“I shouldn’t have questioned your integrity, he continued, his voice low. His hands lingered on my shoulders, the heat of his palms coming. I let my… instincts cloud my judgment.”
I looked up at hini, searching his face. “What instincts?”
He hesitated, something vulnerable crossing his features. “The thought of you with another wolf… it affected me more
than it should have.”
“So you assumed the worst of me,” I said, the hurt still raw in my voice. “In your mind, I’m the kind of woman who would sleep with a man for a necklace? Is that really what you think of me, Derek?”
Derek’s expression turned pained. “No. That’s not who you are.” He reached out, his fingers gently brushing a tear from my cheek. “You’re loyal, hardworking, and far more principled than most wolves I know. I was… jealous. And I handled it
poorly.”
The admission seemed to cost him, his jaw tight with the effort of such vulnerability.
“You were jealous?” I repeated, hardly believing what I was hearing.
“Get in the car,” he said instead of answering, his voice gentle but firm. “We shouldn’t be out here in the open.”
Wordlessly, Het him guide me back to the vehicle. He opened the passenger door for me, waiting until I was seated before closing it and walking around to the driver’s side.
Inside, the silence was deafening. Derek started the engine but didn’t immediately put the car in gear. Instead, he sat there, staring straight ahead, his fingers lightly tapping on the steering wheel.
“I apologize,” he finally said, the words sounding foreign on his lips. “It was unfair to you.”
I turned to look at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. “I’ve worked so hard to prove myself,” I said quietly. “To show that I’m more than just an Omega, that I have value beyond my rank. And in one moment, you made me feel like
that’s all I’ll ever be to you.”
Derek moved so quickly I barely noticed. One moment he was sitting beside me, the next his hand was sliding into my hair, his face inches from mine.
“You are far more than your rank, Erin,” he said, his voice low and intense. “You challenge me in ways no one else dares. You see parts of me I’ve kept hidden from everyone else.” His thumb traced my jawline. “You’re the only one who makes me question everything I thought I knew.“/
Then he kissed me.
His lips pressed against mine with an almost uncontrolled hunger, firm yet surprisingly gentle. For a moment, I was frozen in shock as the Alpha claimed my mouth for the first time.
Then something primal ignited within me. My wolf surged forward eagerly, immediately recognizing her mate. My eyes closed as I melted into his embrace, my hands instinctively gripping his shirt collar, pulling him closer.
1/3
Chapter 122
Derek growled against my lips, the kiss becoming more forceful, more possessive. His hand fightened in my hair, filling my head back for better access. His other hand slid to my waist, pulling me toward him despite the car’s center console
between us.
Liquid heat coursed through my veins, igniting every nerve ending. The Soul Bond between us pulsed with primitive energy, creating a connection that felt ancient and breathtaking. I could feel his wolf too, just beneath the surface, hungry and possessive. The heavy scent of cedar and leather surrounded me, intoxicating my senses until I almost forgot why ! had been so angry moments ago.
When I finally tore my mouth away, desperately gasping for air, Derek didn’t release me. Instead, he rested his forehead against mine, his breathing as ragged as my own. I could feel his breath fanning across my swollen lips.
“You talk too much,” he murmured, his voice deep and husky with desire, sending shivers down my spine.
I couldn’t help a breathless laugh that was half excitement, half disbelief. ‘Is that your excuse for kissing me?”
He pulled back slightly, his hungry gaze roaming over my face, lingering on my lips. The golden flecks in his eyes were more pronounced now, his wolf still hovering just below the surface. Under that predatory stare, I felt completely exposed. as if he could see right through to my soul.
“I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions,” he said quietly, his thumb tracing my bottom lip. “The thought of you with someone else…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but his expression darkened with a possessiveness that made my insides
clench.
We maintained silence on the drive home, but it was a different kind of silence than before–contemplative rather than tense. Occasionally, I would catch Derek glancing at me, his expression thoughtful.
When we pulled up in front of my house, Derek turned to me. “Erin, I sincerely apologize for my behavior tonight. It was…
unbecoming of an Alpha.”
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