Book 1: Chapter: 06

Sienna Ile scented me in the ballroom He scente GRATTER my Llaze and followed me here But could Arden Norwood scent that, right now, three feet away, only separated by a Mumsy metal door, I was sitting with my panties around my ankles, my fingers inside me, this close to orgasming?

“The Haze can hit you in the most unpredictable of places,” he growled. But there was a casual amusement in his tone that infuriated me Before I could stop myself, I snapped at him. “Your point?”

Oh boy, no one talked to the Alpha that way What did I have, a death wish?

I slowly pulled my fingers out. My body moaned in frustration, but my mind—thank God it suill worked was taking over.

As I bent over to pull up my panties, Aiden whispered, and it was as if there were no door between us, “Well, woman? Why aren’t you taking care of it But he wasn’t asking Ile was commanding A pure Alpha male in his prime, ordering one of his lower-ranked members to get in line Calling me “woman” like I had no name Condescending Judging.

I shot up straight, readjusting my dress, unable to control my temper.

“What gives you the right to talk to me that way?” I seethed. “To come into a women’s bathroom, telling me how I should compose myself? Who the hell do you think you are?!”

I didn’t have a chance to second-guess myself, to regret my words, or to beg forgiveness because, next thing I knew, the door burst open And there he stood.

Aiden Norwood, in all of his glory, both terrifying and beautiful. He stared, golden-green eyes blazing, his entire demeanor reeking of aggression, Thank God I’d pulled my panties up in time, or who knows what would have happened.

“Who do I think I am?” he asked. “Do you need reminding?”

Now, as I scented him, I realized the Alpha wasn’t just provoked to anger. He was Hazed.

The questions rattled through my brain, but there was no time to answer them. Because his Haze made mine reemerge with sudden unbearable, pulsing intensity Soon my anger was melting away from the sheer heat of it Overcome. Wanting, begging, needing him to come closer As if he could read my Hazed mind, he did so, stepping into the stall. My heart threatened to split my chest open, and my legs turned wobbly.

“W-w-what are you doing?” I spluttered “You know who I am,” he said, taking another “You’re the ..the Alpha.”

“My name.”

Did I dare? No one was supposed to utter that name other than his closest advisors and sexual partners.

No. I shook my head, refusing to give in. Forcing my Haze to resist. No.

I tried to sidestep him out of the stall, and he put up a hand, blocking me.

“What are you afraid of?” he asked.

I tried to push his hand away, and he grabbed my wrist.

I should’ve been afraid. I should’ve been terrified, being cornered by a werewolf-by the Alpha, no less-

in a bathroom stall. G But, in truth, I didn’t think Aiden Norwood intended to force me to do anything against my will. I think he could sense my Haze’s absolute need for him.

He wanted to know why I was resisting when no girl had ever resisted him before * Please let me go,” I said, voice trembling “You dare give your Alpha orders***

“I said please, didn’t I?”

I couldn’t believe my own audacity For the first time, I could see his face up close. Torment swam within those goldengreen eyes. It seemed he was really considering my request. But that was when his nostrils pricked He brought my fingers—the same fingers that had just been inside me up to his nose. As he took in their scent, I felt his Haze throb within him “You were…” he began.

“Trying to take care of it. Like you said.”

“Why, when a man can do so much more?” he said in a husky whisper. The implication alone made my eyes roll back. I couldn’t help myself I moaned.

That was all it took One second later, the Alpha had me pinned against the wall of the bathroom stall. My legs left the floor and wrapped around his torso, He pressed me closer, and I felt the swell of his bulge.

A hot wave of brutal arousal washed over me. This was the first time a man had touched me this way. I felt dizzy and insane and not myself Then he pressed his lips to my neck, and instead of kissing me, he licked. Every glistening drop of perspiration he devoured.

It was too much to take.

“Don’t…….”had entrapped both of us.

I felt his bulge press against my damp underwear, and I groaned in pleasure, in pain, in everything in between, my mind blurry with nothing but sex His hands. God, his hands. They left my wrists, snaked under my dress, and grabbed my bare ass.

Every inch of his big, warm, calloused hands felt like they belonged there.

Before I knew what I was doing, my lower body started thrusting against his, making him growl.

My arms wrapped around his neck. I needed to touch him, to hold him, to press every part of myself against him.

I wanted him like I’ve never wanted anything in the world before. w And then I saw it on his lips: a smirk. A knowing glance that seemed to say, I knew I could get you. The self-satisfaction, the smugness… it broke the spell, all right.

Blinded with anger and disgust, I snarled and squirmed out of his arms. The Haze was still on, but my mind had finally cleared. I could think again “What’s the matter, woman?” he growled, amused.

Woman. Again, making me just another nobody he could fuck and dispose of.

“Let go,” I said between clenched teeth. “I mean it this time.”

“You sure about that?”

Again, he thrust his throbbing member beneath me. I had to resist the urge to gasp.

Aiden Norwood, the Alpha of East Coast Pack, was having a hot dry-hump with me, Sienna Mercer, here in a Pack House bathroom stall.

How could I have lost myself like this? For three years of Hazes, I’d been able to control myself. To hold my own and refuse every temptation. Until now.

llow could I have lapsed, and with the Alpha of all people?

Part of me wondered why I couldn’t just enjoy it. But another part, a smarter part, knew the reason.

This man was not my mate, Of that, I was certain “I know you’re the Alpha,” I snarled. “I know I am supposed to submit. But,”

“You won’t.” He smiled. “I know. That’s what I like.”

I frowned. This was a surprise. Even more surprising was that, a moment later, he actually complied.

He let me down and swung open the door, gesturing as if to say, off you go.

But his eyes said something entirely different. They seemed to say, this is just beginning I didn’t hesitate to interpret the meaning. I had been granted an escape and intended to take I owering my eyes, and assuming a submissive posture, to show my respect for his willingness to cooperate, I straightened my dress and hurried out of the bathroom As the door swung shut, I could still feel Aiden Norwood’s golden–green eyes boring into my back What the hell had just happened?

When I returned to my seat, I noticed some eyes following me with muted suspicion The fact that I had fled the dining hall and the Alpha had followed a few minutes later clearly hadn’t gone unnoticed.

My mom was the first to eye me up and down, “Did something just…honey, your hair—.”

Shir! With my eyes to the ground, I hadn’t had a chance to consider my reflection and make sure I looked. I don’t know. Composed? Not like I’d just been dry-humping the Alpha?

Self-consciously tucking strands of hair Self-consciously fucking strands of hair behind my cars and staring down at my plate, I tried to force my mother to move on But I knew that if I could still scent the Alpha on me, my mother probably could too.

“Can we please just eat in silence?”

Aller a second, thankfully, Mom did so, leaving me alone And soon the room was back to a boisterous ambience, where I could fade into the background and pretend like nothing had just happened When Aiden returned to the room, nobody paid me any notice Maybe, I thought, I would get away from this Pack House with both my reputation and body unscathed.

Maybe..

When the dinner was done and we had concluded with some of the formalities, including the one where families meet the Alpha and his Beta individually, which I avoided at all costs, our family made its way to the exit I was almost out of there scot-free Which is when I realized I’d left my shawl in the dining hall. Damnit!

“Guys, I forgot something I’ll be right back,” I said to them. “Go ahead and start the car.”

“Sure thing, sweetie,” my dad said.

He, my mom, Selene, and Jeremy stepped outside as I ran back to grab my shawl.

I was scared out of my mind that Aiden Norwood would still be in the hall, that I would have to meet him one-on-one again.

But to my surprise, the room was deserted.

I grabbed my shawl and made my way back to the front doors of the Pack House.

The hallway leading outside was empty now. I could hear some of the families, on the other side of the door. chatting amongst themselves, My fingers had touched the handle of the door when I felt it. A looming presence directly behind me. A scent I recognized No, no, no “Before you go.” Aiden Norwood whispered into my car, “I have something for you.’ Feeling his hot breath on my neck made me shiver with both delight and disgust.

“I told you,” I said, about to turn, “I’m not But before I could say another word, the Alpha brought his mouth to the crook of my neck and shoulder. And, before I could stop him, he did it He bit me The kind of bite that would take months to fade The kind of bite that made it obvious to every werewolf in the world exactly who it was I belonged to.

The kind of bite that said I was The kind of bite that would take months to fade The kind of bite that made it obvious to every werewolf in the world exactly who it was 1 belonged to.

The kind of bite that said I was his Aiden Norwood had just marked me.

You’re mine for the Season,” he whispered. “Another man touches you and I’ll kill him.”

Then he turned and left me there at the entrance to the Pack House, I didn’t know if I wanted to make love to him or kill him.

One of those was going to happen, that was for sure.