Chapter 16
Kane
The elevator is taking too damn long.
Whispers ripple down the corridor behind me, one of the fluorescent bulbs overhead won’t stop flickering, and my fists are still clenched so tightly that my nails are digging crescents into my palms. None of it matters.
It barely even registers, because every ounce of my attention is currently focused in the one place it shouldn’t be– on the raven-haired beauty glaring daggers at me.
Violet Slayter.
My mate.
My goddamn demise.
What happened back in that exam room should’ve scared her. It’d make things a hell of a lot easier if it had. Instead, she looked fucking delighted watching the doc squirm, like the threat of violence is her favorite flavor of foreplay.
Mine too.
I tear my gaze away from her to stare up at the digital numbers above the elevator, trying to shake off the last shreds of adrenaline still fizzing through my veins.
The stench of Aspen’s fear still clings to the inside of my nose, my wolf alert and pacing.
The bastard should be grateful I didn’t rip his throat out.
I could’ve.
Would’ve easily gotten away with it, too.
But then I’d have a barrage of questions from Alpha and a mountain of paperwork to deal with, so it seemed like less of a hassle to leave the man breathing. For now. But if he tries to go behind my back again and pull any shit, it’ll be the last thing he does.
I shift my stance, rolling my shoulders back. “The fuck is taking so long?” I grumble under my breath.
“Must be on the fritz,” Violet replies mildly, tapping her foot against the floor. “Maybe when it opens, it’ll swallow you whole.”
“It’d choke,” I mutter. “I’m hard to digest.”
She laughs– too bright, too loud. It does something to my chest I can’t fucking stand, the sound pumping me full of both oxygen and poison.
The elevator finally dings to announce its arrival, the metal doors sliding open.
We both step inside the vacant box quickly like we’re diving for cover, but when the doors glide shut behind us, the space shrinks instantly.
It’s a hell of a lot more dangerous being trapped in here together than it was waiting outside.
“So,” Violet says casually, leaning back against the wall and folding her arms. “Is issuing threats part of your daily routine? Or am I just special?”
I don’t look at her. I don’t trust myself to. “You’re special, alright,” I grunt, eyes fixed on the number panel as the elevator starts to move. “You compromise my better judgment.”
She huffs out a little chuckle of amusement. “Careful, Commander. You’re starting to sound like you’re actually invested in this whole mate thing.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I reply, but my voice comes out thick, the words sticking to my tongue.
Her scent has flooded the space now. It’s all around me– not just her signature peony and citrus, but something richer, tinged with sweetness.
She’s turned on.
And not just a little, either. The unmistakable scent of her arousal slams into me like a hammer to the base of my skull, spiking every nerve in my body until I’m practically vibrating with restraint.
When I risk a glance at her reflection in the mirrored wall, her cheeks are flushed, pupils blown wide, teeth pinning her lower lip hard enough to bruise.
And she’s staring right back, completely unapologetic, those baby blues slicing through me like a blade.
She’s tempting the beast. Daring me to be the first to break.
“Stop looking at me like that,” I growl, folding my arms tightly across my chest so I don’t do something stupid like reach for her.
She raises her chin defiantly. “Like what, exactly?”
Irritation spikes beneath my skin, those words too cool, too sharp. Like she’s the one holding the reins.
“Like you want to get fucked,” I bite out.
Her lips curve, slow and wicked. “Don’t flatter yourself, Commander.”
The way she says Commander does it. Not as a title, but as an accusation. Like she’s stripping it of authority and daring me to prove it still means something.
“Don’t bait me, mate,” I snarl, anger boiling hot and fast.
She smiles, infuriatingly pleased with herself, and something in me snaps. I lunge forward, hand darting out to slam the emergency stop button.
The elevator jerks to a halt, lights flickering for half a second before settling back into their ugly white glare. For a heartbeat, neither of us moves. We just stare each other down, chests heaving, the tension between us buzzing with electricity.
“What was that you said before about restraint?” Violet taunts, tilting her head. “Thought you were always in control, Kane.”
“I am,” I growl.
The corner of her mouth ticks up in a smirk. “Prove it.”
I’m on her instantly, closing the space between in a single step.
I grab her by the wrists, pinning her against the wall so hard the air leaves her lungs in a single, sharp gasp.
She doesn’t struggle. Doesn’t even flinch.
Just hooks her legs around my hips, pulling me in and crashing her mouth to mine.
It’s not a kiss. It’s a goddamn brawl.
Teeth and tongues collide with bruising force, our mouths locked in a fight to the death.
She bites me hard enough to draw blood, and I retaliate by biting her right back, digging my teeth into the soft cushion of her lower lip.
She moans into my mouth, nails raking down my back, and that sound shreds whatever self-control I had left.
My hands fist the fabric of her battered band tee, ripping it clean off her body.
A laugh vibrates in her chest, our kiss turning more savage as she grinds up against me.
I break it so I can pull her lacy bralette over her head in one quick, brutal motion, then slam my lips back onto hers, palming her bare tits.
They’re fucking perfect, full and round, nipples hard enough to cut glass.
She claws at my shirt in demand, groaning in protest at the barrier between us.
I quickly strip it off one-handed, then yank her into my chest, skin meeting skin.
She’s so soft against me, so warm and pliant.
Her hard nipples scrape against the planes of muscle as she circles her hips, grinding her core against my rock hard cock.
“Fuck me, Kane,” she gasps, hands dropping to my belt, fingers scrabbling frantically against the buckle. “I know you want to.”
I do. Fuck, I’ve never wanted anything more.
We don’t bother with pleasantries. We skipped past those a long fucking time ago.
She pops the button of my slacks and reaches in to wrap a hand around my thick shaft, pulling it out.
The shock of her skin on mine is electric.
I shove her leggings down to her ankles, rip her panties down her thighs.
Then I hoist her up by the ass, slam her against the wall, and drive into her in one savage thrust.
She cries out, the sound muffled against my shoulder as her inner walls pulse around me.
I’m so hard it’s fucking painful, the pressure and heat of her squeezing me tight as I bottom out.
I pause there, a low groan rumbling in my chest at the sensation, giving her a second to adjust to my size before dragging out halfway and smoothly pushing back in again.
She’s wet and ready, her slickness coating my shaft as I start to move.
“Fuck,” I choke, fingers digging bruises into the soft flesh of her hips.
“Yes,” she gasps, matching me move for move, tilting to take me even deeper. “More.”
She’s not the one calling the shots here, dammit. I am. And it’s time she learns who’s in charge.
I wrap a hand around her throat, fingers tightening just enough to silence her. I pull her mouth to mine, biting at her lips as I thrust harder, faster, giving her exactly what she asked for.
There’s nothing gentle here. No sweetness or pretense. Just skin, sweat, and the raw, animal satisfaction of giving into the urge we’ve been fighting for too long.
Her legs lock around my waist, nails raking down my back until I’m certain she’s drawn blood.
She’s so hot, so damn tight. She feels too fucking good.
The pressure builds at the base of my spine as I grind her into the wall, my pelvis rubbing her clit with every forward thrust, edging us both closer to oblivion.
A strangled cry rips from her throat, body shuddering, eyes rolling back. She comes hard and fast, wild and unrestrained. Impossibly fucking beautiful.
The sight of her losing control unravels me. I let go, my own orgasm crashing through me in a violent wave. I buck against her, pumping her full of my claim, roaring through my release.
Our chests heave in tandem as we come back down, still tangled together and pressed against the mirrored wall, sweat cooling on our skin. Her heartbeat drums against my chest, matching mine beat for beat. Then slowly, reality creeps back in.
I pull out and lower Violet to her feet, steadying her with an arm around her waist before stepping back. She peers up at me through her eyelashes, then bands an arm across her chest like she suddenly remembers modesty exists.
“Did you really have to rip my shirt?” she mutters, eyes flicking to the abandoned pile of shredded fabric on the floor before lifting back to mine.
I grunt, bending to snag my black t-shirt off the ground and shoving it against her chest. “Take mine.”
She scoffs a laugh, snatching it from my grasp. “So chivalrous.”
I frown as I drag my pants back up over my hips, irritation sparking even as the corner of my mouth twitches. “And here I thought I could fuck some of that attitude out of you."
"Guess you’ll have to try harder next time,” she fires back, already shrugging into my shirt. The hem brushes her thighs as she stoops to gather the rest of her clothes, my cum glistening on her skin as it trickles down her leg. My inner wolf fucking preens, liking the sight of that far too much.
I shake my head with a sigh and step back, making sure she’s decent before disengaging the emergency stop. The elevator shudders back to life, resuming its slow descent. Our eyes meet again, drawn like magnets, and she doesn’t look away. Neither do I.
Guess there isn’t anything left to hide anymore.