Fangs and Fur: The Alpha king's mate

Below the surface

I feel my chest rising and falling as I stare into his eyes, his gaze alone enough to pin me in my place.

I wanted to lash out, to push him away, but he was stronger than me so i could not at least not right now.

"I won't give up who I am just because of some bond," I spat out at him. "You'll have to deal with me as I am."

A slow almost predatory smile appeared on Sebastian's lips as he brushed a strand of hair away from my face softly tucking it behind my ear. "Oh, I plan to deal with you in more ways than one," he said softly, with lustful eyes. "So don't think for a second that I'll let you get away with defying me."

Before I could respond, he leaned forward, his lips hovering over mine for a moment, his other hand firmly holding my jaw in place before he placed his lips upon mine, forcing me into a possessive kiss that left me breathless. His lips lingered for just a moment before he pulled back, his eyes locked onto mine.

"Get comfortable, Adelaide," he said, his voice firm as though there would be no room for argument. "Because you're not going anywhere."

With that, he settled beside me, his arm still wrapped around my waist. He pulls me against him. I felt my heart race as I lay there, my mind spinning with the implications of his words.

I knew I couldn't fight him forever, not like this, not physically. So I lay there, pressed against him, and I vowed to myself that I wouldn't let him break me.

Not now, not ever. Even if that meant tolerating the anguish of his existence and the persistent tension of his power, I would find a way to hold on to who I was! No matter how strong the bond between us was, I wouldn't surrender to it, and not to him. Not without a fight.

Sebastian's voice cut through the early morning stillness like a blade. "Wake up, Adelaide. Time to get to work."

The sun starts to shine brightly on my face as I rub my eyes to adapt to the sudden light change. I blinked, still very sleepy I tried to shake off the feeling of intense grogginess.

I turned to face him

"Come on, wake up, mate," he said. "You've got a lot of work ahead of you."

Slowly, I forced myself up; I pushed myself out of bed. I followed him to the car, where a stack of paint supplies and brushes was sitting for me.

The sight of them brought a wave of dread. I eat breakfast, and he takes me to a building, unloading the paint supplies he and I carried to his car.

"Your vandalism needs to be painted over. I trust you'll do a good job," he says as he sits in the lawn chair his eyes immediately watching me.

I nodded, though my mind was racing with thoughts of resistance and escape. The task ahead was annoying, and the thought of spending the entire day laboring under his vigilant eye was anything but appealing.

But I knew better than to voice my protests. The brutal truth of my position hit me again as I picked up the paintbrush. Each stroke was a reminder of the restricted freedom had at this exact moment.

Yet, even as I painted, I focused on the task at hand. Sebastian watched me from a distance, his gaze steady on me, though he tried to make it seem like it wasn't. I could feel his eyes on me, a reminder of his presence.

But I will not allow myself to let him see how much this affected me. With each brushstroke, I funneled my anger into the task at hand, telling myself not to let him break me, even if it meant doing this stupid task.

People would talk to other wolves vampires and other special creatures. The painting of human resistance was being painted away. As the sun went up in the sky, I painted, covering up the emotional paint that once proclaimed my defiance.

But even as I painted up my signs of human rebellion, I vowed to myself that this was only a quick setback. I would find a way to fight back, to take back my freedom. I would never submit to Sebastian. As the hours dragged on, my body grew heavier and heavier with tiredness. I knew if I got tested when I was supposed to, this would have never happened.

The once vibrant spray paint, the mark of my defiance, slowly washed away under the fresh paint from the sweep of the brush. Now and then he would stop by to inspect my work.

His gaze was sharp, looking over every detail. "Make sure you cover every inch," he commands. "I don't want to see any trace of what was there before."

Sometimes I think he just came over here to bother me.

Despite his stern eyes, there was something else just right below the surface. Every so often, because every so often he would approach with a more concerned face.

"You need to stay hydrated," he said, handing me a bottle of water. I accepted the water, and my hand brushed him briefly. The brief contact sent tingles dancing across my skin in contra a reminder of our stupid bond.

As the sun began to set. Sebastian's behavior softened ever so slightly. "You are doing a good job," he said, "but don't mistake this for me being easy on you. The work isn't finished."

I nodded, trying to ignore the pain of frustration. He gestures with his head towards a bench. "Take a break. You've earned it."  He doesn't say anything else for a moment as he watches to see if I'll willingly sit by him.

I sat down, my body aching ever so slightly. Especially my hand, shoulder, and back.

As I caught my breath and sipped the water, I looked up at him. Despite his stern approach, there was warmness in his eyes.