69

Sixty nine
*Freya*
Connor and I stood at the far end of the hall, far away from Rafe but it felt like he was close by. I tried not to look in his direction. Tried not to feel his eyes on me because I didn’t want him to know I was thinking about him. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of letting him know how much he affected me.
But it was too late; our eyes locked, Rafe’s piercing gaze holding mine in a vice grip. As he approached us, The air crackled between us, charged with an energy that spoke of unspoken words and unfinished business. The tension was a living thing, stretching, reaching, wrapping around us both, binding us in silent acknowledgment of what simmered beneath the surface.
With every ounce of willpower I possessed, I broke the connection first, tearing my eyes away as I dipped into a curtsey. “Alpha Rafe,” I said, my voice betraying none of the chaos that whirled within me.
As I straightened up, the moment broke like ice underfoot, and I steadied myself against the tremor of emotions threatening to betray my outward calmness.
The silence of the grand hall was palpable as Rafe’s voice, deep and commanding, cut through the tension. “Freya, I would like you to accompany me as my favorite candidate on this journey.”
His words hung between us like a challenge, but all I could picture was the image that had seared itself into my mind-the sight of him and Kelly, lips locked in a heated position in the private confines of his chamber. That betrayal stung new, and I felt the resolve harden within me. To stand at his side again, to let myself be drawn back into the web of our tangled past-it was a risk I couldn’t afford. Not when I already faced the scrutiny and hatred of the wicked women who envied my position with him.
“Alpha Rafe,” I began, my voice steady despite the turmoil brewing inside, “I’m sorry, but I decline your offer.”
A collective gasp rippled through the courtiers and guests surrounding us, their murmurs rising like the rustle of leaves before a storm. Rafe’s face transformed from assured confidence to shock, his strong jaw clenching as he processed my words.
“Why?” The single word was laced with a mixture of confusion and hurt, his authority as the Alpha king asserting itself. “Is there a reason you find my request so disagreeable?”
I met his stare, unflinching, even as every instinct screamed at me to flee. “It’s not a matter for discussion, My King.” My use of his title was pointed, a reminder of the distance I needed to maintain.
I could feel the weight of his glare as he stared at me silently. Connor winced beside me. He looked like he wanted to say something but didn’t get to say it.
“Do you realize who you are refusing, Lady Freya?” Rafe’s voice was dangerously low as he stalked closer to me, his eyes turning to vicious slits. He wanted to break me down in front of everyone but I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. I raised my head up high and glared back at him.
“Forgive me my King, but I believe my choice is mine and mine alone. I’m certain there are several candidates you can choose to accompany you. Please, excuse me.” I said and turned to walk out on him but without warning, Rafe’s hand snaked out, encircling my waist and pulling me toward him. The suddenness of his movement left me off balance, my back collided with the solid wall of his chest. His grip was firm but not painful, an intimate assertion of will that sent a shiver down my spine.
“Freya Hadid,” he said, his voice a low growl that resonated against my back, “you forget your place.”
“I know my place well enough,” I retorted, struggling to maintain my composure under the heat of his touch. “It just no longer seems to be by your side.”
His breath hitched at my words, and for a moment, I wondered if I’d gone too far. But there was no taking them back; the die was cast. I braced myself for what might come next, the future uncertain and more treacherous than ever.
The proximity to Rafe was a tangible force, electrifying the air between us. His nearness was disarming, his presence engulfing, as if he were the sun and I was a mere planet caught in his gravitational pull. Despite my resolve, a shuddering breath escaped me, betraying the effect he had even as my mind rebelled against it.
“Alright, fine but let me tell you this.,” he warned, his voice a velvet threat that raised the hairs on the back of my neck, “don’t even consider the notion of accompanying another. If you’re not going with me, you travel alone.” The command in his tone could bend wills, but I would not be so easily swayed.
Why did he think he could order me around? In front of everyone??
I spun around, my fury a fiery cloak. “I’ll go with Connor, My king” I spat out, my voice seething with defiance. “And you can’t stop me.”
I heard his sinister chuckle, making my skin boil beneath. “Is that a threat?” He asked slowly, silently. A dangerous smile touching his devastatingly handsome face. Connor held onto my hand.
“Okay guys, I think we can–” Rafe held up his hand, silencing him. Connor seemed to take the initiative as he stepped back. The whole hall was watching us now. But I couldn’t feel timid. all my energy had transformed to anger at Rafe.
“It is not a threat, Alpha king.” I answered his question with a sweet smile gracing my face, a complete opposite of the anger I was battling inside of me.
Before another word could leave my lips, Rafe’s hands cradled my face, and his mouth descended upon mine with an urgency that stole my words. The kiss plunged us into a state that we forgot our surroundings, a deep abyss where only we existed. His lips moved over mine with a fervor that spoke of possession and a desperate hunger that mirrored my own hidden desires.
As our breaths mingled and the intensity of the kiss grew, I felt myself yielding, caught in the eye of a storm I no longer had the will to escape. It was a kiss that marked me, claimed me, leaving no doubt of its significance.
When he finally broke away, leaving me breathless and reeling, Rafe leaned in close enough for his whisper to graze my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “You are mine, Freya,” he murmured, his words wrapping around me like a binding spell.
Then, as if nothing earth-shattering had just occurred, he stepped back, the distance between us vast and chilling. He turned and walked away, leaving me to battle with the storm he’d stirred within me-a tempest of emotions and a war between longing and anger.
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