Rachel’s POV
All eyes turned to me, and I felt my throat tighten. I glanced at Nation, unsure if I should speak.
My heart raced at the inappropriate ques
Raymond’s eyes gleamed with a predatory escape his gaze.
, assessing me without pretense. I could feel my wolf cowering within me, wanting to
“I…” I bit my lip hard, my mind racing in a frenzy, acutely aware that any wrong word could spell trouble for Nathan.
I stole a quick, furtive glance at Nathan, his face a mask of inscrutabity, and felt a wave of trepidation wash over me.
“She’s not thinking about these things now,” Nathan responded, his voice calm yet carrying an underlying firmness.
I was stunned. I couldn’t bring myself to look at Nathan directly.
Why on earth would he defend a lowly, mere breeder like me?
In my heart of hearts, I was certain that I was nothing more than property to him, an object to be used and discarded at his whim.
This unexpected act of kindness from him left me feeling bewildered, a strange mix of gratitude and confusion swirling within me.
“I believe we have more pressing matters to discuss,” Tyler interjected smoothly, ever the diplomat, trying to steer the conversation back on track. “The journey to Emerald City will require meticulous preparation-”
“I’m simply curious about this lovely young woman,” Raymond interrupted, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made me squirm. They seemed to bore into my very soul, as if he could see all my secrets laid bare.
“It’s not often we encounter someone with such… unique circumstances.” His tone was laced with a sense of intrigue, and I couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down my spine, unsure of what his interest in me truly meant.
The dining room fell silent. Nathan’s cold pine scent intensified, filling the entire space. My heart thundered in my chest, my inner wolf desperately wanting to flee from this predatory attention.
I found myself instinctively leaning closer to Nathan, seeking protection even as I feared his reaction.
Finally, Nathan broke the silence, his voice cutting through the tension like ice. “Raymond, you’re overstepping on my territory.”
Raymond’s eyebrows rose slightly. “I meant no offense-
“Even if she’s just a breeder, I don’t share my property,” Nathan continued, his voice as cold and cutting as winter frost. “I’d rather see her disappear than have her share a bed with another Alpha.
“His words landed like heavy, physical blows, each one shattering a piece of my already fragile heart. “Property. Breeder. “Disappear.” Each term was like a cruel reminder, driving home my lowly position in this harsh world.
A lump formed in throat, and hot tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision.
I felt a profound sense of hopelessness, as if I were nothing more than an object to be disposed of at his whim.
Raymond’s light chuckle broke the tension. “Completely understandable… every Alpha has his territorial instincts.”
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Chapter 35
The rest of the dinner passed in a blur of tense conversation about rritories and alliances. When I was finally able to excuse myself, I nearly ran from the dining room, desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere.
In the hallway, I leaned against he cool stone wall, trying to steady my breathing. The dinner had been a disaster.
Raymond’s inappropriate questions, Madison’s thinly veiled hostility and worst of all, Nathan’s cold declaration about my status–it all swirled in my mind like a toxic brew.
“Rachel.”
Nathan’s deep voice startled me. I had
hallway sconces.
him approach. He stood mere feet away, his powerful frame illuminated by the
I noticed for the first time how his black suit complemented my red less, as if we had been intentionally matched.
“Alpha, I’m sorry if I spoke out of turn at dinner,” I began, lowering my gaze.
“Look at me,” he commanded.
”
I raised my eyes to meet his, surprised to find them free of the golden anger I’d expected. Instead, they were a stormy gray, filled
with an emotion I couldn’t quite identify”
“You want to travel,” he stated rather than asked. “To see the world.”
“It’s just a dream,” I whispered. “I know my place.”
He stepped closer, his scent enveloping me. “What do I mean to you, Rachel?”
The question caught me completely off guard. “What?”
“What am I to you?” His voice was low, a guttural growl that seemed to reverberate deep within my very soul. “Not as your Alpha, not as your owner. What do I truly mean to you?”
My heart began to race wildly, pounding against my ribcage like a caged bird desperate for freedom. I fumbled for words, my mind a chaotic jumble of thoughts and emotions.
How could I possibly articulate the complex web of feelings he evoked in me?
He was my Alpha, the powerful figure who held authority over me.
He was my owner, the one who had bought me as if I were no more than livestock.
Yet, at the same time, he was so much more. He was the one who had rescued me from the endless torment of my father’s abuse, pulling me from the depths of a living nightmare.
He had given me a comfortable room, a safe haven where I could find solace.
And then there were those moments, those indescribable moments when he had made my body respond in ways I had never dared to imagine, awakening desires I never knew I possessed.
You’re…” I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak. “You’re everything I shouldn’t dream about. You’re the forbidden fruit that I can’t help but long for, the star that shines brightly in the darkness of my world, yet is always just out of
reach.”
His eyes widened slightly at my unfiltered honesty.
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Chapter 35
For a fleeting moment, I thought I saw a glimmer of something in his expression, a softening of his usually hard features. It was as if a wall had briefly come down, revealing a vulnerability I had never seen before.
But just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone, leaving me to wonder if I had merely imagined it.
“Say my name,” he commanded softly, his voice carrying a hint of something I couldn’t quite place.
It was a plea, a demand, and a caress all at once.
“Nathan,” I breathed, the name rolling off my lips with an unexpected intimacy.
It felt as if I were baring my soul with that single word, revealing a part of myself that I had long kept hidden.
He studied me with an intensity that was almost overwhelming, his gaze boring into me as if he were trying to see into the very depths of my being…
Under his scrutiny, I trembled, not from fear, but from a strange mix of anticipation and something else, something that I was too
afraid to name.
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