Page 9

Ivy

I bowed my head, letting the hot water cascade over my aching body.

For a good thirty minutes I just stood there, like the pressurized stream could wash it all away.

It couldn’t.

Despite the calming warmth, the ache in my soul throbbed, a wound that never healed.

My emotions were all over the place, just as chaotic as my thoughts.

Thinking maybe a nice soak might help, I soon sank into the clawfoot tub, submerging myself up to my chin.

I closed my eyes and did some breathing exercises.

Distressingly, Briggs's scent still lingered and I couldn’t determine if it was real or in my head. With the way things were going for me, the answer was likely both.

The water turned cold and I finally dragged myself out, toweling off roughly. In the bedroom, I rummaged through drawers until I found some clothes that fit decently enough. At least I wouldn't be naked and vulnerable.

My gaze landed on the door.

I needed a barricade, or some semblance of security while I slept.

As I stood contemplating how hard it would be to rig the furniture to block the door, Rieka reminded me that nothing in the room could stop the Alpha wolf from getting inside.

What if there’s a fire?

she tacked on.

She had a point but I didn’t want to leave myself vulnerable to Briggs’s whims in the middle of the night.

I don’t want to be caught unawares while lying in bed , I told her.

Then move the bed so it’s furthest from the door .

Or shift and I’ll curl under the bed.

It’s too risky to shift.

What if Briggs comes in and lets Onyx take over?

I was terrified the wolves wouldn’t be able to control their actions.

Their instincts to mate were even stronger than those of their human counterparts.

You don’t have many options, Ivy.

Fine, I huffed and reached for the foot of the bed.

The scraping echoed loudly in the quiet room.

There wasn’t much to move so it didn’t take long.

Stepping back, I surveyed my handiwork with grim satisfaction.

I couldn’t stop Briggs from entering, but I could at least give myself an extra second or two to get onto my feet.

I pictured the two of us in an actual fight, me kicking his ass.

My wolf shook her head at the image.

In no situation would I ever be strong enough to deliver the ass-kicking he deserved.

But a girl could dream.

I turned off the light and crawled into bed.

I hoped when I woke in the morning I’d find that this was all a bad dream.

The creak of the door jolted me awake.

I shot out of bed, heart pounding, as Briggs stepped inside with a tray balanced in his hands.

"I brought you some breakfast," he stated politely, as if this were a normal morning.

His scent hit me hard, earthy and dark, sinking its claws into my skin.

I bristled.

"Get out."

Briggs dismissed the demand with no more than a cursory glance.

He set the tray on the small table with deliberate care, then straightened and gave me his full attention.

I met his stare unflinchingly, even as my pulse raced.

The silence stretched taut between us.

He looked …

good.

Why did he have to look so good?

Black hair tousled, pale eyes bright against his tanned skin.

The soft gray Henley clung to his muscled chest and arms.

Couldn’t he have gotten some disfiguring affliction that shifters couldn’t fight?

Or have half his face ripped off in some dark magic attack?

It wasn’t fair.

"You need to eat, Ivy," he said, his tone measured.

He sounded reasonable.

Like he hadn't just kidnapped me and blown my life apart for the second time.

"You can stop with the faux concern, Alpha. I don’t believe you woke up one day and suddenly started caring about my well-being."

A muscle jumped beneath the stubble on his jaw. "Of course I care. I've always cared."

" Liar ,” I threw back the word he’d thrown at me last night.

How could he stand there, so calm and collected, while I was a livewire of fury and pain? Pretending there was nothing wrong between us?

I wrapped my hands around myself. "If you cared, you wouldn't have done what you did. Not like that."

Onyx rolled an amber sheen across Briggs’s eyes. It wasn’t the wolf’s fault.

But I couldn’t show that I cared in the slightest.

"Sit down and eat. It’s not a request."

"I'm not hungry.”

"Do not test me on this. You won’t win.”

Maybe not, but if I was fast enough I could possibly manage to get a claw embedded in one of his testicles. The idea was extremely appealing.

“Ivy, you need to eat."

"Why? So you can drug me into submission? Make me pliant for whatever it is you’re trying to get from me?" The accusation flew from my lips and hit its target.

A dangerous glint sparked in the icy depths of his eyes. His powerful frame radiated Alpha energy.

"You think I would stoop so low?"

I tilted my chin. "I wouldn't put anything past you at this point."

A snarl tore from his throat. He snatched a piece of toast from the tray and bit into it savagely, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Satisfied?" he bit out around the mouthful.

I remained silent, watching as he swallowed the toast and reached for the glass of orange juice. He drained half of it in one long pull, his Adam's apple bobbing with each gulp.

Slamming the empty glass back onto the tray, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"There. No drugs. No tricks. Now, sit down and fucking eat."

I didn’t budge.

A sudden tug pulled at our decrepit mating bond, the sensation catching me off guard. "Stop it! You have no right!"

"I have every right. And I won’t stop, not until I fix what’s broken and our bond is as strong and complete as it was meant to be."

"You're delusional if you think I'll ever let that happen."

He moved closer, his scent the perfect drug designed by nature to ensnare, to make me weak in the knees. At some point I wouldn’t be able to resist it.

The frenzied beat of my pulse resonated under my ribcage. My palms grew slick with nervous sweat.

I raised my hands in a feeble attempt to keep him at bay. "Stay away from me."

Briggs leaned in without actually touching me. "You can't fight this forever, Ivy. You're mine, and deep down, you know it."

"I belong to no one, least of all you."

He chuckled darkly, the sound sending a rush of heat through my body. "Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart. But we both know the truth."

“Bastard!”

His voice remained infuriatingly calm as he continued. "Everything will be alright. I’ll make it better. Once I explain, you'll see.”

“There is no explanation that could possibly repair the damage you caused.”

“I disagree. I'm willing to wait you out, to put up with these knee-jerk reactions from you. Once you’re in a more open frame of mind, we’ll discuss what happened and put it behind us."

“Oh? You’ve acquired some magic power I’m not aware of that can erase the past?”

He stepped closer, into my palms. A charge of electricity zinged up my arms.

I tried to push him away. He didn’t move an inch.

"You need to trust me, trust in your Alpha. Trust that I'm doing what's best for the both of us."

"Have you lost your damn mind?!"

"Your anger is clouding your judgment and you’re not ready to hear me out."

“ My judgement?” I shook my head in disbelief. "Does the pack know you've completely lost it?"

Briggs's expression softened, his voice barely above a whisper. "You're so beautiful. I missed you more than you could ever know.”

“Alpha McClellan, I think you might be suffering a mental breakdown. You need help.”

He freaking laughed. Laughed! Like I was making jokes.

I was so screwed. My fated mate was certifiable. I couldn’t rationalize with crazy!

“I’m not crazy, little mate.”

I said that out loud?

“Yes, you did.”

Fantastic. Now I was the one losing it.

I wanted to scream, to cry, to lash out at the universe over circumstances completely out of my control. How much more could I take?

I sagged against the wall. The fight in me was draining fast. "Please go."

"Deep down you and your wolf want to submit, to complete our bond."

Of course we did. We were cosmically linked to Briggs and Onyx.

Nonetheless … “Alpha McClellan, that ship has sailed, caught fire, and sank. You made sure it was unsalvageable.”

"You won’t feel that way for long. Let yourself see how good it will be. How amazing our bond will be. I haven’t felt complete without you.”

“That’s not my fault.”

“I know,” he admitted on a sigh, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

His voice dropped to a low, seductive purr. “Let me in, sweetheart. Let me make you happy. Let me worship you. Let me show you how much you'll enjoy the fucking I’m dying to give you. Over and over until you're begging, willing to take anything I give.”

I was trembling by the time he leaned down, his lips at my ear. “And I intend to give you everything ."

My skin heated, my traitorous nipples hardened. I hated how my body reacted to him, how even after everything, I craved what he was offering.

But if I caved, I’d hate myself forever. "I want nothing from you, Alpha McClellan."

His lips twitched, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Oh, but you do, Ivy. You're my fated mate. Nothing on this earth can alter that fact. You’re mine ."

He was making me feel like I was a possession to be dominated and claimed. Owned.

Rieka perked up in interest. It was exactly what she-wolves craved—and it was incredibly unfair to have it offered up like this.

So I did the only thing I could. I compromised. "I’ll eat once you’re gone from my sight."

For a moment, the air crackled with tension, his wolf rising to the surface in response to my defiance. But then, miraculously, he relented.

"I’ll be back later, little mate."

I didn’t move until the lock clicked.

The room suddenly felt suffocating. I needed air, needed to feel the wind on my face and the earth beneath my feet.

Crossing to the window, I wrenched it open. The bars wouldn’t allow an escape, but I could at least get some fresh air.

The crisp scent of pine filled my lungs. Cool and soothing, it helped center my emotions.

I remained there until my stomach rumbled and I forced myself to choke down the Alpha’s breakfast.

I’d need my strength if I was ever going to be able to kick his ass.

Again, my wolf shook her head at me.

I just need one claw in one testicle, Rieka.

She seemed to think it over. Alright. But only one.

I cut off the conversation there. I was becoming just as disturbed as Briggs.

I really was screwed.

Ivy Bardot