Chapter 4

Alpha Ryker POV

“I know what you need.”

I looked into her face, half-covered in shadows. “What?” My voice sounded harsh and my breathing was hard as if I had just run a marathon a few minutes ago. 

She ran her small hands up my bare chest and rose onto the balls of her feet. “This.” She kissed the side of my neck. The hot, moist pull of her mouth on my skin slammed into my chest, forcing the air from my lungs and I had more trouble breathing. “You need this.” Her warm breath brushed across my throat, and despite everything else, I shuddered. My whole body felt so alive, every cell was sensitive to her satin touch, craving for more.

“Yes,” I agreed, raising my hands and letting my fingers tangle in her dark hair. I brought her head back and gazed into her lust-heavy honey eyes as I lowered my mouth one more time, down to her sweet, wet lips. She tasted good, like the pleasure I’d been missing in my life. Like sex. Like hot, hungry sex. The kind that ripped a man apart and left him thrashed and willing to die just for one more taste. Just one more taste of her. 

Oddly enough, Khrysaor let me have this moment although usually he always eagerly pushed me away so he could indulge himself in sexual pleasure. And even though I usually had let him, feeling like I owed it to him, I felt like I would push him away should he wish to come forward this time. Because this was not just any random woman, this was her and with her, this felt different. Unlike that time in the bathroom, she had no hesitation when her tongue slid into my mouth, slick and wanting.

I returned her long, hungry kisses vigorously and as her hands slid over my body, my muscles grew taut wherever she touched. Her fingers combed through the short hair on my chest. Touching me while at the same time leaving little trails of fire across my flesh.

I lifted my head, gasping for air, and looked straight into her face, at her lips, pouty and wet, and her eyes, shining with desire. We both knew the inevitable would happen, that no one would interrupt us and we would finally succumb to our most basic instinct, this irresistible temptation, this promise of a release. She stepped back and took her bra off. Except for a pair of white panties, she was naked beneath. I didn't want to hold back so I dived straight into that wild primal place beating in my chest and groin and I pushed her down onto the bed. Her panties disappeared along with the rest of my clothes, and I lay down on her soft, warm body.

“Don't you agree now?” she whispered next to my ear as I pulled back and drove into her. Getting deeper and hitting harder. Her back arched and a smile of satisfaction was formed on her moist lips. “This is precisely what you need, Ryker Cromwell. Not a wedding to Alana.”

My eyes flew open and I stared up at the dark ceiling above me. My heart pounded loudly in my chest and my groin ached. Desire pulled at my testicles and I slid my hand beneath the sheets just to make sure. I laid my palm across my boxers and on top of a rock-hard hard-on. I sucked in a breath through my teeth at both the pleasure and the pain. My erection heated the cotton of my underwear and warmed my palm. Fuck! I curled my fingers around the long, hard length of it.

I glanced at the clock on the nightstand and noticed that it was three o'clock in the morning. How was I supposed to get married to Alana in less than seven hours if I had just dreamt about Xyrra? Not only that, because of an erotic dream about her, I was as hard as a steel club. 

My wolf took this turn to comment. 'Precisely why you shouldn't go through with the wedding.'

* * * present time, after the wedding

I watched my mate get inside a car and leave. 

'Go after her,' Khrysaor was literally screaming in my ear. 'Go after her and apologize.'

My wolf tried to push forward and he nearly succeeded but I shoved him back. 'No,' I firmly told her. If she was a werewolf just like me, I would chase after her or maybe I would even wait for her outside her door until she arrived home then I would invite her to join my pack and become my Luna. Except that she wasn't a werewolf. She was a human. And a few minutes ago, for a split moment, I'd seen fear in her honeyed eyes. She might not show it in her fearless action or her blunt words, but I had a feeling that deep down she was scared. Perhaps for a moment there, Khrysaor had managed to push through and she'd seen him. 'I don't want to scare her.' 

'And here I thought you don't give a shite about her,' Khrysaor growled back before leaving me to deal with my own mess. 

Letting out a sigh, I knew that he wasn't entirely wrong. Not until a week ago when I'd first laid eyes on Xyrra Lancaster, I had been very determined in marrying Alana. Alana was my childhood best friend, she and I had grown up together so if I had to choose someone to be my Chosen Mate, if someone had to be my Luna, it would be her. 

Yet as my mind recalled what had happened between Xyrra and me, what we'd had shared last week, I started to doubt myself. When I had finally decided over half an hour ago that I wouldn't go through with the wedding, it was not just because I wanted to please Khrysaor, who'd been waiting for our mate for a long while. It was because since I had met Xyrra, I'd been wondering if I was making the wrong choice by marrying Alana. 

That perhaps there was a reason why the moon had led me to Xyrra that night despite the distance from my packhouse up in the North to the club in the Center. I closed my eyes and once again I relived my nightmares — at least, that was what I'd called fantasizing about another woman while promising to marry another, except that this time, I didn't hate it. I didn't wake up in the middle of the night with a hard-on and feel like I had cheated Alana. My mind had been replaying what had happened between me and Xyrra for at least half a dozen times now. 

"Ryker." 

I reopened my eyes and looked over my shoulder at Alana who was still wearing her white wedding gown. 

"You weren't serious, right?" She gave me a hopeful smile. "You were only kidding, right? I mean, it's me. We've gone through so much and we're finally here. We finally made it." Her bottom lip quivered but I remained planted to the ground instead of moving towards her and pulling her into my arms. 

At last, I told her, "It's over, Alana." 

"B-but we've gotten engaged. You've proven to your grandfather that our love is stronger. We've even done our best to keep Khrysaor happy. I am sure if we talk to him again, he will listen."

Little did she know that my wolf hated her guts and was barely tolerating her for my sake. "She’s my mate, Alana." I shook my head and let out a deep sigh. "If yours is here, won't you rather you'd be with him?"

That silenced her. Although not for long. "Let me talk to Khrysaor," she asked softly. 

Her request was dangerous. My wolf didn’t like her and if I let Khrysaor come forward, he would hurt her. Not physically, but with words. Although growing up, my family raised me to be a gentleman, Khrysaor could have a foul mouth sometimes. Plus, Alana had assaulted Xyrra. My wolf would have a field day hurting her. "No." 

"Please, Ryker," she pleaded. "I know I can convince him." 

I studied her for a moment. Determination was shone in her eyes and I sighed. Alana was stubborn. I knew she wouldn’t drop it until she got what she wanted. Furthermore, I felt a little bad for using my Alpha Aura on her back at the church. "Fine." I took a deep breath and talked to Khrysaor, 'she wants to talk to you.'

'Can I eat her?' asked my wolf without any hint of humor. 

'Be nice and just listen to her.'

'No.'

'No — what?'

'I don’t want to talk to her. Make her go away or I'll and if I do it, I'm sure she will be scarred for life.' 

My jaw tightened as I shook my head. "He doesn't want to meet you. Just go, Alana."

"But—"

I growled at her. "Go!" 

Alana whimpered a little, taking a step back. She looked at me as if she didn’t recognize me. I'd never talked to her this harshly before. Turning away so she was out of my sight, I said one last sentence, "Unless you have a way to make this work, I'm afraid you'll have to leave the pack too." 

"W-what if I have a plan?" 

I waited for her to explain further and she did, "What if I have a plan that will help you get your family's empire from that cousin of yours? What if you can be both: the CEO of Cromwell Inc. and the Alpha of The Ethereal?" 

This time, feeling intrigued, I turned around and faced her once again. I only had one word to say to her, "How?"