“What kind of Alpha would I be if I didn’t do my due diligence?”
“What did you think you were going to find?” I press, turning on my side and propping my head in my palm.
“Answers,” he mutters quietly, before blowing out the flames with one huff. “Something that would explain how a five-foot-two, little girl could’ve survived the past three years in a world run by vampires and werewolves.”
I huff out a humorless laugh, watching his dark figure prowl over to the candelabra on the nightstand next to me. “I’ve survived my whole life surrounded by monsters. The past three years were no different.”
He doesn’t say anything to that, and I don’t want him to. Instead, he heads for the large, cushioned chair stationed next to the bathroom and sinks down into it.
In the dark, his silhouette is even more ominous, and when his eyes flicker to me, the oxygen deflates from my lungs. Inthe pitch black, they seem to glow just as brightly as the moon itself, remaining locked on me from across the room like I’ll disappear if they drift for only a moment.
The intensity of his gaze is unsettling to say the least, so I roll over, turning my back to him. I can still feel his eyes on me, but I do my best to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of being watched and close my eyes.
It’s not long before tears slip from the corners of my eyes, soaking into the pillow as my mind and body fight to forget the horrors of what happened. The memory of Troy’s touch burns into my skin like an invisible tattoo, and I hug my knees to my chest, trying to quiet the sobs fighting their way out of me. I’d give anything to be alone right now. To be able to process the night in solitude, without a hybrid who has vampire hearing eyeing me from across the room. But of course, life continues to show me no mercy.
When I hear Thane stir in his chair behind me, my heart stops for a moment. I don’t want him to know how much tonight affected me. It was already stupid of me to tell him in the woods that I have hidden scars. Letting him see the weakest parts of me is something I can’t afford. No doubt he’ll take advantage of it.
I’m not sure what time it is when I wake, but the room is still cast in darkness as I carefully make my way to the bathroom. Though Thane is asleep, my pulse still races as I grow closer to him. I quickly slip into the bathroom and quietly shut the door, releasing the deep breath I had been holding.
As I finish up, the cologne bottle next to the sink catches my attention. It’s black with a gold label that I can’t quite make out in the dim light of the flickering candle. I take off the cap and breathe in the masculine aroma. I’m not even sure why I felt compelled to do it, but the scent of it is like a drug I can’t get enough of. It’s almost painful to put it down, and I wonder if that’s another side effect of the mark. Either way, the obsession I seem to have over his scent is one I don’t need to feed.
Before I give in to the compulsion again, I slip back out of the bathroom, but just as I turn around, Thane grabs my wrist and tugs me onto his lap so fast I hardly have time to process how I got there. My mind is telling me to pull away, but my body continues to straddle his lap like it has no intention of getting up.
A low growl rumbles deep within his muscular chest while his hands grip my waist, forcing me further on top of him. The hard length of him presses against his sweats beneath me, and I gasp as heat crawls up my thighs, claiming every inch of my flesh. Thane buries his face into my neck, breathing me in while his hands slip beneath my nightgown. They slowly draw up my back, igniting a fire of desire within me as words fail to form on my lips. I shouldn’t want this, but I can’t help it. The feeling of his touch is electrifying, and I need more of it. More ofhim.
His tongue begins tracing circles over the place he marked me, sending a shiver through my entire body while his hands fall to my ass, pulling me into him so that there’s no more space between us. Without overthinking it, I grind my hips against him, needing to release the tension that has now consumed my lower half, but it’s not enough, and it’s as if he feels the same way.
Thane’s lips crash into mine, his tongue demanding access to my mouth, which I gladly give. He tastes better than I could’ve ever imagined as his tongue dances around mine with quick teases. Every part of me now aches for him, and I trail my hand down his bare chest, stopping at his waistband. For a moment, I pull away from his kiss to find his glowing golden-white eyes drinking me in. Two of his fingers slip beneath the thin strap, slowly dragging it off my shoulder as he follows the movement with soft kisses. My head falls back just as my nightgown falls to the side, and he claims my aching breast with his mouth, releasing a deep groan that makes me arch my back.
In a swift movement, Thane picks me up and settles me onto the enormous chair, kneeling before me with a hunger in his eyes. His gaze quickly drops to the part of me that is pulsing with uncontrollable need, and he tosses both of my legs over his shoulders, pulling me into him like a ravenous animal ready to go in for the kill. My nails dig into the cushioned arms of the chair as he rips the black lace underwear off of me with his teeth like a complete savage, but before he continues, he looks up at me with a smirk that makes my heart stop beating. His sharp fangs snap out and…
“Wake up, Grey.”
A cool breeze brushes over my legs when Thane tosses the comforter off me, wearing a look of determination. Any lingering feelings of lust quickly fade as loathing rises in their place, reminding me of my true feelings for the man standing over me. I try to sit up, but a sharp pain shoots through my shoulders.
“What the fuck?”
I turn to find both of my wrists shackled to a set of chains that have been bolted to the wall on each side of his headboard.
“You didn’t really think I was going to let you get away with breaking into my study, did you?” His voice is laced with evil satisfaction.
I attempt to sit up again, but notice my ankles are bound too.
“I didn’t break in. The door was unlocked,” I say through gritted teeth.
Thane wraps his hands around my ankles, pulling me forward until my arms stretch as far back as they can go. Heat flares when his gaze drops to where my nightgown has bunched at the top of my thighs.
“You’ve continued to disobey me despite my generosity.”
“Generosity?” I scoff, glaring down my body at him. “You and I have very different definitions of the word.”
He releases my ankles, taking a few steps toward the door. “When I’m done with you, you’re going to missmydefinition.”
Thane
The allure of her tempts me to no end. Her scent, her jet black hair, her soft skin. Everything about her makes me want to get on my knees and devour her until her legs shake. Every time I’m around her, it’s like her body calls to me, willing me to submit. But that’s something I’ll never do.
It’s time she realizes how much worse things could be for her. The meals, the showers, the bedroom—those were luxuries I offered her in exchange for her obedience, but she’s continued to challenge my authority at every turn. I’ve been too lenient with her.
