Chapter 9: slapped

Modric

The sting on my cheek burned hotter than any sparring blow I’d ever taken. Mary Ann’s hand had connected with surprising force, and for a split second, all I saw was red. Fury roared through me—fury at her defiance, at the way she’d quietly won over half the pack in days, at the way my own body betrayed me every time she was near. How dare she slap her Alpha?

I still had her wrist gripped tightly in my hand, her soft skin warm against my calloused palm. She stared up at me, eyes wide and glistening with hurt, her full chest rising and falling rapidly. Those generous curves pressed close now, her body soft and yielding where mine was hard with tension. The mate bond flared violently between us, that same electric spark from the wedding kiss exploding into something far more dangerous.

I intended to teach her a lesson.

“You think you can hit me and just walk away?” I growled, voice low and rough. Before she could respond, I yanked her closer, one arm snaking around her waist, pulling her flush against me. Her soft belly pressed into my hard abdomen, her heavy breasts crushing against my chest. She gasped, and I crushed my mouth to hers in a punishing kiss.

It was meant to be anger. Domination. A brutal reminder that she was mine by alliance, not by choice—that she meant nothing to me beyond the peace treaty.

But the moment our lips met, everything shattered.

Her mouth was soft, so impossibly soft, warm and trembling beneath mine. The mate bond didn’t just spark—it ignited. Heat surged through my veins like wildfire, racing down my spine and pooling low in my gut. I tasted the salt of her earlier tears, the faint sweetness of the fruit she’d had at lunch, and something deeper, uniquely her. My wolf howled inside me, pushing hard against my control, demanding more.

I hadn’t meant for it to deepen. But when her lips parted on a surprised moan, I took advantage without thinking, sliding my tongue inside to claim her. She stiffened for half a second, then melted. Her free hand fisted in my shirt, not pushing me away but holding on as if she might fall. The kiss turned hungry, desperate. I angled my head, devouring her with a passion I hadn’t known I possessed. Every stroke of my tongue against hers sent jolts of pleasure straight through me. Her body molded perfectly to mine—those lush hips fitting against me, her thick thighs brushing mine, the generous softness of her breasts driving me wild.

Goddess, she felt incredible. Warm, responsive, alive. The bond thrummed between us, flooding me with her emotions—hurt, anger, and underneath it all, a raw, aching want that mirrored my own. My hands roamed. One stayed at her waist, fingers digging into the yielding flesh there, the other sliding up to cup the back of her neck, holding her exactly where I needed her. She kissed me back with equal fire, her tongue tentatively meeting mine, then growing bolder. A low groan escaped me, vibrating against her lips.

Time lost meaning. What started as punishment became something else entirely—something consuming. I kissed her like a starving man, like I’d been waiting years for this exact taste. Her scent wrapped around me, wildflowers and warm woman, making my head spin. I could feel her n*ppl*s hardening through the fabric of her dress, pressing insistently against my chest. My own body reacted fiercely, arousal straining against my trousers as I pressed her tighter to me, letting her feel exactly what she was doing to me.

We were both lost in it. Her fingers threaded into my hair, tugging hard enough to sting in the best way. I nipped at her bottom lip, soothing it with my tongue, and she whimpered—a sound that shot straight to my core. The kiss lingered far longer than either of us intended, growing slower, deeper, more intimate. It wasn’t just lips and tongues anymore. It was bodies pressed together, hearts thundering in sync, the mate bond weaving tighter with every shared breath.

When we finally broke apart, it was only because we needed air. We stared at each other, chests heaving, lips swollen and glistening. Her eyes were dark with desire, cheeks flushed a deep pink that spread down her neck and across the tops of her breasts. I knew I looked just as wrecked—hair mussed from her fingers, breathing ragged, body aching for more. Shock rippled between us. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not like this. Not with her.

Mary Ann’s expression shifted first. Reality crashed back into her gaze. The hurt I’d caused earlier flashed bright again, followed by anger. Before I could say a word, her hand flew up.

Slap!

The second strike landed even harder on the same cheek, snapping my head to the side. The sound cracked through the room like thunder. My face stung fiercely, but it was nothing compared to the storm inside my chest.

She yanked her wrist free from my loosened grip, eyes blazing with a mix of passion and pain. “Don’t you ever touch me like that again,” she whispered, voice trembling but strong. Then she turned and ran.

The door slammed behind her, leaving me standing frozen in the middle of the room, heart pounding, body still burning from the kiss. My lips tingled. My hands curled at my sides, remembering the feel of her softness. I wanted—needed—to go after her. To pull her back and finish what we’d started until neither of us could think straight.

What the hell was wrong with me?

I’d kissed her to punish her, to prove she meant nothing. Instead, that kiss had stripped me bare. The intensity of it, the way she’d responded, the perfect way her body fit against mine… it haunted me already. I’d never felt anything like it. Not with Velvera. Not with anyone.

I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to calm the frantic beat of my heart. My wolf, usually a controlled force inside me, surged forward with startling clarity. In the quiet of the room, it whispered one word that shook me to my core.

“Mate.”

The single word echoed in my mind, undeniable and terrifying. I staggered back a step, gripping the edge of a table for support. No. This wasn’t part of the plan. She was the alliance bride. The girl I’d once mocked. She couldn’t be… but the bond didn’t lie. And that kiss had proven it beyond doubt.

I touched my stinging cheek, a reluctant smile tugging at my swollen lips despite everything. She had fire. More than I’d ever given her credit for. And now that I’d tasted it, I wasn’t sure I could go back to pretending she meant nothing.

The house felt emptier with her gone from the room. The divide I’d created suddenly seemed foolish. Dangerous, even. Because if one angry kiss could unravel me like this, what would happen when I finally stopped fighting the pull?

I stood there for a long time, staring at the door she’d fled through, my wolf still chanting that single, life-altering word.

Mate.