Adrien.
I needed to correct her.
The thought pounded in my head, louder than reason, louder than restraint.
That look on her face, defiant, unwavering, unnerved more than I cared to admit. Maria had never looked at like that before, not with challenge.
I needed to wipe it from her face.
Needed to remind her.
Needed her to know who she belonged to.
The urge ca fast and reckless, driven by wounded pride and sothing darker I didn’t want to na.
Without hesitation, I leaned in and crushed my lips against hers.
The kiss wasn’t gentle.
It wasn’t patient.
It was claiming.
Her lips were still slightly swollen, and the contact sent a sharp surge of heat through . I gripped her face firmly, holding her in place as I pressed harder.
Why would she say that?
Why would she dare to imply I had no right?
No one was permitted to kiss her.
No one.
Except .
The thought burned with possessive certainty.
I deepened the kiss the more she resisted.
Her hands ca up against my chest, pushing, weak at first, then firr, but instead of pulling back, I leaned further in. My mouth moved over hers insistently, refusing to give her space.
The resistance only fueled sothing reckless inside .I wanted to trap her beneath .To erase that defiance. To make her moan my na so she would realize.
Realize who stood before her.
Realize who she answered to.
"You belong to , Maria," I muttered against her skin as my lips left hers and trailed down to her neck.
My voice was low, possessive.
Harsh.
"You aren’t even allowed to talk back at ." I pressed my lips against the curve of her neck, leaving heated kisses along her skin. I could feel the tension in her body, rigid beneath .
I kept kissing.
Kept trying to overpower the silence between us with touch instead of words.
I shifted, pressing her back fully against the mattress, my body hovering over hers. For a mont, I held myself above her, looking down at her flushed face, expecting sothing...Submission.
Instead, her eyes remained clear.
Unyielding.
I rolled suddenly, pulling her with so that I lay flat on my back and she ended up on top of . My hands gripped her waist, keeping her there. I wanted her to feel the shift.
Wanted her to beg.
To say she understood, to admit she had been wrong to challenge . The room felt charged, heavy with the clash of wills rather than desire.
I looked up at her, waiting.
Waiting for her to soften.
But she didn’t.
Her hands pushed against my chest again, this ti not hesitant, but firm as she pulled away.
And then...She wiped her lips, like I disgusted her.
The motion was small, simple, but it hit harder than any blow. For a second, I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. A sharp pain pierced through my chest, sudden and unexpected. It wasn’t anger this ti.
It wasn’t pride.
It was sothing far worse.
Rejection.
The sa lips I had just claid, the sa lips I believed I had every right to, she wiped them as if my touch had stained her. My grip on her waist loosened without realizing it. The fire that had been driving monts ago flickered uncertainly.
I stared up at her, searching her face for sothing—anything—that would undo that gesture.
But all I saw was distance.
And that distance hurt more than I was prepared for.
"Alpha Adrien, I will advise you to refrain from kissing soone who goes about kissing other Alphas."
Her words hit like a slap, for a second, I just stared at her, the accusation in her tone.
The bitterness.
The hurt.
It echoed the exact words I had thrown at her earlier, only now they were turned back on , sharpened, deliberate.
"I... I..." I tried to speak, but the confidence I usually carried so easily abandoned .
It was only then that I realized my words had hurt her.
Deeply.
I saw it now in her eyes, not just anger, not just defiance, but wounded pride. And it was too late to take it back. Too late to pretend I hadn’t said what I said.
But I didn’t want her to see the effect she had on . I didn’t want her to see the crack forming in my composure.
So instead of admitting fault, I let my pride speak for .
"Maria," I said sharply, pushing myself up to stand fully before her, "tell —what did Noah promise you?"
I closed the distance between us in a few strides.
"You seem to have grown a little wings."
My voice carried mockery, but beneath it lay sothing far less controlled, jealousy.
"Alpha Adrien..." she began, her tone strained.
Before she could finish, I lifted my hand and placed my fingers lightly over her lips.
The gesture silenced her instantly.
Her breath ward my palm.
"Whatever he promised," I said, leaning closer, lowering my voice to a whisper near her ear, "I can give you more."
I moved close enough that my breath brushed against her skin.
She shivered.
I felt it.
The reaction wasn’t imagined.
It was real.
And my wolf stirred in satisfaction, almost howling in victory.
See?
I still had an effect on her.
No matter how bold she acted.
No matter how she tried to stand her ground.
Her body still responded.
"That doesn’t stop you from carrying out the command I gave you," I continued quietly, my tone regaining its authority.
She stepped back.
The movent created a small gap between us.
And when she looked up at , there was confusion in her eyes, as if she didn’t recall what I ant.
I clenched my fists tightly at my sides.
"Maria," I said, my voice dropping into sothing colder, "are you trying to play dumb?"
I took a step forward, closing the space she had created.
"When last did you sleep on my bed at night?"
The question hung between us, and her expression shifted imdiately, the fire in her eyes dimd, and she lowered her head.
For a fleeting second, I thought I had regained control.
"Don’t tell you’ve forgotten," I added firmly. "You are to resu this night."
That had been my command.
Clear.
Undeniable.
And until now, she had never disobeyed outright.
I expected her to nod.
To bow her head slightly and accept it.
To return to the familiar pattern where my words were final.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she lifted her head again.
And when she spoke, her voice didn’t tremble.
"I won’t."
I stared at her.
Stunned.
For a mont, I wondered if I had misheard.
But the determination in her eyes told I hadn’t.
"I won’t," she repeated, stronger this ti.
The defiance in her voice struck sothing deep within .
My jaw tightened.
My heartbeat thundered in my ears.
I had demanded loyalty.
Expected submission.
But what stood before now was will.
What exactly is going on with her?
User Comments
0 comments from readers