Page 25 of The Forbidden Alpha

“Hang up the dress for me,” I said, unzipping my bag. I pulled out the fabric and handed it over.

He let out a low whistle, eyes widening as he took in the sheer, dark elegance of the gown. “Damn, Ady. You’re going to have tongues wagging.”

I swung at his arm, laughing. “Oh, hush!”

He pushed off the door and grabbed it from me, walking over to a large mirrored door that slid open to reveal a walk-in closet. After he placed it on a rod, he strode out and sat on the velvet chaise. “So what’s the plan?”

“Uh, what do you mean?” I asked as I fell back onto the bed.

“What’re we going to do now? Do you want to go exploring?” After the entire day in the car, of course he’d want to go out whereas I needed to decompress.

“Gabby, I love you, but I need to go into gremlin mode.” His shoulders sank at my words, but then a glint flashed in his eyes. “Uh-oh. You have that look.”

“What look?” He stretched, his shirt riding up and showing off chiseled, tanned abs.

“The ‘I’ll be fine because I’m going to be chasing skirts’ look.” I crossed my arms and glared at him.

His face lit up with a wicked grin. “You got me.” He pulled out the card from his pocket. “I’ve got a date with a pretty redhead.”

I grabbed a feather-stuffed pillow and threw it at him. It hit him and he pretended to be wounded.

“Be safe. You don’t want to get her pregnant,” I scolded, the words meant to be a joke, but they came out brittle as he walked away.

“Always,” he teased and blew me a kiss. “Text me if you need anything.”

“I will, and Gabe?”

“Yes, babes?”

“Cut the lights.”

Darkness swallowed the room the moment the door clicked shut. I collapsed onto the bed, the linens so soft they felt like a taunt—a reminder of the cold, hard reality waiting for me back home. This room was a beautiful mirage. I closed my eyes, letting it fool me.

Chapter 14

Dream

The world was a blur of friction and shadow. I strained against the heavy darkness, trying to claw my way back to the surface of consciousness, but my wrists were chained. Trapped. I struggled to open my eyes, my breath hitching as the heat of another—large and solid—pressed against mine.

The air smelled of salt and scorched earth. A hot, wet trail of fire moved along my neck. I willed my limbs to move, but they were useless. A low, guttural groan vibrated against my skin.

“Adealine,” he moaned.

The name was lost on me, a memory I didn’t own. Suddenly, sharp teeth clamped down on my bottom lip. The copper tang of blood filled my mouth. My body jerked, forced into a pulsing rhythm.

“I’ve waited so long.”

My eyes snapped open. Above me, a silhouette swayed with every brutal thrust. He wasn’t looking at my face; his gaze was fixed downward, obsessed with the point where our bodies collided. I watched the play of moonlight over the hard ridges of his abs, the frantic flex of his hips. He pulled back before driving into me to the hilt.

The impact made my head snap back against the earth. A deafening ringing filled my ears, threatening to shatter my skull.

I screamed for my wolf. Nothing. She was a void. I was alone in my own skin.

I whimpered as he reached deeper, the friction turning from heat to a sharp, localized pain. His eyes snapped up. The warmth I once thought I saw in those depths was gone, replaced by a cold, glittering lust that pushed down on my chest. His hand moved, fingers wrapping around my throat—not to kill, but to possess.

“I chose you then, and I choose you now,” he murmured against my skin.

His lips trailed down my throat. I had no fight left as he continued his ravaging. Then, the sound: the click of canines extending. They hovered, poised over my jugular.