Alyssa cleared the remaining food from the tray and heaved a long, contented sigh.
She couldn’t remember the last time she had a proper meal. Living under Ingrid and Melinda, her food always consisted of leftover stale bread, or soup that had begun to turn sour.
But the roast beef, seasoned pasta, and crisp caesar salad she had just consumed were so heavenly that she hadn’t left a single crumb behind. The sweet wine was a rich blend of flavours, tingling her taste buds.
She was just thinking of the safest way to return the used plates and utensils to the kitchen without crossing paths with anyone when the door opened.
Dorian stepped into the room. He glanced at the tray she held and frowned.
"What are you doing?"
Alyssa looked down at the tray, then back up at him. "I..." she stuttered. "I just wanted to return it–"
Dorian moved suddenly, cutting off her words. He took the tray out of her hands and slammed it down onto the desk, making her flinch.
"There are servants hired to do that," he said, turning around to face her fully. "You’re not to perform a single chore while in this house. Do you understand, Alyssa?"
The way he spoke her name made her heart flutter. He said it like he owned it, like every syllable belonged to him.
"I understand," she nodded. "And thank you for the food. I can’t remember the last time I tasted something so wonderful."
Dorian’s lips curled into a pleased smile. He was glad she liked it.
"Do you want more?" he asked gently.
"No, thank you. I’m full," she answered with a small smile.
Dorian was struck by how that simple curve of her lips lit up her face so beautifully. That was the first real smile she had given him since she woke up.
Sensing the intensity of his stare, Alyssa lowered her eyes. For a split second, the vivid memory of that night they shared three years ago flashed through her mind, causing a hot blush to stain her cheeks.
Dorian noticed instantly. He tracked the sudden rush of heat to her face, his inner wolf immediately reading the shift in her scent, and he knew precisely what she was remembering.
"I have to step out for a while," he continued softly, his voice a low purr. "And I won’t be back for hours. I didn’t want to leave without telling you."
Her eyes flew up to his, worry clouding the blue depths. "Oh. Um, okay."
"Don’t worry," he assured her, closing the distance between them until the dark fabric of his shirt brushed against her silk gown. "No one will disturb you while I’m gone. I promise you that."
He trailed the back of his knuckles down her cheek, then grasped her chin and tilted her face upward.
Alyssa exhaled a soft breath, summoning every ounce of her courage to look directly into his eyes. She didn’t understand why, but she already felt like she could trust him.
"Okay," she nodded. "But... before you go, can I ask a question?"
Dorian’s other hand slid smoothly around her waist, his grip tightening as he pinned her firmly against his chest. He lowered his head until the tips of their noses were almost touching.
"Go on," he murmured.
With their close proximity, their lips mere inches apart, and his hands holding her with absolute possession, Alyssa’s voice died in her throat.
Her pulse spiked, her chest heaving as her breathing turned shallow. Her mind went completely blank, and all she could think about was the intoxicating scent radiating off his skin, and the way those golden eyes burned into hers.
"I’m waiting," he prodded gently, his warm breath fanning across her face.
"I..." she paused, licking her lips in a desperate attempt to focus, but the movement only drew his eyes down to her mouth. She swallowed hard. "I forgot my question."
Dorian chuckled quietly, the rich, masculine sound vibrating deeply against her chest. He tilted his head, leaning down until his lips brushed against the sensitive shell of her ear.
"Try to remember it before I return," he whispered. "I’d very much like to know what is running through that beautiful head of yours."
Alyssa shut her eyes, shivering from the warmth of his lips. He didn’t even attempt to kiss her, yet her knees were on the verge of melting into a puddle.
When he finally pulled back, she forced her eyes open. Her cheeks were flushed, and she panted softly at the sudden emptiness she felt.
"I’ll see you in a few hours, little lamb," he said. "If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask the guards or the servants. They will answer to you."
Flashing her a charming, heart-stopping smile, he turned and exited the room.
Alyssa remained on the exact spot, unable to move. The name he used, little lamb, was the exact phrase he had whispered into her hair during those sinful hours in Iridian.
She lifted a trembling hand to her cheek, touching the spot where his fingers had rested. A silly smile started to curl her lips before she suddenly snapped back to her senses.
She dropped her hand, an annoyed frown creasing her brows.
Get a hold of yourself, Alyssa. You don’t know anything about this man, and the rumors about him should be enough to make you keep your distance.
But even as she scolded herself, her traitorous body remembered how his burning touch had made her come alive for the very first time.
...
Dorian’s amused smile remained on his face as he stepped out of the mansion. He couldn’t shake the image of the utter daze on Alyssa’s face when he had pulled away.
He had spent less than twenty-four hours with her, yet she already had him wrapped around her fingers.
Outside, Jake and Alec were waiting beside the sleek, black SUV. The moment Jake caught sight of the smile still lingering on Dorian’s face, his jaw literally dropped.
He blinked, exchanging a stunned glance with Alec.
[Is he... is he actually smiling?] He asked through the private mind-link.
[I am as shocked as you are, Jake. I can’t remember the last time Alpha Dorian’s lips twitched.]
Unaware of their silent conversation, Dorian approached the vehicle. The smile suddenly vanished from his face, replaced with a terrifying scowl.
"Let’s go," he muttered.
Alec held the door open, closing it with a solid thud once Dorian slid into the leather back seat.
He got into the passenger’s side as Jake gunned the engine and sped out of the driveway.
...
"You have to do something, Daddy!"
Samantha whined shrilly, her expensive heels clicking sharply as she paced the length of her father’s study. "You can’t let them get away with this disrespect! I was humiliated, dragged out like garbage because of some worthless stray Dorian found in the woods."
"Calm yourself, Samantha," Alpha Reynold muttered from behind the desk. "Your hysterics will do nothing. I said I’ll take care of it."
"Who exactly is the girl anyway?" Samantha’s twin brother, Seth, asked from the couch where he reclined lazily with a glass of liquor.
"Some trash he encountered in the Southern pack three years ago," Samantha snarled, her brown eyes flashing with venom. "You need to get rid of her, Daddy. I refuse to let Dorian throw away our five-year engagement because of a nameless piece of garbage!"
"Enough!" Reynold snapped suddenly, slamming his fist on the mahogany desk. "Alpha Dorian is no fool. He is a ruthless, calculated King. He will not discard a multi-pack alliance unless he is seeking a war."
"A war?" Seth scoffed. "Father, the Northern army outnumbers ours hundred to one. What do you think the Alpha King will do the moment he realizes the Bennington pack is drowning in debt? I mean, he thinks he’s marrying Samantha to strengthen our mutual borders, not knowing he’s bailing us out of a drowning economy."
Samantha’s head snapped towards her brother, her eyes widening in fury. "Shut your mouth, Seth! You have no idea what you’re talking about. Our pack is not in debt!"
Seth laughed loudly, shaking his head at her denial. "Is that what you believe, sister? Why do you think father is pressuring you to marry the Alpha? We’re broke."
Samantha glared at him, but a seed of doubt had sprouted in her mind.
She prided herself on being the Alpha heir of the Bennington pack, and the future Luna of the continent’s most powerful territory. Her father’s pack couldn’t be in debt.
She turned her panicked gaze towards Reynold who remained dead silent.
"Daddy? Is it true?" she asked uncertainly. "Are we in debt?"
"Ignore your brother," Reynold muttered, refusing to meet her eyes. "Just focus on getting Alpha Dorian to marry you. I will pressure the court council about the girl. We need this marriage alliance to work before any distraction ruins it."
The door to the study opened suddenly, and a breathless guard hurried inside.
"Alpha Reynold," he bowed. "The Alpha of the North, Alpha King Dorian Hellborne, has arrived."
Reynold flew to his feet, his heart hammering against his ribs as a wave of cold anxiety hit him. He already knew why Dorian was here.
"Not a word from either of you," he snarled at his children and hurried out of the study.
Dorian was seated on a velvet sofa in the receiving room, his ankle crossed over his knee. His handsome face was set in a deadly scowl, the dark clothes and rolled sleeves making him look even more menacing.
When Reynold hurried out with Seth and Samantha trailing behind him, Dorian didn’t bother sparing them a glance.
"Alpha Dorian," Reynold bowed deeply, showing the back of his neck as a formal sign of respect. "I wasn’t expecting a royal visit. To what do I owe this honour?"
Dorian didn’t reply. Instead, he rose slowly from the sofa, his massive frame towering over Reynold.
Without warning, his hand moved like lightning, whipping out a silver lycan dagger from his belt.
He grabbed the unsuspecting Reynold’s forearm in an iron grip and violently drove the blade straight through the center of his palm, pinning it to the oak table beneath.