Alpha's STOLEN Mate Chapter 39

Elowen

Despite the intoxicating herbs clouding my judgment, I forced myself to maintain what little control I had left. Clutching the towel tighter around my body, I lifted my chin defiantly.

"Get me some clothes," I demanded, my voice shakier than I wanted it to be. "And for God's sake, put something on yourself!"

Kaius's laugh was rich with dark amusement. "Yes, exactly that expression," he said, his storm-gray eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "I can see how much you want me, even while you're trying to resist."

He gestured casually toward the massive bed, where several garments lay draped across the silk covers.

I fled from him like he was on fire, practically diving toward the bed to grab the clothes. But as my hands closed around the fabric, my heart sank.

Every piece was unmistakably his—shirts that would smell like sandalwood and winter pine, clothes that would mark me with his scent as surely as any physical claiming.

*Oh, fuck. This is all part of his plan.*

The realization hit me like cold water, cutting through some of the herb-induced haze. The intoxicating room, the lack of my own clothes, even the timing—it was all calculated. He was trying to force me into submission one step at a time, starting with making me wear his clothes, saturating myself in his scent until resistance became impossible.

I dropped the garments like they were poisonous snakes, shaking my head violently.

"I'm not wearing your clothes," I snarled, backing toward the bathroom. "I'd rather put on my old things."

Kaius's expression shifted from amusement to irritation. "Your clothes reek of dungeon and fear. You can't seriously prefer that."

"I don't care if they smell like a corpse," I shot back, reaching for the bathroom door. "I'm not wearing anything that belongs to you."

Before I could escape, his hand shot out and grabbed my wrist, yanking me back with enough force to make me stumble. The casual display of strength was a stark reminder of how helpless I truly was.

"Tonight is when I mark you," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I'd prefer not to move up the timeline, but you're testing my patience. You know I could claim you right now if I wanted to."

The threat sent ice through my veins, but it also sparked something fiercer—pure, undiluted rage at his presumption.

"Fuck you!" I spat, trying to wrench my arm free.

In one swift motion, he yanked the towel away from my body, leaving me completely exposed. Instinctively, I moved to cover myself, but he held out one of his shirts with his free hand.

"Put it on," he commanded, his tone brooking no argument. "You don't have any other choice."

The casual way he'd stripped away my only protection, the arrogant assumption that I'd simply obey—it pushed me past the breaking point.

*God! Fine! You want to force me? I'll show you what real defiance looks like.*

Instead of covering myself or grabbing for the shirt, I did the last thing he expected. I dropped my hands to my sides and smiled.

"You're right," I said with sweet sarcasm. "I don't have another choice. So I choose to wear nothing at all."

At the same time, I reached deep into my core and activated every ability I possessed. My scent vanished completely, suppressed so thoroughly that even I couldn't detect it. The connection to my wolf went dark, hidden behind walls of pure will.

Kaius went rigid, his nostrils flaring as he searched for traces of what had just disappeared.

"Where's your wolf?" he demanded, his voice sharp with anger and confusion.

My smile turned razor-sharp. "I don't want you to feel her anymore."

Something snapped in his expression. He grabbed me by the shoulders and hauled me toward the bed, his control finally cracking.

"Why do you insist on fighting me at every turn?" he snarled, his grip tight enough to bruise.

I met his furious gaze without flinching. "Because I want you to understand one simple fact: I will never be yours."

His face contorted with rage. "I've never met anyone as stubborn as you!"

Then his expression shifted into something more dangerous—cold determination mixed with manic intensity.

"You know what?" he said, his voice dropping to a whisper that raised every hair on my body. "Marking you isn't waiting until tonight. It's happening right fucking now."

But I was ready for him this time. As he moved to pin me down, my fingers shifted, nails extending into razor-sharp claws. The moment he got close enough, I raked them across his chest, leaving four deep scratches that welled with blood.

Satisfaction surged through me at the sight of the damage, but it quickly turned to frustration when he didn't even flinch. No cry of pain, no acknowledgment of the wounds—just cold, predatory focus.

Using his superior strength, he quickly gained the upper hand, pinning my arms above my head. Despite my efforts to maintain control, being pressed against his naked body sent unwanted heat spiraling through me.

*Fight it. Don't let him win.*

I could feel my wolf stirring despite my attempts to suppress her, drawn to his proximity like a moth to flame. My body betrayed me with every heartbeat, responding to his touch even as my mind screamed in protest.

When his mouth found my throat, trailing hot kisses along the sensitive skin where he would place his mark, I felt my resistance crumbling. The combination of his scent, his touch, and the damned herbs was overwhelming my defenses.

*No, no, no—*

My abilities flickered as pleasure crashed over me in waves. My wolf surged to the surface, no longer hidden, purring with satisfaction at finally being close to our mate. I could feel myself arching beneath him, my body betraying every rational thought.

His teeth scraped against my neck, right over the spot where his mark would bind us forever. I was seconds away from becoming his completely, irrevocably—

"Are you willing?" he growled against my skin, his voice rough with desperate need.

My body was on fire, every nerve ending screaming for completion. The mate bond roared in my chest, demanding I say yes, demanding I submit. But even through the haze of overwhelming arousal, my mind clung to one stubborn truth.

I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head, the movement barely perceptible but devastating in its finality.

The silence that followed was deafening.

When Kaius pulled back, his face was a mask of barely contained fury and something that looked dangerously like madness. His chest heaved with ragged breaths, his gray eyes wild with thwarted desire.

"No," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper that somehow carried more menace than any shout. "No, no, NO! You can't just lie there with your eyes closed while I mark you! I won't let you drift through this like it's some fucking chore!"

He stood up suddenly, beginning to pace like a caged animal, his naked form radiating barely controlled violence.

"I want you conscious! I want you aware! I want you to fucking beg me for it!" His voice rose with each word, becoming more unhinged. "I want you to plead with me to mark you, and I want you to remember exactly how desperate you sounded when you did!"

Before I could process what was happening, cold metal snapped around my wrists. He'd produced handcuffs from somewhere, securing my arms before hauling me up and throwing me over his shoulder like a sack of grain.

"If you won't submit willingly," he said, his voice now deadly calm in a way that was far more terrifying than his shouting, "then I'll find another way to break down that stubborn pride of yours."

The last thing I saw before he carried me from the room was my reflection in one of the mirrors—naked, bound, and completely at the mercy of a man who'd apparently decided that patience was no longer an option.

*What the hell have I unleashed?*