Alyssa watched the clawed hand descend toward her face, her entire body completely paralyzed with fear. The tiny burst of bravery she had felt a moment ago deserted her completely, leaving her hollow.
Shutting her eyes tightly, she braced for the impact, but the blow never came.
Instead, she felt a sudden rush of air, and through a tiny crack in her eyelids, she caught a rapid blur of movement.
Alec had managed to move at the last second. He wrapped his arm around Alyssa’s waist, spinning her small frame completely out of the way, and took the strike meant for her.
Samantha’s thick claws struck his face with a sickening tear of flesh, the sheer force of the blow violently snapping the gamma’s head to the side.
The deep, jagged gashes welled with blood, slow to heal because of Samantha’s Alpha blood backing the strike.
Alec turned his head slowly and glared down at her, his inner wolf surging violently to life behind his eyes.
The only reason he wasn’t tearing her throat out was because of the influence of her family, and her untouchable status as Dorian’s fiancée.
His eyes flashed a threatening amber as he firmly pushed Alyssa completely behind his back.
"Guards!" he snapped, his voice dropping into an operational command. "Escort Miss Bennington out of the mansion."
The two guards stepped into the room and locked their arms around Samantha’s shoulders, ignoring her high-pitched, shrill screams as she thrashed, trying to lunge at Alyssa one last time.
"You dare to lay your filthy hands on me!" she snarled at them, the fur and claws slowly receding back into her skin as her human form rematerialized. "I will have every single one of you executed! You have no idea the hell you have just brought upon yourselves!"
"You should be far more worried about what Alpha Dorian will do to you for daring to assault a guest under his roof," Alec retorted coldly. Then, he looked at the guards. "Get her out of here."
As Samantha was pulled backwards, she locked her furious, unhinged gaze on Alyssa, who was peering out from behind Alec’s shoulder.
"You little bitch!" she hissed, her face contorted in rage. "You dare talk back at me? I’ll kill you! Mark my words!"
Her voice slowly faded down the hallway as she was dragged down the stairs, and a heavy silence descended.
Alec finally released his rigid posture, exhaling a long breath as he stepped away from Alyssa.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his tone shifting into warmth.
Alyssa let out the breath she had been holding in a shaky sigh. She nodded, her entire frame trembling from the sheer adrenaline of the aftermath.
"Yes," she whispered lightly, her voice barely audible.
Alec turned his attention to the doorway, his brow furrowing into a deep scowl as he glared at Pandora. "You’re in big trouble, you know that?"
"What?" Pandora questioned, throwing her hands up defensively. "It’s not my fault Samantha stormed up here like some psychopathic, unhinged lunatic!"
"You intentionally riled her up," Anthony cut in sharply, his expression grim. "You knew exactly what buttons to push to make her do something fatal."
"Don’t stand there and pretend you wouldn’t have done the exact same thing," Pandora snapped back at him, her eyes flashing. "You hate that arrogant bitch just as much as I do."
Alyssa listened to their bickering, her anxiety spiking higher with every note their voices hit. She began to back away slowly, her fingers tightly clutching the soft fabric of her gown.
Everything was happening too fast. Who were these people? Why did they protect her like she actually mattered? Where was the golden-eyed stranger?
The questions were still spinning through her mind when a sudden, unnatural chill swept through the room. The temperature dropped instantly.
Alec, Anthony, and Pandora suddenly stopped speaking mid-sentence.
"The Alpha is back," Alec muttered, his jaw setting. "You better pray to the Goddess to save your skin, Pandora."
Alyssa looked toward the splintered doorway, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Whoever this person was, he had to be some sort of ruthless, terrifying ruler to have everyone trembling at the mere mention of his return.
Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway, growing closer with agonizing slowness. Each step made Alyssa’s chest tighten. The cold authority vibrating through the air sent a terrified shiver down her spine.
One question circulated in her mind. Was she finally going to die after surviving Gerald’s cruelty?
Dorian stepped through the threshold. He had just returned from the council meeting and heard about the commotion from a perimeter guard.
He was in a state of pure, volcanic fury. His eyes blazed a brilliant, luminous gold as he took in the sight of his smashed bedroom door. They had blatantly bypassed his direct command.
He stepped inside, his hard gaze instantly sweeping the room. And then he spotted Alyssa standing beside the bed, a look of absolute terror in her eyes.
The moment Alyssa’s gaze locked onto his face, a shocked, involuntary gasp left her lips.
It was him. The man whom she had given herself to three years ago, the man who had covered every inch of her skin with frantic, reverent kisses, as if he were permanently claiming her as his own.
He hadn’t changed at all. He was still as devastatingly handsome as that night, if not more so.
His dark hair had grown slightly longer, curling loosely around his neck, and a closely trimmed, dark beard now perfectly sculpted the sharp line of his jaw.
The sheer, burning intensity in his golden eyes cut straight through her, and she quickly averted her gaze, staring down at her bare feet.
Dorian, on the other hand, was stunned completely speechless. Seeing her awake, alive, and looking directly at him knocked the air from his lungs.
He had spent thirty-six months waiting to see those hypnotic blue eyes again, and he wasn’t prepared for the physical impact it had on him.
She looked so vulnerable and delicate, her scent of rain and lavender making his inner wolf howl inside his skull.
"Alpha," Alec’s voice broke into the silence, interrupting his thoughts.
Dorian’s eyes flickered to the gamma, noticing the healing claw marks on his face, and his gaze darkened into obsidian.
"Everyone out," he muttered, his voice quiet, yet sharp enough to slice through bone. "Now."
The sheer authority of his Alpha command moved them into instant action. They scrambled out of the room without a single word of protest, and Alec quietly pulled the splintered door shut behind them.
Left entirely alone with Dorian, the enormous master bedroom suddenly felt too small to Alyssa. She couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye.
When he made a sudden, instinctive step toward her, a soft, frightened cry escaped her lips, and she shrank back against the wall.
Dorian stopped instantly, freezing in his tracks. He realized his massive frame and predatory presence were making her nervous. He had to remind himself that she had escaped whatever hell she had been through. Everyone was a threat. Including him.
To give her space and build a shred of trust, he purposefully stepped back, walking across the room to his desk.
He carefully lowered the heavy bound file he was holding, then unbuttoned and shrugged off his jacket, tossing it onto a chair.
Alyssa watched him silently, her wide eyes tracking his every movement. She wanted to say something, but her voice felt trapped in her throat.
Dorian rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows, exposing his thick, tattooed forearms. Then, he turned around and leaned back against the edge of the desk, crossing his arms loosely over his chest.
"How are you feeling?" His voice came out soft and gentle, a stark contrast to the sub-zero tone he had used on Alec and the others.
Alyssa slowly raised her head, meeting his gaze. He didn’t rush her. He simply waited with absolute, unbothered patience until she was ready to speak.
"Fine," she murmured finally, her voice raspy. "I feel fine."
"Are you in pain?" he asked next, his eyes scanning her posture.
She shook her head slightly, then gestured tentatively to her wrapped upper arm. "Just a little sore."
Dorian nodded once. He made a mental note to send for Nina later to prepare a healing salve for the soreness.
"Have the maids brought you something to eat?"
Now that he mentioned it, the hollow ache in Alyssa’s stomach flared up. She realized just how desperate she was for water and food. She was starving.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head again.
Dorian’s eyes briefly glazed over as he opened the mind-link.
[Jake, instruct the kitchen staff to bring a breakfast tray to my quarters. Immediately.]
[Yes, Alpha. On it.]
Dorian closed the connection, focusing his undivided attention back onto Alyssa. A thousand burning questions were scraping at the back of his throat, but he forced them down. He had to take this slowly.
"You don’t have to be scared of me," he said after a quiet moment, his voice low and soothing. "I’m not going to hurt you."
She looked up abruptly, shock painted across her face. "I’m... I’m not your prisoner?" she whispered.
Dorian’s brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "What? No. You are not a prisoner here. What could possibly make you think you were?"
Alyssa lowered her eyes again, unsure of how to answer. She wasn’t sure if she could trust this massive Lycan with her story yet, even if he had saved her.
"Thank you," she murmured softly after a long pause. "For saving me that night. I don’t mind working in your kitchens or your fields to repay your kindness. And... I will understand if you decide to send me away."
Those were the most words she had spoken since opening her eyes.
Dorian stared at her, utterly astonished. Did she truly believe he was going to let her go after three years of tearing the continent apart to find her?
"You don’t have to work for me," he paused, his jaw tightening as he stepped slightly closer. "What is your name?"
She raised her bright blue eyes, meeting his gaze fully. "Alyssa. Alyssa Storm."
Alyssa.
The name rolled off his tongue effortlessly. Deep within his chest, his wolf let out a low, deeply possessive growl, instantly claiming every syllable of her identity.
"Alyssa," he continued, his voice dropping into a dark, intense timbre. "You have no idea how long I have searched for you. I am not sending you away. Ever. You are mine now."