I stormed out of the office, my hands trembling with a mix of fury and disbelief. That beast actually kissed me right in front of everyone! How dare he mark me like that?
My mind flashed back to the last time I'd seen him at the hospital. He had rescued me, and when I tried to thank him, he'd said I would owe him instead. Could this kiss be what I owed him? Ugh. No, no, no. In the pack, debts could be repaid, favors could be returned but this? This is a bond I can't afford. He's not human he's an Alpha, a predator, and he's testing my instincts with every move.
I swallowed hard, trying to calm the thundering of my heartbeat. I could owe anything to anyone, but I cannot owe this man anything. This is grave… he's pure wolf, and I'm prey caught in his scent.
Meanwhile, back at the office, Nigel had just finished a game when he noticed his cousin storming in, dark energy trailing him like a shadow. "Elliot, what's wrong?" he asked, tilting his head.
Elliot sank into his chair, his aura sharp, dangerous. "It's nothing," he muttered, but the low rumble in his voice set Nigel's wolf senses on alert.
Nigel blinked, confused. Elliot, your mood is off… Who dared challenge the Alpha today?
Then, without warning, Elliot's eyes flicked to Nigel, icy and assessing. "What is your relationship with Anastasia?"
Nigel's ears perked up, excitement coursing through his veins. "Well… you know! I like her, and I'm pursuing her!" His tail well, the surge of energy in him was practically vibrating with confidence.
Elliot's gaze hardened, his deep voice cutting through the air like a hunting wolf's growl. "Have you succeeded?"
"It'll be soon," Nigel said with unwavering certainty, imagining the series of romantic strikes he would launch to win her heart.
Elliot leaned back, exuding dominance and control. "Do not send flowers to her in the office again. It disrupts her focus, and the rest of the pack may misjudge her." His words carried the weight of the Alpha's law.
Nigel froze for a moment, surprised. How could Elliot have found out so fast? That's Alpha intuition for you.
He tried again, grinning mischievously. "Elliot, help me out! Use your position as her Alpha to give her a day off so I can take her out. Or arrange her den on the same floor as yours dating her would be much easier."
Elliot's dark eyes narrowed, razor-sharp. "Impossible." His snort was like the snap of claws on stone.
"But… you're the Alpha! You have the power!" Nigel pressed, tail instinct twitching with hope.
Elliot's stare pinned him to the ground, icy and unyielding. "You will pursue her with your own strength. Do not rely on me."
"You're so mean," Nigel muttered, tossing his head back in frustration, though he returned to his game with the quiet stubbornness of a younger wolf in the pack.
A sudden call interrupted the tension, and Nigel snatched up the phone. "Hello!"
"Young Master Nigel, are you booking a reservation at Cardi Restaurant?" the voice asked.
"Yes, Cardi," he confirmed with a smile, hanging up. Even amidst the undercurrents of pack dominance, the playful pursuit of his mate continued.
Meanwhile, Elliot's presence lingered like a shadow, Alpha instincts sensing, calculating, dominant, and impossible to ignore. In this world of packs, bonds, and territory, the battle lines were drawn, and neither prey nor predator could walk away unscathed.
Elliot's sharp command snapped me out of my thoughts. "If you want to play games, go to the lounge next door. Don't disturb me at work." His voice carried that unshakable Alpha dominance, low and commanding.
I straightened instinctively, feeling the need to obey, and slinked off to the next room. The tension in the air behind me was palpable, like the scent of a predator still lingering.
Alone, Elliot's hand absently brushed over his upper lip, tracing the memory of that kiss from the meeting room. The kiss the surge of dominance, the feral intensity it left a hunger in him, a deep, almost painful craving he didn't expect. His pulse throbbed with it, the raw instincts of an Alpha in heat.
A knock at the door pulled him back to reality. Rey stepped in, efficient and poised. "President Presgrave, where do you want to have lunch at noon?"
Elliot's gaze, cool and piercing, lifted just enough to answer. "Cardi." His words were clipped, elegant, as if issuing a silent command to the pack.
"Very well. I'll immediately reserve a place for you." Rey's bow was subtle, and then he left, leaving Elliot alone with the echo of that kiss still thrumming through his senses.
Meanwhile, I sat in my office, hands clenching the edge of the desk. My mind was a blur, scattered like leaves in the wind. Elliot's sudden kiss had hijacked all my focus. And the thought of him having kissed Hayley before? My stomach churned. That kind of touch, that dominance it should never, ever happen again. I swore it silently to myself, biting back frustration.
By noon, Nigel and I were seated at a window table in Cardi, sunlight glinting off the polished wood, and I was famished enough to dive into the menu without hesitation. Then, my senses prickled an instinctive warning I couldn't ignore.
Two figures appeared at the entrance, sleek, controlled, and radiating the kind of power that made the air itself thrum. Elliot. And Rey. My eyes widened, heart skipping. How could it be so coincidental?
Nigel followed my gaze and froze, eyes sharp with curiosity and instinctual wariness. Rey inclined politely. "Young Master Nigel, good afternoon."
"What… Why are you here too? Do you want to join us?" Nigel immediately rose, energy brimming with protective intent, stepping forward with the alertness of a wolf sensing another Alpha nearby.
Elliot's cold voice cut through the air. "No need. We have work to discuss." He walked to his reserved table, but even as he seated himself, he positioned his body so that his gaze could sweep directly toward me. The raw dominance radiating from him was nearly suffocating.
Nigel, sensing he couldn't interfere with Elliot's territorial command, returned to our table with a small huff of frustration. I buried my annoyance in the menu, muttering under my breath. Why does he follow me everywhere? Why is he always here?
I lifted my eyes over Nigel's shoulder, and my gaze locked with Elliot's across the room. Those eyes the dark, fathomless depth of them made the blood in my veins tingle with anger and a heat I hated to admit. The memory of that domineering kiss surged again, igniting a mix of fear, frustration, and something else I couldn't name.
He sat there, calm, almost predatory, sipping his tea, yet every movement radiated control, Alpha presence, and dominance. My jaw clenched. The man had crossed lines, stolen territory I hadn't even realized was mine. And yet, my body and mind betrayed me I felt the pull of his pack energy, the almost magnetic force between our instincts.
I cursed under my breath, staring down at the menu again, but I knew the battle wasn't over. Not by a long shot. The Alpha's shadow loomed over my lunch, and I could feel the clash of dominance and desire sparking in the air between us.