A dark look, both possessive and irritated, flashes across Seth’s face. “Too bad.”
The deliberate provocation in those two words makes my blood boil. He’s being petty, I realize. Deliberately trying to get under my skin because—why? Because he can? Because he wants to see me react?
He holds out one of the glasses toward me, and I turn my head away, refusing to even look at it.
“Fine.” His voice carries a confrontational edge now, almost daring. “Then I’ll just drink your precious Zane’s entire bottle on my own.”
My hand shoots out before I can stop it, snatching the glass from him. I drain it in one long swallow, the wine burning down my throat and settling hot in my empty stomach. When I slam the glass down on the bedside table, Seth is watching me with clear amusement.
Heat immediately blooms across my skin—a warmth that spreads from my chest outward, making my cheeks flush and my pulse quicken. I tell myself it’s just the alcohol on an empty stomach, nothing more. I shift uncomfortably on the bed, trying to ignore the sudden sensitivity of my skin against the damp fabric of my nightdress.
“Didn’t know you had such a temper,” he says, refilling my glass.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” The words come out breathier than I thought they would, and I hate it. The heat is intensifying, settling low in my belly, making me hyperaware of Seth’s presence in my room. “And it’s none of your business.”
He settles into the chair across from my bed, too comfortable, too at ease in my space. “Since we’re fated mates, you are very much my business.”
I stare at him in disbelief, rage rising in my chest—along with other things I refuse to acknowledge. The warmth continuesspreading through my body, making every nerve ending feel electric. I press my thighs together, trying to ignore the growing ache.
“Are you serious right now?” My voice rises despite my attempts to control it.
“Completely.”
“Two weeks ago, you could barely stand to be in the same room as me.” This heat is making my thoughts fuzzy. “You made it crystal clear that I was beneath you, that I was too weak, too pathetic to ever be worthy of someone like you. And now, what? You’re singing a different tune because someone else wants me?”
His jaw clenches, a muscle ticking in his cheek. “That’s not—”
“That’s exactly what this is.” I lean toward him, ignoring both the protest from my injured feet and the way the movement makes the heat spike. “You don’t want me, Seth. You never did. But you can’t handle the idea of Zane wanting me. So, what is this? Some kind of possessive, territorial posturing? Do you want to keep me on a shelf somewhere, unwanted but not allowed to be with anyone else?”
He moves so fast I barely see it—one moment he’s in the chair, the next his hand is gripping my jaw, forcing me to meet his blazing eyes.
“That’s the second time you’ve accused me of that,” he growls, his face inches from mine. “And I don’t like your attitude.”
My wolf practically whimpers at his touch, at his nearness, responding to the dangerous edge in his voice with eager submission. The heat in my body intensifies at the contact, making my breath catch. But I refuse to back down. Not this time.
“What are you going to do about it?” I sneer, though my voice wavers slightly. “I don’t care about you, Seth. I don’t care about this stupid bond. Whatever you think gives you the right to barge into my life and act like you own me, you’re wrong.”
His grip tightens slightly, not painful but firm. “Is that so?”
“Yes.” The word comes out less steadily than I want, my body betraying me with the racing of my heart. “In fact, now that I can feel this bond again, I think it’s time to end this charade, once and for all.”
I see understanding dawn in his eyes, followedimmediately by what I think is panic. He knows what I’m about to say. He knows what words are forming on my tongue.
“I, Selene—”
His mouth captures mine before I can finish, swallowing the rejection before it can take shape. His hand is still gripping my jaw, holding me in place as his lips move against mine with desperate intensity.
I should push him away. I should bite him, fight him, do anything except what I’m actually doing—which is kissing him back with equal desperation. My hands fist in his shirt, pulling him closer even as my mind screams that this is wrong, that he’s manipulating me, that I should hate him for everything he has done.
But, oh god, the bond. It sings between us like a living thing, every point of contact sending electricity racing through my veins. My wolf howls with joy, reveling in Seth’s taste, his scent, the solid warmth of his body. It’s overwhelming in a way that nothing with Zane ever was. The heat in my body blazes hotter, turning into an ache that demands more, demands everything.
Seth growls against my lips as if he can taste my surrender, his hold on my jaw tightening before sliding down to my throat. Not choking—just enough pressure to remind me who’s keeping me here. The dominance in the gesture makes my pulse race faster as my thighs clench together.
I pull at his shirt, nails scraping over hard muscles as I drag the fabric up, desperate for skin. I break the kiss just long enough to whip the shirt over his head, then immediately crush my mouth back onto his.
“Selene…” he murmurs against my lips, his voice all gravel and heat. “Wasn’t it you who said you didn’t want this?”
The taunt sparks fury and desire in equal measure. My hands spread greedily across his bare chest before mapping the ridges of his abs, the heat of him searing my palms. He hisses when my fingers trail lower, following the line of hair disappearing beneath his belt.
