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Monte’s footsteps pull me from my thoughts, and he inclines his head before reluctantly stepping into the hall. He stuffs his hands in his pockets, back rigid, then walks down the hallway.
“Why are you putting all this off?” I growl. My head whips around to see Everett’s eyes examining me intently, but a cold, hard mask washes over his face a second later.
“All what off?” he asks gruffly. His power slowly retreats, and I pull my own in hesitantly, unwilling to be the first one to drop it completely.
“You know exactly what. We came here to plan on how to keep our packs safe, and we haven’t discussed anything,” I say with an exasperated sigh, my patience wearing thin.
“It seems we’ve done exactly what we intended to do here today. We both wanted to feel each other out ...” he trails off, letting the double meaning in his words linger as his eyes rove over my form, both of our powers completely reined in now. “And we’ve done that. We have an alliance. The details will come tonight after the celebration.”
“And the severing?” I ask, even though the words are like a punch to my own gut, my heart pangs already with the loss. “When—”
He steps in closer to me, effectively cutting off my words. His body heat radiates off him, casting me in the warm, comforting glow of his presence. I hate the way my body responds to his proximity, how my fingers itch to run over his finely tailored suit, so at odds with his savage appearance. My mind begs to see what he would wear if he wasn’t the alpha of this pack when he’s alone in his quarters. I want to feel every inch of him, explore what makes him mine—no, not mine,I need to remind myself, he’s not mine, and he never will be.
“I can tell how badly you want me to bend you over this table and fuck the attitude right out of you,” Everett says, his rough voice thick in my ear. Hot breath brushing over the shell of my ear and down my neck, sending a shiver of desire down my spine as I picture exactly what that would look like. “I plan to let this go on as long as possible. It’ll be entertaining watching you squirm, knowing your arousal is for me, not your fiancé.”
Okay, so he definitely saw me crossing my legs at the sound of his voice.
“I’m going to make your life a living hell until you’re begging me to sink my cock into that pretty pussy.”
My desire heightens as I wait for him to continue, the pictures he’s painting in my mind like an addiction.
“And that’s when I’ll grant you your severing,” he says snidely and backs away abruptly, leaving me cold and bereft of his body heat, wrapping me in a warm cocoon.
This was partly my idea. I spoke the words of rejection. But why is the thought of severing the connection now like a blade to my chest, like a vise wrapping around my throat and cutting off my air?
With that, he strides from the room, leaving me alone in his office, his words still ringing through my mind. A threat, a promise, and I can’t decide if I want to chase after him and beg him now just to get it over with or to see if he’ll actually cave and satisfy the need now building within me.
Fucking bastard.
Chapter Six
Skylar
Myheelsclackloudlyagainst the asphalt, walking the same path I had earlier today. That motherfucker is seriously making us come here twice in the same day. I have half a mind to turn on my heel and stride back to the limo, but I know I have to do this. Monte stalks behind me with another beta, Walter, beside him. Two more take the front, their eyes vigilant as they clear the alleyway.
A chill creeps up the thigh-high slits of my long black evening gown, making me shiver slightly. The look is the perfect mix of alluring and elegant, except it really doesn’t do much to protect against the cool night air.
“All clear, Alpha,” one of the betas before me announces as he peers around the corner. I think his name is Peter. Honestly, this afternoon was a complete blur. Everett gave us little to no time to prepare our team for this outing. Because, unlike our meeting this morning, all the high-ranking members of the Whitlock pack will be here tonight. Meaning we couldn’t risk coming unprepared in case any fights break out. I run my finger over the slit in my dress and the band strapped there concealing my knives. We may be allies now, but there’s no way in hell I can fully trust this pack and their alpha.
We follow the two leading our group, and my fingers twitch at my side, ready to retrieve my dagger at a moment’s notice. But just like last time, we encounter no issues in the alleyway.
Peter moves to the door to announce our arrival, and we stay spread out, the betas sticking close but not enough to make us an easy target. Monte made sure to gather a group that he trusts, knowing that the reason for tonight would certainly come out, meaning we’ll need to announce it to the pack, something I didn’t want to happen. This situation is just becoming more and more complicated, but what alternative do I have?
A moment later, the secondary door opens and we file inside. I cast a furtive glance at Monte and glimpse the strain on his face as well. I’ve become so used to his strength again, his support, it feels strange to have to keep some distance from him. Although our engagement may be fake, we’ll need to walk a thin line between acting like a couple and still functioning in our own roles. If today taught us anything, it was the importance of relying on my alpha instincts.
Everett didn’t want a partner that would bow down to him and pander to him. He wanted someone to challenge him and to put him in his place when need be. I bite my lip as I revisit that interaction, wondering if he wanted those qualities in a mate as well.
I shake those thoughts from my mind, only now realizing Monte’s gaze is still on mine. His brows crease with concern, but I hurriedly signal that I’m fine. To say that things have been tense between the two of us this afternoon would be an understatement. His hopes from earlier in the limo had hung in the air. I didn’t want him to be hurt by the emergence of one of my mates, but at the same time, I held no promises to him.
Besides, we had both rejected each other. I don’t let my mind wander on those words any longer, though, not wanting to feel the now increasingly familiar pang in my chest at the phantom absence of the connection.
The doorway now stands clear, my two pack betas entering the second door and holding it open for me, leaving the way clear of potential threats. I draw in a deep breath and summon my strength, ready to display it before the Whitlock pack. This is my only chance at a first impression, and my pack’s safety relies on my ability to appear strong and dominant. So I shift into the mask of the alpha, pushing aside my warring emotions. They will do no good now.
My strides are strong and steady as I enter the vestibule, my head up high, my gaze meeting each person’s eyes head-on. I register the initial shock at the sight of me, of the female alpha before them, but their gazes drop a moment later. I guess Everett still hadn’t bothered to inform his pack about the new alpha Draven.
My gaze shifts to the alpha in question, noticing the smug tilt of his lips. I have no doubt in my mind that he’d done it on purpose, to see both his pack’s reaction and how I would handle the situation. I respond with a saccharine smile, mocking and taunting him, yet it would seem magnanimous to the crowd surrounding us. His icy gaze softens with a sliver of respect, but he masks it a moment later.
I can’t help but wonder who will end up on top in this dangerous game we’re playing. And I can only hope it will be me because I know if I give in to this man, there would be no stopping the two of us, no putting out the blaze that would burn between us.
