Page 33 of The Alpha's Bullied Rejected Mate

“It’s actually hard to eat like this,” she murmured, raising her chained hands slightly. “They are starting to hurt.” She looked down, then back up.

Something in her voice trembled—deliberately, of course. She wondered if that was enough performance to make him shift.

Marcus hesitated.

And then he moved.

He stepped forward, crouching beside her as he reached for the cuffs. His hands were sure but careful, his fingers brushing against the cool metal. She felt the closeness of him, the heat from his skin, and she inhaled his scent. It was dizzying.

Focus Athena.

The cuffs clinked as they came undone.

Her wrists dropped into her lap. Angry red marks circled her skin. He stared at them, his jaw tightening. All of a sudden, His fingers moved, grazing the tender skin.

Her breath caught.

Silence fell between them.

Athena looked at him. He was closer now, seated on the edge of the bed. His posture was guarded, but she could see it in the flicker of his eyes. The tension in his hands.

It was working. She was pulling him.

She leaned in slightly, but he didn’t pull away either.

His eyes darkened, flicking to her mouth.

Athena closed the space between them, slowly, watching him the entire time. She could feel the magnetic pull, his indecision crackling in the air like a storm cloud waiting to break. Her lips hovered near his, barely an inch apart.

And then—

“Very good,” he said quietly, withdrawing from her like a tide. He clicked the cuffs back on her wrists with swift efficiency.

Athena’s heart slammed against her ribs.

“What?” she breathed, stunned.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t recognize a trap when I see one?”

His voice was calm. Cold. His professional mask slipped back into place.

“I’ve been doing this job for years, Aza. I’ve seen every trick in the book.”

Athena flinched. He was ahead of her.

“There’s no escaping here,sweetheart,” he said, placing sarcastic emphasis on the word of endearment.

“Your food will get cold,” he added, his voice devoid of emotion now.

“Eat. I need you to be healthy.”

He turned, walked to the door, and opened it. Just before stepping out, he paused.

“For what it’s worth,” he said without looking back, “you are terrible at it.”

With that, he closed the door behind him and clicked the lock into place.

Athena’s head fell backward onto the bed in frustration.

She had underestimated him. He had seen through her last resort.