My eyes widened in awe at the sight of the pack house in front of me. It was larger than Katarina‘s
house. This one was L–shaped with four floors. I wondered how many people were living here. And I
wondered if I would ever get a chance to stay here. I hoped he wouldn‘t send me away because I didn‘t
have anything with me. Where would I go? I could go to Katarina, but I was sure that once my uncle
heard that I was back in the territory, he would come looking for me. And then, I would be in a deep shit
again. I needed to do something. Anything to save me. It doesn‘t matter if Alpha Riley wouldn‘t want
me around. I needed his mark on me.
“Follow me, Nadia. We need to talk. Alone.” His cold voice snapped me out of my thoughts as my gaze
darted to him. I swallowed the invisible lump in my throat. It felt so dry. This was it. Judgment day.
“Just follow him. And if he scares you to the hilt, just run. I‘ll just be around here.” Alpha Jacob stood
beside me, his eyes were fixed on Alpha Riley and I couldn‘t find the right words t o answer him or to
even say thank you, so I just nodded my head before I dragged my feet to follow my mate inside his
packhouse. I let my eyes gloat over my mate‘s back. I was not small nor too tall at five feet five inches,
but this man was huge.
He was probably around six feet four or five inches. He has broad shoulders and a muscular back. His
arms were just perfectly muscled and his long sandy blond hair reached almost up to his shoulder. He
looked like a god. I let out a sigh, knowing there was no use fantasizing about how to be wrapped up in
his arms.
Soon I will be out of here. So I just let my eyes wander on the insides of the house while doubling my
steps so he wouldn‘t be too far ahead.
The house looked deserted like no one was around. It looked decent. It‘s beautiful but somehow
boring. Shades of gray everywhere. Dead color. I wonder if there are any females around here.
“Ahhh...” I gasped a little too loudly when my cheek and my breasts hit something hard as sparks
traveled everywhere.
“You should be looking at where you are heading.” He grunted.
“And you shouldn‘t be just stopping out of the blue!” I snapped back at him as I rubbed my cheek
gently. My bruises were healing, but they were still tender and his torso was hard. I saw him raise an
eyebrow as he placed his hands in his pocket before turning around to continue walking.
He opened one door and waited for me to come in before he entered. His smell here was so strong
and it came in full force the moment I stepped inside the room.
This must be his office. I took in a deep breath, letting his minty scent calm me while trying to restrain
Arrow from sending naughty thoughts in my head.
We shouldn‘t be thinking about things like that right now. We needed to save our ass and I had no idea
how to do that if he kicked us out of his territory.
“Are you hurt? Are there more bruises than what I can see?” He asked as he strode past me and
stopped at the front of a big desk, probably his desk, and leaned his ass on it, crossing his arms
against his chest, which just accentuated his abs. He‘s wearing a tight white shirt, and if I kept staring
at his chest, I could probably end up getting aroused again. . Damn this mate bond. Everything about
this male made me drool in an instant.
“Did you hear me or do you need more time to check me out?”
My eyes widened before they narrowed on him. I fixed my posture and tilted my head up to look him
straight in the eyes.
“What was your question?”
I tried my best to hide the embarrassment I felt of being caught gloating at him, but my traitorous body
wasn‘t helping. I could feel my cheeks burning and I was pretty sure I was already too red in the face.
He snickered before shaking his head. “I was asking if you have more bruises than the ones on your
face.”
“No. Nothing.” I lied.
I didn‘t want him to know that I had gashes and a big wound was still healing in my back
“You‘re not good at lying. Do you know that?”
“Well, people see what I want them to see in my eyes.” I was trying to confuse him, and I think it
worked since his forehead creased.
“So, Mr. Alpha, I‘m sure you were already aware of why I was here.” His eyes squinted, and I swear I
saw them dilate into full black, but it was gone in seconds.
“You want that mark gone, right?” I swallowed hard.
No. That‘s not what I meant. Oh, Goddess, where do I start? I needed this mark.
I was still thinking of the right words to say when he stood straight and let out a deep breath. And my
heart dropped.
“I, Riley Adams...” His voice was too cold and it was piercing what remained of my broken heart.
“No!” I screamed as I walked toward him.
“...Alpha of the...”
“No!” I stopped in front of him as my hand raised and flew to his face, slapping him with my hardest, but
he didn‘t even flinch. His face remained still as his eyes squinted and swirled into full black
I stepped backward and started regretting my outburst when I realized he wasn‘t moving and wasn‘t
stopping with his rejection.
My hand flew to my mouth and, before I could stop myself, I launched forward again and jumped at
him, flinging my body towards him. I had no idea how I would hold on to him, but I wrapped my arms
and legs around him, praying to the Goddess that I would be able to support myself while clinging to
him. And then I just did what I needed to do, crushing my lips against his.
Sparks and tingles were exploding from my mouth and every part of my body that touched his when I
felt a hand holding on to my ass, and an arm wrapped around my back, supporting my body from
sliding down. Thank Goddess! It would be embarrassing if I kept clinging to him like a koala and then
slid down.
My lips were locked with his. They weren‘t moving, just touching. But it was enough to make him stop
the rejection.
It worked I should pull away now. But I couldn‘t. I didn‘t want to.
And then his lips started moving as the palm holding my bottom started squeezing my ass cheek.
My eyes widened as I looked at him.
Alpha Riley‘s eyes were closed as his soft and warm lips moved sensually against mine. I couldn‘t stop
myself from parting my lips and closing my eyes, letting a soft moan escape my throat before I began
kissing him back.
My heart skipped a beat as the heat rose from my stomach. My hand, with a mind of its own, traveled
up to the back of his head, coiling my fingers around his hair and tugging them hard.
His grip on my body tightened, pressing our bodies closer together, and despite the pain of his tight
hold on my bruised back, the rush of pleasure and the sparks, and his intoxicating scent were more
than enough to make me disregard the pain.
Pure bliss. I didn‘t even think it was possible to be able to feel his lips against mine again. I moaned
between our kisses as he plunged his tongue inside my mouth and kissed me bruisingly hard as if he
didn‘t want to let me go, and I welcomed it wholeheartedly.
I was lost in oblivion, letting him savor every inch of me as I did with his.
Only to be jolted back to reality when the door to his office opened and I felt sets of eyes staring at my
back.
My eyes snapped open to see my mate‘s eyes widening as he stared back at me.
Fuck! What have I done?
I scampered away from his grip, and he let me down on my own feet. I didn‘t know how to hide my
embarrassment from the people behind, so I went around him and hid my body on his back, peeping
my head to the side to check who was by the door.
“Well, that escalated fast.” Alpha Jacob chuckled as he stood by the door. Beside him was another
man I hadn‘t seen in my life
“And you fuckers don‘t know how to knock?”
I swallowed hard as I rested my forehead on his back, and I felt his body go rigid. I smiled despite
myself. I could affect him.
Maybe I could use it to my advantage and I could stay here until I got what I needed to start a new life
far, far away from him and my uncle.
“The door was open, so we thought we were welcome to come in. Will I get to meet the lady in your
arms, Alpha?” I was sure this voice came from the man I hadn‘t met yet.
“No. Take her to the room upstairs on the fourth floor so she can rest.”
I pulled my forehead away from his back as I spoke softly, just enough for him to hear, but I was still
standing behind him. “I thought we would talk?”
“We can talk later. And I will check your bruises later. All of them,” He answered me coldly, and it sent a
shiver down my spine.
“Hmmm... You mean the room beside yours, the one Andrea used?” The male continued with his
conversation with him.
Andrea? Who was Andrea?
“Another room.”
“But that’s the biggest one after your room.” I closed my eyes as my chest heaved. She might be his
ex–girlfriend, the one who chose another Alpha.
Pain crossed my chest when it hit me that he wanted to preserve the biggest room for her.
“I can sleep in the dungeon too,” I butted in, in the same cold tone he was using.
He turned around to face me, crossing his arms against his chest, but I didn‘t even bother to look at his
face. I feared he would see the pain in my eyes.
“I don’t have a dungeon, but I have a cell in the basement of the next building outside this house. Now
if you want to...” I cut him off before he could finish.
“If it has a bed and a blanket, then I‘m good to go,” I told him as I walked past him, tilting my chin up
while blinking back the tears that were forming in my eyes.
“Thank you for your time, Alpha Riley.” I knew I sounded ungrateful. He was willing to give me a place
to stay, even if it was just for one day, but I couldn‘t stop the pain inside. Was this jealousy or more?
All I knew was that she was the reason I was not welcome in his life. I stopped in front of the man who
I believed he had asked to take me to my room. I smiled at him and extended my hand.
“My name is Nadia. Will you take me to my cell?” He took my hand and shook it briefly as he chuckled,
but it didn‘t slip my ear the low growl that my mate let out behind me.
“My name is Dominic, Beta to the Alpha. And I don‘t think a beautiful female like you belongs in...” He
didn‘t finish what he wanted to say when his eyes flecked white, letting me know someone was
reaching him through a mindlink.
The smile was wiped off his face as soon as his eyes went back to normal and he gestured for m e to
follow him.
I threw a glance at Alpha Jacob and bowed my head in respect before following Beta Dominic, not
even bothering to look at my mate as I walked out of his office.
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