Alethea
As sparks erupt between us, we stare at each other for what feels like an eternity. His green eyes search mine, looking for something I can’t quite place. But I can see the struggle in them, the way his pupils dilate, his wolf clawing for control while he fights to keep it at bay.
Xena, on the other hand, is giggling in my mind, thrilled by the closeness of our mate. I should go… but before the words can even leave my mouth, his lips crash against mine.
The peppermint and ginger drink I took earlier mixes with the taste of him, and for a second, I freeze. But then my body moves on instinct, responding to the hunger in his kiss. I kiss him back with just as much force, matching his intensity.
There is nothing soft or gentle about this kiss. It’s raw, desperate like he’s trying to tell me something without words. A silent plea. A confession. A warning.
I know I should push him away. He has no right to kiss me like this after everything. My head screams at me to stop, to break free. But my body betrays me, my senses clouded, completely overtaken by him.
I raise my hand, trying weakly to push him away. But instead of shoving him, my fingers curl into the fabric of his shirt, gripping him tightly. I pull him closer, giving in, kissing him like my life depends on it.
He smirks against my lips, nipping at my lower lip before sucking on it, refusing to let go. A shiver runs down my spine. His hand moves to the back of my neck, as he steadies me as my knees threaten to give out.
I can’t think. I can’t breathe. I can’t get enough of him.
My hands move over his body, feeling the solid planes of his chest, his warmth seeping into my skin. He is dangerous and intoxicating, making me lose control in ways I can’t explain.
Then, suddenly, he pulls away.
I nearly whimper at the loss, my mind foggy, my body still buzzing from his touch. I want to berate myself for letting things get so heated, for falling right into his trap.
But as I stare at him, my chest rising and falling with ragged breaths, I see something in his gaze that steals my breath all over again.
Pain.
His eyes, usually so guarded, look wounded. Torn.
And for the first time, I wonder… is Asher just as lost in this as I am?
His face is sculpted to perfection, like an untamed sex god. His broad chest, barely concealed beneath his shirt, rises and falls with each breath.
His eyes shift colors at will, flash between something dark and wild. When his gaze roams over my body, a shiver runs through me, and my breath catches in my throat.
I don’t know what he’s doing to me, but I can feel it everywhere. Heat coils in my belly, my body betraying me in ways I can’t control. I can smell my arousal, and from the way his nostrils flare, I know he smells it too.
I should leave.
I need to leave.
Coming here alone was a mistake. I thought I could handle this, that I could stand my ground against him. I was wrong.
I repeat the words in my head, preparing to say them out loud, but before I can, his lips crash against mine again.
This time, the kiss isn’t rough and demanding like before. It’s slow. Deliberate. Devouring. He takes his time, making me feel every inch of his lips, his tongue, his heat.
I lose myself in it, in him.
Minutes pass, or maybe seconds, I don’t know. Time doesn’t exist when he’s kissing me like this. When he finally pulls away, he rests his forehead against mine, his ragged breath mixed with mine
I try to steady myself, to pull air into my lungs, but it’s impossible when he’s this close. When he’s looking at me like that.
His voice is deep, husky. “Really? You’re just going to leave after what you did?”
I blink at him in confusion, my pulse racing.
“What did I do?” My voice comes out breathless, shaky.
He takes a slow step toward me. Instinctively, I take a step back.
Another step.
I move again.
And again.
Until my back hits the door.
I swallow hard as he towers over me, his scent earthy, masculine, and intoxicating, filling every space around me.
“You’re going to leave me like this?” he murmurs, his voice like gravel and silk, as he presses his erection against me.
I gasp.
A sharp intake of breath.
Heat explodes inside me as I feel his hardness rubbing against me, teasing, torturing.
He moves again, grinding against me, and my throat tightens as pleasure shoots through my body like lightning.
I can’t breathe.
I can’t think.
And as his lips brushed against my ear, his voice dripping with sinful amusement, I knew leaving was never an option.
Asher’s grip tightens, firm but not painful, his warmth searing into my skin. His eyes, those deep green eyes that have always seen through me, bore into mine with an intensity that makes my heart pound.
“Tell me, do you hate me that much?” His voice is low, rough with something I can’t place. “Do you hate me so much that you’d leave me like this?” He presses his erection against me again, his arousal evident, and a shiver runs down my spine.
“Goddess, Ally, what am I supposed to do with you?” His breath is warm against my cheek. “Tell me… do you hate me?”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Memories crash into me all at once, the first time I met him, the way he looked at me and knew I was his mate, yet he never made a move to claim me. How he ignored the bond like I was nothing. How he let me fall for him, only to shatter me with rejection.
The night we lost control when our bodies sought each other out despite the pain. The night Declan was conceived.
I don’t regret that night, because if I did, it would mean regretting my son. And I never could.
But I hate him for how easily he walked away.
I hate him for not even hesitating before rejecting me.
I hate him for choosing Maya over me.
I hate him for thinking I had no shame when he saw me with Liam in the hallway when all I wanted was to forget him.
“I hate you.” The words leave my lips slowly, deliberately, laced with every ounce of pain he’s caused me.
I push against his chest, trying to free myself from his grip, but it’s useless. He didn’t let go.
His eyes darken, searching mine for something regret, doubt, anything, but I hold my ground.
“Let me go,” I whisper, with a shaky voice.
His jaw clenches, his breathing unsteady. For a second, I think he might listen. That he might step back and give me space.
But then he leans in closer, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispers, “I can’t.”
I sigh, my chest rising and falling heavily as I stare at him. “What am I going to do with you, Asher Knight?” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper.
His name rolls off my tongue, and for a second, there is something in his green eyes, something raw, something vulnerable. Beneath all the coldness he shows the world, I see it now. The pain. The exhaustion pressed down on him. He’s trying to drown it out, trying to push it all away, but I can see it.
He has no one. No family except for Kayla. No one to lean on.
And I don’t even know where I stand with him.
I should walk away. I should put distance between us before I lose myself again. But something in me refuses to leave. Maybe because of Declan. Maybe because, despite everything, I can’t stand seeing him like this.
I’m so lost in my thoughts that his next words make my breath hitch.