Samantha held her head high as she marched through the front doors of the mansion, dressed in a skintight, leather one-piece and matching stiletto boots, her blonde hair wild around her face.
She stepped into the sitting room, took off her dark shades, and glared haughtily at Jake and Alec.
"Tell Dorian I’m here," she said in a commanding voice.
Alec’s expression darkened. He hadn’t forgotten how her claws had slashed across his face that morning. His chest rumbled with a dangerous vibration as he took a step toward her.
Jake instantly slapped a hand on his chest, stopping him. When Alec threw him a furious glance, Jake shook his head.
"Let it go, brother," he murmured. "She’s not worth it. Calm your wolf."
Samantha sneered when she heard him. She took a step forward, her hands resting confidently on her hips.
"What are you going to do, Alec? Fight me?"
"Shut the fuck up, Samantha!" Jake snarled.
But she ignored him, pressing closer to Alec as her lips curled snidely. "You wouldn’t dare. And even if you tried, you’re weak."
Alec bared his fangs, his eyes flashing a glaring, feral amber as he charged at her. But before the confrontation could turn physical, Dorian’s Alpha voice slammed into his mind like an explosion.
[ALEC! THAT’S ENOUGH!]
Alec instantly stopped, his jaw locked tightly, his clenched fist inches away from Samantha’s smug face.
Dorian came down the stairs, holding Alyssa’s hand firmly in his. His eyes were glowing pools of bright gold, a clear sign that his wolf was right beneath the surface.
Beside him, Alyssa spotted Samantha, and her brows knitted into a deep frown as memories of that morning’s assault rushed back.
She knew nothing about Samantha, but she already despised her because the woman reminded her so much of her stepsister, Melinda. The two shared the exact same arrogant, spoiled nature.
When Dorian descended the last of the stairs, he released Alyssa’s hand and walked up to his gamma who still bristled with anger.
"Go to the training grounds," he ordered. "Work off that pent-up rage inside you."
Alec lowered his head and pulled back, shooting one last lethal look at Samantha before turning away.
"Yes, Alpha," he muttered and walked off.
Samantha laughed scornfully and moved closer to Dorian. "Dorian, my love, I know I’ve been a bad girl," she purred, lifting her hands to embrace him.
But the icy death glare Dorian shot her stopped her dead in her tracks. She took a tentative step back and pouted.
"What? Don’t tell me you’re still upset with me. I told you I was sorry."
"I’m not the one who needs your bloody apology," Dorian growled savagely, letting his inner wolf flash across his eyes for a second.
He turned away, reaching out to take Alyssa’s hand again. He led her into the room on the right, his large palm settling gently around her waist.
Samantha’s expression turned sour with jealousy. Her hands curled into tight fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.
For the five years she and Dorian had been engaged, he had never looked at her the way he looked at Alyssa just now; with utmost devotion and possessiveness.
"You may go in now," Jake muttered beside her, his face a blank mask. "The Alpha is waiting for you."
Samantha shot him a scathing glare, then lifted her chin and walked into the room. If this was what she had to do to get Dorian back, she would do it.
Inside the room, Dorian took a seat on the leather chair behind the desk. This room was the Conclave, where he held impromptu meetings with his ranked pack members.
Rectangular in size, it contained several black leather couches, an enormous flat-screen TV, and was designed entirely in black and gold.
Alyssa was just about to settle into one of the couches when Dorian caught her by the wrist.
"Where are you going?"
She blinked up at him. "To sit down."
He shook his head and pulled her back toward him. "This is where you’ll sit."
To her utter mortification, he pulled her straight onto his lap
She let out a surprised gasp, her entire body turning tense. She was seated squarely between his strong thighs, facing the door, her buttocks snug against the hard, solid warmth bulging beneath his trousers.
Her breathing turned ragged, and she felt a scorching blush creep up her cheeks. The way her body instantly turned hot both surprised and annoyed her.
Dorian leaned forward from behind, his chest pressing into her back as his arms wrapped around her waist, trapping her within the heat of his body.
He put his lips to her ear and whispered, "You’re so stiff, little lamb. Relax."
"I can’t," she replied in a breathless whisper, her fingers gripping his forearms. "J–just let me sit on the couch."
"I want you right here," was his simple, unyielding reply.
Then Samantha stepped into the room. The moment her eyes processed the sight of Alyssa on Dorian’s lap, she completely lost her mind.
"What is the meaning of this, Dorian?!" she snapped, her voice screeching through the room. "Have you no single shred of respect left for me? I am your fiancée!"
Alyssa’s eyes widened, her heart freezing in her chest. Fiancée? Dorian was engaged? She hated how intensely that piece of information made her chest ache.
"Do not speak of respect in my presence!" Dorian shot back, his voice dropping into a deadly rumble that made the walls shake. "You are here for one sole purpose. Get down on your knees and apologize!"
"Never!" Samantha snarled. "I will not bring myself down to her level."
"Then you can officially kiss our wedding and your pack’s survival goodbye!" Dorian stated coldly. "Jake!"
Jake hurried into the room and bowed his head. "Alpha?"
"Throw her out of here! She and the entire Bennington pack are banned from ever stepping foot in the North!"
"Dorian, please, don’t do this," Samantha cried out, her haughty facade cracking into pure panic. "You know how much I love you. The way you’re treating me isn’t fair!"
"You should have thought of that before trying to attack my guest," Dorian’s reply was cold and entirely emotionless. He didn’t even spare her a glance.
Instead, his eyes were locked on Alyssa’s hair, casually twirling a soft lock around his finger.
Jake grabbed Samantha’s arm to pull her out, but she violently wrenched herself free.
"Get your filthy hands off me!" she screamed.
"Don’t test me, Samantha," Dorian muttered, his golden eyes flicking up with a promise of violence. "Get out if you’re not going to apologize."
"Fine!" she threw back at him, her voice cracking. "I’ll do it."
Her brown eyes blazed with fury, wet with angry tears. She glared at Alyssa, her jaw clenched as a million vengeful thoughts ran through her mind.
Swallowing her bruised pride, she dropped to her knees, her hands fisted and trembling at her sides.
"I’m sorry," she whispered fiercely to the floor.
"Louder!" Dorian snapped.
Gulping down the suffocating rage that bubbled up her throat, Samantha glared up and locked eyes with Alyssa. "I’m sorry for attacking you this morning."
Dorian finally lowered his gaze, ignoring her entirely as he leaned closer to Alyssa.
"Do you forgive her, little lamb?"
Alyssa shivered as his warm breath tickled her ear. She looked down at Samantha, boldly holding eye contact with her without flinching. "Yes."
Dorian hummed in approval. His expression hardened into pure granite as he turned back to Samantha. "I hope this taught you a bitter lesson about my boundaries. Now get out!"
Samantha flew to her feet, her chest heaving. "But Dorian..."
"I don’t want to hear another word from you! Go back to your pack. Unless I send for you, do not step foot into the North again."
Samantha swallowed the remaining words in her throat. She took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then forced a cold, dangerous smile.
"Fine," she hissed. "If that’s what you want."
She whirled around on her heels and stormed out of the Conclave. Seconds later, the loud roar of her car signaled her departure from the pack’s grounds.
After Jake stepped out and shut the door, it was on the tip of Alyssa’s tongue to ask about his engagement to Samantha, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Dorian merely tightened his grip around her waist, burying his face in the crook of her neck. He kissed the sensitive skin there, his touch possessive as he lost himself in the sweet intoxication of her scent.
...
Alyssa spent the rest of the afternoon in the safety of the bedroom. Dorian had to leave almost immediately to oversee a fallout at the borders.
As dusk slowly settled, she prepared for a hot bath. The same maids who helped her the last time were present, carefully helping her undress since her stitched shoulder still made basic movements painful.
She stepped into the gold tub filled with warm bathwater. The rich bath oils smelled heavily of roses, working instantly to soothe her tense shoulders.
Yet, her mind refused to rest, continuously straying back to those intense moments in the Conclave.
The sting of learning about Dorian’s engagement still lingered, but her treacherous body kept remembering the weight of his arousal beneath her.
She had felt the unmistakable, hard throb of his desire pressing directly against her buttocks, sending an erotic rush of tingles straight up her spine.
Even now, her thighs involuntarily clenched at the memory.
She lowered her head, trying to hide the crimson blush creeping up her cheeks. She hated how intensely her body was responding to a man who belonged to someone else.
She had just stepped out of the gold tub and was drying her damp skin with a towel when the bathroom door suddenly opened.
Her head snapped up, her blue eyes widening in pure shock as Dorian’s massive form filled the doorway. He was back.
His gaze locked onto hers, instantly darkening to a predatory shade as his eyes traveled down to the towel she was clutching tightly against her chest.
He stepped fully inside, slowly turning his head toward the maids who immediately dropped into deep curtsies.
"Leave us," he commanded.