CHAPTER 19

Astrid's POV

My heart was ready to leap out of my chest. He was too close, his subtle breath brushing my cheek. I was suddenly too aware of every point of contact—his hand on my waist, my thighs resting on his, the tip of his nose touching my earlobe. His hot breath fans my lips, and I bite my own lip in anxiousness. The metallic taste of blood fills my mouth, and I snap my eyes shut.

'Hold on, Astrid. Stay. Breathe. He's not going to do anything. He hates you with every fiber of his being. He'd kill himself before—'

'Brush. Nibble. Fuck!'

My thoughts seize to exist when I feel something soft brush my lips. My eyes snap open, and those cold grey orbs are already staring at me, the steel in them shining brighter than ever. My mouth falls open in shock, and he takes it as an opportunity to press his lips on mine again. There's no hesitation, no permission, no doubt—just a claim. A reminder of who I belong to.

A strange sound escapes my lips as he sucks on them like they're his favorite candy. My mind is hazy, every cell in my body reverberating, and my numb fingers inadvertently clench around his collar.

"K…ael…" I don't know why I'm saying his name or what I even want. He only holds me tighter, pulling me closer.

"Yes, baby. That's right. Fuck." His fingers ascend higher through my dress, caressing my thighs, and my legs instinctively push together. I'm wet. 'Fuck. He can't know.'

A gasp escapes me as he smacks my thigh, a warning lingering in the air. "Wider."

His fingers are ascending higher, ready to test me, when suddenly the sound of a throat clearing brings me out of my insanity.

"It seems we've got our answers, Alpha Kael. We'll take our leave."

'The Elders! Fuck! They were here this whole time.'

"But—" Before I can say anything, they're already walking out. The door closes, leaving us alone. I look up at Kael, and I wish I hadn't. He's staring at me darkly, like I've committed a sin. Hate shines brighter than ever before.

"That was a nice show, whore," he declares, and it feels like someone's driven a knife into my chest. All the butterflies in my stomach choke and die, and a whimper edges on my lips. Before I can even process what he's called me, he gets up, and my body smacks onto the ground. My bottom takes the hit, and a hiss escapes my lips. I'm too numb to interpret anything. 'He' initiated this. 'He' kissed me first, and now I'm a whore? This bastard!

Rage floods my insides like molten lava, and before he can open the door and leave, I scream at him, not caring if tears trail down my face.

"You asshole! You kiss me, and I become a whore? You fucking manipulator!"

I'm breathing heavily, my eyes wild, not ready to settle down. He halts abruptly, the muscles in his shoulders tensing, and I see him clench his fists. What worse could he do? He's already done enough. Hell, I've stood in front of death and come back. He can't break me. I'm anything but weak.

"I'm not scared of you, okay? You think just because you're physically stronger, you can dominate others? Rude awakening, Alpha! You're not! You're a pathetic weakling who feeds on others' weaknesses to feel powerful. You're weak, pathetic, and a coward!"

Silence. He says nothing while I struggle to catch my breath. And then, suddenly, a sinister laugh echoes through the room. He's laughing? He's really sick. Tears sting his eyes as he laughs like a maniac. His laughter reverberates, and I feel a slight fear rooting in my chest. He's a psycho. He has to be. No sane man behaves like this.

"It seems I've got myself a virgin," he declares after five minutes of laughing, and I blink, gawking at him. 'He knows?' In one nanosecond, I'm pinned against the wall, his strong hands gripping my wrists above my head. I try to move, but I can't. Lifting my leg, I'm about to knee him when he presses his thighs against mine, restraining me.

"Aghhh, let go!!" Our faces are barely inches apart, eyes aligned, chins touching. He does nothing to release me. My body continues to squirm as he leans closer to whisper.

"I can fuck you right here, doll. With your moans echoing around this entire castle and your legs unable to walk for days. I can take this dirty mouth of yours and choke it so you can't speak for days. I can degrade you to mere dirt under my feet and break this fake bravado of yours with a flick of my finger."

"And then, when I'm done with you, I can throw you to my men, who'll love taking you day and night until you're too weak to lift even a finger, let alone your eyes."

I look at him in disbelief, but there's a promise in his words. He's not kidding. He can do it without a second thought. My mouth goes dry, and suddenly, I'm at a loss for words. Tears stream down my face.

"But I won't, doll. Never. You know why?" He presses his forehead against mine and places a tender kiss on the tip of my nose. I freeze, my insides shaking. "Because I'm not your father, doll. I'll never do to you what he did to her. No woman deserves that… not even you."

I choke on my tears, and he continues to look at me. 'No! No!! Please!! Kael! Save me! Nooooo!' Her screams echo in my ears, and suddenly, I can't breathe. 'He did all that to her. My father… he…'

Unable to meet his eyes, I stare at our chests pressed together. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I do deserve this. Someone has to pay for her pain. Maybe it's me. After all… I couldn't save her.

He stares at my face blankly, but my eyes refuse to meet his again.

"I would have stopped that very second if you didn't want it." There's a pause, and then his next words make my eyes snap up to his. I'm shocked.

"I'm… sorry if I crossed some boundaries. It won't happen again."

I gawk at this man. He's staring right into my soul, and there's not a fragment of a lie. Unable to match his gaze, I look down, and he pulls back from me. He walks away, and I'm left staring at the closed door. My body slides down, and I drop my head into my hands, wondering if what he said was true. If I had resisted, would he have stopped? But then, why didn't I resist? Why did I push him back? Why is the aftermath of wetness still pooling between my thighs?

'Damn it. I'm going insane. This man is going to be the end of me.'