This was bad. His goal was to dominate all, and if he couldn’t control his own mind, then he would appear weak before the others.
So he stalked away, fury in his every moment. And again, he considered killing the cop. But before he could decide, he came back to Alyssa. To stand before her and glare. To see if he could intimidate her with just his stare.
He could not.
Worse, she lifted her chin in a show of defiance. “We came for information about the virus. To find out how to fix Vic.”
“Vic is fine. He is mine now.”
He hadn’t missed that Vic had snapped a response along with everyone else. Vic had acknowledged him as alpha and was therefore one of Simon’s. The ownership went two ways, he thought now. They gave loyalty, Simon gave protection.
So he looked at Vic. “You are under control.” It wasn’t a question, but Vic answered anyway.
“Yes, sir!”
Simon liked the military response. He especially liked it from his friend who had served at his side so long ago.
“You will not lose control. You will not go monster unless I say so. Unless I order you to. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
He looked back to Alyssa. “Vic is fine.”
“But are you?” she asked. There was no challenge in her tone, more of a soft concern. He felt emotion stir inside him. Whereas his mind didn’t fully understand her question, his feelings responded to the warmth in her tone, the softness in her eyes, and most of all, the touch of her hand on his arm. He stared at her fingertips. Creamy brown, a shade darker than his fur. Shapely nails for a human and uncolored. Not sharp as might be serviceable as a weapon, but curved and pretty.
He did not understand pretty, and yet his body pulsed with desire. It liked pretty, and it liked her.
“Are you questioning me?” his tone was sharp and angry.
Her eyes narrowed. “I would never challenge you, Simon, but I will question you. Are you going to hit me, too?”
“Maybe.” It was an honest answer. He really didn’t know.
“I’m not going to react well to that.”
He acknowledged that with a nod. As an alpha he could not expect his people to appreciate all his actions. Simply obey them. Except, now that he thought about it, she had not sworn loyalty. Her voice had not been among those acknowledging him as alpha.
He touched her chin. He had meant to jerk her face up to his so that he could stare directly into her eyes. But instead of a harsh push, his fingers caressed. He urged her face toward his and she complied without hesitation. Not because she obeyed but because she wanted to challenge him silently. Because her eyes were her message. And from her hard, cold look, he saw what he had always known would be there.
She was an alpha, too.
Smaller, yes. And definitely weaker. But she was an alpha female with all the glorious challenge that entailed.
“You will submit to me,” he said. Behind him, he heard a rustle. Movement that should be stopped, but his attention was on her and he would not waver.
“Not if you hit me.”
His nostrils flared at the illogic of that response. Dominance was established physically. Except as he inhaled, her scent filled his mind. The lure and temptation of a female who was nearly as powerful as him.
“You will submit,” he repeated. “I will not need to hit you.”
“I will submit if and when you deserve me.” Then she lifted a brow. It was a strange expression and one that he—again—needed to analyze using his higher brain function. It was neither challenge nor defeat. It wasn’t a logical look, but it was an affectionate one. And from that place, he reasoned it was a good thing. Even more, he devised an appropriate response.
He smiled. And she did in turn.
“There you are,” she murmured.
“Yes,” he said, feeling that her words had made it so. He was still one creature—both man and bear—but she brought a second purpose to his life: to please her. It was as if his mind had climbed a step. First, establish dominance. Second, please the female. What would be third?
