Chapter 7
NADIA.
My eyes widened in awe at the sight of the packhouse before me. It was larger than Katarina’s house. This one was L-shaped with four floors.
I wondered how many people were living here and if I would ever get a chance to stay here.
I hoped he wouldn’t send me away because I had nothing with me.
Where will I go? I could go to Katarina, but I was sure that once my uncle heard that I was back in the territory, he would come looking for me. Then, I would be in deep shit again.
I needed to do something to save me. It didn’t matter if Alpha Riley didn’t want me around, but I needed to keep his mark.
“Follow me, Nadia. We need to talk. Alone.” His cold voice snapped me out of my thoughts as my gaze darted to him.
“Just follow him. And if he terrifies you, run back. I’ll be here just in case.” Alpha Jacob stood beside me with his eyes fixed on Alpha Riley, who was already entering his packhouse.
I couldn’t find the right words to answer him or say thank you, so I simply nodded before dragging my feet to follow my mate.
I let my eyes feast on my mate’s back. I was neither small nor too tall at five feet, five inches, but this man was huge.
He was probably around six feet, four or five inches.
He had broad shoulders, a muscular back, and perfectly toned biceps.
And with his long, sandy blond hair almost up to his shoulders, he looked like a walking sex god.
I sighed, knowing there was no use fantasizing about how to be wrapped up in his arms because soon I would be out of here.
So I just let my eyes wander on the insides of the house while doubling my steps so he wouldn’t be too far ahead.
The house looked deserted, like no one was around. It looked decent—beautiful—but somehow boring. Shades of gray everywhere. Dead color. I wonder if there were any females around here.
“Aah…” I shrieked when my cheek and my breasts hit something hard while sparks traveled everywhere.
“You should be looking at where you are heading.” He grunted.
“And you shouldn’t be just stopping out of the blue!” I snapped back at him as I rubbed my cheek gently. My bruises were healing, but they were still tender, and his torso was hard.
I saw him raise his eyebrows as he placed his hands in his pocket before turning around to continue walking. He opened one door and waited for me to come in before he entered.
His smell was so strong, and it came in full force the moment I stepped inside the room. This must be his office.
I took a deep breath, letting his minty coffee scent calm me while trying to restrain Arrow from sending naughty thoughts into my head. We shouldn’t be thinking about things like that. We needed to save ourselves first, and I had no idea how to do that if he kicked us out of his territory.
“Are you hurt? Are there more bruises than what I can see?” He asked as he strode past me.
He stopped at the front of a big desk and leaned his ass on it, crossing his arms against his chest, which only accentuated his abs.
He wore a tight white shirt, and if I kept staring at his chest, I could probably end up getting aroused again.
Damn, this mate bond! Everything about this male made me drool in an instant.
“Did you hear me, or do you need more time to check me out?”
My eyes widened before they narrowed on him. I fixed my posture and tilted my head up to look him straight in the eye. “What was your question?”
I tried my best to hide the embarrassment I felt at being caught drooling at him, but my traitorous body wasn’t helping. I could feel my cheeks burning, and I was pretty sure I was already too red in the face.
He snickered before shaking his head. “I was asking if you have more bruises than the ones on your face.”
“No. Nothing.” I lied. I didn’t want him to know that I had gashes and that a big wound was still healing in my back.
“You’re not good at lying. Do you know that?”
“Well, people see what I want them to see in my eyes.” I was trying to confuse him. I think it worked because his forehead creased. “So, Mr. Alpha, I’m sure you already know why I’m here.”
His eyes squinted. They dilated into full black, but it was gone in seconds. “You want that mark gone, right?”
No! That’s not what I meant. Oh, Goddess, where do I start? I was still conversing with myself, thinking of the right words to say, when he suddenly stood straight and began talking.
“I, Riley Adams…” He began, and my mouth hung open. His voice was too cold, and it was piercing what remained of my broken heart.
“No!” I shrieked as I walked toward him.
“...Alpha of the…”
“No!” I stopped before him, and my hand immediately flew to his face, slapping him with my hardest. But he didn’t even flinch. His face remained stoic, but his eyes dilated as he stared at me.
I stepped backward and started regretting my outburst when I realized he wasn’t moving and wasn’t stopping with his rejection.
“...Silver Moon Pack, reject…”
Before I could stop myself, I launched forward and jumped at him, flinging my body toward him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his hips, praying to the Goddess that I would be able to support myself while clinging to him.
Then, I did what I needed to do to stop him from talking—crushing my lips against his.
Sparks and tingles were exploding from my mouth and every part of my body that touched him. It took a moment when I felt his hand hold my butt and his arm wrapped around my back, supporting my body from sliding down.
Thank Goddess! It would be embarrassing if I kept clinging to him like a koala and then slid down.
My lips were locked with his. They weren’t moving, just touching. But it was enough to make him stop the rejection. It worked.
I should pull away.
But I couldn’t.
I didn’t want to.
Then his lips started moving as the palm holding my bottom started squeezing my ass.
My eyes widened as I looked at him. Alpha Riley’s eyes were closed while his soft and warm lips moved sensually against mine.
I parted my lips and closed my eyes, letting a soft moan escape my throat as I began kissing him back.
My heart skipped a beat as the heat rose from my stomach. My hands, with a mind of their own, traveled up to the back of his head, coiling my fingers around his hair and tugging them hard.
His grip on me tightened, pressing our bodies closer. Despite his tight hold on my bruised back, the rush of pleasure and his intoxicating scent were more than enough to make me forget about the pain.
Pure bliss. I didn’t even think it was possible to feel and taste his lips again.
I whimpered between our kisses as he plunged his tongue inside my mouth, kissing and devouring me bruisingly hard as if he didn’t want to let me go. And I welcomed it wholeheartedly.
I was so lost in oblivion, letting him savor every inch of me as I did with him. Only to be jolted back to reality when the door to his office opened, and I felt the burn of someone staring at my back.
My eyes snapped open to see him staring at me, our lips still pressed against each other.
Oh, Goddess! Will I be paying for this aggressiveness?
I scampered away from his grip, and he let me down on my own feet. I didn’t know how to hide my embarrassment from the people behind me, so I went around him and hid my body on his back, peering my head to the side to check who was by the door.
“Well, that escalated fast.” Alpha Jacob chuckled. He stood by the door, and beside him was another man I hadn’t met yet.
“And you fuckers don’t know how to knock?
” Alpha Riley growled at him while I rested my forehead on his back.
His body went rigid at the contact. I smiled despite myself.
I could affect him. Maybe I could use it to my advantage and stay here until I got what I needed to start a new life far away from him and my uncle.
“The door was open, so we thought we were welcome to come in. Will I get to meet the lady in your arms, Alpha?” I was sure this voice came from the other man.
“No. Take her to the room upstairs on the fourth floor so she can rest.”
I pulled my forehead away from his back as I spoke softly, just enough for him to hear, but I was still standing behind him. “I thought we would talk?”
“We can talk later. I’ll also check your bruises then. All of them,” he answered coldly.
“Hmmm… You mean the room beside yours, the one Andrea used?” The male continued with his conversation with him.
Andrea? Who is Andrea?
“Another room,” he answered. “Not that one.”
“But that’s the biggest one after your room.”
I closed my eyes as my chest heaved. She might be his ex-girlfriend, the one who chose another Alpha. Pain crossed my chest when it hit me that he wanted to preserve the biggest room for her.
“I can sleep in the dungeon, too,” I butted in, in the same cold tone he was using.
He turned around to face me, crossing his arms against his chest, but I didn’t even bother to look at his face. I feared he would see the pain in my eyes.
“I don’t have a dungeon, but I have a cell in the basement of the next building outside this house. Now, if you want to...”
I cut him off before he could finish. “If it has a bed and a blanket, then I’m good to go,” I told him as I walked past him, tilting my chin up while blinking back the tears in my eyes. “Thank you for your time, Alpha Riley.”
I knew I sounded ungrateful. He was willing to give me a place to stay, even if it was just for one day, but I couldn’t stop the pain inside.
Is this jealousy or more? All I knew was that she was the reason I was not welcome in his life.
I stopped in front of the man whom he had asked to take me to my room. I smiled at him and extended my hand. “My name is Nadia. Will you take me to my cell?”
He took my hand and shook it briefly as he chuckled. It didn’t slip past my hearing the low grunt that my mate let out behind me.
“My name is Dominic. Beta to the Alpha. I don’t think a beautiful female like you belongs in...” He didn’t finish what he wanted to say when his eyes flecked white, letting me know someone was reaching him through a mindlink.
The smile was wiped off his face as soon as his eyes went back to normal, and he gestured for me to follow him.
I glanced at Alpha Jacob and bowed my head in respect before following Beta Dominic, not bothering to look at my mate as I walked out of his office.