

The events of last night hadn't yet caught up with me as I sat up in bed and stretched. Just as I was about to get out of bed, my gaze darted to the figure in the corner of my room.

"What the hell!" I gasped, looking up at the furious face of Alpha Kane.

"You're talking in your sleep." He spoke, his tone calm but his eyes still blazing. He looked at me strangely and I wondered what I had said in my sleep.

I didn't have to look down to see that my nipples were hardening beneath my shirt. I wasn't wearing a bra, and I didn't need to. Who sleeps in a bra?

I shook my arms to cover my breasts and stared at Alpha Kane. Alpha looked good. His anger only increased. He wore a simple black button-up shirt, but the sleeves were rolled up and the diamond buttons glinted, revealing his muscular forearms.

I mumbled, at a loss for words. "What the hell are you doing in my room?" I gasped. I felt my face turn red.

His face remained still, his gold-flecked eyes blazing with rage. "9 am, Zara." He repeated the familiar words, and I felt my body tense, remembering the events of the previous night.

I glanced at the alarm clock by the bed, my eyes widening as I looked at the time. 11 am.

"We're fucked," Nova muttered sleepily.

I should have been scared, right? I'd been angering the deadliest Alpha for three days now, and yet I was still alive.

As if Alpha could read my mind, he walked towards me.

I kept my expression impassive, my eyes taking in every inch of him. He walked towards me slowly, like a wolf stalking its prey.

“Couldn’t you have set a simple alarm, Zara?” Alpha Kane’s voice was firm, and I tried not to be captivated by the golden flakes in his eyes.

I wasn’t sure why I couldn’t control my mouth around him. Even with the hairs on my body standing on end, I only felt one thing. Excitement.

“Um, did I forget?” I bit my lip, embarrassed.

“We’re dead.” Nova groaned. “You and your big mouth killed us.”

“So dramatic, Nova.” I rolled my eyes at her.

A terrified squeal escaped my lips as Alpha Kane pushed me against the wall of my bedroom. His rough hands yanked my arms down and away from my chest, but his eyes never left my own.

Something had to be wrong with me. Instead of feeling afraid, I felt angry. If he thought he could make me submit, he had another one waiting for him.

"You're testing my damn patience, Zara." Alpha Kane growled. His eyes turned completely gold, and I stared deep into them.

He towered over me as I was pinned against the wall. His rich cologne was everywhere. It wasn't that he smelled bad, it was just so strong, oh my rich Alpha.

"This is your last chance, Zara," Alpha growled. His hot breath fanned my face, and his fingers applied the lightest pressure to the soft flesh of my neck.

Any control I had over my body wavered. I could feel my hard nipples pressing against him and I clenched my teeth as a new sensation formed between my legs.

"Next time, you will be punished and I will not be gentle. Remember that the next time you disobey me." Alpha Kane growled, sending a jolt of arousal down my spine. "You will start working in my office as a secretary, hours 8 am to 5 pm. Do not be late." His voice was deathly calm and my bedroom door clicked softly shut.

***

Once I was finally dressed, I went downstairs. The smell of pancakes wafted through the house. I know it sounds weird, but he is amazing in almost every way.

"Why does Alpha Kane want you?" My father frowned. "It's weird that he came here."

"Um, well..." I trailed off, debating whether or not I should lie. "He kind of told me to show up at his office this morning, but I didn't show up." I smiled sheepishly at my father's indignant expression.

"Are you trying to kill yourself, Zara?" My father nearly screamed.

"It was just a misunderstanding," I shrugged. "I forgot to set my alarm."

"Was he mad at you? Did he hurt you?" My father peppered me with questions. There was no way I was going to tell him the truth about what happened in my room.

"He was mad, but he didn't hurt me." I shrugged. I could practically feel his arm still wrapped around my neck.

I walked into the coffee shop after breakfast, wanting one of their famous iced mochas. When Sophia and I were best friends, we'd come here at least three times a week.

I took a sip of coffee and nearly groaned at the taste. Moonstone Academy has a large supply of different types of coffee. I thought of Commander Stone with every sip of coffee.

As always, my peace was disturbed.

"Hey, Zara," Derek's cocky voice rang out.

I rolled my eyes and started to get up from the bench.

"Oh, come on, Zara. You don't have to go. Aren't we "Can we just have a normal conversation?" he frowned.

I glared at him. Derek wasn't one for normal conversations.

"Sure, whatever. But the moment you start acting like a jerk, I'm leaving." I shrugged, but didn't let my guard down.

"Oh, you know I was just goofing off yesterday." Derek teased me, and I rolled my eyes.

"Sure I was," I muttered, sipping my coffee.

He plopped down on the bench next to me and leaned back. I shot him a what the hell look as he placed his hand on the bench behind me.

"So what have you been doing for the past year?" He smirked at me.

"Studying at the Moonstone Academy and training with Commander Stone." I shrugged.

Derek frowned, “You know, Marcus was devastated when he heard you were gone. He tried to find out where you went, but your parents wouldn’t tell him.”

That small, shriveled part of my heart that had once loved Marcus shrank at Derek’s words, but my mind knew better. Marcus had discarded me like trash, and his friends had done the same. It was pathetic that he’d discarded his backpack, too.

I rolled my eyes at him, “Look, I don’t care. I don’t understand how this is so hard to understand.”

I felt someone’s eyes on me and looked around to find the source. My eyes met Alpha Kane’s, who was standing across the square, talking to a couple of men; the men were his business associates. They were all wearing suits. Alpha was wearing a suit, too.

Derek’s voice pulled me away from Alpha Kane.

He leaned closer to me, invading my personal space. Invading someone's personal space was his specialty.

"So you've moved on, huh?" he asked, his red eyes trying to hypnotize me, but Moonstone Academy had taught me how to avoid that.

I shrugged, "Yeah."

"You know, I've never said this before, but I've always liked you." He gave me a crooked smile.

"Derek, you say that to every girl." I looked at him with a serious face.

Derek acted like I'd hurt him, "But I meant you. You're gorgeous, and you have a s*xy body." I resisted the urge to shut up.

I was tired of this conversation.

Derek muttered something under his breath, loud enough for me to hear.

"You've never played that rough with Marcus."

"Did he just say that?" Nova growled in my head.

I could feel Nova trying to push herself forward, and I reacted instinctively.

I dumped my poor Iced Mocha on Derek's head. Nova howled with laughter while I mourned the loss of my coffee.

"Fuck you, Derek." I gave him one last sweet smile.

I felt Alpha Kane's eyes on my back as I walked away.