Chapter 15 "Take Off Your Clothes"
Lyra’s POV
My palm stung from the impact against Dorian's chiseled jaw. His head barely moved, but his eyes widened in shock before narrowing dangerously.
"You arrogant, ignorant, controlling bastard," I hissed, trembling with rage. "You've spent over three years treating me like a ghost in your house, and now you have the audacity to question who I speak to?"
"You won't be seeing Caleb again. Not alone."
"Our trial period ends in several weeks," I reminded him. "After the Reject ritual, I'll be free to see whoever I want."
Dorian's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Try it," he whispered.
"You twisted, pureblooded psychopath," I spat. "You can't dictate my life."
"You're on my territory," he growled. "Under my protection. My name. My mark."
"I'm not your property." I pushed against his chest, ignoring how my wolf responded to his Alpha scent. "I never was."
"You're disgusting," I continued, fighting against the instinctive submission his Alpha aura triggered in me. "Using your status to control everyone around you."
His hand suddenly caught my hair, fingers threading through the strands near my scalp. He pulled my head back slightly, forcing me to look up at him.
"I'm your Alpha," he stated, voice low and certain. "I decide what's best for you."
"You reek of alcohol," he continued, his nose tracing the line of my jaw without touching. "And Caleb. It makes my wolf furious."
Before I could respond, he gripped my arm and started walking, pulling me deeper into the forest. His stride was purposeful, his grip unyielding.
"What are you doing? Let me go!" I struggled.
We approached a rocky outcropping on the mountainside. Dorian pressed his palm against a seemingly solid wall, and a hidden stone door slid open. He pushed me inside and sealed the entrance behind us.
The hot springs cave. A sacred space in Blackthorne territory.
Blue-tinged light filled the cavern from luminescent moon stones embedded in the walls. Steam rose from the natural pools, carrying the scent of healing minerals. The largest pool in the center glowed with an otherworldly silver-blue light.
"Take off your clothes," Dorian ordered.
I stared at him in disbelief. "What?"
"You need to bathe." He approached slowly. "Take. Them. Off."
The air between us charged with primal tension. Our wolves prowled beneath our skins, his dominant, mine fighting submission.
"Go to hell! "
"TAKE THEM OFF."
My wolf whined, instinctively responding to the command. I hated how my body responded to his authority despite my mind's rebellion. Slowly, my fingers betrayed me, lifting the edge of my shirt.
I pulled it over my head, standing before him in my bra, shoulders squared despite my vulnerability. His eyes traveled over my exposed skin, his face impassive.
Dorian lifted me without warning, carrying me to the largest pool. He waded in, still fully clothed, the warm mineral water soaking us both. He set me down gently, the water reaching my collarbones.
I became acutely aware of how the mineral-rich water made my remaining undergarments nearly transparent, clinging to every curve.
Dorian gripped my chin hard, jerking my face up. His thumb scraped over my lower lip, rough and deliberate, sending a jolt of unwanted heat straight to my core.
His hands moved, rough and unrelenting, claiming every inch of me. They raked down my neck, over the sharp jut of my collarbone, and down my arms, his touch possessive, like he was hell-bent on erasing Caleb’s scent from my skin.
His palms cupped my breasts, fingers digging into the soft flesh, pinching my nipples until they hardened, making me shudder despite my defiance. My breath hitched as his hands slid lower, over the curve of my stomach, then to my hips, gripping so tight I felt his claim in my bones.
A moan slipped out, raw and unbidden, as his fingers pressed into the wet heat between my thighs, rubbing my clit through the soaked fabric of my underwear.
My pussy throbbed, slick and aching, arching into his touch against my will. His smirk was vicious, dripping with contempt. “Fucking slut,” he snarled, voice thick with lust and derision. “Your cunt’s practically dripping for me.”
Humiliation scorched me, but my body betrayed me, craving more. He spun me around, my back slamming against his chest, water sloshing around us. His fingers trailed down my spine, then lower, yanking my underwear aside.
With slow, deliberate thrusts, he shoved two fingers into my tight, wet pussy, pumping them deep, mimicking the hard drive of a cock. My walls clenched around him, my knees buckling as heat surged.
He curled his fingers, hitting that sweet spot inside me, relentless, until my body shook and I came hard, my pussy pulsing around his fingers, leaving me gasping, exposed, and raw.
He stepped back, his face unreadable. “Don’t fucking drink with Caleb again,” he growled, voice low and final.
Without another word, he turned and left the cave, the stone door sliding open and closed behind him. His figure disappeared into the moonlight, leaving me alone in the glowing pool.
I sank deeper into the warm water, confused and shaken. My wolf whimpered, equally perplexed.
What does he want from us? I wondered. There was pain in his scent... and fear?
Several more weeks until the trial period ended. Then would come the Reject ritual, and this twisted arrangement would finally be over.