Something rough and calloused rubbed up and down my cheek, the pressure so gentle the touch felt almost ticklish. I moaned subconsciously, trying to stay in the realm of unconsciousness even as the darkness began to fade to red behind my closed eyelids.

My eyes stayed shut as I grew aware of my surroundings, the sound of the wind from the open window, the soft mattress that I lay on and begrudgingly the rippling muscles of the chest I was held against. My stomach sank with dread at the thought of starting another day trapped with him.

Even in his sleep the Alpha held me so tightly to his chest as though he were afraid that if he let me go when he awoke I would be gone. I knew he was awake, not only by the fact that he had been touching my face but I could feel his gaze drilling holes into the back of my head.

I clenched my eyes shut, wishing desperately that I could fall back to sleep but knowing it wouldn't work. For the past week in which he had been sleeping in the same bed as me I would lie awake until exhaustion forced me under the blanket of sleep, my heart thundering away in my chest as he held me zealously the way a child would their favourite toy.

"Good morning mate." The Alpha said.

I tried to level my breathing so he would think I had fallen back asleep and hopefully start his day without me. Though things hadn't gone my way since I had the misfortune of meeting him so by now I should have learned not to have such expectations.

"I know you're awake." He whispered, turning me over so I lay flat on my back instead of faced away from him, so close his lips hovered right over my cheek.

Giving in I blearily opened my sleep swollen eyes, almost shutting them again when the very first thing I saw was his face. Whisky eyes looking down at me softened with an expression of such tenderness that it was almost misleading. I turned my face away, trying to push out of his arms and escape to the washroom but unsuccessful as he merely tightened his hold.

"Let go." I mumbled, refusing to face him.

"Why is it that the first thing you say to me in the day is almost always to let you go? How about a greeting instead?"

"Morning." I said, trying to push out of his hold again but he only pulled me in closer making me have to resist the urge to whine aloud. It was too early for his nonsense. I needed caffeine if I wasn't going to be allowed to sleep.

"I do love what sleep does to your sweet voice but that isn't quite how mates should greet each other."

With a sigh I turned my face towards him, raising my brows expectantly knowing he was just dying to tell me how mates should behave.

"With a kiss of course." He said, leaning in and my hand flew up before I could think my actions over, pressing against his throat to keep him from getting any closer.

"M-morning breath." I offered in explanation as he glanced pointedly down at my hand, wordlessly ordering me to move it.

Gripping my wrist in his hand he brought it down to lay on his bare chest. My palm held cradled against the steady thrum of his heart as he leaned in and pressed a soft deep kiss to my cheek, nuzzling his nose against my skin a moment before pulling away.

"God I could lay here forever." He breathed against my cheek, to my horror pulling me further into his arms so I lay draped over him. My chest was crushed against his, the thundering of my heart directly over the slow steady beating of his as though encouraging my heart to match its' pace.

"I need to go to the washroom." I said in the hopes that it would make him release me.

I tried to slip my hands between us to push off of him but there wasn't enough space between our bodies for me to be able to do so. All I managed to do instead was rub my hands all over his bare chest. From the sound of his breathing growing shallow he didn't particularly seem to mind but to avoid eliciting any other reactions from him I decided it was best to give up and hold still.

"Just a couple more minutes." He spoke into my hair, the vibration of his chest rumbling through me.

"Your heart is beating so fast." He said lightly, trailing his large hand up and down my back so gently that if it weren't for the heat of his palm I might not have felt the touch over the shirt of his I had worn to bed.

It was no surprise that my heartrate was skyrocketing when I could feel his every inhale and exhale. His breath ruffled the strands of my hair closest to him, his heady scent filled my senses, heat seared through my clothes and sank into my skin everywhere we touched. It was far too intimate, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand and despite how often I had to endure his closeness I could not bring myself to relax. I felt like prey caught in the clutches of a predator. Stuck in the moment where escape was cut off with the cloying anticipation of their next move being more deadly than the inevitable claws or teeth would be.

"Aren't you running late?" I asked despite not having any idea what time it was.

He sighed deeply but loosened his grip on me and I scrambled out of his reach before he could change his mind, almost running to the washroom. I turned to close the door, meeting his eye as he lay sprawled on his bed in all his glowing tan splendor before I slammed the door shut.

I had taken to drawing out my morning routine as much as possible since it was the longest period of alone time I got these days. I didn't know if he was punishing me for the letters or this was what he had wanted to do all along and been holding back, but he dragged me along everywhere with him all day.

If he was cooking I was made to sit at the table and watch. If he were working in his office I had to sit on the couch across his desk and read. In the evenings we would have dinner sitting across from each other at the dinner table and then after cleaning up he would force me onto the couch next to him in the living room as we watched a movie before bed.

I was getting so tired of seeing his face that paired with the pitifully little sleep I got it was really only a matter of time before I lost it on him and got myself maimed or killed.

I didn't know how his pack was functioning when their Alpha spent every single moment of his time locked up in his home with his mate. From what I knew of wolves they needed to see their Alpha to feel at ease. They were extremely tactile creatures and social too. Surely if they weren't losing it he had to be from not seeing them. Alpha Russel had always been around his wolves and didn't even go so long as this Alpha had without seeing the humans.

Simply praying that he would have to go out wasn't working. I needed to somehow convince him to leave the house and thus me alone without actually asking him to leave because doing so would only make him adamant on staying. Most likely he would assume that I would either try to run away again or contact Ethan, both possibilities provoking wildly unpredictable behaviour from him. I had to make it seem like it was his idea to leave.

After getting dressed I made my way out the room and down to the kitchen where he was just setting a steaming plate piled high with waffles onto the table. Now that he seemed to have picked up on my food preferences he didn't bother preparing as much options for each meal but the slightest hint of reluctance to eat on my part had him up on his feet and at the stove again as though he were an overly indulgent mother instead of an Alpha.

"I put the kettle on for your tea." He said and I nodded my thanks as I passed him on my way to the stove.

The water was just about boiling and so getting a teabag of earl gray from the cabinet I placed it in one of the teacups before taking the kettle off and pouring water into the cup. I watched transfixed in my overly tired state as the teabag steeped and turned the water a deep reddish brown before I removed the bag and stirred in a spoonful of sugar.

I carried the cup over to the table, careful not to let the scalding liquid slosh out and onto my hands as I walked. Sitting down I glanced up at him tepidly, immediately looking back down as he met my gaze. My stomach feeling queasy as I tried and failed to think of a way to bring up the topic of him going out in a way that wouldn't make him suspicious. He always initiated conversation. I couldn't even be surprised at the fact that I had no idea how to talk to him.

A waffle was placed in my plate and when I looked up at him he was giving me a questioning look, probably sensing the nervousness and curious about what was causing it. Generally if I wanted to start a conversation with someone but didn't know how to I would start with a compliment.

Another glance at him proved that the issue wasn't that there was nothing to compliment. His raven hair was slicked back the way it always was, somehow looking styled and staying put even though it looked soft as though no product had been used. His tan skin was perfectly smooth and blemish free as always, never mind acne he didn't even appear to have pores. His aristocratic nose was straight and thin, deep pink lips pursed in thought as he tried to figure out what was up with me. The whisky eyes that were trained on me coated in soot black lashes so thick and long he could do mascara commercials.

A strong veiny neck led down to his incredibly broad shoulders that were currently covered by the black dress shirt he wore. Top two buttons undone to reveal the smooth skin stretched taut over his collarbone and the very top of his pectoral muscles. He was incredibly beautiful. Wolves generally were but Alphas were of course the best of wolves in all ways including appearance but I had to admit that even amongst Alphas he was the best looking I had ever seen.

There were many things that could be complimented but I had no desire to compliment him. I didn't want to delude him into thinking there was any chance I would ever be attracted to him. When you love someone the way I loved Ethan nothing could sway you. Not even good looks of such caliber, especially considering these traits belonged to the man who had ruined my life.

"You're staring." He said knocking me out of my thoughts and making me realize I had been staring at him for the past couple minutes.

"Sorry." I mumbled, glancing down at my plate in embarrassment.

"You can stare all you want at what's yours."

A smirk played at the corners of his lips as he spoke, twisting them up just so. A mischievous twinkle alight in his eyes. I chose not to dignify his words with a response, sighing lightly as I picked up my cup of tea and took a long sip. The hot bittersweet taste a promise to make me feel more awake once I got through the cup.

"Do you have a lot of work to do today?" I asked, glancing at him from over my cup which I held in front of the bottom half of my face as a very pitiful shield.

"I'm afraid so. Why? Is there something you wanted to do together?"

"No just wondering." I responded and by the subtle narrowing of his eyes I could tell he didn't buy it. He didn't even look angry but he was just incredibly intimidating without trying. I almost gave up and had to mentally berate myself for being a coward in order to keep going.

"Are you able to get all your work done from home?" I asked, taking another sip of my tea to make it seem like his response didn't matter much even though I was waiting for it with bated breath.

"I've always preferred to use my office from home and I can meet with any of my pack members virtually."

"Oh." I mumbled, struggling to not sound as dejected as I felt. There was no reprieve in the near future from his suffocating presence.

"That must be hard on your pack." I added after a moment, only realizing my leg was bouncing up and down nervously when he dropped his gaze down to my lap with a single brow raised. I stilled immediately, taking another quick sip of my tea.

He reached across the table and I leaned back thinking he was reaching for me but instead he easily tugged the teacup out of my hands. His large hand dwarfing the dainty fine China cup to the point where it looked to be from a child's playset. Instead of setting it down he brought it up to his mouth and took a long sip, licking slowly over his lips as I watched in befuddlement.

"You're cute when you're trying to be sneaky, which is fortunate considering you're not very good at it."

"I don't know what you're-" I started but was cut off by him.

"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about Athena." He said, and I watched with my breath caught in my throat as he took another sip of my tea, waiting for him to speak.

"You want me out of the house but what for?"

"Nothing." I responded immediately.

"Now normally it would make me very upset to think that my sweet little mate wants me gone so she can get into all sorts of trouble." He sighed, continuing before I could argue.

"But you're so damn cute acting all nervous that all I can really think about is how badly I want to kiss you."

The breath I'd been holding escaped me in a rush at his words. There was a heated look in his eyes that only meant trouble for me. It reminded me of the promise he had made me a week ago holding me captive in his lap about no longer holding back from what he wanted to do.

"I was just curious because my Alpha used to spend much more time with his pack than you do."

"I am your Alpha, you will never address another wolf as your Alpha again."

"What if you die?" I asked, not having had enough sleep to filter my thoughts. To my surprise he laughed shortly at my question, though there was not a hint of amusement on his face. Instead a dark look lurked in his eyes and there was a cruel twist to his smile.

"I've waited years for you, do you really think I would let death come between us?"

I was unsettled by his response to my question and sat back in my chair, avoiding meeting his eye.

"To answer what I think you were trying to ask, I do normally see my pack much more often. I haven't been able to bring myself to leave you here alone after what you did the first time I left you on your own."

I glanced down, wishing I had my teacup so I could fidget with that to keep my hands busy.

"I can't take you with me because you're not marked or mated even though it's been months since we met. It would worry them unnecessarily."

"I wouldn't try to run away again if you left the house." I said.

"I'm terrified of what I would do if you did." He responded making my heart skip a beat as I looked up at him to see hints of red bleeding into his eyes at the mere thought.

I knew then I couldn't get caught next time. Though I knew he had felt guilt for hurting me his words made it clear it was possible for him to do worse. I didn't know if the issue was his lack of control over the wolf or whether he was simply unwilling to restrain the beast when he felt I deserved it's wrath.

"I'm done." I said, dropping my fork and knife into my plate.

"Alright, I'll clean up and then we can head up to my office."

"I can wash the dishes." I offered.

"No the soap isn't good for your hands. You finished your book yesterday, right? You can go pick out another while I do this."

I'd really only offered to get a couple minutes away from him and I was getting them without washing dishes so instead of arguing as he seemed to expect me to I turned and made my way up to his office.

I was heading straight for the bookcase next to the couch when the papers that lay strewn across his desk caught my eye. I could hear the sound of the water on downstairs indicating he was still washing the dishes so I tiptoed towards his desk to get a look at what it was he worked on all day.

The papers looked like blueprints with notes scrawled in a very elegant hand on the margins. I wasn't used to reading blueprints but it seemed like a big building with numerous rooms, a kitchen and bathrooms. I flipped through the papers trying to find a title or note that would indicate what was being built. It didn't seem like an apartment building so perhaps some sort of community home.

"You could have just asked what I was working on." A voice said from the doorway making me gasp as I straightened up, having been bent over the desk.

"I was just-" I started but trailed off not having an explanation for my snooping. I had no idea what had possessed me to do so but I was blaming it on my sleep deprivation. It had me acting impulsively without thinking about the consequences to my actions.

"It's okay, I don't mind. I don't intend on keeping any secrets from you. All that's mine is yours, including this pack."

I dropped the papers I had been holding as he made his way over to where I stood behind his desk. He bracketed me in against the desk by placing an arm on either side of me and leaning down to rest his chin on my shoulder so he could look at the papers. I couldn't help the way I tensed at his proximity, my back stiffening as I looked at the couch across the room I could have been sitting on reading regretfully.

"What do you think it is?"

"A community home?" I responded though it sounded more like a question.

"That's a good guess, it is of sorts. Nothing to be proud of though I'm afraid."

I turned my head just slightly to give the Alpha a questioning look, looking away again when I noticed how close together our lips were at this angle.

"It's an orphanage."

"Oh." I mumbled, saddened at the thought of all those rooms being filled now.

"My pack has never had an orphanage in our seven centuries of history but now with the rebellion groups on the rise we suddenly have too many orphaned children to be able to place them with families right away."

"Because of the human rebellion groups?" I asked twisting around to face him, horror filling me at the thought of the freedom fighters causing such devastation.

"Those cowards go after the ordinary members of the pack because they know they stand no chance against an Alpha."

"In a fight there's losses on both sides." I muttered, mostly to myself. I had grown up hearing stories from my parents about the freedom fighters and how they were fighting a courageous battle to free us from the reign of the wolves.

"Do you call ambushing unsuspecting people a fight? Sneaking into a home in the dead of night and murdering the parents lying in their beds for their child to find the next morning?"

"That's not what they do, they're fighting for equality and freedom."

"There's no fight Athena. If there was they know they would lose so instead they attack unsuspecting citizens."

"Why would they do that? That's insane, there's nothing to gain from mindlessly murdering people."

He had to be lying or withholding some sort of context. I knew the freedom fighters weren't peaceful but when there was systemic oppression to this degree the fight to end it couldn't be done peacefully.

"They hate us, they don't think of us as people but as animals. They threaten us and when we don't give in they kill our pack members to show us what happens when we don't listen."

"I don't believe that." I said unthinkingly, too shocked by what he had told me to consider that he was on the complete other side of the spectrum when it came to the issue of freedom fighters. There was nothing wolves hated more than the rebellion groups that threatened their power and did all they could to free human mates from the clutches of the wolves that had snatched them from their lives in broad daylight.

"You're blinded by your hatred." He growled, his voice so hoarse with feral rage that he seemed more beast than human.

"We're people too, our hearts beat just as yours do." He said, snatching my hand from my side and holding it against his chest so I could feel his heartbeat. It beat thunderously against the palm of my hand, fast and strong.

"Although we're stronger and could have ruled over you all we gave you a place in our packs amongst us as equals. Do you know what humans were doing to this earth before we took over? The mindless greed of those in power and those that were wealthy was killing both the earth and the powerless."

I knew what he was talking about. The atrocities the humans had done to their own kind was all we learned about in history class. How the wolves had saved the world from it's imminent end and the clutches of the evil rich men who ruled it. But that curriculum was written by wolves to brainwash us into overlooking the systemic discrimination against humans and not to mention the barbaric laws that left human mates no choice but to submit to the wolf who claimed them as their own.

"This isn't equality. Not when you can keep one of us trapped simply because your wolf recognizes us as a mate and we have no say in it."

"Is that what you think of the mating bond my little mate? Just us cruel wolves keeping you poor humans trapped?" He asked, startling me as he lifted me by the hips and set me down on his desk. Crowding me in further so that I was completely trapped and unable to escape as he leaned down. His face mere inches from mine.

"That's what it is, you hold a human captive because your wolf finds them appealing." I said, keeping my chin held high even as my palms grew clammy and heartbeat rabbit fast.

"Appealing? You think that's all it is? Just my wolf finding you appealing?" He asked calmly, a mocking smile on his face that did nothing to soften the deadly look in his darkened eyes.

"It's just biological attraction." I forced out, refusing to back down as he scoffed in my face.

"You humans spent centuries fantasizing and spreading stories about soulmates but you don't recognize that wolves have the enhanced senses to be able to find theirs. What you humans long for is what we are fated to do. We find the one who completes us, and we protect and cherish them until the day we die. As some believe even after that."

"If it were soulmates it would be mutual, not forced."

"It only has to be forced because you humans can't sense that we belong together the way the wolf can and if you weren't so fucking stubborn you could see it too."

As he spoke he grabbed my legs parting them so he could stand between. The little distance there was between us eliminated making me gasp at the sudden movement. He leaned in, stopping me from moving away with an arm wrapped around my waist, the other placed on the desk beside my hip bracing his weight. So close his nose nearly brushed against mine.

"It's undeniable. The way we fit together proves we were made for each other. No one could love you the way I do, touch you the way I do. Make your soul sing the way I can." He said, glancing down at my lips with his own parted.

"You're delusional."

Those two words were all it took to break any resolve he had and he captured my lips in a biting kiss. My protests muffled by his mouth as he nipped at my lips until they parted letting him force his tongue in, chasing the lingering taste of the syrup I had with my waffles as he licked over every inch of my mouth. His own tasting like the tea he had stolen from me.

I bit at his lip, hard enough to draw blood but he only groaned, pushing to get closer letting me feel the evidence of his arousal pressing into my thigh. He swiped up the blood with his tongue pushing it into my mouth and I gagged at the metallic taste of it. Having no choice but to swallow as he kissed me insistently, refusing to pull away until I had even as I began to grow light headed.

I panted desperately for air once he had pulled away, wiping at my mouth with the back of my hand. Though he was much less out of breath his bleeding lip and the way his tan skin was flushed pink with arousal made him look as ruined as I was.

"You can't imagine how much it turns me on to think that you have some of me inside you."

I scoffed in disgust at his words.

"Fuck I could cum from the thought alone." He breathed, dropping his head down onto my shoulder, letting go of my waist and clenching both hands on the desk until the wood creaked beneath his hold.

"Hold still." He growled as I made a move to get out from under him but ended up brushing my thigh against his bulge making him shudder and breathe out a hot puff of air into the crook of my neck.

"I need a minute, stay here." He said, pressing another quick kiss to my lips and watching me swipe angrily at the blood he left at the corner of my mouth with a smirk before turning to leave his office.

I hopped down from the desk he had placed me on. So angry I wanted to destroy everything in sight but restrained myself at the thought of ruining the blueprints for an orphanage.

I breathed hard, clenching my fists tightly to keep from screaming. It drove me insane the way he touched me as he pleased, forcing himself on me whenever he felt like it and there was nothing I could do to stop him or avenge myself.

The only consolation I had was the thought that it would destroy him when I ran away one day. I wasn't deluded into thinking I was a wonderful mate but it was his own possessiveness and fixation on me that would be his undoing. I would live out the rest of my life in satisfaction knowing he was suffering.

Author's Note-----

Hello my lovelies! I hope you all are well and I apologize for the delay again. I had to write quite a few drafts for this chapter because it just wasn't flowing. I hope you all liked it. I did mention this in the first author's note before chapter 1 but I think it is worth repeating that this is a dark fiction.

This book has contained and will contain dubiously consensual and non-consensual sexual behaviour going forward. If you are a minor or someone who is upset by such content please do not read this book. I would hate to think I upset anyone with my writing. For the rest of you please be warned there will be more dub-con and non-con content going forward.

This book is not a romance, I am not trying to romanticize this behaviour but that being said because it is fiction and thus no real person is being hurt it is okay to like the characters that you do. Feel free to discuss in the comments but please don't fight over fictional characters, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Thank you for reading and I hope you all have a great weekend!