Chapter 2 #2
She exhaled slowly as she crossed the grand threshold into the heart of the compound.
And realized—
She’d just stepped into the wolf’s den.
And she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to leave.
* * *
Aeolus clenched his fists beneath the dining table, muscles coiled tight as steel cords, knuckles whitening with the effort it took not to pounce.
His wolf was restless—caged and prowling just under his skin, radiating tension that pulsed like a second heartbeat. And the cause of his unraveling?
She was walking toward him.
Candy Laurent descended the staircase like a goddamn fantasy.
She had showered—he knew because he’d ordered it. The moment she passed out in the limo, Aeolus had sent a team to her apartment with strict instructions: gather everything. Clothes. Shoes. Makeup. Books. Scented candles. Whatever she needed to feel safe.
To feel his home was hers now.
She hadn’t argued when the attendant escorted her to one of the private suites. She hadn’t said a word when she disappeared behind heavy double doors.
But now—now she was back.
Fresh from the shower, skin glowing, curves wrapped in a soft cream-colored dress that skimmed her hips and clung to her like a damn promise.
Her braids were damp, draped over one shoulder like dark silk.
Her bare legs flashed with every step, and her scent—gods help him—was stronger now.
Clean skin, honey and sugar, vanilla and danger.
She walked straight into the dining hall like she owned it.
Like she belonged.
And every inch of Aeolus’s control started to fracture.
She moved with effortless grace, sliding into the seat across from him at the long oak table. Soft candlelight flickered between them. Security lights bled in through the arched windows, shadows dancing across the walls.
He tried to breathe. To think.
Tried to remember why he’d made this dinner feel casual.
Why he hadn’t just taken her to bed the second he saw the silver leave her skin.
Because she’s still healing, he reminded himself.
Because she hasn’t said yes.
Because his mate deserved a choice—even if he was this close to burning the whole world down to hear her say his name the right way.
Aeolus forced his gaze to the plate in front of him.
Food. Bland. Irrelevant.
He didn’t taste it. Couldn’t.
Because every cell in his body was locked on the woman sitting across from him—the way she tucked a braid behind her ear, the curve of her neck as she sipped from her glass, the slow drag of her tongue when she caught a drop of sauce at the corner of her mouth.
His fork bent.
He didn’t notice at first. Not until a sharp crack snapped through the room.
Snap.
Candy froze mid-bite.
Her hazel eyes flicked to his hand—then to the twisted mess of silver in his palm.
One brow arched. “You okay over there, Terminator?”
Aeolus uncurled his fingers slowly, exhaling through his nose like a man defusing a bomb.
“I’m fine,” he ground out. His voice was low. Too low.
Candy leaned back, folding her arms, giving him that sharp, knowing look. “You sure? Because it looks like you’re about five seconds away from flipping this table.”
He was.
Because he couldn’t stop imagining her on top of it.
“Maybe,” he muttered, gaze dropping to her lips, then her throat. “You’re wearing my patience thin.”
“Aw,” she teased, tilting her head. “And here I was trying to be a polite dinner guest.”
He shoved back from the table with a growl, the legs of the chair screeching against stone.
Candy’s eyes widened just a little, but she didn’t flinch.
She watched him rise to his full, towering height. Broad shoulders. Chiseled chest rising with every ragged breath. Blue-gold eyes glowing like a sunrise before the storm.
Then she stood too, slow and smooth. “Well, dinner was delicious. I think I’ll head to my room.”
No.
The word detonated in his chest.
Before she could take a single step, Aeolus moved—faster than thought, faster than reason.
One second she was turning toward the hall, the next he was there, blocking her path with his entire body.
Solid. Unyielding. Claiming.
Candy blinked up at him. She didn’t retreat. Didn’t snap. She just raised her brows like a woman used to dealing with apex predators—and never backing down.
They stood there in silence.
His body vibrated with need.
Her body pulsed with awareness.
And then, softly, she said his name. “Aeolus.”
Just that. One word. Soft. Grounding. Real.
His breathing slowed—barely. His fists unclenched—slightly.
She didn’t have to say more. She didn’t need to.
She was giving him the choice he’d always given her: restraint.
And that was the only thing that saved the night.
Aeolus forced his muscles to unlock. Forced himself to move aside, jaw clenched so tight his teeth ached.
She stepped past him, her shoulder brushing his chest like a curse he’d wear forever.
And just before she disappeared into the shadows of the hall, she glanced over her shoulder, lips curling in the ghost of a smile.
“You should get some rest too,” she murmured.
Then she was gone.
Aeolus stood frozen, breathing hard, sweat lining his spine, his wolf pacing in furious circles behind his ribs.
Tonight, he’d held the line.
Tomorrow?
That line would break.
And when it did?
The only question left would be—how loud would she scream his name when he finally took what was his?
* * *
The next night…
The compound was quiet, the night stretching long and endless. The moonlight filtered through the curtains in Candy’s room, casting silver patterns across the sheets, but she barely saw them.
She lay awake, staring at the ceiling, her body restless, her mind tangled in a storm of thoughts.
Aeolus.
His name pulsed through her like a heartbeat.
She’d spent all day trying to ignore the way he looked at her. The way his massive body tensed whenever she was near, like he was holding himself back. Like he was one breath away from taking her.
And she wanted him to.
God, she wanted him.
The smart thing would be to wait—to let them get to know each other, to figure out what this connection between them really meant before she threw herself into it. But she had been alone for so long.
Too long.
And Aeolus was her mate.
No amount of patience or logic could drown out the need clawing at her insides.
Candy slid the covers off and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She hesitated for a second, her fingers clenching the sheets, but the ache inside her was too much to ignore.
Barefoot and dressed in nothing but a thin tank top and shorts, she padded toward the door. The hallway was dimly lit, the compound hushed in the dead of night. She moved silently, every step drawing her closer to the one thing she craved.
Him.
She didn’t even have to think about where he was—her body just knew.
When she reached his door, she hesitated. Her heart pounded against her ribs, her breath coming faster now. The rational part of her whispered that this was reckless. That she should turn around, go back to bed.
But she couldn’t.
She wouldn’t.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she lifted her hand and knocked softly.
Silence.
Then—heavy footsteps.
The door swung open, and there he was.
Aeolus stood shirtless in the doorway, his massive frame blocking everything behind him. His blond hair was mussed, his blue eyes dark with sleep—or something else. His chest rose and fell with deep, measured breaths, but there was tension in the way he gripped the doorframe.
Like he already knew why she was here.
Candy swallowed hard, heat curling through her belly at the sheer size of him, the raw, masculine power radiating from his body.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, finally, she found her voice. “I couldn’t sleep.”
Aeolus’s jaw ticked. His gaze flicked over her, lingering for just a second too long on her bare legs, her soft curves, before snapping back to her eyes.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said, voice rough, low.
Candy stepped closer, her pulse hammering. “I know.”
His breathing deepened. His fingers twitched at his sides. His entire body was locked down tight, but she could feel it—his wolf was barely leashed.
She didn’t stop.
Didn’t care.
She reached up, pressed a hand lightly against his chest. His skin was hot—burning—under her fingertips, his muscles tensing like steel wires beneath her touch.
“Aeolus…” Her voice was softer now, her palm flat against his heartbeat. It was racing. Just like hers.
He inhaled sharply, his blue eyes blazing as he clenched his fists.
“Go back to bed, Candy,” he ground out. But his voice lacked conviction.
She knew then—if she pushed just a little, he would break.
So she did.
“I don’t want to wait,” she whispered, meeting his gaze head-on. “I want you.”
Aeolus snapped.
A low, guttural growl rumbled from his chest, deep and primal. Before she could take another breath, he moved.
His arms were around her in a flash, lifting her off the ground like she weighed nothing. She gasped, clinging to his shoulders as he crushed her against him, his heat sinking into her, his scent surrounding her.
“Aeolus—”
He didn’t give her a chance to protest.
He carried her inside, kicking the door shut behind him, his grip unyielding, possessive.
“You came to me,” he rasped, his voice a dark promise. “Now you’re mine.”
The words sent a shiver down her spine.
He strode toward the bed, his breathing heavy, his muscles vibrating with restraint. He sat, pulling her onto his lap, his big hands gripping her thighs as if he were trying to hold himself back.
She felt everything—the power coiled beneath his skin, the raw hunger in his gaze as he drank her in.
“You sure?” he murmured, his breath fanning over her lips.
Candy exhaled shakily, her fingers threading into his golden hair. She had never been more sure of anything.
“Yes,” she breathed.
A flicker of control shattered in his eyes.
Then his mouth crashed against hers, and the world burned.
* * *