Fangs and Fur: The Alpha king's mate

Nothing to say to you

I stood there long after he left, my mind racing with his words. *He's not my enemy.* The phrase echoes over and over in my head, but I can't bring myself to believe it. He might not have been my enemy in the conventional sense, but he was still the one holding me in this cage with this bond I never asked for.

I tried to shake off the feeling of his existence. No matter what I did, I couldn't seem to clear my head. The bond between us was like a living thing, a chain that connected us, making it impossible to ignore him even when I wanted to. Every time he was near, my heart raced with a mixture of hate and something darker, something more primal.

I hated it.

I hate how my body responds to him against my will. How even though I tried to resist, part of me was drawn to him to the power he oozed, the undeniable allure that came with being both vampire and werewolf. His dual nature was something extremely rare, something even more unnatural, and I had no idea what it meant for me or this bond between us.

I don't want to be controlled. I want my freedom. But there was more to this than I thought. The fact that he had *chosen* not to dominate me and chose to resist whatever pull the bond had on him—meant there was something more complicated at play here. Other mates would have completed the bond the same day. A part of me had to admit that he could have forced me into submission long ago with either his alpha tone or his vampire charm, but he didn't. And that left me questioning everything I thought I knew about him.

*No.* I whisper.

I grit my teeth and force myself to focus, I can't afford to let my thoughts wander to the way his eyes linger just a little too long or how his voice, even when calm, stirred something deep inside me. This wasn't some twisted romance, and I wouldn't let my body betray me.

Pacing the length of the room, I went over everything in my head again and again, trying to figure out what his game was. He had the power to force me into submission, but he didn't. He had the chance to break me, yet he held back. Why?

A knock at the door interrupts my thoughts, and I freeze, my heart jumps into my throat. I hadn't heard anyone approach. It was like that with him sometimes; he moved like a shadow. Though I knew it was him before he even spoke.

"Adelaide," he rumbled through the door his words sent a shiver down my spine. "We need to talk."

I clench my fists and bite back the sharp remark that threatens to spill from my lips.

"I have nothing to say to you," I snap.

There was silence for a moment, and then the door creaked open he stood there like he owned the world. I guess in a way he did.

His eyes were on me.

"I think you do," he says softly as he takes a step into the room. "You're trying to figure this out, just like I am."

I back away trying to maintain the distance between us as my heart pounds. His presence was already overwhelming me, and no matter how much I told myself to stay strong, the bond tugged at me.

"You're wrong," I say as I shake my head. "I'm not trying to figure anything out. I just want you to leave."

He smirked lightly, the kind that infuriated me to no end, but he didn't step any closer. "You can lie to yourself all you want, Adelaide, but we're tied together. This bond... it's more than either of us can control."

I swallow as my throat tightens with the weight of his words. "Then break it."

For a split second, something flicked across his face, but it was gone just as quickly, replaced by that maddening calm. "It's not that simple."

"Make it simple," I challenge. "If you truly don't want to control me, if you care about my freedom like you claim, then break the bond."

His eyes darkened, and for the first time, I saw the real conflict and hurt in him. He wasn't unaffected by this—by me. His jaw clenched as he looked away, his fingers flexing at his sides like he was stopping himself from something.

"I can't," he admits barely a whisper.

I stare at him. "Why not?"

He finally met my eyes. "Because breaking the bond could kill us both."

The room went cold. The weight of his words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I stumble back, my mind spins. I did not expect that. Of all the things he could have said, I never imagined this bond was something so dangerous, something that could end both of our lives.

"You're lying," I whisper with doubt.

He shakes his head and steps closer now, and this time I didn't move away. "I wish I was."

I sank to the edge of the bed, my legs suddenly weak.

I wanted nothing more than to be free of him. Every time he was close, my body betrayed me. I hated how it reacted to him.

I hated him for it.

I hated the way he looked at me like I already belonged to him. It was only a matter of time before I gave in to whatever twisted game he was playing.

The worst part? He knew it. He knew exactly what he did to me.

"You're thinking too much," he says low and rough."I can feel it."

I turned away, refusing to let him see how much he affected me. "I told you to leave."

"And I told you we're not done." He was closer now, the heat of his body reaching mine, surrounding me, suffocating me. "You can't keep running from this, Adelaide. From me."

I spin around my anger now boiling over. "I'm not yours, Sebastian."

His eyes darken at that, a flicker of something dangerous flashes behind them. In a blur, he was right in front of me, his hand grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him. His touch was firm, but not cruel.

"Not mine?" he growls, his voice thick with possessiveness. "You are mine. Whether you admit it or not."

I try to pull back, but his grip tightens, holding me in place. His eyes burned into mine.

"I never asked for this," I spat.

"No," he agrees, his thumb brushes lightly over my bottom lip, sending an unwanted thrill down my spine. "But that doesn't change anything. This bond ties us together, Adelaide. It makes you mine, in every way that matters. Just like I'm yours."

I tremble, hating how his words provoked something deep inside me, something primal. He leaned in, his breath hot against my ear as he whispered, "You feel it too. Don't pretend you don't."

I clench my fists, trying to fight against the way my body responds to him. "You're not going to control me."

He chuckles darkly, his grip never loosens. "Control? If I wanted to control you, you'd already be on your knees, begging for me." He tilts my chin up higher, forcing me to meet his gaze again. "But I don't want your submission, Adelaide. I want your surrender."

He could have forced me long ago, made me bend to his will with his alpha command or his vampire charm, but he hadn't. He was waiting, watching, letting me fight against it, because he knew, deep down, I wouldn't be able to resist forever.

"I'll never surrender to you," I whisper.

He smirks, and his thumb still traces my lips. "You already have. You just haven't realized it yet."

I tried to shove him away, but he didn't budge. Instead, he leans in closer, his lips brushing against my ear. "You'll come to me. It's only a matter of time."

I wanted to hate him, wanted to fight him—but with every word, every touch, he was breaking down my defenses, brick by brick.

He finally released me and took a step back. "Think about it all you want," he says. "But remember this—you belong to me. And no matter how hard you fight it, you'll never escape that truth."

With that, he turned and left the room, leaving me there. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold on to the remnants of my anger, my defiance, but I could feel them slip away.