Chapter 33 CHAPTER 033
Stone:
The first few maids entered, carrying bags of what looked like her clothes. I had just ordered for her things to be moved into my room. The thought of sleeping with her filled me with so much excitement, I could barely concentrate on work. But when Ari entered herself, the excitement waned with the speed of light.
Her eyes, sunken from crying, flickered toward the massive bed that was pressed to the wall like it was an altar, on which she would be sacrificed. The maids scurried out without meeting her gaze, their footsteps swallowed by the plush carpet.
I leaned against the carved post, my arms crossed as I watched the way her fingers curled into her tunic sleeves.
Her eyes were everywhere except on me, almost as if she was afraid of me. It was like she was afraid of what I could do. But I knew better than that. Simmering below all that docility was a brimming fire, waiting to be fueled.
I cleared my throat, clearing all my thoughts.
"Welcome to my room, Ari," I spread my arms and watched her finally look at me from under her lashes. "I understand this is all new to you."
"Of course, it is new to me."
"Well, that's too bad since you'll be living here for the rest of your life. Speaking of which," I cleared my throat. "To stay with me, there are certain rules to follow."
She shifted on one leg. "What rules?"
My lips curled into a smirk as I watched Ari’s fingers twitch against the hem of her sleeve.
"The first rule," I began, circling her like a hawk assessing the size of its prey, "is that you bathe me every morning."
Her head snapped up at that, her eyes with outrage. I continued before she could protest. "Second, you sleep in this bed, with me. No arguments." Her throat worked as she swallowed hard, and I caught the faintest tremor in her hands. "Third..."
"Is there any benefit to this?" she interrupted, her voice trembling as though she was suppressing her fury. "Or am I just your newest plaything? Expected to just follow your lead?"
I chuckled. "The benefit, Ari, is that you’re alive." I stepped closer, close enough to see the pulse dancing at her throat. "That’s the only guarantee I’m offering."
For a moment, she just stared at me, her chest rising and falling too quickly. Then, like a dam breaking, the tears came. Really? She really decided to do that at that moment.
"I never asked for your help!" she spat with a loud voice. "I didn’t want any of this! You dragged me back from death just to chain me to another nightmare!"
Her words hurt like knives lodged in the chest, and I should have been angry. Instead, my heart squeezed in my chest. She wasn’t wrong. And that was the most infuriating part.
"I didn't ask for this either," I snarled, closing the distance between us in two strides.
My palm hit the wall beside her head hard enough to make the wooden beams groan. "The moon goddess threw you into my life, and expected me to just go with it," Her breath hitched, but she didn't cower.
Her chin lifted, defiance burning in her hollowed-out eyes. "But here's rule three," I hissed, leaning in until my lips brushed the shell of her ear. "Never. Look. Me. In the eye when you talk."
She bared her teeth. "Or what? You'll kill me? Punish me?"
The challenge in her voice sent heat licking down my spine. My hand snapped around her throat until I was squeezing, while my other hand traced the soft tendons of her wrist. Her pulse hammered against my fingertips like it was trying to escape from under her skin.Fuck. The scent of her fear made me swallow hard. My cock stirred, and I hated myself for it.
"Now, you will go stand in that corner," I bit out, shoving her away. "Now." She stumbled but she caught herself before she could fall, her shoulders rigid.
I watched the way her clothes stuck to the curvy angles of her frame as she marched to the farthest corner like a soldier facing execution.
"Hands behind your back. And, don't move." My voice sounded foreign to me. It was rough with want and desire, but I wouldn't dare admit it.
I yanked the door open and barked at the first guard I saw. "Fetch Sierra."
The man's face turned pale before he sprinted off. Behind me, Ari's breath stuttered before she went eerily still. I didn't turn because if I looked at her now, I'd do something irreversible.
Like asking her to kneel or beg. Or shoving my dick into her mouth.
The door creaked open as Sierra sauntered in, her smirk already set in place. "Alpha?"
"I want you to teach her obedience," I said, staring at anything but Ari's fragile silhouette. "Starting with how to address her king."
Sierra's laugh slithered through the room. "With pleasure."
Ari's fingers curled into fists.
And I hated myself more for the thrill it sent through my blood.
Sierra’s heels clicked against the polished floorboards as she walked like a predator circling her wounded prey. She was clothed in a gown that barely reached her knees, and topped it with a pair of very tall heels. Sometimes, I wondered how she walked comfortably in something as high as that. But it was Sierra. She could do anything.
She paused mid-stride, tilting her head just enough to cast Ari a sidelong glance, her lips curled in a smirk that didn’t reach her cold eyes. I dragged myself to the couch, sinking into the cushions with one arm draped over the backrest.
"Oh, this will be fun," Sierra purred, rolling her shoulders back as if preparing for a performance. My gaze flickered toward the corner where Ari stood. Sierra noticed my distraction and laughed. "Don’t worry, Alpha. I’ll make sure she learns her place."
My jaw tightened. I wanted Ari to regret it. I wanted her to know her place and stop thinking she was that special. Perhaps, it was I who needed the reminder. But the moment Sierra took a step toward her, something primal snarled in my chest. My wolf stirred restlessly.
"First lesson," she murmured. "You address him as Your Majesty. Not 'Stone'."
Ari’s breath hitched, and my fingers stilled on the couch.
Sierra leaned closer and whispered. "Say it."
A beat of silence. Then, she spat out.
"Go to hell."
"Good," I murmured. "Now, I don't have to feel bad about punishing you."