Bound by Contract to the Alpha Chapter 88

Dominic's POV

The words hung in the air between us, sharp and dangerous.

"If you can't accept that I have my own friends, my own life, maybe we shouldn't be doing... whatever this is."

My wolf howled inside me, a primal sound of fury and—I was loath to admit—fear. She was threatening to leave. The very thought sent a wave of rage through my body so powerful that I had to clench my fists to keep from reaching for her.

I stared down at Rebecca, her gray-green eyes defiant despite the flicker of uncertainty I detected in them. Her scent—honeysuckle and rain—filled my nostrils, clouding my judgment. She looked up at me, her expression a mixture of wariness and something else... something that made my blood run hot.

"Little doe," I whispered, leaning close to her ear, letting my voice carry the Alpha timbre that made others instinctively submit, "do you want to leave me?"

My wolf paced restlessly within me. How dare she think that human professor could replace me? She was mine. Only mine. The thought of her walking away, of her scent mingling with another man's, made my vision blur with rage.

"You can't use your body to solve every argument, Dominic!" Rebecca pushed against my chest, her small hands warm through the fabric of my shirt. The resistance only made my wolf more determined, more possessive.

I caught her wrists in one hand, gentle but firm. "That professor wants more than friendship," I growled, my face inches from hers. "I can smell his desire for you every time he's near. He wants to mark you, possess you. Can't you see that?"

Her eyes widened, indignation flashing across her features. "That's ridiculous! Adrian is just—"

"Adrian," I repeated, the name tasting bitter on my tongue. "You're on a first-name basis with him now?"

"He's my professor!" she exclaimed, struggling against my grip. "And even if he did want something more—which he doesn't—that's not the point. The point is that you don't own me, Dominic. You can't dictate who I talk to or spend time with!"

Something in her words made me pause, a cold realization washing over me. The fear in her eyes wasn't just frustration—it was something deeper. Suddenly, I saw myself through her eyes: domineering, controlling... like my father. The thought made me recoil.

"I didn't mean that," I said, my voice dropping to a whisper. "I would never—"

The comparison hung between us, unspoken but palpable. I released her wrists immediately, sitting back on the edge of the bed.

To my surprise, tears welled in Rebecca's eyes. "I know," she said softly. "But sometimes... sometimes you make me feel like I'm just a human plaything to you. A temporary amusement until you become Alpha and need to choose a proper mate."

Is that what she thought? That she meant so little to me?

"You're mistaken, little doe," I said, my voice rough with emotion I rarely displayed. "You've never been just a plaything."

Rebecca reached out, her fingers tentatively touching my face. The simple gesture sent a tremor through my entire body. How could such a small touch affect me so deeply?

"I'm sorry, Dominic," she whispered, her eyes searching mine. "I shouldn't have threatened to leave. I was just... scared."

---

Instead of answering, I leaned forward and captured her lips with mine. My fingers threaded through her chestnut curls, cradling the back of her head as I tilted her face upward. Words had never been my strength—I was more comfortable with action, with showing rather than telling. I poured everything I couldn't say into that kiss: my fear of losing her, my rage at the thought of another man touching her, the confusion of these feelings I'd never experienced before. My thumb traced the delicate line of her jaw, feeling her pulse quicken beneath my touch as her body gradually relaxed against mine.

She responded immediately, her body arching up to meet mine, her fingers tangling in my hair. What had begun as an argument was rapidly transforming into something else entirely. I could smell her arousal, sweet and intoxicating, mixing with the lingering scent of her fear and anger.

This isn't just desire, I thought as I deepened the kiss, my hands exploring the familiar curves of her body. But how do I tell her that?

Her passion almost made me forget about her injuries, but when my hand brushed against her ribcage, her involuntary slight tremor reminded me. I could feel the subtle quiver in her body from her unhealed wounds as she responded to me, which instinctively softened my movements, even as the beast inside me roared.

The taste of her was addictive—honey and something uniquely Rebecca. I moved my lips to her neck, grazing the sensitive skin with my teeth, careful not to break the surface. The sound she made—a soft, needy whimper—sent a jolt of pure possession through me.

Mine. The word echoed in my mind with each beat of my heart.

I was so lost in the sensation of her beneath me that I almost missed the moment everything changed.

Rebecca's breathing quickened, her fingers digging into my shoulders, her body arching upward against mine. Her skin flushed pink from her cheeks down to her collarbone, eyes half-closed in abandon. And then, in a move that took me completely by surprise, she buried her face in my neck, her warm breath sending shivers across my skin before her teeth found purchase. She bit down hard, breaking the skin as her hands clutched at my back. I felt her tongue instinctively swipe across the spot, tasting the salt of my skin and the metallic hint of blood.

I froze, a current of electric energy surging from that point on my neck to every part of my body. The mate bond, dormant until now, flared to life with an intensity that left me gasping.

She had marked me. A human had marked an Alpha.

The realization hit me with staggering force. Only a true mate could complete a marking—it was biologically impossible otherwise. The legends were true: she really was my fated mate.

"You don't know what you've done, little doe," I managed to say, my voice hoarse with shock and escalating desire. "Only true mates can..."

My words trailed off as I felt my wolf surge forward, taking control in a way it never had before. I knew my eyes had changed—I could see the reflection of their bright blue glow in her widened pupils. The beast inside me was free now, unleashed by her marking, demanding to claim what was rightfully his.

My movements became more fervent, more primal. I couldn't control the surge of possessiveness that overtook me as I worshipped every inch of her body, marking her with my scent, my touch, my very essence. She responded with equal passion, as if the bond was affecting her too, drawing us together with a force neither of us could resist.

Afterward, I lay beside her, my body humming with a strange new energy. The mark on my neck pulsed with warmth, and I could feel my wolf restless beneath my skin, stronger than ever before, demanding release.

Rebecca was half-asleep beside me, her breathing slow and steady. I traced a finger along the curve of her neck where I had left my own mark—not a true mating bite, but a claiming nonetheless. She stirred slightly but didn't wake.

"I need to go out for a while," I whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. The wolf inside me was clawing to get out, the need to shift more urgent than I'd ever experienced.