e of tension whenever I walked through its towering halls. The heavy silence weighed on

he heat of it still prickling under my flesh. I couldn't stop thinking about him. His dark eyes, the power in his movements, and

lsed. But instead, I found myself longing for som

what terrifie

other slaves, and the constant dread of running into the Alpha. His eyes seemed to follow me wherever I went,

ht in my chest was unbearable. I needed to be alone, to sort through the mess of emotions that I couldn

and ther

lpha

eadable. The usual arrogance was there, but there was something else, something almost calcul

is voice smooth, but there was a hint

lieve it. Every part of me wanted to avoid him, to distance myself

s eyes never leaving mine. "I can feel it. Every time you lo

I don't know what y

Don't play coy with me. You've felt it, t

o shout at him to leave me alone. But the truth was, I couldn't. I couldn't d

, my voice trembling. "I do

is words deliberate, as if every syllable was meant to br

nuckles white with the fo

energy. "You can keep telling yourself that," he said, his voice dropping to a hushed whi

tor's grace, closing the distance in a blink. His hand shot out, grabbing my wrist wi

conviction. I wasn't strong enough to pull away. No

softly, his thumb rubbing circles against the puls

every logical part of me screaming to break free. He was right. I was his. And deep

I said, my voice barely above a wh

bout that," he murmured, his lips hovering just above my ear. "You're mine

rip tightened slightly. Not painful, but enough to remind me of his power. "You think you can escape t

ed to shout that I could resist him, that I wasn't some pawn for him to toy with. Bu

ectricity through me. "You're a beautiful little thing," he murmured

knowing whether it was fear or

inctively stiffened. "Get used to me, sweetheart," he whispered,

standing in the garden, my heart racing, my body trembling wi