I sat there, my chest rising and falling rapidly, my lips still tingling from his kiss.
My mind was a mess. My body was even worse.
The Alpha just kissed me.
No, he had claimed me with that kiss, like he had the right. Like he had any say in what I felt, what I wanted, what I was.
And even worse… I wanted more.
F**ck I didn't even know his name.
A sharp, disgusted breath left my lips as I clenched my hands into fists. My nails dug into my palms, grounding me.
What the hell is wrong with me?
This man had killed Seraphina. He had thrown her away like she was nothing. And yet, the moment his lips touched mine, my body responded like it had been starving for him.
Like he had been made for me or me for him.
No. No, no, no.
I needed to get a grip. This wasn't me. I didn't belong here. I didn't belong to him.
Yet my body… my cursed, traitorous body didn't seem to care.
I could still feel the warmth of his hands on my skin, the way his fingers had branded me. It wasn't fair.
How could I hate someone so much, yet crave them at the same time?
This was wrong.
I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my back against the cold stone wall. I needed to breathe. I needed to think.
But every time I closed my eyes, I felt the ghost of his touch.
And worst of all?
I wanted to feel it again.
I barely slept.
The bed was comfortable, the sheets softer than anything I had ever known. But comfort meant nothing when my mind wouldn't shut off.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him.
The way his silver eyes had darkened. The way his hands had explored me, rough and desperate, like he needed me just as much as I needed air.
I turned onto my side, groaning into the pillow.
Stop thinking about it.
But the more I told myself to forget, the stronger the memory became.
His scent like pine, smoke, and something dangerously intoxicating, clung to me.
The worst part was that I wasn't even mad about the kiss itself.
I was mad that he had stopped.
He had pulled away before things could go any further. His entire body had gone rigid, his breathing uneven, his desire conflicting with something else entirely.
Fear?
Guilt?
I didn't know.
And I wasn't sure if I wanted to.
Because if I kept going down this path, if I kept feeling this way, I would lose myself completely.
And I had already lost too much.
~~~
In no time it was morning, the door to my chamber swung open, and I was already awake, sitting by the window, watching the palace grounds below.
A maid stepped inside, clutching a tray of food.
She hesitated when she saw me.
As if she wasn't sure if she should be speaking to a ghost.
"My Lady," she said carefully, her voice barely above a whisper. "The Alpha requests your presence."
I exhaled through my nose.
Of course he does.
I stood, brushing my fingers over the fabric of my dress. It was simple, soft, a vast improvement from the rags I had woken up in or lived in all my life.
Not that it mattered.
Because the moment I saw him, I was going to wipe that unreadable look right off his face.
I followed and and she led me to a massive dining hall, a grand space lined with towering windows that let in the morning light.
The Alpha sat at the head of the long, wooden table, sipping from a goblet, his expression unreadable.
The moment I entered, his silver eyes lifted to mine.
The air in the room grew thick.
I forced myself to keep walking, refusing to break eye contact.
A servant pulled out a chair near him, but I ignored it.
Instead, I sat as far from him as possible.
His lips twitched.
Good. Let him be annoyed.
I reached for a piece of fruit, my movements slow, deliberate. If he wanted to play mind games, I'd show him I wasn't afraid. I was already dead, and Seraphina…? She's also dead. I didn't know why I ended up in her body but one thing I would not do is live the same way I did before.
Minutes stretched between us in silence, the tension growing heavier with each passing second.
"Last night," he said, his voice was smooth. "Forget it." Finally, he spoke.
I raised a brow, feigning a confused look. "Forget what?"
His jaw tensed, and I smirked.
This was fun.
"The kiss," he clarified, his fingers tightening around his goblet. "It meant nothing."
I hummed, tilting my head. "Then why did you run?"
His eyes darkened.
I leaned forward slightly, resting my chin on my hand. "You kissed me, Alpha," I said softly, my voice almost teasing. "And then you left like a coward."
His goblet hit the table with a soft thud. The servants flinched like I had just committed a grave sin.
"Careful, Seraphina." He didn't break eye contact.
I leaned back, smiling sweetly. "Oh, I am."
I had read so many fictional books to realize that this wasn't just any attraction but the mate bond and that means he was a werewolf alpha.
His stare was molten steel, but I didn't care. Because for the first time since waking up in this body, I realized something.
The alpha wasn't just dangerous.
He was afraid.
Afraid of whatever this was between us.
Afraid of me… and that?
That was something I could use.