Chapter 21: Taming the Alpha

Bella's body was still on fire, the mate bond wrapping around her like an iron chain, tightening, pulling, demanding.

But she wasn't going to break.

Dante thought he had won.

He thought that just because he had sunk his fangs into her skin, because he had branded her as his, that she would roll over and submit.

But he had forgotten one thing.

Bella wasn't just any mate.

She was his equal.

And if he wanted her submission, if he thought he could make her crawl to him—

He was in for a fucking surprise.

Dante's grip on her hips tightened, his blue eyes gleaming with pure, feral dominance as he lay beneath her, his bare chest heaving.

"You think you can fight this?" he murmured, his voice like dark silk.

Bella tilted her head, her golden-brown eyes burning with defiance.

"I don't need to fight it, Dante."

She shifted her weight, pressing her palms against his chest, feeling the thick, coiled muscles beneath her hands.

Dante's breath hitched, but his smirk didn't waver.

"Oh? And why is that?"

Bella leaned down, her lips ghosting over his throat, right where an Alpha's most vulnerable point lay.

"Because you're the one who's about to lose."

And then—

She bit him.

Not to mark him, not to claim him—but to punish him.

To remind him that she wasn't weak.

Dante let out a low, dark growl, his body tensing beneath her as her teeth sank into his skin, just enough to send a jolt of dominance through him.

For the first time, she felt him shudder beneath her.

For the first time, she had him at her mercy.

Bella licked the bite softly, soothing the sting, then pulled back, smirking.

"What's wrong, Alpha?" she taunted, her voice dripping with mocking sweetness.

Dante's chest rose and fell unevenly, his blue eyes blazing with something new—something darker.

"You think you're in control right now?" he murmured, his voice rough, dangerous.

Bella smirked, rolling her hips against him, just to make him feel how much control she actually had.

Dante let out a sharp hiss, his fingers digging into her skin, but he didn't stop her.

He couldn't.

Because she had him exactly where she wanted him.

"I don't think, Dante." Bella leaned in, her breath teasing his ear.

"I know."

Dante let out a low, rumbling snarl, his hands flexing like he was on the verge of flipping her over, of taking back control.

But he didn't.

Because this time, he wanted to see how far she'd go.

And Bella?

She had no intention of stopping.

The Alpha's Weakness

Bella dragged her nails down his chest, slow, teasing, her golden-brown eyes flickering with amusement as Dante's breath grew harsher.

"You're always so used to being in control, aren't you, Alpha?" she murmured.

Dante's jaw clenched, his muscles coiling beneath her like a storm waiting to break.

"Careful, little wolf," he warned, his voice dangerously low.

Bella smirked.

"Or what?"

Dante's eyes flashed, his wolf snarling in his mind, demanding he take control again.

But Bella didn't stop.

She leaned down, trailing her lips along the edge of his jaw, slow, torturous, her fingers skimming over the deep grooves of his abs.

Dante cursed under his breath, his hands twitching at her waist.

"This isn't a fight you'll win, Bella." His voice was rough, strained, vibrating with tension.

Bella pulled back just enough to meet his gaze, her golden-brown eyes dark with challenge.

"You already lost."

And then—

She moved again.

Rolling her hips, pressing down against him, her touch slow, unhurried, teasing.

Dante groaned, his fingers tightening around her waist, his breath coming in sharp, labored exhales.

For the first time, Bella saw it.

The control—the infamous, unshakable Dante Rodrigo control—

Shattering.

And fuck, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"Not so cocky now, are you, Alpha?" she whispered, biting just below his ear, nipping at the sensitive skin, feeling the way his entire body tensed beneath her.

Dante let out a harsh breath, his grip bruising, his jaw tight.

But he still wasn't stopping her.

Bella grinned, victorious.

She had him.

The Alpha of White Moon.

The man who had marked her, who thought he could own her.

Now?

She was owning him.

But then—

In a blur of pure, lethal strength—

Dante snapped.

He moved so fast she didn't even have time to react.

One second, she was in control.

The next—

She was on her back, Dante's massive form looming over her, his blue eyes dark, wild, feral.

His breath was ragged, his muscles trembling, his wolf barely leashed.

"You had your fun," he growled, his fingers wrapping around her throat, pinning her down.

Bella's breath hitched, her pulse hammering beneath his grip.

"Now it's my turn."

And before she could stop him—

He sank his teeth into her throat again.

Harder this time.

Possessive. Unrelenting.

Bella's world shattered.

A raw, broken moan tore from her lips, her body arching violently beneath him as fire and pleasure crashed through her in a brutal wave.

The mate bond roared between them, tightening, binding, consuming.

Dante let out a deep, satisfied growl, his tongue flicking over the bite, soothing the sting, owning her completely.

"Still think you're in control, little wolf?" he murmured against her skin.

Bella's breathing was shattered, uneven.

But she still managed to smirk.

"I made you break first."

Dante froze.

Then—

A slow, dark chuckle rumbled from his chest.

"You're going to regret that."

Bella grinned, victorious.

"Make me."

And this time—

Dante didn't hold back.