Chapter 114 Intent
1210words
My wolf fought me for control as I raced into the forest, but I knew better than to hand over the reins to her. If I did, she'd inevitably run back to Jaxon and surrender to his Alpha aura to tell him what was wrong. Such a devoted and weak wolf she was. I couldn't let her do that; I refused to let her win this time. The goddamn mate bond controlled every fiber of me, and for once, it felt good to break the shackles gripped so tightly onto me. All of it had become suffocating: the mating, securing an heir, becoming a Luna. My outburst had little to do with Jaxon's ridiculous control over his sister, although I disagreed with that too.
I zigzagged through the forest, feeling my feet thunder against the dirt floor, until I eventually decided to bee-line diagonally. I knew it was silly to think I could outrun an Alpha; maybe this wasn't my shining moment. Even if I could get a few moments to myself, it'd be worth it, so I continued racing through the trees until my lungs burned. My body collapsed near a large boulder, and I debated shifting into my wolf; it would surely ease the fire burning in my chest right now.
I knew I shouldn't have told my mate I hated him. It wasn't true. The truth was, nothing he could do could make me hate him. He was the other piece of my soul—he made up who I was.
Every. Single. Piece. Of. Me.
I just needed a moment to gather my thoughts. Although I couldn't decide if being alone right now was a good thing; sometimes, it felt like everyone around me was digging inside my head. The pressure of it all was consuming. My mind hadn't stopped racing since I'd had that dream that felt all too real—"protect the Alpha"—echoing in my head.
I'd say it was damn impossible to protect the Alpha when he wouldn't even let me stand by him in the essence of danger. Some Luna I was becoming.
I was so enveloped in my own thoughts that I didn't even hear the snapping branches and hard footsteps as someone approached, but I did feel the burning gaze fixed on my back. My head whipped backwards, and I sat wide-eyed in shock as I saw Alpha Christian approaching slowly. There was a sense of pity laced in his gaze as he whispered, "Shh, it's okay. I was worried when you left. I could feel how angry you were. Talk to me, Addie, tell me what's wrong."
I heaved a sigh, partially relieved that it was Alpha Christian and not my mate, although I still felt thrown off course that he was here and not Jaxon. Why didn't he come find me himself? He must be filled with rage at me now for telling him I hated him. I had told my own damn mate I hated him—there must be something wrong with me.
Alpha Christian propped himself onto the boulder beside me. "So, are you going to tell me what's wrong, princess?" I closed my eyes tightly, searching for where to even begin. As the words spilled out like word vomit, I felt his hand reach out for mine and squeeze it lightly. I couldn't help but feel like I was going to regret everything I had just admitted to him.
His brows scrunched together, making the worry lines on his forehead prominent. "You know, Adeline, I'm sorry about Jaxon. He has a tendency to overstep his boundaries. It's like the boundaries don't exist for him like they do for the rest of us," he said in a gentle tone.
I shivered, feeling like I was somehow betraying my mate, guilt rising in my chest. "Christian, look. Don't get me wrong, he's a good mate and an amazing Alpha. It's just that everything has moved so fast that sometimes I feel like I can't breathe," I admitted. "I should probably go apologize and try to talk to him."
I shook my hand out of his hold and got down from the boulder, running my hand through my dark locks. "It doesn't have to be this way," Alpha Christian cooed. "You should be with a mate who respects your decisions, who doesn't push you away whenever there's danger like you're some fragile doll. Someone who lets you shine instead of letting you linger in his shadows. You're incredible, Adeline," he responded. Like the breeze had suddenly become cold, I felt a shiver crawl up my spine.
"Thanks, Christian. I appreciate it. Sophia is really lucky to have such an attentive and caring mate. I—I should go find mine," I stuttered out and turned back in the direction I came from.
I gasped when I felt Alpha Christian's body push against mine into a tree trunk, my face inches away from being pressed against the rough bark. "I mean it, Adeline. You deserve someone who can make you happy, not someone who sends you into hiding all alone in an unfamiliar forest," his deep voice whispered against my ear.
He pushed further against my body, making me feel the growing, hard bulge restricted in his pants. My wolf was clawing inside, desperate to sucker-punch Christian, even though we both knew he was an Alpha by birthright, making him much stronger than us. He let out a small moan, and I felt the warmth of his breath against my mark. "You deserve someone who can make you feel so fucking good," he said in a dangerously low voice as he pressed his length further into my ass.
Panic erupted in my chest. I shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't feel slightly attracted to him. This was all so fucking wrong. I felt my stomach in knots, confirming the danger looming around me. "C-Christian. Don't do this. Sophia is your mate," I shuttered out, my voice cracked and unsure.
He pulled his body off of mine, and I felt a small wave of relief—only to have my body turned, now staring into his onyx eyes. A new volcano of panic erupted inside me. I felt his hand creep between my legs, his fingers slipping under the hem of my short black dress. "I know you've thought about what it would feel like to have me inside that tight little pussy of yours," he taunted as his large frame towered over me.
My entire body felt frozen in place; I may have even forgotten how to breathe as his fingers trailed between my legs. "You know I've been dreaming about what your pussy would taste like—riding my mouth and letting me ravage that sweet juice of yours that you like to tease every time you're around me."
Like my body defied me, I felt myself melt into the tree trunk as his fingertips danced dangerously close to my core. "Sophia's my mate, but I would reject her in the blink of an eye if a strong and sexy little Luna wanted to take her place," he muttered. "Look at you quivering to feel my fingers buried inside you, the things I would do to you. Fuck, Adeline," he groaned as his tongue trailed his bottom lip.
