Chapter 24
Violet's POV:
I held the crystal decanter out to him, my expression bored and completely detached.
"You can guess what this is," I said, my voice dripping with mild mockery. "You came back to the manor to appease Victoria, didn't you? This is her latest mandate. Drink it, and we can all pretend we’re a happy, functioning family for another night."
Daemon took the glass from my hand and drained the contents in one long swallow. He slammed the empty glass onto the counter with unnecessary force.
I turned on my heel and headed upstairs, leaving him alone in the kitchen with the empty decanter and the silence of the large, empty house.
I had missed my morning training to attend my father's birthday at the Goldcrest estate. Now, my muscles felt stiff and neglected. I couldn't sleep like this; I needed to stretch the tension out of my system before I turned in.
I changed into a sports bra and shorts, rolling out a yoga mat in the center of the room. I changed and moved through the poses.
As I sank into a deep lunge, the friction sparked a sudden, sharp heat in my lower belly—a hollow, aching need that spread through my veins like wildfire.
I didn't try to fight it. Scrambling upright, I snatched my tablet from the nightstand and unlocked it in one fluid motion. My fingers flew across the screen, bypassing any thought of hesitation as I pulled up the "Silk Series"—high-production romance films tailored for women.
Soft music filled the room, followed by the sound of heavy breathing and the rustle of sheets. On the screen, a handsome man worshipped a woman’s body with slow, deliberate touches. I watched, trying to lose myself in the fantasy.
The door to my bedroom flew open.
I scrambled up, clutching the tablet to my chest, my heart hammering against my ribs. Daemon stood in the doorway. He had clearly just showered; his hair was wet and slicked back, water droplets tracing paths down his broad, muscular chest. A white towel was slung low around his hips.
The tablet in my hands was still playing. A low, needy moan from the video pierced the silence of the room.
"What is that noise?" Daemon took a step into the room, kicking the door shut behind him.
"Nothing," I stammered, fumbling to find the volume button. "Get out, Daemon."
He didn't listen. In two long strides, he was across the room. He snatched the tablet from my hands before I could lock the screen.
I braced myself for his mockery like he usually did.
But the laugh never came.
Instead, the air in the room grew heavy, suffocatingly hot. His chest heaved, his breathing becoming ragged and harsh, as if he were fighting for air.
He tossed the tablet onto the armchair, the device landing with a thud. Then, without breaking eye contact, he reached for the knot of his towel and yanked it free.
The towel fell to the floor. He was fully aroused, his Alpha anatomy on display, aggressive and undeniable.
My mouth went dry. Before I could scramble backward, he was on me—dropping to his knees to straddle my hips, his heavy weight pinning me to the floor.
"Is this what you want?" he growled, leaning down until his lips brushed the shell of my ear. His skin was radiating a heat that felt unnatural, like a furnace. "You want to watch other people? Or do you want the real thing?"
"Daemon, stop," I gasped, trying to twist away, but the heat radiating off him was intoxicating. "You're burning up. You're not... you're not normal."
He buried his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply. "Ask yourself why," he panted, his voice strained with agony. "What was in that drink, Violet? What did you give me?"
The realization hit me like a physical blow.
Moonlight Essence.
"It was supposed to be a supplement," I whispered, horror dawning on me. "Ruby said it was... oh god. It’s an inducer. A rut inducer."
I struggled against his grip, panic rising. "Daemon, listen to me! It’s the drug. It’s not real. We are breaking the bond. You cannot do this!"
He ignored me. He grabs my waist, pulling me flush against his burning torso.
"No," I said, though the word lacked conviction. Ember was purring inside me, a traitorous vibration that weakened my limbs. She wanted this. She wanted her Alpha. "Go find one of your girlfriends. I’m sure they’d love to help you with your little problem."
"My wolf..." he groaned, rubbing his cheek against my neck, his stubble grazing my sensitive skin. "Onyx only wants you. He’s starving for you."
He pulled back, looking at me with glazed, lust-filled eyes. He didn't wait for another protest. He scooped me up into his arms as if I weighed nothing, standing up with effortless strength.
"I haven't showered," I protested weakly, clutching his shoulders as he strode toward the bathroom.
"I'll wash you," he said, kicking the bathroom door open.
The steam in the shower was thick, wrapping around us like a second skin.
Daemon's hands were everywhere—soaping my skin, exploring curves he hadn't touched in years.
He dropped to his knees on the wet floor.
For five years, I had been a statue in his house. Perfect. Untouched. But as his hands and mouth worked with skilled, relentless precision, the statue crumbled. I threw my head back against the tiles, a cry tearing from my throat as the climax hit me, violent and overdue, shaking me to my very core.
He didn't let me recover. He turned off the water, wrapped a towel around me, and carried me back to the bed, throwing me onto the mattress.
He loomed over me, water dripping from his hair onto my chest. "My turn," he rasped.
I looked at him—this powerful, arrogant man reduced to a shivering mess of need because of a maid’s potion. A twisted sense of power rose in my chest. I wasn't just his victim tonight. I could be his master.
I sat up and pushed him back. Caught off guard, he fell onto the pillows. I straddled him, my wet hair clinging to my back. I looked down at him, tracing the lines of his abdominal muscles, savoring the way his breath hitched at my touch.
"Does that feel good?" I whispered, leaning down to kiss his jaw, my hand moving lower.
I wanted to control him. I wanted to make him beg. I used my hand and my mouth, driving him to the edge, watching his eyes roll back.
He groaned, his hips bucking upward, and I knew he was close. But just as I thought I could finish this with my hand, he grabbed my hips.
"No," he growled. "I need inside."
Before I could react, he flipped us over, pinning me to the mattress. He spread my legs and positioned himself, thrusting forward with a desperate, animalistic need.
"Ah—!"
I cried out, a sharp, tearing pain shooting through me. My body went rigid.
Daemon froze instantly. He pulled back, hovering over me, his chest heaving.
"You..." He stared at me. "You're tight. Too tight. Violet... are you a virgin?"
The shock in his eyes was morphing into something else—disbelief, followed by a dark, twisted delight. "I thought you had lovers."
"And I thought you were sleeping with half the city," I snapped, trying to salvage my dignity. "Did you use protection with them? I don't want your diseases."
He let out a low, dark laugh. "You really believe everything you read in the tabloids?" He leaned down, his lips brushing mine, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You're mine. Only mine."
He pushed forward again, slower this time, but relentless. The pain faded, replaced by a feeling of fullness that was overwhelming. The drug in his veins made him tireless, and the discovery of my innocence seemed to snap the last of his restraint.
The night became a blur of skin against skin, of harsh breaths and tangled sheets.
When I opened my eyes, the room was filled with the bright, harsh light of late morning. My body felt like it had been run over by a truck. My thighs ached, my skin was sensitive, and there was a dull throb in my lower back.
I reached out to the other side of the bed.
Cold.
Daemon was gone.
I dragged myself out of bed and walked downstairs. My legs felt like jelly.
In the dining room, Ruby was setting the table for lunch. She looked up as I entered, her face brightening into a hopeful smile.
"Luna! You're awake," she chirped. "Did you sleep well? Alpha left early for the office, but he specifically ordered us not to disturb you."
"I slept very well, Ruby," I said, walking to the table and pouring myself a cup of black coffee. "That supplement you recommended... it was very effective."
Ruby beamed, clapping her hands together softly. "Oh, I am so glad! I knew it would help. Sometimes nature just needs a little push."
If only you knew, I thought, taking a sip of the bitter liquid. You just helped your daughter's rival sleep with the man she wants.
Before I could finish my coffee, my phone buzzed on the table.
I glanced at the screen. Evan Thorne.
"Hello?"
"Violet, I need you to come to the Silver Springs Sanctuary. Immediately."