Chapter Five

Gibeon's POV

 Her cheeks were flushed crimson, and her breathing was shallow and completely out of rhythm.

She thought I was doing this to humiliate her.

She had no idea that every single second she stood three feet away from me, my wolf was clawing at my ribs, threatening to tear through my skin just to claim her.

Breathe, damn it.

I closed my eyes for a second, forcing the darkness in my chest back into its cage. It had been six months since Tiara fell into that cursed coma. Six months since my Luna was taken from me, turned into a sleeping shell by whatever rogue socerer poisoned her blood during the border raid.

I loved my wife. God, I loved her. But the Elders and the Elders' Council didn't care about grief. They cared about power. They cared about the royal bloodline. An Alpha without an heir is a target, they insisted every single morning. The pack needs continuity. Get a breeder or step down.

Tiara was always the sensible one. If she were awake right now, she wouldn't be angry. She would have told me to do what was necessary for the survival of the pack.

But this girl this stubborn, bruised little stray sitting in my room wasn't supposed to make my blood burn like this.

I hadn't touched a woman since Tiara went under. Not once. Yet the moment this girl stepped into my room, my wolf went completely feral. It was embarrassing. I was the Alpha of the bloodline, a man who had led armies through border wars, and here I was, struggling for self-control because a girl with dirt on her knees was standing in my bedroom.

"I asked you a question, Gibeon," she muttered, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts to sound brave. 

And the fact that she isn't scared to call me by my name.

"Why are you naked?"

"I asked you to dress me." 

"Or did the beating Chloe and Maya gave you ruin your ears too?"

Her jaw tightened instantly. A spark of dangerous, beautiful hatred flashed in her dark eyes. "I told you, I tripped."

"You lie horribly," I growled, taking a half-step forward.

Bringing her up to the top floor wasn't just about the heir. I knew the rules of this pack better than anyone. Chloe was vicious, and Maya felt entitled to the Luna crown. The second they smelled her weakness, they attacked like wild dogs. Moving her into my personal quarters was the only way to keep her alive long enough to fulfill her purpose. It was protection, plain and simple. Nothing more.

At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

"The shirt is on the bed," she said, her voice strained as she stepped around me, carefully keeping her distance.

She picked up the crisp, dark button-up resting on the edge of the mattress. She held it out at arm's length, refusing to look down past my collarbone.

"Put it on me," I commanded, refusing to take it from her.

She let out a frustrated breath through her nose.

 "You have two perfectly functional hands, Alpha."

"And you have a job to do," I countered, locking my gaze onto hers.

 "Start now."

She gritted her teeth, stepping closer into my personal space.

The moment her scent hit me full-force rain, crushed mint, and sweet honey my wolf growled so loudly I almost winced. She lifted her arms, draping the silk over my shoulders. Her small, warm fingers brushed against the bare skin of my chest as she reached up to align the collar.

I froze. My entire body went rigid.

Her touch felt like electricity dancing across my skin. She began working on the top buttons, her head bowed, her focus entirely on her trembling fingers. She was so close I could see the slight flutter of her dark eyelashes and the faint, blue pulse beating rapidly in her throat.

Her fingertips slid down to the third button, lightly scraping against my chest.

Shit.

My last thread of restraint snapped.

My hand shot out, catching her wrist in an iron grip.

She gasped, her head snapping up.

 "What are you"

"Are you doing this on purpose?" 

Her eyes widened in shock. 

"Doing what? I'm literally doing what you ordered me to do!"

"You're testing me," I growled, my thumb stroking the sensitive skin of her inner wrist where her pulse was racing wildly. "You stand there smelling like that, touching me like that... Do you have any idea what my wolf wants to do to you right now?"

"You're insane," she whispered, her voice breathy and panicked. She tried to pull her wrist back, but I didn't budge.

 "Let go of me, Gibeon."

"Say my name again."

"Let. Me. Go."

I didn't let go. Instead, my other hand came up, wrapping around the back of her neck, my fingers tangling in her soft hair. I yanked her against my bare chest, drowning out every voice of reason in my head.

Before she could scream, I dropped my head and captured her mouth with mine.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips, giving me full access.  It was the kiss of a hungry, starved beast taking what belonged to him.

She froze completely beneath me, her body going stiff as a board. For a second, I thought she was going to bite my lip off. But as I deepened the kiss, angling her head and pouring months of pent-up desire into her, her resistance crumbled.

Her hands, which had been pressed flat against my chest to push me away, slowly clutched the fabric of my unbuttoned shirt. Her fingers dug in. A soft, quiet whimper escaped her throat, and she started kissing me back messy, hesitant, but burning with a fierce, confusing heat that made my head spin.

My wolf purred in victorious peace. The chaotic storm in my head went quiet. All that existed was the taste of her, the feel of her small body pressed against mine, and the addictive warmth flooding my veins.

I slid my hand down her back, pulling her tightly against my hips, intent on dragging her onto the bed, The door suddenly rattled.

The sound shattered the moment. She flinched, snapping her head back, her lips swollen and breathing ragged as she stared at me in horror at what had just happened.

"Who dares interrupt me?!" 

"Alpha! Forgive me, Alpha!" the guard's voice screamed through the door.

"The clinic it's the clinic!"

 "Speak before I tear your throat out!"

"Alpha... Lady Tiara!" 

"The Luna... her eyes just opened! Lady Tiara is awake!"