Alpha Nathan
My God.
I mean, my heart skipped the moment I read those faint lines on Jayson's face.
More than ever, I knew what they meant. But how do I explain it? Where do I even begin?
To think I had waited this long, suffered the trauma, the emotions that clung to me like a second skin; and then, the Moon Goddess decided to show up.
And you know what?
She finally decided to let her light shine on me again, washing away the hurtful memories, the traumas, and those endless moments of loneliness. But it lasted only thirty seconds, until I saw her.
My mate. My damn mate.
"Why bring us here?"
Ricardo's voice pierced through my thoughts, dragging me back to the present.
I stood in front of a door, not even knowing how I got there. My thoughts… all of them? They weren't helping at all.
"Mine," my wolf howled again, for the hundredth time in just one minute.
My head was a mess as Jayson pushed the door open. What I had tried so hard to deny now stared me in the face like a shadow I could never outrun, no matter how hard I tried.
She lay motionless, the healer, whom I didn't even know, standing beside her.
Her arms rested at her sides, her face pale, her red lips dry, her blonde hair falling loosely, as if she had already drifted far into the great beyond.
"How's she?"
The words slipped out before I could stop them. I nudged myself gently, forcing control.
"Just barely hanging on," the healer replied, her voice unreadable. "I doubt she will pull through."
That look on the healer's face stirred a storm of emotions inside me, feelings I couldn't explain, feelings that dug painfully deep into my chest.
The creak of the door was the only sound as I left the room. The air inside had been suffocating, and I needed to breathe, to clear my head.
But how could I? How could the Moon Goddess be this cruel?
Why would my mate be no other, but her?
The hard thud of my body against a seat reminded me I was already in my office.
The stack of paperwork glared at me like a cross I was forced to carry. Picking up the ink quill, my trembling hands fumbled over the papers.
Anything. Just anything, to keep my mind away from those thoughts. To keep me from drowning in misery.
My groin tightened, my lips biting down hard.
It was impossible to concentrate. My fingers pressed deep into the ink, bending the quill feathers under my fierce grip.
He always got his way. Always had the best. And me? How was I supposed to live with that?
With a sigh, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. A number I knew could give me an escape route.
Jessica.
Rising from my seat, I moved into my room just next to the office. Silence pressed in heavily, so deep it carved a hollow inside me.
My wolf, Jessy, refused to give me peace. He never let me break free from the heavy silence.
"You caused all of this," Jessy growled in my head.
"You let him have her when you could have stopped it," he accused bitterly.
Then came a knock on the door, the distraction I had been waiting for. Though it had been less than thirty minutes, it felt like ages.
The door swung open, and Jessica stormed in. Her skilled steps, piercing blue eyes, charming smile, generous curves, and graceful sway; all of it, a welcome distraction.
My brows lifted, adrenaline surging through my veins. My body longed, ready to claim the perfect pleasure waiting for me.
But then my wolf roared again.
"Mine."
Rage ignited. Turmoil took over my heart. My fists clenched, my jaw tightened. But then, her soft touch on my chest, trailing down the exposed skin between the parted buttons of my shirt, sent waves of warmth spiraling through me.
"Let me take away the worries, my lord," she whispered.
My gaze dropped into hers. Her lips twitched, her tongue sliding across them slowly, teasing.
Her finger traced down my bare chest, her tongue following the path, making my chest rumble with a low growl. My body loosened, warmth spreading once again.
Desire burned hotter than rage, higher than resistance.
My hand cupped her face, pulling her closer. Her eyes glistened with temptation, and I gave in, closing the space in one swift move.
"Mine!" Jessy howled, furious.
But not now. Not when my mouth had already claimed her lips, tongues tangling in a heated clash. Not when my hands lifted her to straddle my lap.
My palms roamed her bare back, sliding over the thin, half-open gown she wore, the perfect invitation, unlocking every fire inside me.
Her arms stretched back, pulling me deeper into the kiss. The rush sent me tipping over the edge.
I dropped her onto the bed, watching as she licked her lips, smiling wickedly, her fingers teasing along her mouth while her breathy moans filled the room, moans that drove my hands down to my belt.
The sound of iron clattering onto the tiled floor was a sharp indication of how swiftly my belt slid away, followed closely by my pants.
Without thinking, I was already on top of her. I needed this. I needed all of it, every distraction she could offer, every comfort she could give.
The comfort I hadn't known for three solid days since meeting Amanda. Three days of realizing she was my damn mate.
Three days of realizing only I knew the reason I never stopped Ricardo.
I know I have many secrets, but this, outweighed them all.
"My lord…"
Jessica's voice sliced through, her lips curling up, inviting me closer.
"Take it all," she whispered into my ear.
Her fingers ran across my chest, trailing a deliberate line downward until they reached my cock.
A fierce surge of sensation rushed through me, igniting the fire of lust anew as her fingers traced along my length, finally circling its tip.
A groan rumbled deep in my chest as our lips tangled together, craving more, demanding more.
Then came the cold press of her lips against me, sending a violent jolt through my body. My hands found her hair instinctively, gripping tightly, fingers digging deep into her scalp.
"Yeah…" she whimpered, her moan vibrating against me, driving me insane, insane enough to ignore the howl of my wolf, to silence those creeping thoughts that clung like glue to my mind.
I tugged her hair back, thrusting deeper into her mouth. Her muffled moans between each thrust, my own groans, tangled into the air, the beginning of the pleasure I craved. The comfort I thought I needed.
My cock plunged deeper, and still she bent forward, her mouth straining to take in my hardened length. Her eyes widened, bulging as if ready to rip from their sockets, yet she kept moaning.
And then, the thoughts I had smothered beneath the garment of pleasure, came flooding back.
Amanda.
I kept driving deeper, each thrust harder, her muffled cries rising in pitch; less pleasure, more pain.
"Daddy," she choked out, tears streaming.
But I couldn't stop. I had no control, no power to rein myself in, my body demanded more. I felt her gag, her throat struggling, my cock threatening to tear through her.
She clawed at my thighs, nails digging so deep I felt the sting of blood. Her chest heaved, her breath seized, her eyes bulged.
"Stop!"
Only then did I halt. My chest heaved, breath ragged, fury mingled with pity as I looked down at Jessica, weak and trembling, gasping desperately for air.
My heart dropped.
Without another thought, I pulled up my pants, strode to the drawer, yanked out a wad of notes, and tossed them onto the bed.
Not a single word left my lips before the door slammed shut behind me. I went straight down to the foyer instead of the gym house, I needed air.
Fresh air, anything to clear my head from what had just happened. My eyes fell to a familiar spot, one that stirred the memories of Veronica I had sworn not to dwell on.
God. What was happening to me?
All of this, what the hell was it? I slammed my fist hard against the wall beside me.
My legs carried me faster toward the gym house, my chest too tight, my mind too clouded to even notice the noise coming from within.
I pushed the door open, only to see him.
Seated in his wheelchair, fists pounding again and again into the punching bag that had been lowered to his level.
Something inside me cracked. That which I found irresistible…