Page 15 of Forced Alpha Bride (Wolfshade Brides-for-Hire #3)

I can feel Winnie shivering under my arm as I face off against the council, daring them to disobey me. I don’t like the expression on Regina’s face. She looks completely sure of herself, and far too confident.

That bitch has a plan. I can feel it. It’s going to be my downfall.

The idea of coming so far, only to fail once I finally have the position, fills me with desperation. I promised safety for my boys—a home—and I vowed to protect every single person out there who had been abused by power.

I tighten my arm around Winnie as if Regina could come over here and forcefully rip her from my arms. I feel like that would be a more honest thing to do, because clearly, Regina is counting on interfering with the consummation.

All she’d need is to talk to Winnie, convince her not to go through with it. Then I’d be ruined.

I don’t know any of the council members that well, but I do know Regina. She was always by Roderick’s side, and I personally saw her mistreat my mother and look down on me like I was garbage.

I was only a little boy the first time Regina verbally ripped into my mother on the street.

I still remember it so clearly, like it’s burned into my memory.

The way Regina told her she had no place here now, that her royal blood was tainted…

and that I was an abomination that should never have been born.

Regina smiles, showing her teeth, and it’s as if she is reliving the exact same moment.

“You have your orders,” I growl, pulling back from the table. “I have other matters to attend to. I will be sending my beta to assist you, just in case you have any difficulty carrying out my wishes.”

No one speaks when I stride from the room, keeping my arm wrapped around Winnie as I go. The stairwell is narrow, so I have to push her ahead of me. She stumbles several times, and I can hear her breath rasping in her throat.

Is she scared of me? I don’t want her to be scared. What can I do about it, though?

“Winnie!” Krista cries as we reach the foyer.

I jump in front of her, gathering Winnie’s chain in my right hand to keep her by my side.

“Back off, Krista,” I growl. “We have places to be.”

“I just want to talk to her—”

“Some other time,” I mutter, walking towards the door. Winnie doesn’t make a single sound of protest, and her silence begins to unnerve me.

As I put her in the car and shut the door, I see her eyes are dilated and her cheeks are flushed bright pink.

I can’t tell if she’s scared… or excited.

Before we leave, I pull out my phone and message Flint, making sure he’ll stop by the manor to check on my orders. I’d like to get out into the hills and oversee everything myself, but I have far more important business to take care of.

If we don’t consummate, I’ll lose my position, my power. I can’t let that happen!

As I drive home, I keep glancing over at Winnie, desperately trying to think of something to say. My emotions have never been so chaotic, and I’ve truly never felt this stressed.

It’s because of this morning. If she had stayed cold towards me, I’d know exactly where she stands right now. But after teasing me like that… I think she really does want me.

I can’t help but wonder what it would be like if we had met each other randomly, without all the pack business in the way. I like to think we’d have clicked instantly and indulged in the chemistry between us without any inhibitions.

Yeah, right. I’m still the bad guy, and she’s the sister of an alpha. She never would have even looked at me.

As I pull into the driveway, I try to settle my thoughts so I can decide what to do. Being committed to a course of action and following through has always been one of my strengths, but I’ve never had to worry about anyone else’s feelings before.

Or maybe I just didn’t care, but now I do.

I look over at Winnie as I stop the car. She’s staring at her lap, fiddling with the chain. Her cheeks are still red, but she seems calmer now.

How the fuck do I start talking about this?

“Let’s go,” I snap in a commanding tone.

To my surprise, she obeys, getting out of the car and walking calmly to the door. As I open it, I notice her nibbling on her lip, but it’s the only real sign that she’s nervous.

Winnie walks into the living room as I close the door, locking it behind us. I follow her down the hall, and when I get to the cool, dark room, she’s sitting on the couch, playing with the chains again.

She doesn’t look up at me, even when I stand right in front of her. I decide to just come right out with it.

“You heard what Regina said. We have to consummate.”

Winnie looks up at me, her blue eyes burning with electric fire. “Go consummate yourself, Damon!”

I’m quiet for a moment. “I would if I thought it would work, but unfortunately, I don’t think that counts.”

I see the hint of a grin tease the edges of her lips, but she still glares at me.

“How dare you,” she says. “After everything that’s happened so far, you think you can just order me to have sex with you?”

“Well. It certainly doesn’t hurt to try. Maybe you like taking orders. Have you ever tried it?”

This time, I see a flicker of humor in her eyes, but she covers it quickly.

“Maybe you should take these off, as a sign of good faith,” she says, holding up her hands.

I watch the light trail over the chain links, feeling my temper rising.

“No,” I growl. “I can’t let you get away. You’re too important.”

“So, you only want me so you can keep your seat?” she asks. It’s obvious that she’s hurt, but there’s a challenge in her tone, too.

“I want to be alpha,” I answer. “I’m not hiding that. Being with you is essential for that to happen. But I also want you.”

“If you’d had a choice, would you have picked me? What if we didn’t get matched, forced together? Would you have chosen me then?”

“Would you have chosen me?” I ask her softly.

She looks away, and I know I have her answer.

“Winnie,” I whisper, getting down on my knees and bringing my face close to hers. “From the moment I saw you, I wanted you. Every moment with you, I want you even more. But this morning—”

“Don’t!” she gasps, her eyes going wide.

“What? Don’t talk about the hottest experience of my fucking life? Good God, Winnie, you’re a goddess. Don’t try to convince me no one’s ever told you that before.”

She shakes her head, chuckling a little. “No, no one’s ever called me a goddess before… but no one’s ever… um… seen that much of me, either.”

A bolt of arousal throbs through me, making my cock rock-hard. I have to close my eyes and turn my face away as I struggle to control myself.

That was for me… just me.

“Damon,” she says. “I was—I don’t know—the restraints, they do something to me. It’s like when I’m bound… I’m free.”

I look into her eyes. She looks confused, but also confident.

“Do you want me to take them off?” I ask.

She shakes her head.

I lean closer to her, feeling the heat building between us. I pause just before our lips touch so she has to lean into me.

Her choice. Not mine.

Winnie slams her lips against mine, shivering all over as if an electric shock has passed between us. I stay still, passively receiving her kiss as she deepens it, experimentally leaning into me and flicking with her tongue.

I stay still for as long as I can, letting the lust rise in me until my muscles are trembling with the effort of staying still and my cock is as hard and hot as a steel poker in a raging fire.

As I lean forward and grab Winnie’s shoulders, shoving her into the couch, a predatory growl rips out from between my teeth, making Winnie yelp.

I push her down on the couch, pinning her as I thrust my tongue into her mouth. Her struggles excite my wolf even more, and for a brief moment, I forget everything except the taste of her on my tongue and her soft, warm body bending to my will.

Stopping for a breath, I hear her whimper and pull back. She’s staring up at me, her eyes shimmering and her chest heaving as she gasps for air.

I don’t know if this is fear or lust.

“Do you want me to stop?” I ask.

Winnie shakes her head. “Yes. I mean, no. I mean—”

“How about I change pace?” I ask, rocking back on my heels and running my hands along her thighs. “Would you let me pleasure you?”

“What?” she whispers. “How?”

I trail my fingers over her knees, slowly gathering the long black dress until I can slide it back towards her hips.

The sight of her pale, sleek thighs excites me even more, and I resist the urge to force her knees apart.

Instead, I just tease with my fingertips, waiting to see if she opens her legs for me.

“Your choice, Winnie,” I whisper. “I won’t take you.”

Not unless you beg me.

She looks down at my hands, then back up to my face. Holding her gaze, I lick my lips very slowly, just in case she has any doubts about what I intend to do.

She blinks, a shudder running through her as she watches my tongue. Then, with a small whimper of surrender, she leans her head back, pulls up her skirt… and opens her thighs.

I sink down, hooking my arms under her knees as I plunge my mouth into her pussy. A rough, hungry growl rumbles in my throat as my tongue finally satisfies the craving I’ve had ever since this morning when she bent over and showed herself to me.

At first, I’m completely wild, lapping deep into her pussy with my tongue and gripping her ass to drag her closer to me as my lips explore her slick folds. Winnie writhes under me, gasping and crying out as she opens her legs even wider.

All at once, I feel an orgasm shudder through her. I put my mouth right against her pussy to feel the spasms and lap up the sweet juice.

Winnie gasps as if she’s running a marathon, her entire body shivering in my grip as another orgasm begins to throb through her. I pay close attention to her now, making sure every movement of mine is focused on her pleasure.

I pull back a little, teasing with the tip of my tongue from the deep inner folds up to her clit. I kiss it gently, barely brushing it with my lips. Winnie thrashes under me, her gasps turning into short, loud cries.

I lap at her clit a little harder using the flat of my tongue, feeling her body tremble and listening to her voice. When the tremors and cries reach a constant pitch, I dive down again and shove my tongue deep into her pussy.

Winnie screams, grabbing my head and thrusting her hips into my face. I work harder with my lips and tongue, desperate to swallow her orgasm and feel that fire running through her again.

Her fingers tighten in my hair until it hurts, and I can’t breathe, but I don’t even care as I feel an enormous shudder run through her.

For an instant, she’s completely still, then she thrashes wildly, thrusting her hips at me as I feel her pussy spasm and pulse under my lips, filling my mouth again with her sweet juice.

I cling to her thighs, leaning back a little as all the strength goes out of her. She collapses against the couch with her eyes closed, her cheeks burning with that cute shade of pink again. A strange, tender feeling twinges in my chest, and with shock, I realize what it is.

Affection. This is the first time I’ve ever pleasured someone for them alone and taken nothing for myself.

I want to deny it or maybe even fight it, but kneeling before Winnie, I can’t lie. Especially to myself.

I’m happier right here, between her thighs, than I have ever been.