His

Arrogance Is A Virtue

The tension in the room was undeniable. I could feel dozens of eyes looking from the Alpha to me and back again with interest. At my lack of response, the Alpha raised an eyebrow and I saw a glint in his eyes. This was my test, the moment that decided whether or not I would make a return appearance to The Hole. If I disrespected him in front of his pack members, there'd be hell to pay. Hatred shot through my body with a vengeance and I felt the vein in my neck bulge with the effort it took not to lunge right for his jugular. I inhaled slowly, my nails digging into the skin of my palm surely hard enough to draw blood. My eyes met his, head on.

"Hello, Alpha," I greeted with no emotion in my voice.

His eyes narrowed and his lips twitched ever so slightly. I kept my face as expressionless as possible, giving nothing away to him. He lifted his hand in a gesture for me to come near. I didn't move. A smirk curled around his lips.

"Come now, Tigress. Join us," he insisted, his voice dripping with false sincerity.

My hands clamped together in front of me, I took long strides to the couch on the far side of the room. The complete opposite of where he sat and what he meant for me to do. I slid my hands under me and dug my fingernails into the fabric of the jeans and into the tender flesh of the back of my thighs. He watched me with interest, his eyes calculating. For a moment, it was a standoff; would he order me over and make a scene or would he let it go? Finally, he turned his head back to the TV and the pack members in the room soon followed suit. I didn't watch a single second of it. Instead, my mind was reeling with decisions. Would I attempt escape? Would I stay? And even though I asked myself these questions, I already knew the answer. I couldn't leave. My deal with this alpha was me in exchange for my pack's safety. They were alive because I was his mate. If I left, even ran away somewhere he'd never find me, it would be my pack that would pay the price of my freedom.

It was a couple hours of mindless TV and chatting in the room later that had the Alpha standing from the couch.

"Good night. I will see you all for training in the morning."

All heads, except mine, bowed to him in submission, exposing their necks. He turned to me then.

"Tigress," he called, extending his hand to me.

I stiffened at the action. I knew I could not refuse his hand without consequences but the thought of touching him made my stomach roll. After a second or two, he raised a brow and the look in his eyes darkened dangerously. The Alpha would not ask again. Jaw set tight, I rose from my seat on the couch and took a step toward him. Hand still outstretched to me, I placed my own in his grasp. Sparks erupted at the touch of skin and I drew in a sharp breath. Hand in hand, he led me from the room and towards the bank of elevators just outside. When the doors slid closed I thought my knees would give out right there. In the closed area I could not escape his overwhelming scent. Coffee and cream... I swallowed audibly and clenched my hands into fists.

My eyes lifted to the to the screen above the doors and saw that we had not even left the first floor. I looked to the panel of buttons on the wall and reached for the number five. At that, the Alpha wrapped his hand around my wrist and yanked me against his chest. My eyes were as wide as saucers as they stared into his deep brown ones. He studied my face carefully before a small smirk formed.

"You are beautiful, Evangeline. I'll give you that. But I do miss what used to be here." His hand dipped down to my much smaller ass and gave it a squeeze.

I squeaked at his crassness and glared up at him. "Well, I'd still have it had you not locked me in The Hole for who knows how long to slowly starve to death! Which reminds me, how the fuck did I survive without food-"