Chapter 11

Elsa

Drake grabbed a towel and dragged it across his bare chest, still not looking at me. His silence made my blood boil, rage bubbling up inside me like hot tar.

"She comes from a traditional family," he finally said, his voice controlled, too damn controlled while I was falling apart inside.

I let out a cold laugh that felt like broken glass in my throat. "That doesn't answer my fucking question."

"Her family is old-school Black Obsidian. She's still a virgin."

"She's twenty-four, Drake. You really believe she's pure and untouched?" I spat, my wolf snarling beneath my skin, teeth bared at the thought of another female. "Or do you just like the idea of being her first? Does it get you hard thinking about breaking in your pristine little mate?"

Drake's jaw tightened, the muscle there twitching with irritation. "Her parents have strict requirements—no sex before marriage."

The word "marriage" hung in the air between us like a toxic cloud. I studied his face carefully, and what I saw in his eyes made my stomach drop to my feet. He was actually considering it. Marriage. With her. My chest clenched so tight I could barely breathe.

"Get dressed," he said abruptly. "Vera's staying in the room across the hall. I don't want her seeing you leave my room."

I looked down at my body—bathrobe barely covering my breasts, neck and collarbone littered with his bite marks, thighs still sticky with his cum that was slowly leaking down my legs. Fury and humiliation burned through me like wildfire.

"You didn't seem concerned about that when you were ramming your cock into me against the shower wall an hour ago," I hissed. "Or when you had me bent over the sink with your hand over my mouth. Funny how your priorities shift."

"Elsa." His voice carried that Alpha command that made my wolf whimper and roll onto her back, exposing her belly despite my anger. "Now."

I gathered my clothes, wincing at the soreness between my legs. As I dressed, I could feel Drake's eyes on me, tracking every movement with that predatory focus that had once made me feel desired. Now it just made me feel like livestock being appraised—a piece of meat he'd finished using and was now dismissing.

When I stepped into the hallway, Taylor was waiting by the elevator. His eyes flickered over my disheveled appearance, taking in the marks visible at my collar, my swollen lips, and the unsteady way I walked.

Without a word, he handed me his suit jacket. "Put this on," he said quietly. "Miss Horton is still awake."

I slipped it on, grateful for the coverage of the bruises Drake had left on me, evidence of how thoroughly he'd used my body before casting me aside. The elevator doors closed, and I leaned against the wall, exhaustion washing over me, tears threatening to spill.

"You should get some rest," Taylor said, his voice carefully neutral. "Early flight tomorrow."

I nodded, too tired to speak. Too tired to think about what it meant that Drake's Beta was now managing his mistress's exits.

---

The next morning, I was in the airport lounge, nursing a headache and avoiding eye contact with everyone, when I heard a familiar, artificially sweet voice.

"Elsa! Oh my god, what a surprise!"

Vera stood before me, looking perfectly put together in a pale pink dress that screamed "innocent girlfriend material." Her eyes widened with fake excitement as she linked her arm through mine. My skin crawled at her touch.

"I had no idea you'd be flying back with us! This is wonderful. The past two months have been so boring without you."

I forced a smile, bile rising in my throat. Her dress was designed to appeal to Drake's instincts—modest enough to suggest purity but cut to emphasize her feminine curves. The perfect bait for an Alpha from an old-school pack like Drake. Manipulative little bitch. My wolf paced angrily, wanting to assert dominance over this intruder in our territory.

"The resort project is nearly complete," I said, extracting my arm from hers, resisting the urge to wipe my skin where she'd touched me. "Drake approved my return to headquarters."

"That's fantastic!" She clapped her hands like an excited child. "We'll be working together again. I have so much to learn from you."

The way she emphasized "learn" made it clear she intended to replace me entirely. I could rip your throat out right here, you conniving little cunt.

On the private jet, I took a seat as far from Drake as possible, but the throbbing in my head intensified. My body felt feverish, my skin too tight, and the soreness between my legs had developed into a dull, persistent pain. I asked Taylor if I could switch seats with him to be further from the conversation.

"Are you not feeling well, Elsa?" Vera's voice dripped with false concern. "You look flushed."

Taylor answered for me. "I think she might have caught a fever."

"Oh no!" Vera gasped dramatically. "Where were you last night? I knocked on your door to borrow something, but you weren't there."

The jet suddenly felt very quiet. I could feel Drake's eyes boring into me, hot and dangerous. My stomach twisted with nausea that had nothing to do with my fever.

"I was working late," I muttered, avoiding his gaze, hating how weak I sounded.

"Until dawn?" Vera pressed, her innocent tone not matching the calculation in her eyes. "I was worried about you."

"Vera." Drake's voice cut through the tension like a knife. "Look at me, not her."

Vera immediately turned to him, her expression shifting to adoration. "Yes, Drake?"

"Leave her alone."

The command was simple but effective. Vera settled back in her seat with a pout, while I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the throbbing pain throughout my body and the humiliation burning in my chest.

When we landed, the company cars were waiting. The motorcade stopped first at an upscale residential complex near Stone Industries headquarters.

I stared out the window in surprise, my heart sinking. Vera had moved to an apartment just blocks from the office.

She gathered her things, including a small, designer backpack that looked more appropriate for a schoolgirl than a professional woman. Drake got out to walk her to the door. Through the tinted windows, I watched him bend down to say something that made her laugh.

His expression was soft, gentle—a look I hadn't seen directed at me in years. The sight was like a knife twisting in my gut. My wolf howled mournfully inside me, grieving what we'd lost.

When Drake returned to the car, he instructed the driver to take us to my apartment. I leaned my forehead against the cool window, too exhausted to protest, too broken to care.

In my apartment, I headed straight for the bedroom, intending to collapse into bed. But Drake followed, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. I could feel him, already hard, pressing against my backside.

His arousal was like a branding iron against me. My wolf, the traitorous bitch, immediately responded to our Alpha's scent and presence, rolling over in submission, tail wagging eagerly despite my brain's protests.

"Drake, I'm running a fever. Everything hurts." My voice was raw, desperate.

"You'll sweat it out," he murmured, his hands already working on my clothes. "I'll help you sweat."

I tried to push him away, my arms weak with fever. "I'm serious. I'm sick, goddammit."

He ignored me, ripping open my blouse with a swift movement that sent buttons scattering across the floor. "You weren't too sick last night when you were begging for my cock."

As he pushed me onto the bed, I stared up at the ceiling, my body responding to him automatically—getting wet despite my exhaustion and pain—while my mind drifted away.

His weight pinned me down, his scent surrounded me, filling my nostrils until I could barely breathe. He spread my legs roughly, positioning himself between them.

"Fuck, you're still wet from last night," he growled, sliding a finger into me, then another, stretching me open. "Still full of me."

He pushed inside me with one hard thrust, and I gasped at the intrusion, my tender flesh protesting. He set a brutal pace, hands gripping my hips hard enough to leave new bruises. I could feel him everywhere—his cock stretching me, his chest crushing my breasts, his teeth at my neck.

I came with a strangled cry, my body convulsing around Drake's thick cock as he continued to pound into me relentlessly. My back arched off the bed, thighs trembling as he grabbed my hips, driving himself deeper into my soaked cunt.