Fangs and Fur: The Alpha king's mate

This isn't over

I tightly closed my eyes as anger filled my veins rapidly. My pride was undeniably wounded. My sore bottom just amplified that.

The pin drop room was completely silent. I could hear my breathing as I swam in my emotions. My thoughts raced, bouncing between anger and defiance.

The stinging pain in my bottom was a reminder of what had just happened. It was the humiliation that hurt me the most.

I was very bright and fast, and I couldn't be charmed or Alpha charmed by anyone but him! Are you kidding me? I was simply outmatched; he made me see in 3 seconds how easily he could overpower me.

The way he manhandled me, the way he effortlessly asserted his dominance—it was infuriating!!! I hated that there was also something else, something I wasn't ready to admit to myself.

A small, tiny part of me had craved the security in his strength, the way his arms felt like a protective barrier against the world. But I couldn't let him win. Not completely. I couldn't! I wouldn't! After I had had a few minutes to calm myself, I forced myself up, my legs lightly trembling.

I wined at the sharp pain that shot through my bottom and thighs. I walk over to the small mirror on the wall. My hair was a mess, sticking to my cheeks where the tears had dried, and my eyes were puffy from crying.

"This isn't over, Sebastian," I whispered to my reflection, my voice. "You might think you've won, but this is just starting." I would find a way to show him that I wasn't someone bent to his will. I straightened my shoulders.

I would rest for now and recover my strength, but tomorrow was a new day. And I was going to make sure Sebastian knew that I wasn't going down without a fight. I stepped into the shower and tried to focus on calming down.

Though I could still feel his hands on me, the sound of his voice in my ear kept replaying in my mind. There was no denying the effect he had on me, but I couldn't allow myself to be changed by it. Not now. Not ever. Slipping into bed, the day finally caught up with me.

My body ached in more ways than one, but the darkness slowly crept over me as I closed my eyes. Tomorrow was another day, another chance to take back control. As I drifted off to sleep, one thought echoed in my mind—a promise to myself that I intended to keep:

This isn't over, Sebastian. Not by a long shot. The sound of the door opening softly woke me from the edge of sleep. My heart skipped a beat, and my muscles tensed, but I didn't move. I kept my eyes closed, my breathing even, pretending to be asleep. The bed dipped slightly under his weight as he settled beside me.

I could feel the warmth radiating from his body. I stayed still, focusing on keeping my breathing steady, hoping he'd leave me alone. He didn't say anything, though. Instead, he just lay there, close enough that I could feel his presence like a heavy blanket pressing down on me. Seconds ticked by in silence, stretching into minutes.

My mind raced with a thousand thoughts, each one battling for dominance—anger, defiance, confusion, and the unsettling awareness of how his nearness affected me. Suddenly, I felt his hand brush lightly against my arm, the touch so gentle it was almost ghostly.

My breath hit involuntarily, and I cursed myself for reacting. But if he noticed, he didn't show it. His fingers traced a slow path down my arm, sending a shiver through me that I couldn't control.

"Adelaide," he finally murmured, his voice low and surprisingly soft. It was a tone I hadn't heard from him before, almost gentle as if he was trying to reach some part of me that wasn't bristling with anger and defiance. I stiffened, every instinct telling me to pull away, to tell him to back off.

But instead, I forced myself to stay still and endure it. His fingers continued their slow, deliberate path down my arm, leaving a trail of tingles in their wake.

But I bit down on the inside of my cheek and kept quiet. If this was another game to him, I wasn't going to give him the enjoyment of knowing he was getting under my skin.

"I know you're not asleep," he said softly, his breath warm against the back of my neck.

"You can stop pretending." I didn't respond, my body tensing even more as I fought the urge to push him away.

"Why do you always have to make things so difficult?" he murmured so softly, almost to himself than to me. There was a hint of frustration in his voice now, but also something else, something that sounded almost like concern.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself to stay calm. I couldn't afford to let my emotions get the better of me, not now. "I'm trying to protect you, Adelaide," he continued, his voice soft but firm.

"Even if you don't understand that right now." Sebastian sighed quietly as if he could sense my resistance, but he didn't push any further. Instead, he just lay there, his hand resting on my arm, his presence as overwhelming as ever. Slowly moving it to my waist.

It was clear he wasn't going to leave and that he wasn't going to let me have the space I desperately wanted. But that didn't mean I had to let him win. Not in the way that mattered.

As the silence stretched between us my muscles grew tense, every fiber of my being aching to break free from Sebastian's hold.

The weight of his arm across my waist felt like a shackle, binding me to him against my will. I wanted to move, to create distance, but his grip remained firm, a silent statement that he wasn't letting me go.

I shifted slightly, testing his reaction, but the moment I did,

Sebastian tightened his hold, pulling me back against his chest with a force that left no room for arguing.

"Where do you think you're going?" His voice was a soft growl, rumbling low in his chest, so close to my ear that I could feel the vibrations.

Unconsciously, I swallowed hard as my heart hammered in my chest. "I need space," I whispered, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice. I can't look weak; I won't!!! "I can't breathe with you this close."

Sebastian's response was a low chuckle, dark, and filled with dangerous amusement. "You're going to have to learn to deal with it, little mate," he murmured, his breath warm against my neck.

"I told you before, you're mine. There's no escaping that." My breath got caught in my throat as his words weighed me down instantly on my chest, making it hard to breathe. He had a possessive tone, and it sent a shiver down my spine.

I hated how my body reacted to him, how the bond seemed to blur the lines between fear and desire. "I don't belong to you," I shot back, my voice lacking the strength I wanted it to have. "I'm not some prize you can just claim."

Sebastian's grip on me tightened, and he shifted us, pressing my back into the mattress as he hovered over me. "This isn't about what you want," he said, his voice a dangerous whisper. "This is about what's already written in our blood.

"You can fight it all you want, but it won't change the truth." I glared up at him, my pride refusing to let me back down, even though every instinct screamed at me to do so.

"I won't let you control me," I hissed, my eyes blazing with defiance. His gaze darkened, and he leaned in closer, his face inches from mine. "You keep saying that," he murmured. "But the more you resist, the more you're going to realize that this is a fight you can't win."