No, no, no.
They knew at once their love was fated. When they consummated it, this ability passed down to their children, and all their descendants beyond.
This was impossible. This was ridiculous, utterly absurd. That was a child’s fable, not a real phenomenon. None of this was real. Rourke was involved in some elaborate trick to catch me off guard and make me look like a fool. Yes, that must be it.
But if that was the case, why wasn’t he celebrating? Instead he stood there with a stupid look on his face. He’d said I tasted like oranges, yet I’d made no effort to do so. That I knew for a fact. Was Rourke lying?
The thought filled me with inexplicable anger. Rourke couldn’t lie to me. Iownedhim. He belonged to me, and thus, was obligated to obey me. I shot up.
“Tell me the truth,” I demanded.
“I am telling the truth,” Rourke objected.
My voice trembled. “No. You’re lying. Stop it.”
“Sebastian, I’m not—”
Hearing my name on his tongue disgusted me. He was an alpha, a lowly one at that. An outskirts alpha from the market. He had no right to say my name.
In one swift motion, I snapped his leash in an arc like a makeshift whip. It struck his chest hard enough to make him wince. He blinked in surprise, then eyed me warily.
“How dare you,” I said, trembling. “Do not ever speak my name again. You lack the right.”
Hot anger flickered across Rourke’s eyes. “You were the one who demanded I kiss you. I didn’t ask for this!”
For some reason that infuriated me further. Was he saying he didn’t want to kiss me? Any alpha should have been honored to do so. I was the prince. I was going to be king. Rourke was just some reject from the wilderness. He was nothing. Worthless.
“Get on your knees,” I ordered.
Rourke stood motionless. His eyes burned with defiance. I stared him down, unrelenting. I was not going to repeat myself. Hewouldobey. But as the moments dragged on, Rourke continued to disobey me. He made no motion to kneel. I snapped the leash again, hard and fast as a whip. It struck across his chest, leaving an impression on the brand-new clothes I had bought for him. Me. I dressed him, I fed him, I was responsible for his care, and he chose to act out against me like this?
Feeling feverish with anger, I barked, “Kneel. Now.”
Rourke glared back at me. He did not kneel.
Rage made my blood boil. I had never been so angry in my life. My entire body felt hot, burning up like a scrap of paper in a roaring flame. It became power in my muscles. I yanked the leash hard. It startled Rourke. He grunted as his body involuntarily followed the pull of the leash. When he was at my height, I closed my fist in his hair and pushed him down to the floor.
In the moment, I felt no fear he would fight back. I was right. I had all the power of a royal, and Rourke had nothing. He had no choice but to obey me.
My arm strained with the effort, but I managed to get Rourke on his knees. His eyes were bitter, hard as diamonds, but he didn’t look away from me.
“Who do you belong to?” I asked.
No answer. My grip tightened on the leash handle and my fingers twisted in his hair, making him wince.
“You would be wise to heed my command,” I said quietly. “Answer the question.”
“You bought my contract,” Rourke muttered.
“That’s not what I asked, alpha.”
I spat the word like an insult and relished in the way his lip curled in response. Good. Let him be angry.
“I belong to no one,” Rourke stated.
“Wrong answer.”
Still gripping his hair, I yanked his head to the side. He grunted but made no effort to break free. At least that indicated he hadsomesense of proper subservience.
