Chapter 15 Violet #2
I scoff a bitter laugh, folding my arms. “Thanks, but I don’t need adult supervision. Besides, don’t you have important pack things to do, Commander?”
He pushes off from the counter, striding in my direction. “Nothing more important than this, mate.”
A lesser woman might swoon. I just roll my eyes and strut past him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing how that comment landed.
If he insists on tagging along, fine. I’ll just ignore his presence. Arguing with Kane only escalates things, and when emotions escalate, lines blur. Boundaries slip, and things like last night happen.
So, I choose neutral. Because if I’m going to hold my ground against Kane, it won’t be by stepping into the ring with him. It’ll be by keeping my head on straight and my armor locked firmly in place.
Kane and I ride the elevator up to the fortieth floor in silence.
The bond hums contentedly in my chest with him so close beside me– close enough that I can feel the heat radiating off his body, smell the soap on his skin, and see the little flecks of grey threading through his dark hair at his temples.
I’ve always been hopelessly attracted to older men. It adds insult to injury that the mate I was unwillingly Paired with just so happens to tick every one of my boxes.
Dominant, check.
Responsible, check.
Tall, built, and devastatingly handsome– check, check, check.
I hate how much I’m drawn to Kane, while Char finds the irony of the whole thing hilarious.
She says I gravitate toward distinguished, authoritative types because I have daddy issues– that because my own father bailed when I was a kid, I’m forever chasing validation from men who radiate big father figure energy.
I say she’s the last person who should be psychoanalyzing me, but… yeah. She’s not totally wrong.
Not that I’d ever admit that out loud.
True to form, Kane keeps his eyes trained straight ahead, fixed on our warped reflection in the brushed metal doors.
His expression is carefully neutral, carved from stone.
I can’t tell if he’s still pissed about last night, or if this is simply his baseline– all brute force and quiet brooding.
Meanwhile, I’m fighting the urge to crawl out of my skin at the thought of setting foot on the medical floor again.
The doors slide open into the sterile white lobby, and I’m instantly hit with a full body cringe. The last time I was here was for my serum extraction. A memory I’d rather forget.
The receptionist clocks us as we step off the elevator, her eyes widening in alarm when she spots Kane. Her posture immediately snaps straighter, lips parting on a little gasp. Though she tries to school her expression as we approach, the slight tremor in her voice betrays her nerves.
“Good morning, Commander Kane,” she greets, gaze locked firmly on him alone. “How can I help you?”
“My mate has an appointment with Dr. Aspen,” he replies curtly.
My mate. As if he fucking owns me. My stomach curls in on itself, even as my inner wolf revels in his claim.
The receptionist’s eyes finally flick to me. “Oh, yes. Of course,” she breathes, bobbing her head. “I’ll let him know you’ve arrived, Miss Slayter.”
Kane grunts in acknowledgement and she flinches, scrambling to pick up the desk phone like her life depends on it. I roll my eyes and turn away from the pathetic powerplay, stalking toward the windows lining the waiting area.
I take a seat on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs, Kane promptly claiming the seat beside mine like he belongs there. He fixes his attention on the hallway beyond the receptionist’s desk, posture rigid and jaw locked tight.
For someone who’s spent his whole life policing others, he’s really, really bad at pretending to be chill. The tension bleeds off him as we wait, thickening the air between us until it’s hard to breathe.
“Think you can act normal for once?” I mutter under my breath, knocking my knee into his. “Or is this your way of trying to intimidate the entire medical staff into submission?”
His eyes flick to me, dark and heavy-lidded. “As if I’d have to try,” he scoffs.
I roll my eyes again and turn away, forcing my shoulders to loosen as I lean back in my chair, crossing one leg over the other. “They should be more scared of me,” I muse lightly. “I bite.”
He grunts, though it almost sounds like a snort of amusement.
Before I can decide whether I imagined it, Dr. Aspen enters the lobby, tablet tucked against his chest. The second he sees Kane, his posture stiffens, steps faltering. A beat passes before he pastes on a professional smile, gesturing politely.
“Come on back, Miss Slayter,” he directs. “Commander, you can wait out here, we shouldn’t be long–”
“I’ll join my mate,” Kane cuts in, already standing.
I shoot him a glare, heat flaring in my chest. Then I belatedly remember that I need to keep a cool head around him, clamping down on my reaction and exhaling slowly through my nose.
Aspen hesitates, then jerks a nod, lips thin. “Of course. Right this way.”
We follow him down the corridor, our shoes squeaking softly against the pristine floor.
Kane’s presence alone seems to warp the space around us, the rest of the medical staff scattering and ducking into doorways as we pass.
Dr. Aspen ushers us into a private exam room, closing the door behind us with a decisive click.
For a moment, it’s quiet. Three people, soundproofed walls, and a mountain of unspoken tension.
The doctor gestures toward the exam table in the center of the room before retreating to the counter at the back, fidgeting with his tablet without looking at either of us. “Thank you for coming in,” he mumbles.
“Cut the shit, doc,” Kane growls, advancing a step forward. “What the fuck is this?”
Dr. Aspen blanches as he meets his gaze. “Just a routine follow-up.”
“Bullshit,” Kane snaps, the harsh edge in his tone startling even me. “Medical doesn’t do Pairing follow-ups, you just want to run tests on her. After I specifically told you no.”
The doctor cards a nervous hand through his hair, eyes flicking to me, then back to Kane. “As I explained to you, Commander, I believe your bond may be unique. If I could conduct some research…”
“We’re not participating in your research,” Kane interrupts, voice low and lethal.
“Okay,” I interject, holding up a hand and looking between them. “Someone wanna tell me what the hell is going on here?”
Dr. Aspen turns to me, lips curving into a practiced, placating smile. “I believe your bond with the Commander may be an outlier, Miss Slayter,” he replies smoothly. “That you may be fated. I was hoping to collect some samples to test my theory.”
My jaw drops, brain tripping over the word ‘fated’.
Before I can even begin to process it, Kane moves.
One second, he’s at my side, and the next he’s crossed the room, crowding Dr. Aspen back against the counter with his massive bulk. “She’s not your fucking lab rat,” he spits, stabbing a finger into the center of the doctor’s chest.
Aspen’s mouth drops open, chin wobbling as he stares up at Kane wide-eyed. I should probably be alarmed, but instead I’m riveted, watching the whole thing unfold like a spectator at a demolition derby thirsting for carnage. Even worse, part of me is undeniably, shamefully turned on by it.
I’ve never seen Kane lose his cool like this. Never gotten a real glimpse at the monster he’s rumored to be. And in this context, seeing that savagery aimed toward the creepy pack doctor in my defense…
Shit.
A hot, dangerous throb starts up in my core, pulse ticking in my throat.
Dr. Aspen swallows hard, then lifts his chin, trying to reclaim some shred of authority. “This is important,” he insists. “If you won’t consent, I’ll have no choice but to go to Alpha–”
Kane’s hand shoots out, fingers curling into the front of the doctor’s lab coat. He pivots and slams Aspen into the wall with brutal efficiency, plaster cracking under the impact. “You say one word to Alpha about this,” he snarls, “and I’ll make sure you never run another test in your life.”
Dr. Aspen’s eyes widen in terror, feet scrabbling uselessly against the floor as if friction alone might save him. “T-that sounds like a threat, Commander,” he stammers.
Kane bares his teeth as he leans in, voice dropping to a low, vibrating growl. “It’s a fucking promise.”
It’s absurd how hot that sounds.
I press my thighs together to dull the ache, mentally bitch-slapping myself for my body’s traitorous response. Meanwhile, my damn wolf is absolutely lapping it up, humming with pride and satisfaction in a way that makes me want to throttle her.
“Do we understand one another?” Kane murmurs, crowding Aspen so closely that the doctor’s eyes cross, his breath coming in shallow, panicked bursts.
He nods frantically, shoulders trembling. “Understood. I apologize for overstepping. Won’t happen again.”
Kane doesn’t release him right away. For a moment, it’s like time itself freezes, the room holding its breath, walls closing in.
“Good,” he finally says. He lets go of the doctor and takes a single, unhurried step back, the violence draining from him with unsettling ease. “You’ll forget this little chat ever happened, then. And you won’t summon my mate here for any more appointments without my express permission.”
Dr. Aspen nods again, sweat beading on his brow, chest heaving.
I should feel sorry for him. Instead, I’m uncomfortably aware of how much I want to see just how far Kane might take this– how far he could. It’s like watching a nature documentary unfold in real time, an apex predator reminding the scavengers exactly where they stand.
Kane turns to me, expression dark and thunderous. “Let’s go.”
He closes the distance between us in two long strides and grabs my hand, yanking me toward the door.
My pulse rockets, both from the adrenaline and from the raw, primal thrill of being physically claimed.
I barely manage to shoot Aspen a little finger-wag on the way out before Kane drags me into the hall, marching us toward the elevators.
Neither of us speaks until we reach the lobby.
Kane finally lets go of my hand, jabbing the elevator call button so hard it’s a wonder the plastic dome doesn’t crack.
“Was that really necessary?” I mutter, more out of obligation than actual anger.
His jaw flexes, glare fixed on the elevator doors. “I’d already told him no,” he replies flatly. “He deliberately tried to go around me.”
I push at his shoulder, forcing him to turn and face me. “So you threaten to kill him for it? What the fuck, Kane?”
He shrugs as he averts his eyes, utterly unbothered. “He needed to be reminded of his place.”
“Jesus,” I mumble, shaking my head. “Guess it’s true what they say about you. You’re a fucking psycho.”
His gaze finally lifts to mine, and for a split second, I swear I see something startlingly soft behind it. An apology, even. But whatever it was fizzles out fast, dark eyes pinning me in place with feral intensity. “I protect what’s mine.”
The air between us snaps taut.
It’s not sweet. It’s not romantic. But it’s real– raw and hot and dangerous in a way that sinks straight under my skin, my wolf rising like she’s found something she’s been starving for.
I glare back at him, heart pounding, realizing with a sick twist of clarity that maybe we both have.