Adrian’s POV
Ava had left, and the private room felt suddenly too wide, too quiet, The faint trace of her scent still lingered.
It was clean, with a hint of some herb I couldn’t name, something sharp enough to slip straight into my lungs and flip every switch in my nervous system.
Deep in my chest, my wolf let out a low, frustrated growl.
It was pissed, restless, pacing, clawing at my ribs like it expected her to still be here.
And when it didn’t get what it wanted, it only got more agitated.
“Settle down,” I ordered it silently.
It didn’t.
If anything, the damn thing got even wilder.
I walked toward the spot where she’d been standing just minutes ago.
The edge of the wooden table still carried the faint, blurred prints her fingertips had left when her palms got a little sweaty.
I lifted my hand, brushing over that mark.
The rough grain of the wood scraped against my skin, grounding and irritating all at once.
And then my mind, traitorous thing that it was, dragged me right back to the moment she’d stumbled into my arms.
Her body heat had cut through my shirt like it meant to brand me.
Her slender neck had brushed past my lips, her pulse thumping under soft skin with a rhythm that could tempt any predator into madness.
Her waist had felt delicate beneath my hand, but there was a realness to it, a tension, a strength she probably didn’t even realize she carried.
That touch had slammed into what was left of my rationality, shaking loose everything I’d kept under control for years.
Even now my muscles stayed tight, my blood running hot and quick.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been pushed this close to losing control.
I moved to the window, pressing my fingertips against the cold glass as if the chill could tame the chaos churning inside me.
But my mind kept replaying every piece of tonight, scene by scene, and I was powerless to stop it.
The first time I met her, it was nothing more than obligation.
Bloodmoon Pack honors its promises, and she was the Crawford Pack’s Omega.
A simple political move.
Clean numbers.
No surprises.
That’s all I thought it would ever be.
The second time was at the banquet.
She’d stood there surrounded by a pack of towering Alphas, yet she never flinched, never flattered, never softened her voice.
Every word she spoke was sharp, steady, perfectly placed.
And in that moment I realized.
She wasn’t weak.
She’d just been trapped in a place that demanded she pretend to be.
But even caged, she hadn’t dulled.
Not even close.
And then tonight, in this room, she showed me her research, her plans, her reasons.
She told me she wanted to throw Damon’s words right back in his face.
She’d been denied fairness her whole life, denied space, denied recognition, yet she’d kept studying, kept fighting, kept climbing until she was already better than most leaders I’ve ever met.
The only problem was no one ever bothered to look at her long enough to notice.
And after all that, she still refused the protection I offered, standing there with her chin lifted, insisting she wouldn’t belong to anyone.
That, right there, that’s the woman I want. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
A woman with ambition and drive.
A woman who grows under pressure instead of breaking.
That face, that body, those eyes that lit up when she talked, any one of those alone could drive a man insane, but she had all of them and didn’t even realize it.
If I truly intend to unite every pack, I don’t need an Omega who kneels at my feet.
I need someone who stands beside me, someone the storm can’t drown.
Damon, that idiot.
Does he have the slightest clue what he threw away?
Too late.
I’m not letting anyone take her from me.
I walked back to the table and picked up the glass she had been drinking from.
A faint ring of water still clung to the rim.
I tilted my head and drained the rest in one swallow.
The icy water slid down my throat, but it did nothing, absolutely nothing, to cool the heat burning through me.
Confident on stage, blazing with her own light.
Rejecting my protection.
Stubborn.
Independent.
Unshakably strong.
A woman like that…
it’s no wonder I can’t tear my mind away from her.
My wolf let out a mocking snort in the back of my mind, full of smug amusement.
“Just admit it. You’re into her.”
I scoffed, setting the empty glass back on the table with a sharp click.
“Not a chance.”
Right then, Oswald walked in.
He straightened his posture and said, “Alpha, I’ve gathered everything on the Darkmoon Pack. The full report is already in your inbox.”
I opened my email.
The files were thorough, ridiculously thorough.
It didn’t take me long to see the pattern: all their past research projects and key operations had been led by Ava.
And the most recent investments Damon personally handled?
Every single one was a failure.
So she’s even sharper, even stronger than I’d thought.
“Send Damon an offer he absolutely can’t turn down,” I ordered.
For that amount of money, Damon would pressure Ava himself, force her to the West Coast to work with me.
He’d think he was cashing in big, using Ava to revive the Darkmoon Pack.
He had no idea he was actually handing me their most valuable asset on a silver platter.
Oswald’s expression tightened with confusion, but he didn’t dare question me.
He simply bowed his head and said, “Understood, Alpha. I’ll get it done right away.”
He stepped out and closed the door behind him.
The room fell silent again, leaving only me, and the thought of Ava, that intriguing wolf woman.
“Ava!” My wolf snarled her name, restless and hungry.
He wanted her voice, her scent.
He wanted me to take her.
His reckless urge hit me hard.
Heat rushed through me, and my cock throbbed painfully.
This VIP suite wasn’t just one room.
A door inside led straight into a full presidential suite, every corner of it mine.
I headed into the bathroom.
Cold water crashed down from above, slamming onto my shoulders and down my spine.
I turned the temperature to the lowest setting, hoping it would douse the fire burning in me.
It didn’t.
The water kept falling, icy and relentless, but my mind…
my mind replayed that moment in the private room over and over again, completely out of my control.
She collided with the solid wood table, producing a dull thud.
Startled, she quickly retreated, her deep blue skirt tracing an arc through the air.
She lifted her head, her face showing a trace of panic mixed with forced composure.
Her lips parted slightly, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Damn it.
My Adam’s apple bobbed.
A fierce flame surged through my lower abdomen, blood rushing downward, my cock growing even harder.
I braced myself against the slick tile wall, lowering my head.
With my current power and status, all I’d need to do is press a button, and within ten minutes, a she-wolf of noble bloodline would be washed clean and lying in my bed, ready for me to take.
They’d use every trick in the book to please me, wrap their lips around my cock or spread their legs wide.
But for some reason, just thinking about another she-wolf’s touch filled me with physical revulsion.
My wolf only wanted her.
That woman whose wolf spirit hadn’t even fully awakened, who still bore another Alpha’s mark on her body.
The thought of Damon’s mark on the back of her neck made my canines extend uncontrollably, piercing my lower lip.
The taste of blood spread through my mouth.
I wanted to bite through her gland, inject my venom and pheromones into her bloodstream, completely cover that waste’s trace with my dominating scent.
I wanted everyone to know who she belonged to.
Water streamed down the lines of my muscles, flowing into the drain at my feet.
I closed my eyes, my mind filled with Ava’s cool, aloof face.
The floral scent from her body penetrated the steam, once again swirling around my nose.
I reached down with my right hand, wrapping it around my hard, burning cock.
My thumb roughly brushed over the tip, bringing an intense jolt of stimulation, then stroked up and down.
“Ava…”
I gritted my teeth, the name escaping from deep in my throat.
My hand moved faster and faster, accompanied by the mental image of her pinned beneath me on the table.
Water splashed everywhere, hitting the glass partition with rapid, dense sounds.
I tilted my head back, the back of my skull pressed against the cold tiles.
My breathing grew heavy, my chest heaving violently.
I quickened the pace of my hand, veins bulging on the back of it.
Low gasps were drowned out by the rushing water.
I suddenly tightened my grip and finally came.