4

DAMON'S POV

I woke to the soft sound of steady breathing beside me, my entire body heavy with regret before I'd even opened my eyes. The now familiar scent hit me first, making my stomach drop—Alejandro.

I forced my eyes shut and open again, my brain racing to catch up with events of the night. But it was all there, crystal clear: his touch, his lips, the way my body betrayed me at every turn. Swallowing thickly, my throat arid, my heart racing, memories cascaded into view with crystal, damning clarity.

What the hell had I done?

I leaned over and glanced at him, sprawled on the bed, dead deep in sleep. Sheets barely covered him, his face so calm and peaceful in sleep only reminding me of the raw power he had over me. I could feel the weight of his hands still on my skin, mastering everything around me.

I moved carefully, not wanting to wake him. My clothes were strewn around the floor, another reminder of just how far things had gone. I slid out of bed gingerly as my muscles began to ache, pulling my shirt and pants together and attempting to be fast and quiet.

I jerked on my clothes, and my hands were shaking as I cursed myself silently. What the hell was wrong with me? How could I let this happen? Last night, I had wanted answers, proof. And instead.instead, I'd ended up in his bed, at his mercy.

"Idiot," I said out loud, yanking on my shoes.

I needed to get out of here. Fast.

But as I turned to leave, something caught my eye. A little leather-bound book lying on the table by the window, half-concealed beneath a pile of papers. My breath hitched. It was a diary, Alejandro's diary.

I stopped dead, eyes on it as if superglued. My heartbeat quickened. None in a hundred years would have suspected that an Alpha like him kept a diary— that he would commit victories, secrets, weaknesses— everything— to a book.

I looked back at Alejandro, still sleeping deeply. My heart racing, I reached for the diary, my fingers making it quiver with their trembling as they closed over the worn leather cover. I knew I should not do it. I knew this was a boundary I should not cross. But I could not resist the urge.

This may hold the answer to everything.

I slipped the book into my jacket, feeling the weight of it settle against my chest. Heavy, it felt dangerous. But I had to take it; I needed to know more. Here was the break I'd been looking for, the proof I needed.

One last look at Alejandro and I finally turned at the door. My feet barely grazed the cold floor as I approached the door. Every cell in my body screamed for me to hurry, to get out before he woke up. If he caught me. I didn't even want to think about it.

I slipped out of the room, cool air from the hall slapping me in the face. My heart was still racing, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I made my way toward the exit, keeping my head down. I couldn't let anyone see me— not like this. Not with this.

The moment I was outside, I breathed deeply, the weight of what I'd done settling over me like a smothering blanket. I'd just stolen from the Alpha.

And I knew there would be hell to pay when he found out.

****

ALPHA ALEJANDRO'S POV

I woke up, a slow grin curling my lips as I stared at the empty space beside me. Damon had bolted. Of course he had.

I stretched lazily, the satisfaction still humming in my veins. There was no guilt, no regret— why should there be? It'd been exactly what I wanted last night. I took what was mine, and I'd do it again.

My gaze flickered to the discarded clothes on the floor, Damon's scent still lingering in the room. That sweet mix of anger and lust. He hadn't expected it. Hell, maybe not even I'd expected it to go down that way, but the moment I'd had him in my grip, there was no turning back.

He was mine, whether he admitted it or not.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, rolling my shoulders. My muscles were loose, my mind sharp, more focused than it had been in days. The raw power of it all, the control. I hadn't felt this alive in a long time.

But then my eyes landed on the desk.

And the grin slipped from my face.

My diary. Gone.

I stood, every muscle tensing as I digested reality. Damon had taken it. The audacity.

That smug little bastard thought he could steal from me?

A low, dangerous chuckle escaped me. It wasn't just a book to him— he knew what it meant, knew the value of the information inside of it. Every battle, every strategy, every victory was written down in that book, secrets I wouldn't trust with my own Beta, and yet he had the nerve to take it.

It was no dumb move. No, he had been playing at something. Hoping to get under my skin. Thought himself smarter; he could disappear in the night, then use what he stole against me.

"Fucking amateur," I growled, my lips curling into a cold smile.

I could still feel the heat of his body pressed against mine from last night-the way he'd struggled to resist me at first, only to crumble under my touch. The pull between us was undeniable, and he'd be lying to himself if he thought otherwise.

I liked the way he broke. The way he let me have him despite the fight in his eyes.

He'd be back. He had no choice.

But first, I needed my damn book.

I stormed toward the door, wrenching it open with the force of a storm. My Beta, Lucas, stood waiting in the hall. He took one look at my face, and then his body went rigid. He knew better than to ask questions when I was like this.

"Find Damon," I growled, my voice low, deadly. "Lock the gates. Nobody leaves till he's found. And when you find him, bring him to me. No games."

Lucas nodded, turning on his heel to bark orders. He knew when I was serious.

I stepped back into the room, my hands flexing at the thought of the hunt ahead. Damon thought he could run, that he could get away with this. But no one took what was mine and walked away unscathed.

Last night wasn't an accident. I didn't lose control. I enjoyed it. Every fucking second. And I'd make sure Damon knew exactly what he had signed up for.

I was going to find him, drag him back here, and show him just how dangerous it was to mess with me. I didn't care if he was playing spy, didn't care if this was part of some pathetic plot to undermine my power.

He was mine now. And whether he liked it or not, he was going to learn his place.

I'd enjoy breaking him all over again.