Chapter 28

ALPHA PARTHE.

I emerged from the bathroom, the cold water I had doused myself in still dripping from my skin, leaving me shivering slightly. The cold had done little to temper the heat simmering beneath my surface.

I had dismissed my new obsession to leave before I did something stupid.

She was my mate. I know that. But I am so scared to stain her innocence with my darkness.

Maybe not now.

It was a fearsome thing, this pull toward her innocence. I had spent enough time wrestling with the temptation, trying to fend off the darkness that threatened to overwhelm me.

The strain on my emotions and desire was getting the best of me and it was threatening to rip me apart from inside.

The door opened with a soft click as I dried out the water from my body.

Only one person comes into my chamber without knocking despite my warnings.

"Shikta," I called, my back still turned on her, picking out something to wear.

I needed some air. Otherwise, I'd die of suffocation.

"What brings you here?" I asked impatiently, trying to mask the agitation that churned inside me as I put on the simple robe I found closest to me.

"Alpha. Are you going somewhere?" she asked, her tone curious, but her intrusion only deepened my frustration.

"What do you want, Shikta?" I asked, ignoring her questions.

She should be used to me by now. I don't harbor warmth for anyone.

"Well," She said, sitting on the bed. I'd sincerely prefer for her to be upstanding. I didn't have the time for chit chats. "I heard the Ash Mountain pack seeks alliance with us?"

Oh. That's why she was here. I should have known.

"Yes, you heard correctly," I replied tersely, reaching for a bit of fragrance to mask the lingering scent of frustration.

"What do you intend to do?" She asked.

"Accept their proposal. I'll be having a meeting with Alpha Odren tomorrow," I replied, applying a little bit of fragrance on me.

"Oh. That's great. I'll ensure they are well cared for when they arrive," She was excited, but I was about to take that excitement from her.

"They won't be coming here. I'll be going to the Ash Mountain pack myself," I say without explanation.

"What? You?" She scoffed unbelievably, "They are the ones seeking..."

She was saying, but I cut her mid-sentence, "That's my decision, Shikta."

I was tired of having everyone tell me that.

She was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "Okay. I'll go with you."

I saw that coming.

"You don't have to worry. I already have someone to fill in that gap." I say, walking to the door.

"Who?" She asked, not able to hide her disappointment. She knew she was the one I mostly went with for such meetings. "Is it Dashi?"

Dashi is one of my mistresses. One of my favorites.

Shikta mentioning her made me realize I hadn't seen Dashi in a while. Perhaps she'd be a good distraction for the night after the fire Luxuria stirred in me.

"Do not stick your nose, Shikta." I reminded her before walking out of the door.

The corridors were quiet. Almost everyone was asleep already. I walked past the guards, and they greeted me, but I ignored them. They made to follow me, but I stopped them.

I had to be alone.

As I reached the junction in the hallway, I found myself ensnared in a struggle between reason and an overpowering urge.

To the right lay the path leading to Dashi's chamber. To the left, however, was Luxuria's room.

The sight of the corridor stretching toward her chamber seemed almost to pull at me like a magnetic force I couldn't ignore.

"Come on. Let's see how she is faring," Ravorn, my wolf, suggested conspiratorially.

"Forget it," I said to him, yet I was rooted to the spot.

Ravorn's voice persisted, more playful now, "Just a glance at her beautiful face, and we'll be out of there." He teased further.

"Ravorn..." I called in frustration. He wasn't helping me. "She will be our undoing."

"Just this once won't kill. Let's take a peep. She surely is already asleep by now."

His words struck a chord. The idea of catching a glimpse of her, even from afar, was tempting. I was also dying to see her sleeping face.

My legs propelled me faster than my brain gave permission to.

I approached her door slowly, battling against the surging desire to just open it and be with her.

I stood still for a moment, listening. At first, all I heard was the faint rustling of movement from inside Luxuria's room. It wasn't enough to draw concern, just subtle enough to make me curious, but then… I caught something else. A soft, muffled sound—a moan, deep and sensual.

My heart skipped a beat, freezing mid-thump as the sound rippled through me. She wasn't alone. The unmistakable tone of that moan could only mean one thing. My hand clenched into a fist at my side, the realization hitting me hard.

Was someone else in there? With her?

My blood boiled.

A flash of anger surged through my veins, every muscle in my body tensing.

Another man.

My wolf stirred, restless and growling in my mind. Ravorn snarled viciously, his anger echoing my own. I could feel the blood rushing in my ears as I imagined what could be happening behind that door. Someone daring to touch what was mine.

Had she snuck that dimwit into my pack without me knowing?

I'd kill both of them with my bare hands!

Without another thought, I stepped forward, my hand reaching for the handle, ready to burst in.

But just as I was about to rip the door open, I heard it—a breathy, pleading voice, quiet yet clear through the wooden door.

"Alpha..." she moaned softly, the word trembling from her lips.

My name. She wasn't calling for another man. She was calling for me.

The tension in my chest exploded into something else entirely. My hand froze on the doorknob as her moan echoed in my head, sending heat crashing through me in waves. My name on her lips...

Was it what I was thinking?

The anger that had seized me moments before melted into something darker, something deeper. My pulse pounded, no longer from rage but from a primal desire I couldn't suppress.

She wanted me.

The thought seared through my mind, stripping away any last bit of restraint I had clung to as I pushed the door with an intensity that no lock could have withstood.