Alpha Vaughan

Chapter 15

I didn't hear a sound, but yet I snapped into consciousness.

I was not alone.

Blinking past the last traces of sleep clouding my vision, I searched around the room, feeling the hairs on my nape rise. Turning right, I froze when I caught sight of whiskey grey eyes staring at me from the darkness.

At length his silky voice commanded, "Come here."

My ears twitched when I caught the note of barely leashed anger lacing his words.

Gently pushing the duvet away from my body, I stood.

Feeling his intense stare on me, I slowly went over to him, glaringly aware of the thin nightwear I had on. The attack on my old pack had made it impossible for me to retrieve my belongings; so I was stuck with the clothes they had here; and boy were the nightwears revealing.

Shirt buttons undone, sleeves rolled up, Vaughan casually leaned against the wall, his heavy arms crossed over his broad chest just as casually. I wasn't fooled. There was nothing casual about the anger and intense disapproval radiating off him, nothing casual about the alternation of his eyes from cool grey to fervid yellow.

I swallowed. "Hello--"

In a split second he crowded me into a wall, his hand going around my neck. His hold wasn't tight enough to strangle me, just enough to exert dominance over me.

"I own you," he grounded out slowly. "I control you. You do not do anything I don't say you should. You do not say anything I don't say you should. You are mine. Mine to do with as I please. Mine to control. Mine to punish. Mine to f*ck."

My face heated when I felt desire rush down my core. To my greatest mortification I realized his words were turning me on.

The flaring of his nostrils told me he knew. From his hold around my neck, his thumb slid up to the pulse on my neck, beneath his finger it beat wildly. He slowly leaned in and rasped beside my ear, "Do my words turn you on?"

Frantically I shook my head. "O-of course not."

A harsh chuckle. In a silky tone, he asked, "If I were to slide my fingers into your p*ssy, would I find it dry?" Then he whispered, "Or wet, hot and throbbing for my c*ck?"

My breaths laboured, my thoughts starting to turn hazy, I watched as his other hand rose to rest beside my bre*st, not touching it. The heat from his hand seeped into my flesh, making the buds tighten.

He lightly passed a thumb over one, making it harder. "Do you want my mouth on them?"

"N-no?"

His nose ran down the length of my neck, making shivers dance around my skin. I gasped when I felt the sharp prick of his canines on my skin.

My first instinct was to push him away, but when my hands went to his solid shoulders, my fingers seemed to have a mind of their own; they slid up to thread into his hair. He seemed to like that because he purred lowly in his throat, and the sound travelled straight down to my core.

"You taste exactly like you smell," he mused lowly, sounding pleased.

"H-how?"

"Like the ocean, vanilla, fresh grasses..."

Wanting suddenly to put some space between us, I placed my hand on his shoulder and gave a push.

Drawing back, he looked me in the eyes. I noted his had completely turned yellow. "What?" he asked.

I said the first thing I could think of, "I wanted to, er, thank you. . ."

"For?"

"My wardrobe," I replied, meaning it.

His eyes suddenly took on a hypnotizing quality. "You want to thank me?"

Weary, I uncertainly replied, "Yes...?"

"Then do it my way."

"How?"

"Strip."

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"Do not entertain passive aggressive comments. Do not display table manners that are anything but perfect. Remember to compliment every one of them on something, but never at the same time. Remember to put in word of your achievement whenever the opportunity presents itself, you have made some achievements in the past, haven't you, Ma'a-- Ma'am! Ma'am, can you hear m--"

"What, what?" I asked, snapping out of my thoughts for the umpteenth time this morning.

"You haven't been listening to me," Greta sighed out, an exasperated look on her face. The two Omegas behind her wore the same expression. From across the room, Nayla watched on, amused.

"Oh," I said apologetically, "I'm sorry."

Greta massaged her temples. "I would be if this tea party turns out a mess."

"Tea party?"

The omegas shared a look. Greta looked at me blankly. "Yes, Miss, a tea party. It will be held for the sole purpose of introducing you to your court."

What was this, the eighteenth century? As though reading my thoughts, Greta explained, "It is customary. Each time a new Luna is about to be coronated, a tea party is held in her honour to introduce her to her court."

Still, I thought it was a bit archaic.

I didn't know I'd expressed that aloud until Greta said, "Archaic or not, it is expected of you. And as Luna, your duty is to meet expectations."

My stomach sank, and not for the first time this week, I thought; they have the wrong girl, I am not cut out for any of this.

"This is the second time our pack's having a Luna outside of our clan, and the first wasn't... exactly the best: so, it's only normal for people to have their misconceptions about you, and it falls on you to assure them that you are perfect for the role."

Each word that came out of her mouth only frayed my nerves further. I could not even assure myself I was perfect for the role, nevertheless I nodded.

She nodded too then proceeded to repeat the rules, "As I said, some people will have their own misconceptions about you, so you'd do well to not entertain snide or passive aggressive comments. Do not display table manners that are anything but perfect. Remember to put in word of your achievement whenever the opportunity presents itself. C..."

I zoned out, watching as one of the omegas came forward with a bottle of wine red nail paint. She began applying it on my reluctantly stretched fingers, while the other went on to lay a white wrap dress on the bed. Nayla came over to place a pair of red stilettos at the foot of the bed.

When my face and hair had been prepped to perfection, I dressed up in my ensemble, then stared at myself in the mirror.

Not so long ago I'd been lamenting on not having any gowns because I didn't have any occasions to wear them to, but now I had a shitload of them. And now I had a shitload of occasions to attend them with.

But I wished things were different.

I didn't want the gowns, I didn't want to be responsible for over three hundred people, I didn't want to go another day knowing Eunice was in danger, I didn't want to have mixed feelings for an Alpha who would never love me. I just wanted my baggy shorts and mustard stained shirts back.

"Miss," Greta called gently. "It is not advisable to keep your court waiting." With that she turned to leave, the two omegas in tow.

Nayla came to stand beside me. Perhaps sensing my apprehension, she looked up at me and gave a large smile. "Come on! let's go prove to them you're going to be the best Luna they've ever had!"

Forcing my red lips into a smile, I squared my shoulders and determined to do just that.

But my luck being my luck, things didn't turn out exactly the way I wanted them to.

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