Chapter 12

_Ryker’s POV_

I entered my room and slammed the door with so much force it nearly came off its hinges.

My wolf paced wildly in my mind, wanting to be freed, but I knew a run wouldn’t cut it.

I couldn’t believe it. She tried to run away from me. She tried to leave me.

The mere thoughts of it drove me to the brink of madness. I was so angry, and yet, her innocent eyes had a way of making me impossibly hard.

It had taken every ounce of willpower in me not to tear her clothes and claim her tonight.

Her scent, her taste, fuck, the scent of her arousal…I couldn’t.

No woman had ever had such an effect on me, yet I found myself holding back from flipping her over and fucking her senseless.

It was her innocence. It had to be. That innocence in her eyes that told me she had never known any man. That was the only thing giving her grace.

But it wouldn’t be long before the thin thread of my patience snapped, and I would take. I would take and take till she had nothing else to give, and even then, I would take some more.

She was mine.

I wanted to kiss her again, touch her again, but a cold shower would have to suffice. For now.

I walked to the bathroom, and after stripping down, I climbed into the shower and turned it on. I hissed as the cold water poured down on my body in torrents.

Usually, I could ignore a boner until it faded, but this one was relentless. I washed my hair, trying to pretend it wasn't bothering me, letting the cold water wash over my body, but even the cold water didn’t have the calming effect it usually did.

There was nothing usual about tonight. Not when I had an insanely beautiful woman, who my whole body– and wolf– craved, lying on the bed a few feet away from me.

I wanted so badly to ignore my throbbing hard-on, but blood kept rushing through my body, and the image of her pleasure-filled eyes when I was touching her sides attacked my mind uninvited.

Or her lips. Those plump lips that were just as soft and sweet as they looked. If her lips tasted that good, I couldn’t help but think what her other lips would taste like.

Fuck!

At this point, I was practically throbbing. There was no way I was going to be able to ignore it. I was slowly giving in as the seconds passed, the cold water only sending shivers down my spine and adding to the burning in my body.

My hand drifted down lower, lower, until contact was made and I bit back a moan. I bit the back of my hand to keep the noise from escaping and I started stroking myself.

I always had women at my beck and call, and hardly ever had the need to masturbate, and if I ever did, it was to relieve stress-- not from lust.

It was a completely different sensation. Chills were running up and down my body as the friction from my hand nearly made me double over in

pleasure.

Images of the woman in the opposite room were flooding my mind, each thought making my dick feel harder and the stroking feel better.

The need to touch her, lick her, taste every inch of her, be inside of her was growing. I had never felt desperation like this before. I needed to know how warm she felt like, and what she sounded like.

My hand was speeding up, pumping faster, the sensation building and building. Fuck, it was addicting.

I thought of her underneath me, begging for me, crying as I thrusted into her, her nails dragging down my back.

My body was tensing and tightening, carrying me higher and higher up the clouds of pleasure. If my hand felt this good, I couldn't even imagine what she would feel like.

I clenched my jaw tightly as ropes of cum shot out of me, splaying on the bathroom wall as I lost control of my hips, and started thrusting sporadically into my hand. It was pleasure unlike anything I’d ever felt before, thinking of her.

My body was stiff and my chest was heaving as I rode out my orgasm, and when my body finished throbbing, I slumped against the wall, my head pounding.

Fuck.

I couldn’t believe I just had a mind blowing orgasm just from thinking about her. Fuck, she was doing things even I couldn’t explain, to me.

*******************************************

I sat at the dining table, sipping my coffee and flipping through my emails on my iPad. It was a routine I was accustomed to, one that brought me a sense of comfort and familiarity. I was a man who valued my solitude, who preferred to eat alone and keep to myself.

But this morning was different. This morning, I found myself ordering a maid to fetch Arianna down for breakfast. The maid's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly recovered and scurried out of the dining room.

I waited, my eyes fixed on the doorway as I listened to the sound of footsteps echoing up the stairs. And then, she appeared. Arianna. My captive. My prisoner.

She was dressed in a flowing white sundress, the fabric hugging her curves in all the right places. My heart skipped a beat as I took in the sight of her, my eyes drinking in the beauty that stood before me.

But as she sat down across from me, I noticed the blank look on her face. And when she turned to me, I saw the hatred in her eyes. It was a look that made my gut twist with guilt, a reminder that I was a monster who deserved nothing but hatred.

I reminded myself of this, using it to steel myself against the emotions that threatened to overwhelm me. I became closed off again, my mask slipping back into place.

"Eat," I ordered, my voice firm and commanding.

I saw the defiance flash in her eyes, but she said nothing. Instead, she picked up her fork and began to eat, her movements mechanical and forced.

We ate in silence, the only sound the clinking of silverware against plates. I watched her, my eyes fixed on her face as I tried to read her emotions. But she was a closed book, her feelings locked away behind a pool of empty eyes.

As we finished our meal, Arianna pushed her plate away and stood up.

"I'm done," she spat, her voice venomous.

I leaned back in my chair, my eyes never leaving hers. "You'll be eating with me every day from now on," I informed her, the words rolling out of my lips with ease.

Arianna's eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, I saw a flash of fear in her eyes. But it was quickly replaced by amber.

"I'd rather starve," she glared hard at me.

I smiled, a cold and calculating smile. "You'll do as you're told, Arianna," I informed her again. "You'll eat with me, and you'll do it with a smile on your face. Do I make myself clear?"

I saw her grip on the sides of her dress tighten, but again, she remained quiet. Instead, she turned and walked away, leaving me to wonder what she was thinking. What she was feeling.

But I knew one thing. I would find out. Oh, yes. I would find out.