Chapter 13

Alaric

All it took was for me to say I’ll pay for the medical expenses and Cara’s kissing me. It stings to realize once again that money always wins with her.

But after watching her lay motionless in that hospital bed, money is a price I’m willing to pay if it means I can have her back in my life. I’ll give her more than Eamon ever could.

I wonder how much he offered her…

Cara speaks, “I don’t need the hospital. It’s just been a long day. A long few weeks, really. I’m just tired.” The dark circles under her eyes confirm what she’s telling me. She looks exhausted.

Looking to her fatigued face again, I know something that will help. I park the car.

Reaching over to her, my hands gently rub her shoulders. Her muscles are so tense. I hear a soft moan escape from her mouth.

The angle is ridiculous, the center console blocking me from being able to comfortably massage her.

“Come here, Cara,” I whisper in her ear, taking an extra moment to breathe in her scent. “We both know you need this.”

She looks up at me with those big eyes. I can see some hesitation there, but her body must win over her mind because soon enough, I’ve adjusted her to sit on my lap.

She’s straddling my legs, and I move my seat backwards to give her more space from the steering wheel. Our chests are pressed together.

I run my hands along her back, thankful for the full access to touch her. I’m rubbing and caressing, soothing and squeezing, pulling out all my tricks to release the tension.

I think it’s working, she feels softer in my hands. Cute little whimpers intermittently come from her lips. I keep going.

I know her all too well; her body can't resist this, and I relish seeing her lose control because of me.

Or rather, this is my purpose.

A flash of the sight of her in the hospital bed pops back into my mind. I just want her to be okay. I just want her to feel good.

I gently kissed her ear, feeling a sense of satisfaction as I saw the ever-cool she-wolf lose her senses for me. The pleasure I brought her made her completely immersed in it.

“Cara…” I hear Grey’s voice faintly, but I roughly force him back to the far edges of my mind. I can’t deal with my wolf right now; I need to focus.

The scent of Cara is so strong in this enclosed space, the sounds of her pleasure ringing in my ears. My body needs her. All this emotional crap, all this turmoil with Lilia, be damned.

This is purely physical. Just an itch that’s demanding to be scratched.

My hands are still on her back, but I can’t help my hips from inching up to meet hers. I rock forward just slightly each time I rub her back.

We flow into a rhythm. And I do mean we.

Cara’s grinding her hips down onto mine, rehearsing the familiar scene of her riding me. This position was one of her favorites. She likes being on top, able to give herself exactly as much pressure and force as she wants.

Judging by how fast she’s pressing herself down onto my growing erection, she definitely wants it. I’m stiffening more and more with each rotation of her hips.

I move my hands from her back, grazing my fingertips along her breasts. Her nipples are hard for me, and she gasps as I touch them. I pinch, ever so slightly, and she cries out, “Alaric!”

Her eyes are closed and she’s breathing deeply now. I know her body; I know that flush in her cheeks and that look on her face.

She’s getting close.

We still have our clothes on, and she’s almost ready to burst. And I’m all too happy to give it to her.

My mouth comes to her neck, licking and sucking the sensitive flesh. I want to bite her, want to nip her with my teeth with a nearly uncontrollable urge. I need her to be mine. She is mine.

“OOOooohh…!” Cara yells as she comes, orgasm causing waves and waves of tremors through her body. It soaked my suit pants.

I saw her blushing and couldn't help but smile. With that, I started the car and headed for the apartment.

I lower her relaxed body onto the bed of the apartment we shared. She fell asleep as soon as her tremors stopped, and I was glad she was finally getting some rest.

Her head falls softly on the pillow and her eyes open. She looks around, taking in her surroundings and looks at me, something sharp in her eyes.

“We didn’t… You didn’t… We didn’t have sex, did we?” She asks with a tremble.

“No, we didn’t have sex.” I reply gently. “You fell asleep after dry humping me.” I chuckle softly as an embarrassed blush hits her cheeks. She sighs with obvious relief.

My pride bristles. Why should she be relieved to have NOT been with me? Doesn’t she want me as badly as I want her?

No, of course she doesn’t. Not after everything that’s happened in the last few weeks… Of course she wouldn’t want to have sex with me.

Of course she’d reject me.

She doesn’t love me. She’s never loved me.

Unless…

I think back to how she was crying after I proposed to Lilia. Maybe she was more invested than I thought…

I can’t keep going back and forth in my mind like this. I need to ask her directly. Once and for all.

I clear my throat and adjust my position, sitting at the edge of the bed next to her. “Cara…” I start, unsure how to phrase the question. “Do you… have feelings for me? Do you love me?”

I’m honestly not sure what answer I want to hear, but she gives me nothing.

She stares blankly down at her hands, not responding to the question. Maybe she doesn’t know how she feels either.

Part of me wants her to say yes, for her to be completely, completely in love with me. Part of me thinks everything would be so much easier if she didn’t love me, if she was just out to satisfy her own sexual needs.

I’ve been giving her a hard time about needing money, maybe she’s just embarrassed that she just needs the sex, too.

There’s a faint, dull ache in my chest, but I resolve to get over it. This is just sex.

I drop the subject and leave her to rest.

Soon after, I’m arriving back at the Alpha villa to find Lilia waiting for me. I should have expected this, given that she called me earlier to complain that I’d missed wedding dress shopping.

I begin another round of apologies when Lilia stops me.

“I know you’ve been with Cara.” She says simply, arms folded across her chest. “You’re covered in her scent.”

“I’m so sorry, Lilia. It’s just… this damn bond—”

Lilia sucks in a breath, “But you severed that? You rejected her. I was there!”

“I know. It’s… taking longer than I expected. My body just needs a little bit longer to get this out of my system.” I reach for her, wrapping her in a hug. “Only you have my heart.” I whisper in her ear.

“Promise?” She asks, looking up to me with a soft twinkling in her eye.

I nod and she sighs, whispering back to me, “I forgive you.”

How did I get so lucky to have such a perfect and understanding fiancée?

Lilia

I know he’s lying. I don’t even care. I’d expect nothing less.

I say goodnight to Alaric and retire to the bedroom. It might be luxurious for the poor, but to me, it's too small and the furniture is outdated, but I guess it’ll have to do for now. I’m redecorating the second I get the chance.

All my life, I’ve been surrounded by the best things life has to offer. The best clothes, the best jewelry, the best vacations.

DarkWood is… okay, I guess…

But Alaric is a strong and powerful Alpha King, even if DarkWood’s mediocre in all other ways. Give it a few more years, and DarkWood will be the strongest pack in the world. Just in time for me to clinch my position as Luna.

…The most powerful Luna in the world!

If all it takes is pretending to be in love with Alaric to get there, that is a price I’m willing to pay. Some might call me selfish, but so what? I was born into nobility, and I must have the very best!

If only that stupid, annoying Cara didn’t keep getting in the way. What does Alaric even see in such a pathetic orphan?

There’s no chance in hell that I’m going to let her disrupt my plans.Especially not when I’m so close to victory!

I look down at the jewelry box on the dresser. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires… the most expensive items money can buy. A sparkling ruby catches my eye and reminds me of Cara’s hair.

The jewelry box falls to the floor in pieces after I throw it against the wall.

I take my phone out of my pocket.

“Eamon!” I yell as my brother answers. “I need help getting this Cara Wilson out of my way. She’s nothing but trouble!”

“What? Lilia, I’m in the world of a meeting and you call about this? Sorry, I’m swamped with work, I can’t help you.” The line goes dead.

Eamon had the nerve to hang up on me!

He’s never treated me like this! Normally he’d do anything his baby sister asks. Maybe Cara’s gotten to him, too… this is turning into a much bigger problem.

I need to find someone else...Besides Eamon, I have five other brothers!

My hands are shaking with rising anger as I dial another one of my brothers. Surely, I can get at least ONE of them to help me…