Chapter 14

OLIVE

I’m still wrestling with my feelings for the Alpha King.

One moment, I’m filled with loathing and dreaming of escape. The next, I’m yearning for his touch, craving the feel of his hands on my skin.

Dinah’s words have left me with a lot to ponder. Is everything not as clear-cut as I initially believed? Is there a middle ground in all this?

I don’t have much time to collect my thoughts because I can hear the Alpha King’s footsteps drawing nearer to his room.

His power radiates from him in waves, palpable even through the closed door.

As his footsteps reach the door, I rise from the sofa and turn to face the entrance.

I may not be his biggest fan, but I know I need to tread lightly, maintain some semblance of respect.

When he pushes the door open, his intoxicating scent hits me full force, and I take a deep breath. He pauses in the doorway, his icy facade in place, before striding toward me with a determined look.

He wraps one arm around my waist, using his other hand to brush my hair away from my neck. He buries his nose in my neck, inhaling deeply, making my knees buckle.

“Uh…g-good evening, my king,” I manage to stammer out.

He pulls back, looking into my eyes, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

“Ezekiel,” he corrects me.

“I’m sorry?” I ask, puzzled.

“Call me Ezekiel,” he says, his voice low and seductive.

“Ezekiel,” I repeat slowly, letting his name roll off my tongue. He shudders slightly, his eyes closing.

“Does everyone in your army call you Ezekiel?” I ask, curiosity piqued.

“No,” he replies curtly.

“So, why me?” I press.

“Because,” he says, gently brushing some hair away from my face. His fingertips graze my skin, sending tiny jolts of pleasure coursing through me.

“You’re my queen, mon amour, my mate…mine,” he declares, his eyes filled with adoration.

I blush. “How can you be so sure?” I ask.

He takes my hand, and the sparks of pleasure shoot up my arm, making me gasp.

“This is how, Little Wolf,” he says, bringing my hand to his lips to kiss my knuckles.

“You feel the sparks too, don’t you?” he asks, his gaze never leaving mine.

I bite my lower lip and nod.

His eyes flick to the movement, and a low growl rumbles from his chest.

“Little Wolf, be careful what you do. My wolf isn’t very patient, but I’m trying so hard for you.”

I lower my gaze to the floor. “I’m sorry.”

He lifts my chin with his hand, forcing me to meet his eyes.

“You have nothing to apologize for. You bow to no one now, understand?”

I nod. “I’m sorry,” I start to say, but catch myself.

“It’s late, we should sleep,” he suggests, his thumb gently stroking my cheek.

I extricate myself from his hold, despite my body’s protests, and head to my dresser to grab my pajamas.

I’ve chosen a simple teal cotton shirt and shorts set. I head into the opulent bathroom to change.

The bathroom boasts a two-person shower, a clawfoot bathtub, and his and hers sinks. I quickly change and open the door leading back to the bedroom.

As I open the door, I find Ezekiel shirtless, slowly removing his pants to reveal his Calvin Klein trunks and firm ass.

Heat floods my cheeks and my heart races.

“It’s okay, Little Wolf. Take your time,” he says, a smug satisfaction in his voice.

I stand there, my mouth slightly agape; I wouldn’t be surprised if I started drooling.

I head over to the sofa, grab a cozy blanket, and prepare to settle down for the night.

“What are you doing?” Ezekiel asks, amusement in his voice.

“Going to sleep,” I reply.

“Not there you’re not. You’re sleeping in the bed.”

“But if I sleep in the bed, where will you sleep?” I ask, confused.

“In the bed,” he answers, a mischievous grin on his face.

I blush even deeper. “Hold on, that’s not happening. I know what male wolves are always thinking about...and that’s not happening!”

He raises his hands in surrender. “I promise I won’t try anything...unless you ask me to. But I can’t promise I won’t steal a kiss or two,” he says, a devilish glint in his eye.

I fidget, weighing my options, unsure whether to trust him.

“Now, you can either come willingly, or I can carry you to the bed. Which do you prefer?” he asks, matter-of-factly.

I quickly stand and walk over to the bed. He climbs in, leaning over to lift the covers for me.

I slide in, trying not to stare at his chiseled abs and the bulge in his trunks. He seems to notice and smirks in response.

I lie down with my back to him, as close to the edge of the bed as I can get.

Suddenly, large hands wrap around my waist, pulling me back against a hard chest.

He buries his face in my hair and lets out a content growl.

The pleasant sparks are dancing all over my skin, melting away my stress and allowing me to relax into Ezekiel’s embrace.

His warmth and steady breathing lull me to sleep within minutes.

I see darkness, and from beyond the darkness, fiery green eyes appear, eerily similar to my own. But this time, it’s different.

A wicked grin, full of sharp teeth, glimmers in the darkness. A shiver runs down my spine as the mysterious man speaks in a voice that slithers like a snake.

~“See you soon, my dear,”~ he murmurs before disappearing back into the shadows.

Despite the strange dream, I wake up the next morning feeling utterly content, having had the best sleep of my life.

I can’t tell if it’s the incredibly comfortable bed that has cradled every inch of my body perfectly, or the soothing presence of Ezekiel.

His arm is still draped over me, his face buried in my hair. I start to gently rise to go to the bathroom when his hand tightens around my waist.

“Where do you think you’re going, Little Wolf?” he mumbles sleepily.

“I was just going to use the bathroom and take a shower,” I answer.

A lustful growl rumbles from his chest, but he lets go of me. I quickly dash to the bathroom, strip off my clothes, and jump into the shower.

The steam begins to rise, and the hot water slowly eases my muscles. I grab the shampoo and start to work it into my hair when a sound catches my attention.

~Click.~

Moments later, a scent hits me. I freeze as I realize…

~He’s in here.~

I try to slow my racing heart as I turn around. My eyes meet Ezekiel’s intense silver gaze, which then travels over my naked body.

His chest is heaving, almost panting. His eyes flicker from silver to gold; his wolf is struggling for control.

Finally, his eyes settle on silver before he starts to undress. I watch him, unable to look away, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Even though I’ve seen Ezekiel naked before, I can’t seem to get enough. Each time, it’s like my mind is taking snapshots, storing them away so I can remember him in every detail.

His body is hard and chiseled. With each movement, his muscles flex, causing Raven to stir and howl in the back of my mind, urging me to claim him as our own.

Strangely, I don’t feel uncomfortable being naked around him. I’ve never been naked around anyone before.

But after last night, I feel like our connection has deepened. I’m still not sure how I feel about him.

I still have many unanswered questions, but so far, he hasn’t given me any reason to be afraid of him or to pull away.

Ezekiel holds my gaze as he steps under the showerhead next to me, a smug smirk on his face. I’m sure he knows the effect he has on me and the attraction I feel for him.

He squirts some shower gel into his hand and starts to lather his body, bubbles forming under his touch. He keeps his gaze locked on mine.

I want nothing more than to help him wash his body, to run my hands over his hard abs and chest, and then lower…

But I stay where I am, mesmerized, watching his every move. Raven is pushing for control; I’m burning with desire and longing. He can probably see it in my bright green eyes.

Ezekiel bites his lower lip as he washes his cock, causing a rush of arousal that trickles down my legs. His nostrils flare, taking in the scent of my arousal, his gaze darkening and shifting to gold.

He’s grinning, knowing he has me exactly where he wants me.

He continues to stroke his cock sensually, looking at me with heavy-lidded eyes. My hand starts to move down toward my wet core.

But then I stop just short of my clit, trying to resist the pull of the mate bond.

I’m not ready to give myself to someone I know so little about, even if it is the Moon Goddess’s will.

With each passing minute, I can feel the mate bond tightening, trying to pull us together—as is our destiny.

Fear and panic start to override my desire for the god-like man in front of me. No one has ever looked at me with such desire.

I’ve always been the outsider. I can see that Ezekiel has noticed my change in mood; his gaze has softened.

I manage to tear my eyes away and finish washing before hurrying out of the bathroom as fast as I can.

I rush to my dresser, pull on my usual dark jeans and a plain T-shirt. I don’t have much to choose from.

I quickly dry my hair with the hairdryer before heading for the door. Just as I’m leaving, I hear the bathroom door open.

“Bye!” I call out quickly over my shoulder, cringing at the awkwardness of my voice.

I’m not paying attention as I hurry down the hallway, and I bump into something solid.

“Oof! Sorry!” I exclaim. I look up and see Alpha Max smiling down at me.

~Why can’t I seem to escape men right now!?~

He smiles down at me. “That’s okay, my queen.”

I snort. “Ha! It’s okay. You can drop the formalities. I’m no queen.” I laugh awkwardly. “How’s Amber?” I ask, nervous about his answer.

“She’s doing great, actually. She woke up a few days ago, is already back to her usual bossy self.” He rolls his eyes.

“Alice, the angel, has been by her side the whole time. Please don’t think I blame you for what happened.

“From what I saw, Amber challenged you over and over. You tried to keep the peace.”

I nod, appreciating his words, though I still feel terrible about what happened. I should have had more control.

Burns like the ones Amber suffered usually only take a few days to heal, but Amber’s recovery has taken two weeks.

“Amber may be tough on the outside, but she has a heart of gold,” he says. “Alice, on the other hand, is just angelic through and through.” He smiles.

I notice Alpha Max trying to subtly, but not subtly enough, lean in toward me. He takes a soft sniff of the air between us, a look of confusion crossing his face.

“Errrr, are you okay?” I ask, puzzled.

“Oh, ahem. Yes. It’s, um, you, er…smell, different,” he stammers, clearly caught off guard by my question.

“Alright, well...it was good to see you,” I say, stepping around the alpha.

I can sense his gaze on me as I walk away. I can't shake off the memory of the expression that crossed his face when Ezekiel and I felt our mate bond snap into place. He looked wounded...but why?

Why would it pain him to see me, a near stranger, find my destined mate?