“There,” he says, disposing of the used cotton ball. “Now was that so hard?”
“Letting you touch me? Yes, it was.” I stand up to exit the bathroom, but Thane stops me.
“Wait.” He presses a warm washcloth to my face, and I quickly take a step back.
“What the hell?”
“You have dried blood all over your face. Let me clean it off.”
“I can do it myself!” I reach for the washcloth, but he pulls it away before I can grab it.
“I need to do it,” he growls, staring me down.
“Why? Why are you doing any of this?”
“You wouldn’t understand,” he answers dismissively.
“Try me.”
He grunts and rolls his eyes. “I marked you, which means you belong to me.”
“The hell I do!” I spit, before storming out of the bathroom.
A second later, I slam into his rock-hard body when he appears in front of me, wearing a scowl.
“You’re mine whether you like it or not.” My hand is an inch from his face when he catches my wrist and pulls me into him. “Stop fighting me, Grey.”
I crane my neck to look up at him. “I’ll never stop fighting.”
The two of us breathe each other in as we remain in a standoff, caught in a battle of wills. With each second our bodies are pressed against one another, his heat seeps into me, but despite every bone in my body telling me to surrender, I can’t bring myself to do it.
Eventually, Thane releases my wrist and stalks back to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. After a few seconds, I hear the shower start and turn around to climb into bed, but pause when I see he tossed the washcloth onto it. The sight of his submission brings a smile to my face, and although it’s a petty victory, it’s one I’ll gladly take.
As my body sinks into the bed, his scent wraps around me. It’s intoxicating and sexy, drawing unwanted thoughts witheach breath I take. Every part of me hates the beast who has imprisoned me, and yet his scent is achingly delicious. Almost as if it were created from my darkest desires.
I slap my hands against the comforter like it will somehow clear my mind, but it does no such thing. Maybe this is because of the mark. Kole had mentioned it carried feelings of lust and possessiveness. Thane certainly has the latter, so whatever hint of lust I feel toward himhasto be coming from this stupid mark. I’d never actually feel that way about someone who insists on making my life a living hell.
I scrub my face with the washcloth, cleaning off the dried blood as the events of tonight begin to replay in my mind. Just as my thoughts begin to run away, Thane saunters out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. I quickly pull my eyes away, but not before catching a glimpse of the impressively defined V.
While he heads for the dresser, I take the opportunity to return the washcloth to the bathroom. The moment I step through the threshold, heat engulfs me as steam clings to the mirrors. I run the washcloth through warm water, watching the blood race toward the drain as I wring it out.
When I turn to exit, I run straight into Thane’s shirtless body and quickly take a step back, noting he’s replaced the towel with a pair of grey sweats that leave little to the imagination.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” he asks, turning to the side to allow just enough room for me to pass through.
“What are you talking about?” My body brushes against his in the doorway, and my breath catches in my throat.
“My study,” he clarifies. “You were obviously in there looking for something.”
“Maybe I’ve just grown bored of my room,” I dismiss over my shoulder, as I make my way back to the bed. Though the steam has made me hot, the sheets feel cool against my skin as I settle back in.
“Riiiight,” he says sarcastically.
I watch him closely as he makes his way from the bathroom to the far side of the bed, where the candlelight seems to dance across his skin, making the ridges of his muscles look even more defined. Everything from his sharp jawline to his protruding shoulders depicts unimaginable strength. Hybrid aside, Thane is the perfect representation of an Alpha. His brooding face and strained posture only add to his commanding aura.
“Why do you have a file on me?”
He pauses next to the nightstand, half of his face shadowed as he turns to look at me.
