Page 12 of Alpha's Chosen Mate (Wolf Billionaire #2)

CHAPTER 12

LEILANI

I wipe a tear from the corner of my eye and bring the steaming hot coffee mug to my lips. The heat is calming, but it doesn’t wash away the tight feeling in my chest. Between everything that happened last night, crying myself to sleep, and waking up from a nightmare filled with blood and tears, I can’t say I’m having the best day. I peer over the large expanse of Asher’s territory, into the trees that stretch into the sunset and the roofs of other pack members’ homes.

I stare at nothing and everything, too tired to think, too tense to relax.

The door suddenly swings open and my shoulders tighten as I prepare for Asher to stroll in. But instead, my visitor is a woman dressed in a pink designer dress and jacket, strutting into my room like she belongs here. Her hot pink platform heels click against the tiles and I blink when she stops in front of my closet and pulls it open. “I’m Jules,” she mumbles around the gum in her mouth, and it makes a large pop as she pulls out a leather skirt I didn’t even know I had. “But you already knew that. ”

I stand, pulling my robe tightly closed. “You’re his cousin.” My eyes take in the white lacy corset top she tosses on the bed next. “Do you need something?”

She observes me for a moment, her nose crinkling like she smells something foul. “For you to get in the shower. You reek of depression.”

Uh, rude. I’ve been sitting on the balcony for the entire day, so I can’t smell that bad. It was less depressing than being confined in my room, waiting to hear even the slightest sounds from Asher’s side of the door so I could reach out and apologize for Goddess knows what. I didn’t do anything wrong. But each time I remember that, I burst into tears immediately, frustrated that I can’t just walk into his room and slam his head into the wall for making me feel so conflicted, sad, and guilty.

And hot. I feel like a wolf in heat, and I hate that I don’t hate him anymore.

“These should do,” she mutters, holding up a pair of boots I won’t be able to walk in. Heels that high should be illegal. Her eyes sweep over my figure and I resist the urge to hug myself as her smile grows even wider. “Ash is going to have a fit when he sees you.”

My confusion only grows. “We’re going somewhere?”

She nods. “The club.”

“I’m not allowed to leave?—”

She lets out a long-suffering sigh. “Did you never sneak out of the house when you were a kid? You know, break the rules?”

I blink, a blush spreading over my neck. “No?” My father is a strict man. Georgia was my only friend, and “fun” was watching the warriors practice and mimicking their moves until I got bored. Parties, dancing, and playing dress up aren’t strong skills of mine.

She saunters over to my bed and sits on the edge. “Asher is away on a business meeting with Cayden. Talon’s in the infirmary. He’ll never find out tonight happened…unless you tell him.” She picks at her nails. “I know I won’t.”

I hesitate, torn between obeying Asher’s order and—my resolve hardens. What’s he going to do if he finds out? Kill me? I’ve tolerated his bossiness for too long, let him push my buttons and tell me what I can and cannot do. Even now, I’m being punished for his mistakes. If he’d been by my side last night, Christian would never have trapped me against that wall and kissed me.

This is the first choice I get to make since I got here weeks ago. If he’s going to throw a tantrum, strangle me, yell, chain me to the bed, then so be it. What has being obedient gotten me, anyway?

“You didn’t say we were going to a human club!” I squeak as Juliana struts through the parking lot, past a few couples making out publicly in a way that’d put even our kind to shame. Throaty moans reach my ears, and I look away quickly from a man who has a pretty brunette kneeling between his thighs, his hand in her hair as her head bobs up and down.

Juliana laughs. “I thought you might want to see one of my cousin’s many establishments. Humans and wolves alike mingle here. It’s ecstatic. ”

My eyes widen with horror. “You said he wouldn’t find out! Why would you bring me to his club? And why the hell does he own one, anyway?”

She shrugs. “It makes good money, I suppose. You don’t think your fancy room was built with charity, do you?” Her red-painted lips curve up at my uneasy look, and she shrugs off her jacket. “Come on, sister-in-law, don’t be boring.”

Biting my bottom lip nervously, I follow her, nearly tripping on my heels. Cool air kisses my legs and bare midriff, sending a shiver up my spine as the wind ruffles my hair. Juliana’s arm links with mine, grounding me as we stride toward the entrance. Two huge men man the doors, their expressions as unyielding as the concrete beneath my feet.

Juliana waves at the stern-faced man on the left. “Hey, Clyde.”

His face tightens. “No, Jules. Last time I let you in, the alpha threatened to tear me limb from limb.” His attention shifts to me, and an uncomfortable prickling sensation spreads across my skin as his gaze rakes over my body, lingering on the curve of my hips and my bare legs. “Who’s your friend?”

Juliana leans in close to him. “I’ll introduce you if you let us in. He’ll never know I was here.”

Clyde’s eyes roam over me again, and I wonder what will happen when he realizes I’m the alpha’s wife, and if he’ll regret the way his gaze lingers on my body. After a tense second, he nods, and Juliana squeals happily, practically shoving me through the door.

I stumble into what feels like a burning pit, the heat of too many bodies pressing in on me from all sides. Strobe lights flash and the pounding bass reverberates through my bones. The music is so loud, it’s like a physical force pressing in on me .

An elbow jabs into my ribs as a man stumbles past, his lips locked with another male’s, their hands tangled in each other’s hair. The air is thick with the overpowering scent of sweat, alcohol, and cum, and I can’t tell if they’re humans or wolves.

Every section of the club is a chaotic blur. People are pressed so close together it’s hard to tell where one ends and another begins. The dance floor is a battlefield, limbs flailing, hips grinding, mouths devouring. To our left, a couple is tangled in a shadowed corner, their hands disappearing beneath clothing, their gasps and moans swallowed by the music.

Juliana doesn’t seem to notice or care as she drags me deeper into the throng. My heels scrape the slick floor and I have to cling to her arm to avoid losing my balance. She pushes past a half-naked couple grinding against a pillar, and I try to focus on anything but the wet sounds their bodies make as they fuck. Goddess have mercy, what sort of business does my husband run? What is this place?

I must have asked aloud because Juliana’s laughter rings out so loud it cuts through the music, and I want nothing more than to sink into the ground. I’m not sure whether to envy her confidence or be horrified by it, but as we approach the bar I realize that I never should have listened to her.

The bartender, a muscular man with an easy smile, nods fondly at Juliana. His eyes flick to me, and something like recognition flashes in them before he schools his expression into one of indifference. “What’ll it be?” he asks, his voice barely audible over the music.

Juliana orders her usual, then orders something completely different for me. I eye the glass skeptically, unsure what’s in it, and Juliana laughs, her sharp gaze twinkling with mischief. “If I wanted you poisoned, I’m sure Enya would gladly take care of it.” She arches a brow toward the glass. “It’ll make you feel good, trust me. You want to have fun, right? Or even just relax a little?”

I want to tell her I’d be stupid to trust her, but I don’t. Against every instinct screaming at me to not touch the glass, I toss it back. It’s…sweet. I empty the glass and flick my tongue over my bottom lip. Juliana chuckles at my reaction and tells the bartender to refill my glass. “What’s in it?” I ask.

She shrugs. “Nothing you can’t handle.” She looks back at the crowd. “Wanna dance?” Her eyes narrow as they take in my body. “Do you even know how to? I’ve heard the Blue Moon Pack’s idea of fun is howling only on the solstice. This is probably quite different from what you’re used to.”

I open my mouth to defend my pack, but then I spot another couple. The woman is bent over at her hip, her hands busy as another man grips her hips and plunges into… oh, no . My world spins a little as I witness my first orgy. Yes, this is definitely different from anything I’m used to. Thankfully.

My drink arrives, and this time I don’t hesitate before emptying the glass and demanding another. It doesn’t taste like alcohol, and true to Juliana’s word, my muscles are relaxed my feet are bopping to the steady beat of the music, which doesn’t even sound too loud anymore. After the fourth glass, I have no idea why I’m smiling when I tell Jules, “I want to dance.”

She smirks and takes my hand. Her skin burns, much like Asher’s. “Does Asher like dancing?” I yell over the music as she pulls me to the middle of the dance floor. Her hips sway, her hands rising in the air as she beckons for me to follow her moves. It isn’t very hard. The hip movements are almost like fucking, and I close my eyes, imagining my thighs straddling Asher and my hips undulating on his cock .

“He doesn’t,” Jules says, and I shudder, not expecting to find her breath so close to my ear. She smells like him, even looks like him. My pussy clenches for no reason. “But you, love, are a natural.”

I giggle, and after that I have no idea how long we spend gyrating, or whose hands are on my waist or brushing down my sides. The faces blur together and I’m laughing harder than I ever have in my life, my skin tingling with the awareness of being watched by so many people. But I can’t seem to stop moving. Why have I never danced before? It’s fucking liberating.

Juliana soon disappears from my peripheral, but I don’t care.

A hand snatches mine, and I find myself staring into beautiful brown eyes. “You shouldn’t be here,” a pissed-off Talon growls, and I giggle, leaning in and pressing my chest against his. He looks awfully good for someone who was just in the infirmary.

“Maybe I like the idea of getting caught in places I shouldn’t be,” I whisper, my lips brushing against his cheek. He freezes and jerks away from me, a blush spreading across his cheeks and ears. I don’t relent, the mischievous part of me seeing a crack in his usually hard demeanor and hammering on it. I flutter my lashes prettily and lick my lips. “Do you find your alpha’s wife attractive?”

His nostrils flare and he looks around, fear darkening his gaze. “Fuck. You’re high.” He grabs my wrist roughly. “We should leave.”

But I don’t want to leave. I tell him that, but he ignores me, attempting to drag me with him to the exit. I yank my wrist free and let the crowd push me away from him. I laugh as a gorgeous man—a werewolf, judging from his earthy scent—tells me I’m his fucking Goddess. He sniffs my neck and his hands travel up my midriff, dangerously close to my breasts. Unease spreads through me and I try to dislodge his grip, but his hold remains hard, his fingers starting to worm their way into my corset.

A vicious snarl cuts through the air, and the hands on me are torn off and replaced with warmer, familiar ones. I’m twisted harshly until I come face-to-face with livid, piercing blue eyes. I have no idea why I grin and reach for his face, smacking a kiss on his cheek. “Asher!”

He blinks, startled. His fingers grab my chin, turning my head left and right. “What did you take?” He shakes his head and says to someone behind me, “Find Jules. We leave in five.”

I frown and push out of his grasp. “I’m not…I don’t want to go home. I hate being locked up alone in my room all day.” Another stupid smile stretches my lips. “Stay. Dance with me.”

“Leilani—”I step into his space, stand on his toes, and drag my tongue along his neck. He swears softly, his hand gripping my waist tightly to pull me off him, but I don’t let him. I replace my tongue with my canines, catching his skin between my teeth, and my heart pounds faster with a strange urge to pierce through his skin and claim him. Asher pulls me closer, his body a solid wall of heat against mine, and I roll my hips against his.

“Fuck,” he breathes into my hair, his fingers biting into my skin. He doesn’t push me away like I thought he would. Instead, he dances with me. He moves in perfect sync with me, our hips rolling together like we’ve done this a thousand times before. His hands are in my hair, mine are under his shirt—hell if I remember how they got there—and I can feel my heartbeat between my legs .

His scent envelopes me—spicy, manly, intoxicating, much like his aura that extends over me, making me feel…safe. He angles my head so he can look into my eyes, and whatever he sees there has his lips curling into a smile that makes me want to take off my panties. “I can’t say I’m pleased to know you’ve been hiding this particular talent.”

I bite my bottom lip and release it slowly, and his eyes darken as he tracks the movement. “There’s more,” I whisper, twisting in a motion I saw someone execute earlier. With his chest pressed against my back, I push my ass back against his groin, thrusting my hips twice before lowering myself close to the ground. I rise back, slower, arching in a suggestive manner, and I know I’ve won whatever game we’re playing when Asher grabs my arms and says roughly, “We’re going home. Now .”

His eyes flash on the last word, and my defiance picks the worst time to surface. “No!”

“No?” he repeats, his jaw clenching, and in the blink of an eye, he lifts me off my feet and hurls over his broad shoulder.

“Put me down!” I scream, shutting my eyes as the world starts to spin. The slick floors give way to concrete, and I hear the soft click of a door unlocking before I’m unceremoniously dumped in the passenger seat. The door slams shut, locking me in. I lean against the soft leather, closing my eyes and breathing slowly.

His car smells so much like him.

Somewhere in the distance, I hear Asher growl, “You were supposed to keep her company! Not bring her out here! What if something happened?”

“Don’t talk to me like I’m a stupid child! You should’ve seen her crying on that damn balcony! I was only trying to help!” Jules snaps, and I turn in time to see her angrily entering a different car with Talon.

Moments later, the driver’s side door opens and Asher gets in, shutting it hard enough to rattle the whole car. Pain ricochets in my head and a soft moan leaves my lips as I wince. “She was trying to help.”

Asher shoots me a very dark look, but that just makes a laugh bubble in my stomach. “You’re cute when you’re mad.”

He pauses, his eyes softening a tiny fraction, and then he shakes his head, muttering something about how hopeless I am. I stare at him for the entirety of the drive, tracing the lines of his perfect face—first with my eyes, then my fingers. He lets me.

I scoot toward the edge of the seat and catch a few strands of his silky hair between my fingers. His eyes flicker to mine, confusion and something I can’t quite place swirling in their depths. I let out a soft, slurred laugh. “Do you ever wonder what it would be like if we met under different circumstances?” My voice is barely above a whisper, tinged with a sadness I don’t have the strength to hide. “Not as Mardoc’s daughter. Not as the Dark Alpha. Just a heartbroken woman running into a stranger at a bar instead of…you know, you kidnapping me?”

His fingers tighten on the wheel. I let the strands of his hair slip through my fingers. “Would you have bought me a drink, maybe even given me a ride home? Would we have been able to explore this…without all of this hatred and vengeance between us? Would we have been…normal?”

The silence hangs heavy between us, and just when I give up on getting an answer from him, he says, “We’ll never be anything but what we are. Get in touch with reality. ”

The coldness in his voice cuts deeper than I expected, and tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “You say that, but you’re the one who punishes me for things I didn’t do. If there’s a reason we can’t be more than what we are, it’s you! Forget that I’m your enemy’s daughter. What do you really know about the woman you claim to despise so much you want to end her life? What do you know about me , Asher Wilde?”

His eyes flick toward me, and his voice is like ice when he replies, “I know exactly how much sugar you take in your damn coffee. Your favorite color is blue. You sleep better on your back, your left foot shakes when you’re anxious, you talk in your sleep, and you’re lactose intolerant.”

I open my mouth to respond, but I can’t find the words. Suddenly, I feel more sober than I’ve been all night. I don’t know what I should be worried about more: how he knows all of this, or why everything I’ve been fed since I was brought here has been made exactly how I like it. I guess he meant it when he said he’s been watching me for six years. “And that’s why you can’t stand me?”

“It’s not that I can’t stand you, Leilani. It deeply disturbs me that I…” He releases a frustrated breath, and the tips of his ears turn red. “I notice everything about you. I care about you, even though I shouldn’t. Every detail I know about you reminds me that I’m supposed to hate you, but instead…” He struggles to get the words out. “Instead, I’m falling for the one person I swore I’d never forgive. And that is what I can’t stand.”

We don’t talk to each other for the rest of the ride home, the air between us frosty enough to freeze hell over. His admission rattled me, but even worse, it feels like it pushed him further away from me .

I don’t remember falling asleep, but when I wake up, my face is pressed against Asher’s chest, his arms cradling me as he carries me into the house. His heartbeat is a steady rhythm against my ear, lulling me back into slumber. The next time I wake, it’s morning, and a dull ache pulses in my head. There’s a steaming mug of coffee on the bedside table, its rich aroma filling the room. A folded note lies beside it.

For the hangover , it reads in his unmistakable handwriting. Below, there’s a line that’s been struck out so many times it’s unreadable, like he couldn’t bring himself to say what he originally wanted. But the last line catches my breath.

You may walk in the gardens or join the warriors in the yard today. At midnight, I have something to show you. Wear the red dress.