Alyssa stirred awake and opened her eyes a crack. Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains in pale, shimmering ribbons, and a blue-breasted bird chirped loudly on the windowsill before taking flight.
She sat up and stretched, then looked around. This was Dorian’s bedroom. At the foot of the bed, a fresh set of clothes and an assortment of toiletries had been neatly arranged for her.
Vivid memories from the previous night pushed through her mind; from the heated moment they shared on the counter to the eerie darkness that had consumed his eyes.
Pushing the covers off, she swung her feet over the edge of the bed and stood up. She needed to see him. She had to make sure he was okay.
After a quick trip to the bathroom to brush her teeth and take a warm shower, she felt much better.
She slipped into the silk dress and dainty slippers that were provided, and was brushing out her hair when the bedroom door swung open.
Dorian entered, deep in conversation with someone on his phone. He looked up, caught her gaze in the vanity mirror, and froze mid-sentence.
"We’ll finish this conversation later, Henry," he muttered into the receiver before abruptly hanging up and sliding the device into his pocket.
Alyssa slowly turned around, confused by the sudden distance between them. Normally, the moment they were in a room together, he moved to pull her into his arms.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked, his voice carrying a dark, raspy edge.
She nodded, her fingers nervously twisting beside her. Why was he staring at her so intensely?
"When did you come back?" she asked in a voice barely louder than a whisper.
Dorian stepped fully into the room and shut the door behind him. He leaned back against the wood, crossing his massive arms tightly over his chest, still maintaining his distance.
"This morning. That’s when I brought you back up to the room."
"Oh." She lowered her eyes, suddenly unsure of what to say. When the silence became unbearable, she was forced to ask the question burning a hole through her. "Did I do something wrong?
The moment Dorian heard the fragile thread of fear in her question, his restraint snapped completely. He covered the distance between them in three long strides, hauling her off her feet and into his arms as his mouth crashed onto hers.
The kiss exploded into a wild, raging hunger. He lifted her effortlessly, his large hands gripping her hips in a bruising, possessive hold, anchoring her against his chest as he completely devoured her lips.
Her ankles locked tightly around his waist, her hands coiling around his neck as she kissed him back with the same wild intensity.
He pulled back at last, his mouth leaving hers with a reluctant, breathless sigh. He leaned his forehead against hers, his chest heaving as he breathed harshly.
"You did absolutely nothing wrong, Alyssa," he growled in a thick, raspy undertone. "I should be the one asking you that, after last night. I expected you to be scared of me."
"I’m not scared of you," she admitted honestly.
Dorian’s golden-brown eyes softened with an overwhelming wave of relief, his voice dropping into a low, vulnerable whisper.
"You’re truly not afraid of me?"
She shook her head. "I’m just worried. Where did you go last night?"
"I had to leave," he sighed, his thumb tracing her jawline. "To get my wolf back under control. I didn’t want to hurt you."
She gazed deeply into his eyes, her fingers gently playing with the fine hairs on his neck.
"You wouldn’t have hurt me," she said with a bold, unwavering confidence. "I’m just glad you’re okay. It must have been scary for you."
The only thing that scared Dorian was the way his inner wolf had surged to the surface, driven wild by her scent. Strangely enough, his demon half had been entirely silent since the night he rescued her from the woods.
He kissed her once more, a sweet, lingering touch, before gently lowering her to the floor, his hands resting possessively on her waist.
"Have you had breakfast yet? Pandora mentioned you didn’t eat a single bite last night."
"I couldn’t," she sighed softly. "My stomach was in knots."
He reached up, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from her eyes. "Would you like to have breakfast with me now?"
She nodded eagerly, her lips curving into a bright smile. "Yes."
Dorian tightly resisted the urge to drag her back to the bed and kiss her senseless. She had him completely wrapped around her fingers, and she didn’t even realize the power she held over him yet.
He had long since given up trying to question why he was so drawn to her. Maybe it was fate, or something entirely unknown.
Clasping her small hand in his, he led her out of the suite. The hallways were dead silent, and the few servants they passed quickly curtseyed and averted their eyes.
Even the main sitting room was deserted. The TV was turned off, and there wasn’t a single sign of life within the enormous mansion.
"Where is everyone?" she asked.
Dorian pulled out a chair for her at the dining table, waiting until she was comfortably seated before taking the chair directly beside her.
"Running errands," he murmured. "An important pack event is coming up in a few weeks, and the preparations require a massive amount of coordination."
"Oh," she said softly. "What kind of event?"
"The first Moon Ceremony of the year."
Alyssa knew all about the Moon Ceremony. Back in the Southern pack, it had been the one night she always looked forward to, the one night she could find a brief sanctuary of peace away from the cruelty of her stepfamily.
Three maids suddenly appeared from the kitchen, quietly setting the table with plates of eggs, thick-cut bacon, and toasted bread. They placed a mug of hot chocolate in front of Alyssa, and a cup of steaming black coffee before Dorian.
While Alyssa began to dig into the meal, Dorian barely touched his food, his entire attention locked onto her. He watched her eat, patiently answering her endless stream of questions as best as he could.
Her curiosity genuinely amused him, and he found himself laughing softly, sharing small secrets about the pack territory that he would usually never reveal to an outsider.
Everything was going perfectly smooth, and he was savoring this rare, peaceful bubble of privacy when his phone vibrated harshly against the table.
A quick glance at the flashing screen told him this was a call he couldn’t ignore. He answered it, gently running the back of his knuckles across Alyssa’s soft cheek.
"Wait here for me," he murmured to her. "I won’t be long."
She smiled up at him, her bright blue eyes locked onto his face. "Okay."
He rose from the table, his warm expression instantly hardening back into a cold, unreadable mask as he walked a few paces away and pressed the phone to his ear.
"What is it?" he snapped.
"Alpha, you need to head down to the court immediately!" Jake’s voice was laced with an intense urgency that instantly caught Dorian’s full attention.
"Slow down, Jake. What’s the problem?"
"Apparently, Samantha filed a formal report to the council regarding Alyssa. I don’t know what she told them, but they are furious. They are already drafting a new law concerning the succession of the pack."
Dorian’s face twisted into a dark, murderous scowl. He cast a quick glance back over his shoulder, ensuring Alyssa was still eating, before turning away to grip the phone tighter.
"What law?" he grounded out, his voice vibrating with fury. "Who gave them the authority to pass decrees in my absence?"
"I don’t know, Alpha," Jake replied. "But from what I’m gathering, they plan to pass the Alpha throne to another member of your lineage if you refuse to marry Samantha and produce an heir."
A wave of blind fury slammed into Dorian. Those bloody bastards! His jaw locked so tightly the bone clicked, his eyes flashing rapidly between eerie gold and pitch black.
"I’m on my way," he muttered, hanging up.
He immediately dialed Anthony’s cell, but it went straight to voicemail. He tried Pandora next, but her phone was switched off. The total lack of communication only fanned the flames of the rage burning beneath his skin.
Before he stepped back to the table, he opened the mind-link, his voice cutting through the pack’s telepathic frequency like a whip.
[André, I’m leaving for the court council in a few minutes. No one enters the mansion while I’m away, until my sister or Anthony returns. Keep a close eye on my guest!]
[Understood, Alpha.] André, the guard captain, answered swiftly and the link closed off again.
Taking a long breath, Dorian forced his temper under control before returning to the table. "Alyssa, I have to leave you for a moment."
She sat up straight, her brows pulling into an immediate frown. "Did something happen?"
He forced a reassuring smile onto his lips. "No. Just an urgent pack matter I need to handle personally. Anthony and Pandora should be back at any moment. Will you be alright by yourself until they return?"
She nodded. "I’ll be fine. I’ll just head back up to the bedroom."
"If you need anything, meet the guards or the servants."
Abruptly, he leaned down and kissed her. Then he turned and strode out of the mansion, leaving Alyssa flushed, trembling, and completely breathless.
She was still trying to calm her racing heart when the maids returned to clear away the breakfast dishes.
"Miss? Do you need anything else?" one of them asked politely.
Alyssa snapped out of her daze and cleared her throat. "No, thank you."
Halfway up the steps, she came to a sudden halt. She had never truly explored the rest of the mansion, and now that the house was quiet and everyone else was away, this was her perfect chance.
Stepping back down the stairs, she walked through a set of massive arched doors and entered a dimly lit hallway, unaware of the shifting silhouette of darkness that silently trailed after her.