Chapter 9 The Challenge Accepted
Valencia’s POV
I turned to his other arm, skillfully kneading his bicep. Was the water still warm enough? I wondered, glancing down at the water's surface.
That's when I saw it.
Alpha Logan's cock was fully erect.
My hands froze on his arm. My breath caught in my throat. I quickly looked away, my face burning with embarrassment. My hands shook as I tried to continue the massage.
"Keep going," Alpha Logan's voice was rough.
I forced my hands to move again, but I could barely concentrate. The image was burned into my mind. I had never seen a man aroused before today. The size of him was intimidating and confusing.
"Lower," he commanded.
My hands stilled again. "Alpha?"
"My back. Massage my back."
Relief flooded through me. I moved my hands down to work the muscles between his shoulder blades. But I couldn't stop my eyes from drifting down to the water again.
He was still hard.
"You're trembling," Alpha Logan observed without opening his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Alpha. I'm trying my best." The silence fell over us. I thought about how just hours ago I had been tied to that stone pillar, waiting for death. He had saved me, brought me here, even called a doctor to tend to my wounds. I still couldn't understand why he had helped me.
"Why did you save me, Alpha?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Alpha Logan's eyes opened. He turned his head to look at me over his shoulder. His gray eyes studied my face.
My heart hammered against my ribs. I quickly looked away, taking a step back. The air in the room felt thick.
"Come here," he commanded, his voice authoritative.
I had no choice but to obey. My legs felt unsteady as I approached the tub again, keeping my eyes fixed on the stone floor.
"Continue the massage," he simply pointed to his shoulders.
My face burned. I forced my trembling fingers to press against his broad shoulders. His skin was impossibly hot beneath my fingertips. The silence stretched, broken only by the soft lapping of the water against the sides of the tub and the frantic drumming of my own heart.
"Are you afraid of me?" His voice low.
I flinched, nearly pulling my hands back. "I... I don't know, Alpha," I answered honestly. I was afraid of him, but deep inside my body, there was a strange, uncontrollable flutter. It was the thrill of facing absolute power—terrifying, and yet... alluring.
Without warning, he turned his body. The water in the tub sloshed violently, splashing onto the hem of my dress and leaving wet stains.
Now, he was facing me, his bare torso fully exposed to my view. Droplets of water traced paths down his defined chest and abdomen before disappearing beneath the surface. His deep gray eyes locked onto mine.
"You asked me why I saved you." As he spoke, he raised a hand and caught my wrist, which was hovering in mid-air. His palm was broad and scorching hot, locking onto my skin like a brand. The heat seemed to sear through my veins, straight to my heart. "Because - "
A sharp knock interrupted the moment, making me jump. "Alpha?" The voice sounded like Beta Dorian.
Alpha Logan's jaw tightened. His hand released my wrist. I let out a long breath I hadn't realized I was holding. The heat from his touch still burned on my skin.
"What is it?" Logan's voice was ice cold.
"Alpha, Gamma Xander is here. He wants to discuss the matter concerning Gamma Amara." Dorian's voice was careful.
My heart clenched. Through the thick wooden door, I could hear muffled arguing voices getting louder.
Alpha Logan's expression grew even colder. The temperature in the room seemed to drop. I held my breath, not daring to move a single muscle.
BANG!
The door burst open, the heavy wood crashing against the stone wall.
Dorian was trying to block someone, but he couldn't hold him back. A young man in full battle armor pushed past him. He had the same auburn hair as Amara, the same dark eyes. His face was twisted with rage.
When he saw Alpha Logan in the bath, his expression instantly changed to shock and embarrassment. Then his eyes found me, kneeling beside the tub with water stains all over my torn dress. I must have looked pathetic.
His gaze filled with disgust when he looked at me.
"Alpha, why did you cut off my sister's hand?" he demanded, his voice sharp with anger.
"GET OUT!" Dorian shouted at him.
The situation was completely out of control. I was afraid of the Alpha's rage that would come next. I felt terrified.
Alpha Logan rose from the tub, completely unconcerned about his nakedness. Water splashed everywhere. His gray eyes burned with cold fury as he stared at Xander. He walked slowly toward Xander. Xander's angry expression transformed into terror. His instinct was to back away in fear - a fully armored warrior utterly terrified of a completely naked man.
The Alpha aura rolled off him in waves, filling the room with suffocating pressure. I couldn't breathe. The power radiating from Logan made my chest tight. I stumbled backward and collapsed onto the stone floor, gasping for air.
Dorian and Xander both bent over in pain. The Alpha pressure forced them to their knees, their heads pressed against the floor.
"Alpha Logan, please," Dorian choked out.
Xander couldn't even speak. His face was red as he struggled against the invisible force.
Alpha Logan held the pressure for several more seconds. When he finally released it, I gasped and drew in a shaky breath.
Alpha Logan walked to the table where his cloak lay. But instead of putting it on himself, he came over to me and draped it around my shoulders.
I stared up at him in shock. The gesture was so unexpected, so gentle. He lifted me easily and placed me on the bed. I wanted to ask why, but I found I couldn't make any sound. I just sat there, trembling.
Logan unhurriedly put on his chemise first, then his tunic.
Logan's voice cut through the silence like a blade.
"Amara disobeyed a direct order," he said coldly. "If she had stopped when I commanded her to, she would still have her left hand."
Dorian and Xander remained with their heads pressed to the floor. I couldn't see their expressions.
"The punishment was excessive," Xander said through gritted teeth, his voice muffled against the stone. "Amara has served this pack faithfully for three years. She doesn't deserve this."
Alpha Logan's back was to me, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. When he spoke, his voice carried a dangerous edge. "She is a warrior. A warrior's first duty is obedience. I require absolute loyalty and submission!"
The last word came out as a low growl that vibrated through the room. I felt myself trembling, pulling the cloak tighter around my shoulders.
"Alpha Logan has given you his reasoning," Dorian said quickly, still on his knees but lifting his head slightly. "This is appropriate punishment for disobedience. You should explain this to Amara and help her understand."
Xander finally raised his head, and his eyes found mine. His face was flushed red with rage. "Amara wants to challenge that bitch."
The words hit me like a physical blow. I felt the blood drain from my face. Challenge me? Amara wanted to fight me? A trained Gamma warrior against a wolfless slave? I wouldn't stand a chance. She would defeat me easily.
Alpha Logan turned slightly, though he still didn't face us fully. "Why?" His voice had gone even colder.
"We need a clear-headed Alpha who can lead us to victory in battle," Xander replied, his voice gaining strength as he pushed himself up from the floor. "Not an Alpha bewitched by some witch."
He looked at me with such disgust that I felt my stomach turn. Then he turned back to Alpha Logan with the expression of a loyal advisor speaking hard truths to his leader. The righteous conviction on his face made me want to disappear.
His expression was just like all the others I'd endured today. The same look of disgust and confusion from the servants, from Amara, from everyone here. It was suffocating. I couldn't breathe under the weight of their judgment.
Something inside me snapped.
I'd already faced death once today. I'd been tied to that stone pillar, waiting to die. All this time, I'd held onto unrealistic fantasies that if I just endured, if I just compromised, things would get better. But that was all bullshit. All of it was fake.
My adoptive parents flashed through my mind. They'd loved me once. I'd been their precious daughter. If they were still alive, if they could see me being humiliated like this, their hearts would break. I'd hidden these thoughts before, buried them deep when I was tied to that pillar. But from now on, I had to live with dignity.
I felt rage building inside me, spreading through my body like fire. Power I didn't know I had surged through my veins. I couldn't let these bastards keep insulting me, calling me a whore. My hands clenched into fists beneath the cloak.
"I accept," I said loudly.
The words burst from my lips before I could stop them. Alpha Logan's entire body went rigid. I couldn't see his face, but I could feel his shock. Dorian and Xander stared at me in complete disbelief, their mouths hanging open.