“You’re not paying,” I say, trying to sound stern.
Ding.
I look down. My fingers aren’t fully covering the screen, and his card rests on top.
I slowly raise my gaze, scowling at him. “You bastard.”
He laughs, the sound sinking into my belly and heating every inch of skin. “It was lovely meeting you, Revea.”
He’s turning away, about to leave, and I—
“Stop.”
His entire body stills, locking in place.
Oh shit. Fuckingshit.
I… Ibarkedat him.
Slowly, painstakingly slow, he turns on the spot to face me again. His movement is stilted, jaw locked tight as he fights against my command.
“Did you justbarkat me, omega?”
But his questioning tone isn’t full of the fury I expect. Those grey eyes are burning, but not with rage.
His alpha’s right there as his gaze drags over me, pausing on my mouth.
I need to keep my cool. Icannotbecome a simpering omega right now.
“Yes, alpha,” I say, and his eyes snap up. “Because you weren’t listening.” I straighten my shoulders, then quickly type in the refund code.
He’s still locked in place as I take the sleek black card from between his fingers and promptly tap it back against the screen.
Ding.
With a smug smile, I slip his card into the pocket of his pants, patting it twice.
I smile, tilting my head to the side to study him. He can’t move, but his eyes track everything, somehow darkening every second. Has this alpha ever been barked at before? Part of me is surprised it worked, and now, I want to take advantage.
I slowly raise my hand. He clocks the action, teeth grinding when I reach up to brush a silky strand back behind his ear.
“I told you, you’re not paying.” I keep smiling, and in a moment of pure adrenaline frenzy, I boop his nose. “Next time, I suggest you listen.”
With my point firmly made, I slide back, ready to jump off—
“Stay.”
I gasp as his bark rips through me, shuddering into my bones, settling somewhere deep and locking me in place.
It’s the first bark that’s worked on me since my dads’. When I was a kid.
My immediate panic is squashed by the small smirk tugging at Kaiden’s lips. “That’s a powerful bark, omega. Had me frozen for a few seconds.”
He leans in, copying me by brushing hair from my face, but then his fingers slip into my ponytail. There’s a slight tug at my scalp as I feel him wrap the long length of it around his fist, then he pulls, baring my neck to the side.
And I can’t move.
“That’s how you did it, huh?” he murmurs. “You barked that alpha into submission, then put your shears to his throat?”
