Now it was just Michael and me in the room. The tension was palpable.Michael stood up and walked over to me. Instinctively, I took a few steps back until I felt the wall behind me. There was nowhere else to go.Michael pressed his hand against the wall beside my head, leaning in close. "What did we talk about? I told you to stay here and not go out. Did you do it?"His condescending tone grated on my nerves. "I did it. I've been a prisoner in this packhouse all week. I’ve spent most of my time in your damn room," I snapped.Michael’s eyes narrowed. "So what are you planning to do now?""Go back to my room and stay away from you, you son of a b*tch who restricts people's freedom," I retorted, trying to push past him.Before I could move, Michael grabbed my wrist with his other hand and pinned it against the wall. His grip was strong, unyielding."What are you doing?" I screamed, struggling against his hold.Michael's voice was cold. "Who permitted you to talk to me like that? Have you
After Michael left, I sat alone on the couch, staring at the gold card in my hand. My mind was a swirl of conflicting emotions. I should have been focused on my classes, my homework, anything productive—but all I could think about was the reason Michael had given me this card. It was obviously significant, yet I couldn’t figure out what it meant for him to entrust it to me.In the week I had spent with Michael, I had started to settle into a routine. Breakfast and dinner together, evenings spent doing my assignments while Michael worked at the table. We would sometimes play games, watch movies, and then sleep in the same bed at night. It was a strange kind of harmony that had developed between us, and despite my initial resistance, I found myself developing feelings for him.But now, everything felt like it had been upended. We had returned to square one, where our relationship seemed more like that of a caretaker and a prisoner rather than two people who might become lovers. I tried
In a haze, I felt a figure approaching me. I weakly waved my hand, trying to tell whoever it was to leave me alone, but my head was heavy, and my arms were too weak to follow my commands. After a few feeble attempts, I gave up and focused on the wine bottle before me. It was the only thing that could make me forget my jumbled thoughts and allow me to feel a fleeting sense of happiness.Suddenly, a flawless hand reached out and took my wine bottle away. I squinted in displeasure at the person, but my alcohol-clouded brain couldn’t see anything clearly. The dim bar lighting only made it worse; all I could make out was a flickering yellow light and a blurry figure that seemed to be both close and far away at the same time."What are you doing? Give... give that back to me!" I shouted at the figure, upset that my solace had been taken from me.I reached out to grab the bottle, but the person gently pushed my hand away. I tried to focus, watching as they inspected the bottle. Then, I felt
However, it wasn't long before I felt my body becoming increasingly restless. The discomfort was unbearable, and I couldn't help but wriggle against his body in an attempt to find relief.What kind of alcohol was this? Why did it have such a strong aftereffect?My consciousness became more and more muddled, to the point where I couldn't even remember who was holding me."Don't move," I heard the person say, but I didn't want to listen anymore. My body felt like it was on fire. I struggled more violently. "Let me go. Let me down. I want water...""I told you not to move!" he said through gritted teeth. I felt wronged and shrank back into his embrace, but my body was burning up. Why was I still being scolded? This person was a bully, completely unreasonable. Yet, despite that, I was reluctant to leave his embrace."You look like that b*stard," I whispered, my words slurring. "He's always controlling me, won't let me do anything. He even threatened me and left me here alone. He's just a
I finished washing up, feeling a slight blush creep onto my cheeks. I quickly picked out two pieces of clothing from the closet to change into, avoiding any thoughts about what had happened when he changed my clothes. Just thinking about it made my face heat up.After getting dressed, I looked around the room but couldn't find my phone or any of my belongings. I must have left everything on the bar last night.I pushed open the bedroom door, and to my surprise, I saw Michael sitting in the study. He was focused on his laptop, but when he heard me open the door, he looked up at me.I hadn't expected him to still be here. For a moment, my brain shut down, and I greeted him mechanically, "Good morning.""You're awake?" Michael's expression was much more natural than mine."Yes," I replied softly."I've already asked the butler to prepare breakfast. I'll have them bring it up now.""Alright." I walked toward the small dining room on this floor, deliberately choosing to go around Michael a
Calm down, Cecily.You can't let yourself be the moaning, submissive woman beneath him. You have class. And Mia... she can't take it.The thought sobered me up slightly, and I managed to step back, almost retreating into our bedroom. But Michael was relentless, taking another dangerous step toward me. Panic surged, and I turned, bolting toward the dressing room. I couldn’t bear to look him in the eye anymore.However, I was too slow. In a heartbeat, Michael caught me, slamming the bedroom door behind him with a force that reverberated through the room. He pushed me against the solid wooden door, pinning me in place."Where do you think you're going?" Michael's voice was low, dripping with possessive intent. He buried his face in my neck, his hot breath sending shivers down my spine. His tongue traced a slow line along my neck before he began to suck on my skin, making my hair stand on end.I struggled against him, but his grip was unyielding. One of his hands cupped my buttocks, his f
"You don't have the right to do that," I yelled at him."I think I do," Michael responded, raising an eyebrow at me with that infuriating arrogance. "Besides, I'm the only person in the world who has the right to do anything to you because I'm your mate.""You're not my mate yet," I blurted out.Michael's eyes darkened dangerously. I knew I had crossed a line.What I said just now undoubtedly questioned his authority. It was like one had invaded the territory of a beast. Now that he was offended and threatened, he was about to bare his teeth at me. I should have stopped when things were good.I lowered my head to look at my jeans. Michael had torn off the button on them. It seemed very interesting now. At least, it was much more interesting than the man who was about to get angry."Cecily," Michael called my name, but I continued focusing on my jeans. They were a little baggy, but they still held on to my crotch. I thought I should change them when I went out."Look up at me." Michael
As I started walking toward the bathroom, I quickly realized that Michael was right behind me.I stopped and turned around, narrowing my eyes at him. "What are you doing?""Taking a shower," he said, shrugging as if it was the most obvious thing in the world."But you just showered!" I protested. It didn't take long for me to figure out what he was really getting at. Did he seriously want to shower with me? Before I could even fully wrap my head around that idea, Michael was already giving me his answer."I’m going to shower again," he said, a playful glint in his eyes, "but this time, with you."My heart skipped a beat as his hand reached out, sliding under my shirt, closing the already shrinking distance between us."Don’t touch me!" I slapped his hand away, taking a firm step back. "There’s no way I’m showering with you."Michael didn’t seem the least bit discouraged by my rejection. In fact, he looked more amused than anything else. "What’s the big deal? I saw everything I needed
During that time, Joanna was always off somewhere, traveling by herself. No one knew where she went. She would leave for long stretches, sometimes disappearing for years, and didn’t bother checking in with anyone. Naturally, her parents freaked out, not knowing if she was safe or if something bad had happened to her.As I sat there by the water, Sasha handed me a drink. It was this weird, green liquid that I wasn’t sure about at first, but after a sip, I realized it was lemon tea, with a hint of mint. Not bad at all, really refreshing."And then?" I asked, curious about what happened next with Joanna.Sasha sighed, shaking her head like she regretted it a little. “Well, her parents eventually went to Michael's dad for help. Since Michael was good at handling this kind of stuff, his dad put him in charge of finding Joanna.”I sipped my drink again, enjoying the way the mint cooled me down from the inside. "So, Michael went after her?"Sasha looked at me with a mix of guilt and understa
Joanna might be an amazing actress, but honestly? She's not fooling me. It's like she's playing a role, trying to be someone she's not—probably because she can't stand that Michael and I are together. I could feel her trying to mess with us, but I wasn’t about to let her win. If she wanted to act, well, I could act too.The sunlight felt warm on my skin as I stood there watching her. I smiled confidently, letting Joanna see me looking totally unbothered. She dove into the water with all the grace of a fish. I had to admit, she did have an incredible body—she was rocking a white bikini that had these thin straps crisscrossing over her chest and waist, making her look like some kind of living sculpture. Even the lower half of her bikini had those same crisscrossing straps under her belly button. Honestly, it was a look.Meanwhile, Sasha was already in the water, her swimsuit much louder and flashier than Joanna's. She was wearing this fluorescent green bikini with stripes and a skirt th
Joanna’s POV“So, I’m not the kind of girl who lets a man push her around. After all that happened, I left anyway. But no matter how long I stayed away, I’d always get messages from Michael. Some of them were about family stuff, other times he’d talk about finding his mate or being engaged or something. Honestly, it was pretty confusing for me during that time.”Despite saying she was troubled, a small smile crept onto Joanna's face as if remembering something amusing.“Eventually, I figured out that all of those excuses were just Michael’s way of trying to get me to come back. There was never a fiancée or mate. It was all just a big story. So, I was a little surprised when I heard this morning that you two were mates. But, hey, you’re mates arranged by the Moon Goddess, so everything should be fine, right?”Joanna finished her little story with a bright smile, clearly satisfied with herself. But me? I was furious. My fists were clenched so tightly, I could feel my nails digging into
It wasn't until Michael had completely disappeared from view that I became aware of the unsettling stare from behind. I could feel Joanna’s eyes boring into me, but I refused to acknowledge her directly. Instead, I turned and made my way toward my room, hoping to escape the tension she brought with her presence.But, of course, Joanna just happened to be standing in my path.She wore that same infuriating smile, the one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Your relationship with Michael seems... strong. You’re quite adorable when you're with him, Cecily."Her words dripped with something—sarcasm? Malice? It was hard to tell. I wasn’t sure what she was getting at, but I didn’t care to find out. I wasn’t in the mood to engage with her."I'm heading back to my room," I said, keeping my tone as neutral as possible."I know I upset you yesterday, and for that, I’m truly sorry," Joanna replied, taking a step closer as if that would make her words more sincere. "I didn’t mean to offend you. Le
Joanna's giggle echoed through the room, its beauty contrasting with the venomous intent behind it. Her voice was as sweet as a siren’s, but I could feel the malicious undertones. "Former friends, Sasha? That's not quite accurate. Michael and I were more than friends."I knew Joanna was up to no good. I had seen it in her eyes the moment I met her. Whatever her goal was—whether to make me jealous, provoke anger, or worse—I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me unravel.She turned her gaze toward Michael, who remained focused on his coffee cup, now almost empty. He hadn’t acknowledged her presence, which gave me some comfort, but Joanna wasn’t finished. "If you two are truly mates," she said, her voice dripping with false innocence, "may I ask, was it the Moon Goddess who arranged this, or did Michael choose you?"Her question cut deep, even though it was wrapped in a seemingly casual tone. I clenched my fists under the table, my wolf surging with rage. Joanna was impl
"Would you like to come downstairs for breakfast, or should I bring it up to you?" Michael asked, his voice soft and tender. As he spoke, he reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair away from my face. His touch sent a warm shiver down my spine, the closeness between us undeniable.I found myself smiling at Michael, wondering how I hadn’t fully appreciated this side of him before. I had always been so caught up in our arguments, his domineering ways, and the battles for control that I had somehow missed these moments where he could be... sweet. The realization washed over me—there was more to him than the arrogance and possessiveness I had been focusing on. If I allowed myself to let go of the tension between us, there was an undeniable pleasure in being with him.“I’d like to go downstairs to eat,” I replied with a soft smile, feeling more at ease than I had in a while.We walked down the stairs together, and I found myself momentarily at peace. But as we descended, my mind wande
The night had ended in a comfortable silence, with both of us content in each other's presence. By the time I had finished my tasks, Michael was still seated at his desk, absorbed in a pile of paperwork. His brow furrowed in concentration, and I didn’t have the heart to disturb him, nor did I want to leave his side. So, I watched him, feeling the steady calm he radiated.Before I knew it, I had dozed off in the warm cocoon of the study, lulled by the scent of Michael that filled the room. It wasn’t long before I felt someone gently lift me. I knew it was Michael, and feeling safe in his arms, I allowed myself to drift deeper into sleep.When I finally woke up, the morning light was already creeping in through the curtains. My body felt well-rested and refreshed. At some point during the night, I had been changed into my pajamas, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Michael had been the one to wash and dress me while I slept. A small smile tugged at my lips at the thought.I glanced to my
"Oh god, absolutely not," Michael exclaimed, his voice laced with frustration. "Yes, we had a relationship in the past, but we broke up a long time ago. Joanna came by a few times after that, but it wasn’t for me. She had business with Samuel and others. I was too busy to even notice when she came or left. But I swear, Cecily, nothing happened between us after we ended things."I turned to face him, my mind clouded with uncertainty. Should I believe him? Jealousy burned inside me, poisoning my thoughts. The mere idea of him being intimate with Joanna made my skin crawl."My little wolf," Michael's voice softened as he lifted my chin gently. His expression was tinged with regret. "If you want me to apologize for my past, I can. But remember, I’ve lived a long life, Cecily. I’m not a saint—I’ve had relationships, felt emotions, just like anyone else. But if you're blaming me for something more than that, it's unfair. I’ve never been in two relationships at the same time. When I met you,
"I can't just pretend nothing happened, especially after my wolf reacted the way it did." I shrugged, trying to stay calm. "I need to know, Michael. I'd rather hear it from you than find out through Sasha."Michael hesitated, his brown eyes locked on mine as if weighing his options. I held his gaze, determined to get the truth. If he wanted honesty between us, he needed to practice it too."Okay," he muttered, running his hand through his hair, clearly uncomfortable. "She's... a friend."A friend? Joanna's behavior toward Michael was far from friendly. It was passionate, intense—nothing like the casual interactions between Sasha and him. I took a deep breath and asked the question I had been avoiding but couldn't ignore any longer."An ex-girlfriend?"Michael's expression stiffened. He didn’t nod, but he didn’t shake his head either. Silence hung between us, thick and heavy. I knew the truth was coming, but it didn’t make the waiting any easier. If Michael wanted me to be honest with