Chapter 19
Chapter 19
“Please, let me go,” I said once we exited the office. He still held me in his arms, carrying me from the Alpha’s office in the pack house to the elevators. People stopped to stare at us as we passed and it made me self-conscious.
“Be quiet,” he ordered.
“Let me go!” I kicked and screamed when he tried to shut me up, fighting his hold on me as I tried to get off his shoulder. All of a sudden, his hand around me slackened and I stumbled to the ground, almost hitting my head.
“You bastard!” I screeched before I remembered who I was speaking to.
His anger siphoned the air in the atmosphere, making it hard to breathe. Bone-chilling cold made me hug my arms around myself as I took a step backwards but I could only put so much distance between us in a small elevator.
“Say that again.” He advanced on me. His blank expression was deceptive. If I did not have the empathy of an omega and if I was not tuned to his emotions as his mate, I would have missed the danger whispering around him.
“I – I am sorry –“ I stepped back as he came to a stop before me but my back hit the cool door of the elevator and I found myself trapped between a door and an angry alpha.
“Say it again.” His voice dropped lower but it achieved the effect of a bellow. I closed my eyes as he raised his hand, expecting him to strike me down as I cowered. This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .
This man – This cruel man – I wanted nothing to do with him. In fact, I wanted to reject him here and now so I could escape him and whatever he held over me. No part of me wanted to be in the
same room as him after this. Even my wolf that had been whimpering for his touch recoiled as he raised his hand.
“Call me a bastard one more time.” His hand wrapped around my throat and my heart stopped for a brief second before it slammed against my chest and started to pound a loud, unsteady staccato.
“You – You are not a bastard –“ I shivered as his loose hand around my throat tightened by a fraction.
“Those words –“ I felt his breath against my face, his teeth scraped my earlobe. “Those aren’t nice words to say to your mate.”
“You – I – I reject you. I don’t want to be mated to a man like you!” I exclaimed, squeezing my eyes shut. His hand which had been caressing my throat stilled after my exclamation.
“Never again,” he hissed. I opened my eyes when a burst of violent anger slammed into me. “Don’t ever say that to me again.” His eyes had turned a deep, transfixing red. Bloody.
“You –“ I spluttered, trying to pry his fingers from my neck. “You –“ I pushed his hand away and stepped to the side. He followed. “You are trying to sell me off like some – like a scarf!” I exclaimed. I didn’t know I had been crying until his thumb stroked my face, catching a teardrop from my cheek.
Tears fell from my eyes after that. I choked on a sob as my eyes leaked despite my better effort. This bastard had hurt me more than Kade ever did. He gave me hope and then snatched it all in the space of twenty-four hours.
“How much do you think you’re worth?” He whispered, his nose a millimetre away from mine. “What can this dratted pack offer me in your place?”
“What are you asking me? You made me sit through a meeting where you spoke about me like a piece of meat that can be bought with trade clauses!” The tears fell faster from my eyes and I wiped
them furiously.
I always heard girls say men were scum but now, I had firsthand experience and I could boldly say that scum was an understatement. I never wanted to be in the presence of another man in my lifetime! They could all burn!
Oh, goddess. I choked on a sob. It became difficult to breathe as I stood there feeling like multiple arrows were piercing into my heart. My vision blurred and for a second, the world around me slowed and my body went weak as if someone put a straw in me and took one large gulp of all my energy. Tears poured down my face as I gasped to take in breaths into my collapsing lungs.
The bastard had the nerve to kiss me after all he had done to me. His lips covered mine, almost swallowing my mouth. My heart stopped for a second then two. My eyes widened and my tears stopped. Then my heart started to pound a different rhythm.
I raised my hand to push him away, angry at my reaction to his unwanted kiss but he caught my hand and laced our fingers, his tongue plunged into my mouth in a second. He pulled away when I started going breathless again.
When he pulled away, a small smile lifted the corner of his lips. His hand fell to my waist while the other raised above my head as he pressed into me. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the elevator came to a halt. I pushed away from the doors before they slid open, turning to face a group of three with two men and a girl my age. They had been chatting among themselves, waiting for the elevator but when they saw Cahir and I, their chatter died.
One of them took a reflexive step forward towards the elevator as if to get in and I felt Cahir’s chest rumble due to our proximity.
“Is that wise?” He asked in a voice that resonated with quiet anger. The man took a hurried step backwards. Cahir pressed a button and the elevator door closed. We started up again.
“You have a lot to learn,” was what he said after the elevator moved again. Instead of a reply, I turned my back against him without saying a word, leaving silence to reign for the rest of the ride to the top floor.
We got to the room reserved for him and not for the first time, I wondered what I was doing there. Why did he bring me here? Did he want to use my body before he finally sold me off to Silver Moon pack? Did he even have the right to do that!?
“I am twenty-one,” I said as he popped open a bottle of water. “I am old enough to leave this pack.”
Kade’s smug grin flashed in my mind as I said that. He already vowed to never let me leave this pack but I vowed to escape him. His Alpha command could only work if he said it directly to my face. If I managed to escape without being found out, I could leave a peaceful life without the hassle of the werewolf community.
After everything these people put me through, I deserved a peaceful life. I could even say the universe owed me a peaceful life. The goddess has failed me too many times, the least she could do for me was grant me one wish.
“Your Alpha is obsessed with you,” Cahir reminded me with a shrug. “He can force you to stay.” And from this obsession, Cahir planned to better his pack while using me as a bargaining chip.
“You all, all you Alphas, you are all the same.” I seethed. Over ten minutes passed before I got a reply.
“No, I am the worst of the lot.” His quiet reply threw me off guard.
“What did I ever do to you?” I could no longer resist asking. “Why would you be so cruel to me?”
“Cruel to you?” He let out a harsh laugh. “Love, you do not understand what cruelty means.”
“You’re right.” I too laughed. “I have no idea what cruelty means. All my life, I have lived in happiness and peace. Cruelty is a novelty to me,” I sneered with sarcasm dripping from my tone.
“Belle –“
“Don’t call me that stupid name!” I snapped. The air turned chilly again and I regained my senses. “I –“ I sighed, fighting back tears. “Just leave me alone.”
“How can I when you have consumed me so?” His knuckles grazed my cheeks. “There are some things you have to learn.”
“Learn? Do you mean cruelty? News flash, but it’s nothing new!” I pushed his hand away and stood. He yanked me into his chest.
“How to lie. You are too easy to read, my little wolf.”
“What does that even mean?” I sagged into his hold despite my better judgement.
“It means you need to understand deception. I want to keep you as you are, preserve your innocent image and I will but you should at least learn to be deception.” He stroked my waist-length hair.
“Deception? You mean like you?” I sniffed.
“Yes, but you will never be as good.” He yanked my hair backwards, forcing my eyes on him. “In two days from today, at the stroke of midnight, make sure you are ready.”