AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I swallow and try to take a step away when my back hits the wall.
Valen’s canines slip from his gums, and he steps closer, pressing me harder against the wall, caging me. His nose moves along my jaw to my neck—the sharp points of his teeth graze my skin. My eyes shut, my breathing becoming unsteady. I hate my own body’s reaction to his closeness.
"You don't seem so sure now, Everly. You know who you belong to, and you do belong to me," he says. His breath fans across my neck and I inhale his addictive scent. My own gums tingle with the urge to mark him, claim him as mine, and I try to fight off the instinct that is infused in us.
I feel out of control, my heart rate increases, and my breathing becomes heavy as his scent wraps around me. Valen moves closer—his entire body against mine—and a deep thrum from his chest vibrates against mine as he purrs into me. Yet, my body gives in to his calling, the urge to let him take me overriding common sense. He’s using my own instincts against me. Usually, she-wolves are unable to resist the call of their mates. The sound calls me to give in to my mate on some instinctive level, like a sedative that makes my brain suddenly stop working. He nips at my neck, and much as I hate what he’s doing, the thought of him marking me also excites me on some level. The experience is bringing forth feelings for him I thought died long ago, reminding me of the urge to nest when pregnant. The hatred is replaced with a longing or compulsion to do what comes naturally but also feels uncontrollable at the same time because it takes free will from us; it's all instinct and urges.
“Do I still repulse you, Everly? Because your body says otherwise,” he whispers against my throat before grazing my neck with his teeth again where his mark should be. I shiver when I feel his lips press against my skin before he runs his tongue across my sensitive flesh.
Valen groans obscenely, and his hand skims under the side of my blouse. I gasp at his touch, and my hands feebly clutch the front of his shirt; I don’t know if I want to pull him closer or shove him away, my brain and body fighting with each other. But damn, does his body feel good pressed against mine, so warm, and my skin tingles.
I feel the outline of his abs hidden beneath his shirt, his belt buckle digging into my stomach as he presses closer, until every line of him presses against me. A sigh escapes me, and my eyes jolt open at the noise I make. Valen’s hand moves higher before he squeezes my breast through my bra and growls softly before nipping at my jaw. I want to shove him off, but at the same time, I don’t want him to stop, I want to feel his hands all over me without the clothes in the way.
The sound of someone clearing their throat makes me jolt back into reality, and I jump while Valen growls menacingly. I push him away from me instantly, the fog lifting. As soon as his touch is gone, I miss it. Looking down the corridor, I see Macey and my cheeks heat. She raises an eyebrow at me before tapping her fingers on her wrist. My brows furrow, and I quickly glance at my watch. Shit, I have to get Valarian from the rogue preschool; it'll close soon. I knew I shouldn't have taken such a late lunch! I would typically be waiting at the gate by now; it’s nearly 4:30 p.m.
“Zoe?” I ask, and she nods.
“Already gone to get–” she looks at Valen. “She should be back soon,” Macey says carefully, letting me know Zoe is grabbing Valarian with Casey. I let out a breath of relief.
“Thank you, Macey. I'll be down soon; I just need to deal with something first.”
“Sure, go back to whatever you were both doing. But keep it PG; this is a hotel,” she chuckles, and I glare at her before my cheeks flush.
Valen smirks at me, and I turn my glare on him while Macey walks off toward the stairs.
“So, do you still believe you are unaffected by the mate bond?” he asks. I say nothing. How could I when he was practically dry-humping me against the wall, and I was letting him? I shake my head, turning to follow Macey.
“Deny me all you want, Everly; you will give in. You can’t resist a mate bond,” Valen calls quite confidently. Little does he know, I've been denying my mate bond for years and will continue to.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I can be stubborn, and I can guarantee I won’t be pining over you,” I retort, trying to escape him as he follows me.
“I have other ways to make you give in. Resist the mate bond, but I bet you'll come crawling back if I have this place shut down,” he says, and I stop.
“Excuse me?” I snap, spinning around to glare at him. He smiles, and I clench my hands into fists.
“Don’t forget who this city belongs to. Fight me all you want, Everly—nothing I like more than a good challenge. But don’t say I didn’t warn you because Ialwayswin. You will accept the mate bond and me or…” he looks around, motioning with his hand at my hotel. “I have a lot of influence around here,” he says, stepping closer.
“You can’t breach me on anything, Valen. Your threats are empty. I know everything is legal; no one can fault this place for anything,” I tell him. He shrugs, stepping closer.
“So you won’t mind me sending the health and safety inspector around? Nothing to fine you for?” he asks, and I fold my arms across my chest.
“My hotel won’t fail anything. Everything is by the book. You won’t win, and nothing you do will make me accept this mate bond. Nothing. So go home, Alpha Valen,” I tell him before storming away. The nerve of him to threaten me!
“I'll see you tomorrow, Everly,” Valen calls out, and I growl at him. I really need to go for a run to burn off some of the anger raging through me. Taking the steps two at a time, I head to my apartment to change, knowing Zoe will be back soon with the kids.
ChapterTwenty-Three
Iremain in a terrible mood for the rest of the afternoon—I can't concentrate or focus on anything. Two days in a row, I've seen Valen. The bond is buzzing, and it's making it increasingly difficult to function. On top of that, I have his lingering threat and the worry that came with it. He has the power to destroy the hotel we saved, the parting gift Valarie had given to Valarian and me. I feel protective of it; we built this place from its bare bones and gave it back life. I'm not about to stand by and let him take it from us. Yet, I would be powerless against him in a city where rogues mean nothing.
I'd be lying if I said I'm not worried; I am. Macey, Zoe, and I have worked our asses off for years building this place back up. And for him to threaten to destroy it makes my blood boil. The question lingering in the back of my mind remains: would he really destroy this place—harm his own mate's business—all because I refuse to give in to him?
“Uh, Mommy.…”
Valarian's worried voice reaches my ears, and I lift my head to look at him. A shriek leaves my lips when I realize I'm burning the grilled cheese. Smoke is billowing from the grill and I rush over, yanking the tray out of the oven, only to forget it's piping hot, and I'm not wearing oven mitts.
My fingers sizzle, and I drop the tray before racing to the sink and quickly turning the faucet on to run my hand under the cold water.
“Casey, don't touch that!” I tell her when she leans down from the kitchen table to pick up the hot tray. She sits back up, and with all the commission, Zoe comes racing in. The smoke alarms suddenly start blaring loudly, and she opens the window above the sink before using a dish towel to waft the smoke out the window.
