ALEXI didn't think he would agree to this so easily. He was right when he said we didn't necessarily need to act like a couple. We could have stayed outside to wait for Mr Maximo. However, the thought of acting like a couple with him made me convince him it was the only way. I wanted to touch him without getting a punch from him. “You look happy,” Marcus said, with a raise of his brows. He was sitting outside on the gazebo, taking a sip of his wine when I strode out of the house. I must have been smiling at the thought of finally getting Aithan where I wanted him, without realizing he was around. I paused in my steps, frowning. “Isn't that a basic werewolf instinct?”“Not for someone like you.” He placed the glass of wine on the table and focused on me. “You haven't been this happy in a long time. The Alex I know always brood like one who has a vendetta with the world. So, tell me, what's going on with you?” He gave me an appraisal, noting how dressed up I was for the occasion. I
AITHAN His silence was suspicious. Alex had never held his tongue whenever we spent time together. Seeing him sitting back, looking so at peace, made me want to ruffle his feathers, but I didn't give in to that urge. I knew I would only call his teasing looks on myself by doing that. When we got to the bar, I parked my car in the only space I could find. Luckily, we were in the human part of the town. Only a few know about us. Well, that was if they watched the news and read the newspapers. The paparazzi that always followed us must have had enough to say about our families. The second I killed the engine, Alex got out and rushed over to my side before I could open my door. And I wondered why he removed his seatbelt before I even stopped the car. He opened the door for me and offered his elbow, grinning. “I'm not a damned woman!”“I know.” He kept his elbow for me. “I know you are a man who's capable of stepping out without my help, but I want to do this. I have always wanted to d
“Do we have to do this?” I asked after a few seconds. “Do we really have to dance?” “Of course, we do.” He grinned, getting up. “Let's just show them how natural we can be.” Winking, he offered his arm to me, which I took, while grumbling under my breath. I still didn't trust him enough, but I knew I had to do this. I had already let him fool me more than twice. This time wouldn't make any difference at all. He led me to the dance floor, careful enough not to let my body touch the others. When we got to a place safe enough, he let go and started nodding his head to the beating of the music. At first, I just stood there, watching him. It wasn't until he inclined his head that I joined him. I had been so used to the ball dances I learned from Viktor, that this one seemed difficult for me. I had to focus on Alex, copying his moves, while trying to look as natural as I could without coming out as too extreme.As we danced, our bodies moved in perfect sync, our hips swaying to the rhyth
ALEXI was so fucking pissed. Seeing that guy close to my Aithan made me wish to punch him in his face, but I had never been one to fight those I was stronger than. He looked fragile, the type I knew Aithan would choose to protect, another reason I didn't like them together. Aithan had always loved any who depended on him, and the man looked exactly like that.I didn't let go of his hand until we stepped outside. It was only then that I let go, drawing a step back.“What's the meaning of what you did back in there?” Aithan sounded calm, but I knew he was holding himself back from punching me.“Why did you let him touch you?” I whirled around to face him. “You have never let me get close to you and —”“And?” He folded his arms, his eyes narrowed at me. “First, he didn't touch me, and even if he did, it was worse than what you have ever done. You never listened when I ordered you not to get close to me.”“I…” Trailing off, I tried to think of what to say. His words weren't what I was ex
AITHANWhy did I concede to this? Well, I knew why I did that. It was long overdue. If I didn't agree to this tonight, I knew it wouldn't be a long time before I did. The earlier, the better. This way, we would get each other out of our systems. We wouldn't have to ignore our insistent needs.Alex didn't speak to me as he drove to the place he spoke about, not like I needed to hear him speak. I wanted nothing to make me change my mind, and I knew hearing his voice would undoubtedly make me feel that way. He drove us into the heart of the city, to a hotel. I blushed at the thought of walking into the establishment with a man when I had done this countlessly with women. Alex didn't seem to share my embarrassment or worries because he got down and rushed over to my side. He opened my door before I could — okay; I was secretly waiting for him to do that — and stepped back, so I could walk out of the car. “So, what do you think?” He asked me as the hotel valet took my keys from him so h
So, this was how women always felt whenever I asked them to undress for me? I got the shirt out of the way and stood up to remove my slacks. “Why are you staring at me?” I glared at him when I noticed his attention on me. “Aren't you undressing?”“I will.” He smirked as his gaze took in my naked chest. It took all my willpower not to cover my body from his gaze. “I'm just admiring the handsome man in front of me.” He drew a step towards me, his eyes glinting with mischief. “I don't think I can get enough of you, Ly. You —”“Why do you call me Ly whenever we are in a compromising situation?” I'd noticed how he always changed my name. Sometimes he called me Aithan, but mostly, it was Ly. “Because it makes me feel fucking close to you.” He reached out and pushed me on the bed, following me before I could rise. “I love the way the name feels on my tongue. It makes me feel like I owe you.”“Bastard!”He chuckled, leaning in closer. “Just for you, LY. Just for you, I can be anything. Bast
“It's a vow.” He got up from the bed and removed his shirt, leaving his body naked from the waist upward. My eyes took in the manly flesh as I slowly nibbled my bottom lip. I'd never thought a man was handsome and sexy until I met him. Alex made me feel things I never thought I would feel for another person, a man, especially.Everything about him screamed utter perfection. His golden skin, glistening with sweat, caused me ache to run my hands through them, to feel just how tight he would feel at my touch. His pink nipples seemed to draw me in, the nubs almost taunting me, urging me to reach out and stroke them, to feel how hard they were.I had to shake my head, to dispel such a thought, but it kept on ringing in my head. Somehow, Alex had fed me with a potent charm, one that made me forget who I was. He made me forget the basic norm.“Do you like what you see?”His question startled me from my thoughts. Frowning, I glared at him. “Who do you think you are? I'm not admiring anything.
Chuckling at the sounds I made, he dragged his face across from my right nipple to the other, grinding it down, sucking hard before he bit down, hard.“Damn it, Alex!” I gasped, feeling uncomfortable down there. My dick was twitching, eager to have his mouth on it, but what he wanted more was to drive me fucking crazy with his mouth. He repeated his action once more, running his tongue around my right nipple before he bit down hard on it. My breath came out in gasps as I reached out to him. My fingers dug into the skin of his back as he started making circles with his tongue.He didn't mind the pain I was causing him or the blood I had undoubtedly drawn from how hard I scratched his back. At that moment, he seemed more concerned with giving me enough pleasure. I didn't know the sounds I made, didn't care about the animalistic growl that left my lips when he bit my nipple, hard enough to draw blood. I let out a curse as I thrashed on the bed, letting out sighs of pleasure. He place
I never imagined that such a day would come, and faster at that. I wouldn't have believed that I would tie the knot with the person of my choice someday. I had always resolved I would get married to a girl Viktor picked, but Alex showed up and changed my mind. “You look handsome,” Pink said, standing behind me. “You are the most beautiful groom in the entire world.”“Oh, spare me that.” I rolled my eyes. I had gotten enough compliments from Viktor and Sophia, who thought I needed to hear how good I looked, for my ego. I smoothed my suit even though it wasn't necessary, staring into the mirror as a small smile crept up. They were right. I had never looked as good as I did today. It being my wedding made it the best. The black suit fitted me more than I thought it would even though it was custom-made.I paired my black jacket with a crisp white shirt and a black tie, a gift I got from Viktor. He didn't want me to match with the tie that came with my suit. He wanted something of his on
But I wanted more. I wanted him. I tugged him up, kissing him fiercely, then rolled us so I could straddle him.“My turn.” I licked down his chest, tasting salt and heat, then lingering on his nipples until he groaned my name.“Ly, you’re driving me crazy.”I went lower, sucking him slowly and deeply, savouring every shudder he gave me.I moved lower some more and gagged, and Alex’s hand pushed my head back down when I tried to escape, his fingers tangling gently in my hair.“Easy, Ly,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble, his eyes locking onto mine, soft but insistent. I groaned around him, the stretch of my lips around his thick cock sending a shiver through me. I held his gaze, determined to please him, to make him see how beautiful this was.The moonlight spilt over us, catching the gold in his hair, and I felt my chest tighten with how damn beautiful he looked, all raw and open for me.“Fuck, Aithan, you’re so good at this.” He kept brushing my cheek, guiding me as I took him dee
AITHANIt has been a month since the encounter with that bastard rapist, and things had gotten back on track. Ryder like I had suspected wasn't as bad as they made him out to be. Marcus was the one who pulled the string, controlling him with his position as the head of the family. With Ryder gone, the rest of the family united. We got rid of the mafia families that tried to challenge us. After a long day of work, Alex suggested we take a walk in the spring close to his cabin.The spring glittered under the full moon. The surface was a mirror of silver light that stretched across the clearing.I sat beside Alex, my bare feet brushing the cool grass, my eyes fixed on the sky.His golden hair caught the moonlight, shimmering like a halo, and I couldn’t help but steal a glance at him. His eyes were soft yet intense as he stared upward too.He could feel it as much as I could do, the beauty of this moment.The air was crisp, laced with the scent of pine and damp earth, and the night felt
ALEXMy heart left my body when I heard Sophia's words. I leapt from my chair and reached for her, ripping the phone off her hand. My blood grew cold as I read the text. “Did they say what they want?” Ryder asked behind me, reaching my side in a few strides. “Yes, they —”I passed the phone back to Sophia before she could complete her words and headed out, almost ripping the door off its hinges from the force I tore through it with. I heard echoing footsteps behind me as I headed for my car, but before I could open the door, Ryder placed his hand on the doorknob, stopping me. “Get your hands off!” I growled. “This isn't the fucking time to play!”“Do I look like I'm playing?” He glared, matching my tone. “You can't drive in your state. Let me do that. I promise I will take you there in time.”“Fuck off! This doesn't concern you.” I ripped his hand off, but he was persistent, holding me before I could open the door. “It concerns me, Alex. Now that I have decided to forgo the past
AITHANI know I was such a fool when I left the house without telling Alex the truth of where I was heading. I lied to him that I was going over to my bar when I wasn't. Today made it 2 days and close to 48 hours since I received the letter, and I was on my way to meet whoever sent it. On the back of the letter, they had written how to meet them. One of the specific requirements was for me to come alone else they would send the video to Alex. To keep my lover from discovering my past from them, I had to do something stupid.I know I can fight should it get to that, but there was no way of knowing what I would be up against. What if they had a gun? What if they had other people with them? I couldn't risk it. I had to play it safe, no matter how much it pained me to do so.I didn't take my car with me, as that would make it difficult for me to keep Alex in the dark. He has a tracker in my car and would know wherever I am. To be on the safer side, I had to leave my car at home and take
ALEX“Can I have a chat with you?” Ryder said when he walked into my study. He knocked before he stepped in, though. What I didn't like was how he looked like it was his right to speak to me, even if I didn't want that. “What do you want to talk about?” I closed the laptop to face him. He lifted a brow. “Won't you offer me a seat?”I gritted my teeth, keeping my anger in check. So he wouldn't gloat that he had won. I gestured to the seat across from mine. “Have a seat.”“Now that's more like.” Grinning, he sat on the chair and crossed his legs, watching me. He didn't say a word for a long time. He just watched me. “What is it you wish to discuss? Don't tell me you came in here to stare at me?” I broke the silence between us, irritated. “What if I did?” I narrowed my eyes. “I don't have all the time in the world for your shenanigans, Ryder. Why are you here?”“Where is Aithan? Your lover?”“Why? What's with you asking about him?” If I was suspicious about him from the time he step
AITHAN Ryder was lucky I was in the sitting room with Alex when he arrived, else his blood would have decorated the floor. Alex would have had his head for just looking at me, but I stopped him. My lover just doesn't seem to know his stepbrother was baiting him. Ryder, despite knowing what would have gone down if I didn't stop Alex, smiled, winked at me, turned on his steps and walked towards the stairs with his small bag. We watched him leave, humming under his breath and with a slight swag to his steps. It wasn't until he was out of earshot that I heard Sophia exhale. “Thank fuck," she whispered, looking at me with a sad smile. He didn't even look at her. What a brother he was. I bet he only wanted Sophia to return with him to the city, so she wouldn't be near Alex. “I hate him,” Alex muttered under his breath. “He's not —” I swallowed down the word I wanted to say. Letting it out would infuriate my lover, who looked like he was losing it. Ryder wasn't bad, though. I didn't
ALEX I would be a damned liar if I said I didn't feel there was something Aithan was keeping from me. I knew he didn't tell me everything, but there was no way to confirm that. He hid that letter, and I couldn't find it in the room when I searched for it. I couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't right, but Aithan kept on insisting that he was okay and that the letter was just from someone who might have seen him killing those men. I asked if it was the same man he thought he saw at the restaurant. He hesitated before he denied it. I didn't believe that, but who was I to argue with him?I couldn't just afford to be given cold shoulders, as that was something Aithan was excellent at. Any minor argument, he will keep a long face, and make me grovel on my feet just to get back with him. Not like I was complaining or anything. “Good morning,” he whispered, rubbing his eyes. I had been long awake, staring at the ceiling, while he slept. I didn't just want to disturb him
“Open the letter and check. You might get an inkling of who sent it,” Alex said, his voice breaking the silence.I hesitated for a moment, my heart racing with anxiety. What if it was something bad? What if it were someone from my past, come to haunt me? I didn't want to open it. I wanted to throw the letter as far away from me as I could, but Alex's encouraging gaze gave me the courage to open the envelope. I slid my finger under the flap and pulled out the letter inside.As I unfolded the paper, my eyes scanned the page, my heart sinking with every word. It was a letter, all right. But it wasn't from a friend or a bill collector. It was from someone who knew my darkest secrets, someone who threatened to expose me to the world.My hands shook as I read it, my mind reeling with fear. How did they know? Who told them? And what did they want from me?Blinking, I reread the letter. "Aithan,I know what happened that night. I know what those men did to you. And I know what you did to the