Chapter 93 His Private Territory

Chapter 93 His Private Territory
"You don't need to know that right now."

Somehow, the rapid succession of events and their movement through the shadows blurred Michelle's focus. By the time her consciousness fully snapped back into reality, the atmosphere had drastically shifted. The metallic scent of dust was gone, completely erased by a suffocatingly thick aroma of pine and dark musk that made her head spin.

They were now inside Shax's private pavilion.

This structure still sat on the grounds of Sylas's estate, but it was entirely isolated. For as long as she could remember, Michelle had never seen anyone dare approach this perimeter. There was an unwritten, lethal law in the pack: no servant or warrior was to ever set foot in Shax's pavilion without a direct summons.

The only entity immune to that rule was Sylas, but the Alpha had zero interest in visiting his brother's lair. Unless Shax handed him a reason.

This was the first time Michelle had ever set her bare feet on the thickly carpeted wooden floors of his sanctuary.

Shax walked ahead of her, cutting through the heavy darkness into a sprawling, eerily empty bedroom. The interior was swallowed by dull charcoals and pitch blacks. There were no wall hangings, no personal artifacts. Only a massive, imposing bed in the dead center of the room that radiated a cold, uncompromising stiffness, an exact mirror of its owner.

Michelle stepped inside hesitantly, her arms locked tightly around Skai. She clutched her son's warm body to her chest like a shield, standing frozen in the middle of the room as her eyes darted into every shadowed corner with maximum vigilance.

Shax turned around. Without a single word of warning, he extended his large hands toward her.

"Give him to me," Shax commanded.

Michelle took a defensive step back. But her frantic eyes caught the strange, unwavering calm settling over his sharp features. Reluctantly, with her heart violently hammering against her ribs, she allowed his strong hands to slip Skai from her embrace.

He walked over to the edge of the massive bed, effortlessly pushed aside the heavy charcoal duvet, and placed Skai down with a gentle precision that bordered on reverence. Shax even pulled the edges of the blanket up, carefully tucking it around his son's small frame.

But the exact second Shax turned back to face Michelle, that fleeting softness vanished without a trace.

His golden eyes dragged slowly up Michelle's body, stopping dead on her chest and bare shoulders, staring with an intensity that felt like open flames licking directly against her skin.

Shax took a slow, deliberate step forward.

"Now," his voice was a deep, gravelly vibration that commanded absolute obedience. "Take off your clothes."

Michelle flinched, quickly crossing her arms over her chest

"Why?" she snapped sharply, desperately trying to mask the explosion of panic detonating inside her chest. "What are you going to do to me?"

"Are you going to keep talking back? You don't want to be with our son?"

Michelle's throat felt like it was clogged with a wad of rusty cotton. She swallowed hard, her survival instincts still screaming at her with high alertness. However, as the corner of her eye glanced toward the bed, toward Skai's tiny figure sleeping soundly, Michelle's defenses slowly cracked.

Her tense shoulder muscles slumped. Her clenched fists loosened. She hated feeling so helpless, cornered with no way out. But tonight, her ego was less important than reuniting with her son.

"You... really will let me be with Skai if I do what you say?" Michelle's voice was hoarse, almost trembling.

"Yeah."

"You also really... won't hand me over to Sylas?"

Thick veins suddenly bulged on Shax's neck. "Fuck, how many times do I have to repeat myself?" he hissed through gritted teeth. "You really won't believe me?!"

"How could I?" Michelle retorted, her breath quickening as the heat burned at the base of her throat. "You're always the one who so easily goes back on your word."

The air between them froze. Shax stared straight into Michelle's trembling pupils. His wolf was roaring, for whatever reason. What was clear was that a primal pain in his gut was making it almost impossible to breathe.

"And what about you? You never feel like you're going back on your word?" He said.

Michelle frowned, the accusation landing heavy on her chest.

The two of them lapsed into silence again, just staring into each other's eyes as the heavy rhythm of their breathing echoed in the room. Shax was the first to break eye contact. He turned his face to the side, tipping his chin toward a dark, wood-paneled door in the corner.

"Go to the bathroom."

Without further argument, Michelle turned around. She looked at herself in the full-length mirror as she made her way to the bathroom. Her hair was limp and tangled, while her skin felt sticky and sore. The rusty stench of dried blood, cold sweat, and dirt clung to her body.

Michelle stepped into the cold, gray marble-clad room. She started to pull up the hem of her worn shirt, but stopped. She glanced back with a stern, guarded look.

"What are you doing now?" Michelle crossed her arms over her chest. "I can shower myself."

Shax stepped inside, closing the bathroom door behind him with a soft click. "Who said I told you to shower?"

"Then what?"

His eyes stared at Michelle's body. "I want to see your body."

"Pervert," she hissed.

Shax let out a dark scoff. "What exactly are you thinking? Besides, this isn't even the first time we've stripped each other bare, is it? So why are you pretending to be embarrassed now?"

The words were a direct blow to Michelle's pride. She clenched her jaw so tightly her teeth ached. With stiff, defiant movements, she continued undressing. Her mouth was pressed shut, but her lips jutted out in a silent pout of resentment.

Her bloody shirt, dirty pants, and underwear fell into a heap on the marble floor.

The cold air immediately bit her bare skin, making her hair stand on end. However, the chill was nothing compared to the heat radiating from Shax's gaze.

He pushed his body away from the door. His eyes explored every inch of Michelle's skin. His golden eyes narrowed sharply. The veins on the backs of Shax's hands and forearms bulged as his fingers automatically formed tight fists at his sides.

Shax stepped forward, closing the distance until his toes touched Michelle's. Without warning, his large hand reached out. His rough fingertips traced the long, still-unclear scratch on Michelle's chest. They moved down her flat stomach, tracing the bluish bruise on her waist, and then down again to caress the bruise on her inner thigh.

Every time Shax's calloused skin rubbed against her wound, an electric shock exploded beneath Michelle's skin. Their bond roared, sending waves of heat that sent her nerves into spasms.

Michelle bit her lower lip hard, forcing back the sounds that forced their way from her throat. Her breath hitched, her chest rising and falling rapidly as Shax began to circle her.