Chapter 15

Chapter 15

“I’m waiting with baited breath to hear that silver tongue of yours.”

Jodie B. Cooper

I’m not sure which famous person said that a hot bath fixes everything, but whoever they were, they were right. The floral-scented hot water in the porcelain tub was working wonders for my bad mood – and for all the grime that still clung to my skin from my short stint in the dungeon.

I’d gone from heavily pissed off to only marginally pissed off.

And I probably could’ve made it to only *slightly* pissed if I’d been able to take the bath alone. Unfortunately, the tall man only five feet away from my naked body was the biggest obstacle standing – or sitting, I suppose – between me and total relaxation.

I thought after making him stand with his back to me while I undressed and slowly climbed in the tub, he would’ve eventually gotten bored and left.

Sadly, that did not seem to be the case.

Even after I was completely submerged in the water, he just parked his ass on the floor. I was thankful he had enough courtesy to stay turned around – even if it meant I was now forced to see his perfectly-sculpted back muscles peaking through his tight t-shirt anytime I looked in his direction.

*I may not want this guy to be my mate, but I can admit he’s got some blessed genetics.*

Once I was sure he wasn’t going to try and sneak a peek, I decided it was time to try my hand at convincing Alpha Enzo we were not fated mates – hopefully with better results this time.

“Can I ask you something?” I asked him, and I could tell from the way he immediately straightened up that I had his attention.

“Of course, my mate.”

I cringed. Maybe by the time I was done with this conversation, he wouldn’t be calling me that anymore.

“How are you so sure I’m your mate? How do you know it’s not some cosmic mistake by your Moon Goddess or whatever?”

He sighed, and although I couldn’t see it, I could almost swear he was rolling his eyes. “I suppose I should’ve known you wouldn’t be so easily deterred after our first conversation in the cells.”

As if on cue, my jaw ached. ‘Conversation’ was one word for it.

I already knew I needed to tread lightly with him – I had a feeling what happened in the dungeon was far from the only thing he was capable of.

Just as I opened my mouth to retort something sarcastic, he followed up with, “Tell you what. For every question I answer for you, you have to answer one of mine. Does that sound fair?”

My mouth snapped shut.

I hadn’t been expecting that. If anything, I’d expected Alpha Enzo to be close-minded to any questions or arguments I might throw at him…but this could be an opportunity. If he really was willing to answer my questions, I might be able to change his mind with some good ole-fashioned logic – and learn other valuable things from him in the process.

*But he’ll be able to ask me anything he wants too…and I’ve got a few secrets I’m not sure I’m willing to share yet.*

*Then again, I can always lie. I don’t actually plan on having a relationship with this guy, so who cares if I’m a little vague about certain parts of my story?*

“Okay,” I agreed, “But I go first.”

“I’d expect nothing less from you, sweetheart,” he replied, an amused edge to his voice. Even as I rolled my eyes at the new term of endearment, there was a fluttering in my stomach that felt suspiciously like butterflies.

*No, definitely not butterflies. I did not get butterflies just because he called me ‘sweetheart.’ My seventy-year-old neighbor calls me ‘sweetheart,' and it's cuter coming from him.*

While I thought of my question, I grabbed a lavender-scented bar sitting on the edge of the tub, and began scrubbing my arms. It felt and smelled just as expensive as it looked – and I had a feeling it was probably triple the price of the discounted body wash I usually got.

“Why are you so against the idea of letting me go?” I asked, and before he could protest, I added, “I know you think we’re soul mates handpicked by the universe or whatever, but I know who you are. You must have a hundred beautiful she-wolves lining up at the door, willing to be your Luna if you say the word, and I can guarantee every single one is more qualified than I am.”

I braced myself for him to be angry that I was even questioning our “mate bond,” but after a beat of silence, all he said was, “And you’re so sure you’re not qualified for the job?” I couldn’t see his face, but he didn’t sound angry or offended at all.

“You can’t answer a question with a question,” I retorted.

He let out a breath that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle before he said, “I can’t let you go because you’re my mate.”

“But that’s not –”

“There is no ‘but,’” he cut me off, “You asked why I couldn’t just let you go, and that’s my answer. You’re my mate. In your words, you’ve been handpicked by the universe.”

I narrowed my eyes at his back muscles.

“Okay, but even –”

“Ah, your turn is over now,” he cut me off. I had a feeling he was smirking – I could practically hear it in his voice.

I readied myself for whatever invasive question he might ask as well as whatever lie I might need to tell in response.

“What’s your full name?”

I was so surprised I almost dropped the lavender soap bar I’d been digging my nails into. My name? That’s all he wanted to know? I’d shown up in the guy’s dungeon as a stray human, and his first question was about my name?

*He must be starting easy or he plans to research me later.*

“My name is Elsie Adaway.” I saw no reason to lie. Even if he did plan to research me, he wouldn’t find anything. I didn’t exist in this world.

*“Elsie,”* he breathed my name like a prayer.

Something warm twisted in my lower belly, and it took everything in me not to ask – or beg – for him to say my name again. I’d never cared for my name, but the way it sounded coming from his lips…

*Snap out of it! It’s just the weird mate bond making you feel this way.*

*But he does have kind of a hot voice. I mean, he could probably make a living reading bedtime stories or making audio porn or –*

*Nope, nope, don’t go there, Elsie. Keep your head in the game.*

I already knew my cheeks were turning tomato red, and I was thankful Alpha Enzo couldn’t see. I didn’t want him to know how much of an effect he had on me.

“Elsie,” he repeated again, “Your name is –”

“Yeah, yeah, Elsie like the Ice Queen,” I cut him off, my voice a little shakier than I wanted it to be. “Everyone makes that comparison.”

“Actually,” he replied, his voice smooth like honey, “I was going to say your name is beautiful. Elsie. *My* Elsie.”