I placed my hands on his chest, trying to push him away, but he was like a brick wall, unmoving.
“Get away from me,” I said, albeit somewhat weakly, as he started to close the distance toward me.
“Isn’t this what you want? Is this what Calvin told you to do? Seduce me to draw me closer?”
The mention of Calvin’s name again was like a vat of cold water poured right over my head.
I shoved him as hard as I could. He moved back only an inch, but it was enough to sneak out under his arm and put more distance between us. He kept his arm on the wall, turning only his head to look at me.
“I regret this,” I told him.
“Seducing me?”
“I wasn’t!” I snapped. “I regret being chosen as the surrogate of someone so unfeeling. Why do you mock me, try to hurt me, when I haven’t done anything wrong? I can’t even look at you.’
My treacherous body still wanted him. Even my wolf was trying to urge me near him.
This was the exact reason I had to turn and run away. I threw open the door to the bedroom and stormed into the hallway. Yet even with this new distance between us, I still felt uncertain. Raw. And every step away from Grayson only left me feeling worse.
I didn’t stop, though. I didn’t slow.
He thought I was the one betraying him, but in his mistrust, he was the one betraying me. I had never wished him harm. I didn’t want him hurt.
I just wanted respect. And hope in some kind of future for myself.
Right now, I was trapped between two men who seemed to hate me as much as they disliked each other. I didn’t want to be used as a weapon. I just wanted to live my own life.
Safe. Happy. Free.
But that wasn’t meant to be, was it? I was a prisoner no matter what happened to me. rayson’s POV-
I watched Lillian slam the door behind her, going into the hallway where I could not follow her. This conversation wasn’t over. This argument was far from done. And that she had crossed the line where I couldn’t go made me even more furious.
Who did she think she was, leaving in the middle of uur conversation?
And she had been seducing me. Her body had softened, her sweet scent filling the air. Of course my body reacted. But that had been her fault, a result of what she was purposefully doing.
Not because I actually wanted her.
I curled my hands into fists so tight that my fingernails dug into the skin of my palm.
Why did I care about any of this? She was a treacherous little vixen, but I’d been around that type many times before. Never had I been as bothered as I was now.
What was it about this one that irritated me so much?
Why did I care about this at all?
Grayson’s POV
Lillian was avoiding me. Not that I cared, but it was annoying to have to divert my sparse resources to keep an eye on her. She only returned to my room late at night, curling into a ball on the far side of the bed and saying nothing to me. I said nothing either, allowing this game to play out. For now.
In her sleep, Lillian was a grabby, cuddly monster, yet not once did she turn into my side or seek out my warmth. That meant she likely didn’t actually sleep. Out of guilt? Maybe her conscious was bothering her. Surely soon, she would admit that I was correct and would reveal her lingering feelings for Calvin.
At the thought, a growl escaped the back of my throat, unbidden. Immediately, I tampered down on it, at the same time, pushing down all the negative feelings such a thought had wrought. Foolish emotion was useless, as well as made no sense.
This woman meant nothing to me. I only needed my suspicions confirmed so that she could be dealt with properly.
For now, I didn’t sleep either. Staring at the ceiling, I waited for her to turn, to reach for me, or to confess. Something. Instead, she stayed on the edge of the bed like a statue, not once moving, not even to make herself more comfortable.
In the morning, she stood and quietly left the room.
Confusingly, I just let her go. Shouldn’t I have confronted her?
Why were my thoughts so tangled where she was concerned? I allowed her to get away with far more than I would have ever allowed with anyone else.
Resting at the edge of the bed, my projected wolf lifted his head and repositioned so he was closer to the spot that Lillian had been. I pretended not to notice.
I awaited my breakfast, my stomach rumbling. When Lillian brought it, I would confront her about her behavior. Yet, instead, Prime Beta entered the room carrying my morning tray of food.
“What is this?” I asked.
“Your surrogate refused to deliver your food,” Prime Beta said, his jaw set with annoyance.
“She can’t refuse,” I snapped. “She is supposed to serve me. If she refuses, it makes this entire situation look suspicious.” Anger flared inside of me, red hot. She said she didn’t want to betray me, but here she was putting my plans in danger.
All because she wanted to avoid me. Like a child. Like I had done anything to deserve that treatment. Not that I cared.
Prime Beta came toward me and lowered the chair on the bedside table.
“This is ridiculous,” I said. “I am not playing these kinds of games to her. Find her and bring her to me. Now.”
Prime Beta grit his teeth. “Yes, Alpha.”
“Are you questioning me, too, now, Beta?” I snapped, some of my irritation spilling out. I was already suffering enough insubordination from Lillian. My Beta was supposed to be my right hand man, my arm where I could not reach. Never once had he acted so disrespectful to me before.
“No, Alpha.”
“Then explain yourself.”
Amuscle ticked th the Prime Beta’s jaw.
“Answer me, Beta. If you have a problem with me or my orders, I would hear it.”
“I am committed to all of my duties, Alpha.”
“But?” I prompted.
“But nothing,” he said quickly.
I frowned at him, knowing he was holding back, but realizing that maybe I didn’t need him to explain anymore Perhaps the truth of it was rather obvious.
He was Prime Beta, my right hand. And here I was, relegating him to the job of a babysitter, finding and retrieving my wayward surrogate. That had to be somewhat demeaning, I could understand his irritation, but it was still a direct command.
“She could be a threat,” I said, offering some explanation.
Prime Beta nodded. “I will retrieve her.” He turned and walked out.
In his absence, I became even more annoyed with Lillian. This was just one more annoyance she was responsible for.
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