Chapter 44
I ignored her desperate pleas, but couldn’t ignore the heat pooling low in my belly, spreading outward like ripples in still water.
“Running away after insulting me? he asked, eyes flashing dangerously. That’s not how this works, Lysandra.”
“Let me go. I tried to pull free, but against his Alpha strength, my efforts were useless.
‘What do you want from me, Tristan? The question burst from me, my voice huskier than I’d intended.
His fingers loosened suddenly. He released me and stood, circling the table to take Rylan’s vacated seat across from me. The distance between es expanded. and I felt an inexplicable sense of loss that angered me even more.
I rose from my chair, smoothing down my blouse where it had bunched slightly at the waist. My skin still tingled where he’d gripped me.
“Did I say you could leave?” His voice cut through the air, quiet but carrying unmistakable authority.
I ignored him and turned away, but felt his gaze traveling down my back, lingering at the curve where my waist met my hips.
“You’re in Silverblood territory now,” he reminded me, his tone deceptively casual. “As Alpha, I have the right to punish trespassers however I see fit.”
The way he said “punish–like a caress wrapped in barbed wire–sent an involuntary shiver down my spine.
“I could lock you deep in pack territory,” he continued. “No Alpha or Beta would be able to retrieve you.”
I paused mid–step. If not for Fenris’s condition, I would never have set foot in this territory again.
Should I call Alaric? The thought vanished as quickly as it formed. My brother would come charging in with half the Moonshade warriors, and a pack war would solve nothing.
Gritting my teeth, I turned back to face Tristan. “What do you want?”
He gestured to my abandoned chair, fingers tapping lightly on the table surface.
With an exasperated sigh, I returned to the table and sat down. “Now what?”
Tristan pushed my half–eaten plate toward me. “Eat.” Just one word, spoken with his Alpha timbre, vibrating with dominance and impossible to resist.
“What?” I frowned, momentarily distracted by the way his throat moved when he spoke, the powerful line of his shoulders beneath his tailored jacket.
“Finish your food,” he elaborated. “Why waste good food?” His gaze dropped to my mouth, as if considering other things that might pass between those lips.
He remembers our taste, Astrid teased. Imagine how he would savor us now…
“I lost my appetite when I saw your face,” I retorted, satisfaction flaring as I saw his eyes flare red at the edges, his wolf pushing against his control. His fingers curled into a fist before deliberately relaxing, knuckles whitening with the effort.
Tristan simply stared at me, his Alpha aura blanketing the area. He deliberately unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, exposing a small triangle of skin at
his throat.
My stomach growled audibly, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten since the previous day.
When I finally picked up my fork, I could feel his eyes tracking every movement, as if watching a private performance just for him.
Even as I glared at him, my mind wandered back to the day I’d left Silverblood Pack, the unbearable pain of pregnancy while fleeing through the forest. Hadn’t he told my father he didn’t care if I lived or died when they tried to reach him? Now he was commanding me to eat?
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I clenched my fist on the table, fighting for control.
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Chapter 44
He watched me intently, almost as if he wanted to see thore tears spill over, to witness my breakdown as pront of something unto kecenderat
When I lowered my gaze, one corner of his mouth lifted slightly, as if he’d gained some small victory in our silent battle
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