Belinda was startled at her body's reaction to the stranger. Sure, he was attractive, but how could she feel such strong attraction for someone she'd just met? Squaring her shoulders, she fixed the man with her iciest stare, one that never failed to unsettle people. "This club isn't yours." She told him. "If you want to be alone, go home." The man lifted an amused eyebrow. "Should I? Why are you here, then? Shouldn't you also be heading home rather than searching for a place to hide?" Annoyance shot through Belinda. How dare he use her retort against her? Because she wasn't the type to let her emotions show, she kept her face blank and her voice steady. "I never said I wished to hide. That was you." She paused, thinking her next words over. "I'm looking for someone, actually." "And who is that unfortunate soul?" Belinda took a closer at the man in front of her. She couldn't tell if he was a werewolf or a human. An easy solution would have been to sniff out the scent he g
Belinda wasn't prepared for the full force of the stranger's kiss. It was unlike the one they'd shared in the hallway. This was more hungry, more brutal. She moaned as he gently bit her lower lip, and he used the opportunity to further part her lips with his tongue and dive into her mouth. Their tongues met, stroking each other in a passionate dance. When he finally pulled away, her entire being protested. It took all her self-restraint to not crush her lips back on his. Clamping his hand on Belinda's shoulder, the man spun her around, so that her back was to him. He pressed himself to her, pushing her against the wall. Belinda felt like she was being crushed from both sides, and she loved it. Lining her cheeks with the wall to better balance herself, she wiggled her hips, causing friction between her glutes and his stone-hard erection. The man grunted. His large hand, reaching around her, covered an aching breast and squeezed. Belinda gasped, her hips jerking on reflex, but he held
Belinda had done something terrible. Throughout the seven years she'd dated Derek, she'd never cheated on him once. Even when she'd been tempted to. Even when he'd neglected her. Even when she'd been so lonely, she'd ached for another's company. Yet, all it had taken to break her resolve was a handsome stranger with a devilish smile. It didn't matter that Derek was also cheating on her. How was she better than all of them if she acted the same? Despite her guilt, Belinda found herself having sex with the stranger again. And again. And again. He would reach for her in the middle of the night, and they would go for another round, each one more intense than the last. She hadn't been able to sleep much, but she really didn't mind, because she couldn't get enough of him. It had never been this way with Derek. Morning came far too quickly, and though she was exhausted, she forced herself out of bed. "Well?" Standing akimbo, she stared down at the man with an icy glare.He lazily faced
Draven slowly lifted an eyebrow, the question visible in his gaze as he assessed the bullet on the table, and then he moved his attention to Belinda. The amusement was completely gone from his eyes. He was no longer the mischievous bad boy Belinda had spent the night with, but the formidable lord feared by wolves across two continents. The Lycan had gotten down to business. "This bullet was gotten from the storage area underneath my family's mansion. As you can see, it's made of silver." She explained. "Forgive me, I should introduce myself. I am Belinda Knight from the alpha family of the Chicago Pack." Silence descended on the room as Belinda waited for the Lycan to reply her, but when he didn't, she was forced to continue. "One of the laws that guides the werewolves under your rule forbids trade in silver wares and weapons. Well, my family doesn't just buy silver weapons, they make and sell them, and they have been doing so for years. Many think the Knight fortune comes from
The door clicked shut, leaving Draven and Cantor alone. Lazily standing from the couch, Draven strolled to the wastebin and threw in the stud of his cigarette. Cantor watched him, waiting for the elephant in the room to be addressed. Draven had a good idea of what was on his Beta's mind, but he said nothing. "Why did you agree to her requests?" Cantor spoke when it became obvious Draven wasn't going to be the first to open the topic. "You already knew of the Knight's family treachery. We had our own plans to deal with them. And you'll let the girl do as she pleases if she becomes your sex slave? That was just an excuse. Lust could never make you change your mind that easily." Draven crashed back down on the couch. Sighing, he folded his arms across his chest. "Was my decision that strange?" "I just can't understand why you did it." "Cantor, you've served me for nearly 40 years now, have you not?" Draven ensured that his voice was soft and calm, as he pinned a steady ga
Down on her knees, Belinda scrubbed the tiled floor of the family villa kitchen. She'd been working since morning, but she still had many rooms left to clean. It had been the pattern since she was little. The former alpha of the pack, her stepfather, had made it clear she had to earn her keep, so she'd been handling house chores as early as 5 years old. Once she and Baron were a bit older, their stepfather fired most of the servants and made them take over the work. The Knight family, of course, had the funds to employ more help, but they much preferred treating the illegitimate twins as slaves. A chubby old lady with graying red hair walked into the kitchen, her hands crossed at her back and her face set in a scowl. Mrs Brown had never really married—she was far too unlikeable for any relationship to last—but she'd taken the title of Mrs because she was embarrassed about being called Miss. As the head servant at the villa, she was the one person Belinda hated most, right after her f
"Why did you do it?" Georgina was taken aback. Her eyebrows furrowed and her lips curved in an 'O', but no words came out. The expression on her beautiful face was a mixture of confusion, guilt, and... fear. It was the look in Belinda's eyes—it startled her. The silver eyes shone with anger, hatred, and cold bloodlust. And like magic, the look was gone. Belinda smiled sweetly at her mother. "Why did you stay outside? You could have come in and said hello to Derek." Georgina blinked once, twice, before finally regaining her senses. "Oh, I didn't want to intrude." She sounded way too breathless, like she was calming her racing heart. "Young love and all." Despite the hatred burning in her heart, Belinda kept her smile on. Georgina Knight, her dear old mother. To most, she was the kind and gracious Luna Mother of the Chicago Pack, but Belinda knew a different side of her—the side that watched as her husband beat her son till he became unconscious, the side that let her daughter b
Paul, Derek, Georgina—everyone read the room and focused on their supper, their heads bent and avoiding eye contact with the Lycan. Only Cecily blabbed on. She was talkative by nature, and far too dense to realize her opinions and stories weren't wanted. "I was always Daddy's favorite. He was so proud when I got first place in my middle school's whistling contest." "The potato is a little too soft today. Our cook is usually the best in town. Mommy never goes for less than the best. I can cook too. I was on a cooking show once." "I didn't catch your name. I'm Cecily, but my friends call me Cessie. What about you? You look like a George. There was this guy in college, his name was George and he was super cute. Are you a George?"The only one who dared show amusement was Cantor, his raised eyebrows questioning Cecily's overzealous attitude. It was funny how the Lycan ignored her, especially as it was obvious she was trying to impress him. Her eyes, which did not leave him,
Paul was in his office when his secretary came rushing in, his eyes wide and his voice shaky. "Sir, we have a situation." Raising his head from the documents he'd been proofreading, the alpha of the Chicago Pack raised an annoyed eyebrow at the skinny young man. "I have people I pay to handle these ‘situations’." He stated the obvious. "This one is a bit out of hand, sir." The man insisted. The terror in the boy's demeanor and the way his entire body shook was what got Paul's attention. He dropped everything he was doing and exited from behind his desk. As he followed behind his secretary, he wished he hadn't hired someone so young, so inexperienced, and so easily flustered, for such a crucial office as his secretary. However, the boy was the son of an important member of his pack, and employing him had been a favor to his father. The things an alpha did for the sake of his pack. On arriving at the ground floor of the Knights & Co. company building, Paul quickly saw what
Sparks flew the instant the two lips touched. Draven devoured her hungrily, his tongue pushing her lips apart to dive into her mouth. Fire lit her nerve endings as they kissed, their mutual passion burning everything else away. Belinda straddled him on the chair, each of her legs gripping his thighs. Her arms went up his shoulders, crossing at the back of his neck as she pressed her breast to him. Instinctively, her hips rocked against his erection, creating the friction she desired. Her bare nipple grazed against his chest as she moved, drawing a strangled moan from her. Draven had never been so hard before. It was as though every blood cell in his body had pooled at his groin. His erection strained against his trousers, thick and literally painful. His mind roared with desire for his mistress, the beautiful woman who had fallen upon him by chance. Every fiber of his being wanted to be inside her, to bury himself deep within her. A strong possessiveness gripped him then. He wanted t
What had she done? Belinda's arm remained suspended in the air, as though it was too afraid to come down. The skin of her palm stung, undeniable proof that she had indeed hit the Lycan. She reeled from the thought. She, a low-ranking omega, had hit a man feared by alphas. Belinda could see that he hadn't moved since she'd slapped him, like he too couldn't believe what she'd just done. If only he knew—she was far more shocked than he was. At that moment, a part of her was screaming for her to apologize, to plead that she'd acted rashly and hadn't known what she was doing. The greater part—the part of her that was still possessed by nerve-numbing anger—refused to do that. "I really don't get you." Belinda glared up at Draven with every bit of venom she felt. "You seem to hate me. No," She corrected herself. "you definitely hate me. Yet, you keep me close. Why? You can have any woman on earth, so why choose me? Do you really feel that I deserve to be treated the way you treat me? W
Draven heard the footsteps approach long before he heard the knock. He didn't turn as the door swung open, instead focusing on unbuttoning the front of his white cotton shirt. He didn't need to, because even under the thick floral perfume, he could smell the scent of the woman at the doorway. Belinda Knight stood with her arms folded, her hips leaning on the doorpost. She looked ethereal in her seductive royal blue nightwear, her silky hair left to fall about her shoulders, its black shade gleaming in the moonlight. Draven heard her breath hitch as he turned to her, saw her pupils dilate despite the darkness. She gazed hungrily at the patch of bare chest she could see through his parted shirt, her eyes then quickly running down his muscular form. He too, looked her over. The flimsy excuse of a gown she was wearing loosely draped over her curves, leaving little to the imagination. It exposed most of her thighs and dipped at the neckline so her breasts were barely covered. As the dress
At first, Belinda was too stunned to react. Derek's lips molded against hers, the soft flesh drawing surprising sensations from her. Nerves danced all around her skin, the tingles traveling to the tips of her breasts and the forbidden place between her legs. She felt her nipples harden, poking at the thin silk of her dress, and her eyes grew wide. Damn it all! At long last, Belinda closed her eyes, threw her arms around Derek's neck, and gave herself to the kiss. Her submission pumped confidence into his actions, a hand sliding to her waist as he pressed harder into the kiss. He kissed her firmly, but unsurely, as though he was holding a piece of himself back. The nonaggressive way he handled her was so different from what she had gotten accustomed to this past few months, that it caused her to sigh. The low exhale set flames to his blood, and he pushed his tongue between her parted lips to find her own. She was so sweet, Derek reveled in the taste of her. How had he not noticed ho
Sweet Linda... Belinda's fingers flew to her face, and she confirmed the golden mask was still in place. How had he recognized her, then? She asked herself. More importantly, how did he know her name? She was certain she'd never set eyes on him before. It had to be damn near impossible to forget someone that unsettling, wasn't it? But it seemed he knew her. Her eyes narrowing, she fixed the mysterious man in the navy blue suit with an icy stare. "You know me." It was more of a statement than a question, and it made the man's smile broaden. "That flimsy disguise could never fool me. I could recognize you anywhere, dear. And anytime." His voice dropped an octave at the last word, giving it meaning, a meaning Belinda didn't understand. "I don't know you." She stated bluntly. "I suppose that was the agreement." Flattening one hand over his chest and fisting the other at his back, the man gave her a mock bow. "Let me introduce myself again. I am Maddox Hawkmore, at you
A big burly bouncer in a professional suit stopped Belinda and Derek at the entrance of the gala, stretching one large hand out. "Invitation?" His voice was gruff as he asked. Derek promptly handed him the red envelope, and he tore it open to check the card inside. Once he'd gotten his confirmation, he stepped aside to allow them passage. "Have a lovely evening." "Thank you." Derek nodded politely at him as they crossed. A hand hooked in the crook of Derek's arm, Belinda walked into the event at his side. They appeared as any regular couple, granted a very attractive. The masks they wore could hardly hide the fact that they were both very attractive persons, and that got them a few passing glances. Thankfully, they drew no more attention. Belinda took a look around at the party hall. The decorations and set up were pretty, but nothing extraordinary or overly extravagant. The 3-star hotel the gala was being held at was more proof that this was not an event for billionaires
The sound of the door clicking open made Belinda look away from the mirror and turn towards it. As she had been expecting company, her lips curved as she spotted Lexie entering the apartment. Her fingers were working on pinning the gold-plated earrings onto her ear, and her eyes instinctively went to the shopping bag the other woman was carrying. On confirming Lexie had brought what she'd asked for, her smile widened. "That was quick," Belinda remarked, now clamping gold bracelets around her wrist. "Did you run to the store?" "To be accurate, I took a cab, but that's a close enough second." Lexie took her joke way too seriously. "Here you go." Belinda took the bag Lexie handed to her. Reaching into it, she took out a small cuboid box and removed the lid. Inside was a pair of beautiful heeled, gold sandals. Belinda felt relief at seeing the new shoes. At the very last minute, her old gold shoes had failed her, the sole coming apart as she'd put them on. That had shot a strok
Lexie halted in her tracks. Her fingers gripping the handle of the shopping bag she held in one arm, she pondered whether to move forward or race back the way she'd come. Too late. Marcus had noticed her, his gaze locking with hers. He didn't seem to go through the same moment of uncertainty as she had, for he walked straight ahead. Lexie's heartbeat pounded in her ears as he stopped in front of her, his face blank but his eyes intent on her. "Hey." "Hey." Lexie nearly winced at how squeaky her own greeting sounded. They said nothing else for a while. Really, what was she supposed to say to him? Ever since their awkward parting days ago, where he'd left her to chase after his girlfriend, they hadn't said a word to each other. In truth, they hadn't actually seen much. The awkwardness had only worsened during that period, and now, it was almost painful for them to be in each other's presence. "How are you?" Lexie asked, if only to crack the chilly ice between them. How