He looked the same as he had the night he approached me at Club Luna—his red hair as wild as the gleam in his eyes. “I’m just curious why you and that motherfucker are pretending y’all don’t know each other,” he said as his gaze traveled down and lingered on my lips. “But something tells me you don’t want me asking him.”
I swallowed hard when he cocked his head to the side with a smirk on his face.
“I’m sure everyone here would get a kick out of the whole thing, actually.” He chuckled, his hand trailing up my arm. “How you rejected me. How you watched as I fought for you. How that fucker claimed you as his own.” He cupped my face before his fingers slid to the nape of my neck. “How you’re all I’ve been able to think about for weeks.”
I cried out as he grabbed my hair.
He used his other hand to cover my mouth, as if the bathroom wasn’t soundproofed. He brought his lips to my ear. “You’re not as strong as I remember, kitten,” he groaned as I struggled against him.
I hated when Ethan used to call me that…
It was so much worse hearing it now.
“I decided you were a witch, but now I’ll have to make changes to how I planned to break you. But trust me, I’m fixin’ to make the most of it.”
Don’t take the bracelet off, Joanna, I inwardly pleaded with myself.
The alpha dropped his nose into my hair and inhaled. “No woman has ever turned me down.” He scanned my face,his erection pressing against my thigh. “So, imagine how embarrassing it was for a fucking human to think she’s better than me.”
I began talking into his hand, my mumbled voice causing him to pause.
He looked into my eyes and smirked. “I’m going to move my hand to hear what those pretty lips have to say. But scream, and I'll break your neck.”
You can get out of this, I told myself.Do not take the bracelet off.
I nodded instead.
When the alpha removed his hand from my mouth, I pulled my head away. “I didn’t think I was better than you,” I rushed.
A corner of his mouth rose. “Oh?”
I jerked my head as much as I could with his grip still on my hair. “You weren’t the only guy who approached me that night. I was having a shit time and just wanted to be left alone, but the man who attacked you tried to convince me to dance earlier, and I told him to fuck off. I think he was jealous.”
The alpha released my hair. “Then why are y’all pretending y’all don’t know each other?”
I took a small step back, using my peripheral vision to scan for something to use as a weapon. But if I attacked him, I’d lose my chances of leaving the estate.
I shrugged. “We werealldrunk that night. I guess we’re both embarrassed about what happened. But I swear, I don’t know that man. Hell, I’m sure it shocked him as much as it shocked me that he knows my sister.”
The alpha crossed his arms as he searched my eyes for deceit. “He claimed you.”
“Claimed me?” I scoffed. “What the fuck does that mean? You realize I’m Black, right? That shit ain’t attractive. Especially in that cute accent of yours.”
I fought down a shudder as the alpha approached me, placing both hands on my waist.
“You think I’m cute?” he asked, like an idiot.
I forced a smile. “You would’ve found that out sooner if you’d let me explain.”
“You were acting shady as hell.”
“I don’t know you, big guy. I was afraid you’d hurt me. You admitted you were going to.”
He shook his head. “I was only fooling around,” he quipped. “But to be honest…” He took another step forward. “You look like you like it rough anyway.”
For fuck’s sake, Joanna. Keep the damn bracelet on.
“Joey, what’s taking so…” Latoya stood in the open doorway, her hand still on the knob. Her eyes left my face and dropped to the alpha’s hands on my waist.
