Chapter 80: Dangerous Desires
Chapter 80: Dangerous Desires
(Scarlett’s POV)
I leaned against the edge of the desk in my office, Alexander’s lingering presence still wrapping around me like a tightly drawn cloak.
His earlier glacial gaze and sharp words repeated in my head. Alexander’s bold claim to mark me as Luna of the Northern territories was a move of desperation–I knew that.
But beyond the madness of his suggestion was a calculated political game. It wasn’t love. It was survival. That much was obvious.
But Roman? His reactions were far from calculated. They were raw. Unforgiving. The possessiveness he displayed today was unlike anything I’d seen from him before–icy and smoldering at the same time. “Scarlett,” Roman’s deep voice called from the couch a few feet away.
I turned, startled by the sudden sound, and there he was, sitting with that same stern expression I hadn’t yet deciphered. His blue eyes bore into mine, unreadable yet undeniable.
“What?” I asked cautiously, brushing my hair from my face, my other hand gripping the desk edge tightly. He tilted his head slightly, his sharp features making him look like a predator surveying his prey. “Are you going to keep more secrets from me? Or do I have to guess what else you’re hiding?”
I frowned, the accusation in his tone cutting deeper than I expected it to. “What are you even talking about?” “Alexander,” he said flatly, his lips curling into a grim line. “Your engagement. Did you not think that was something I–someone you’re bonded to–deserved to know?”
A wave of guilt and irritation flooded my chest. “It was an agreement to protect myself,” I explained, forcing calm into my voice. “You knew how precarious things were with Sarah and Grace. So yes, Roman, I did what I had to do to survive.”
His eyes darkened. “Surviving doesn’t mean marrying the enemy, Scarlett.”
“Marrying?!” My voice rose a pitch, my frustration fully surfacing. “It was never going to happen, Roman! The engagement was annulled long before-”
“Before what?” he cut in, standing suddenly. He closed the small distance between us with deliberate strides. “Before I found you? Or before you decided to keep me in the dark again?”
His words pulled my guilt higher, but they also ignited my own anger. “What do you want me to say, Roman? That I planned every second of my misery for the last three years? That I enjoyed being their pawn? You think I wanted to wear their chains?”
A flicker of regret passed across his fa as though my words had hit something inside him. But he didn’t step back. His towering frame loomed closer, his ice–blue eyes pinning me in place.
“Swear to me,” he said softly, his voice low but commanding. “Swear you won’t let another like Alexander tether you again.”
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I swallowed hard, surprised by the raw intensity in his tone. “I won’t,” I murmured. My voice wavered, but my resolve was steady. “You don’t have to worry about me running off with anyone else, Roman.”
Something shifted in his expression–relief, perhaps?-but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
He reached for me suddenly, his large hands capturing my waist as he pulled me closer with a restrained kind of defiance. His lips crashed onto mine without warning, stealing my words and breath in one ruthless,
heated motion.
At first, I froze. My heart stuttered as my mind caught up to what was happening. But then Cora, my wolf, stirred beneath my skin–her howls of approval making it impossible to fight the pull between us. I responded without hesitation, tangling my fingers in his hair as I kissed him back with equal fervor.
The tension between us blurred, replaced by something far more dangerous and consuming. Every ounce of frustration, fear, and longing erupted into the moment, becoming too much and yet somehow not enough.
When his mouth trailed down the side of my neck, sending white–hot sparks through every nerve in my body, reality finally snapped back into focus.
“Roman-” I whispered breathlessly, pushing against his chest.
But he didn’t stop. His hold tightened ever so slightly–a silent refusal to let me pull away.
I tried again, this time pressing more firmly. “Roman, we shouldn’t…”
His lips paused against my skin, and he exhaled heavily, his warm breath sending shivers down my spine. He pulled back just far enough to meet my gaze, his ice–blue eyes flickering with something darker and more primal.
“Shouldn’t?” he repeated, a humorless edge in his tone. “Or won’t?”
I struggled to find my words, my mind spinning from his proximity and the slow burn of our bond. “We’re we’re not supposed to…”
“Supposed to?” Roman’s eyes narrowed as he gripped my chin gently but firmly, tilting my face closer to his.” Supposed to what? Pretend you’re not mine?”
His words echoed in my chest, their weight dragging against every argument I could conjure. But I couldn’t let this go further. Not yet.
I pushed harder against him, finally stepping back far enough to create some space. “This isn’t about pretending, Roman,” I said, my voice firmer now. “I just–l need time to sort this out. Our history, everything…”
He studied my face for a moment, his sharp features betraying a flicker of turmoil. But then his expression hardened–a wall falling between us.
“Time?” he repeated, his tone colder now. “Are you hoping to consider other males in that time, Scarlett?” “What?” I blinked, my lips parting in disbelief. “Of course not! I just told you–I rejected Alexander-” “That’s not what I asked.” His voice dropped dangerously, laced with accusation.
I stared at him, stunned by how quickly the mood had shifted. A lump formed in my throat as frustration bubbled over. “Roman, this isn’t about anyone else! I don’t want anyone else, damn it!”
His gaze softened for the briefest moment, but just as quickly, it was gone. He turned abruptly, his hand raking through his hair as he paced toward the door.
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“Let’s go,” he said sharply. “You’ll eat before the night’s chaos continues.”
I stood frozen, staring after him in shock. What just happened…?
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The restaurant was quiet. Too quiet.
Roman barely looked at me as we sat across the table. His expression remained unreadable, his focus entirely on his plate. I poked at my food, appetite lost in the thick tension hanging between us.
I finally couldn’t take it anymore. “Roman,” I began carefully. “What’s wrong?”
He didn’t respond, merely taking another bite of his meal.
I leaned closer, lowering my voice. “Did I do something? Why are you acting like-”
“Eat,” he interrupted sharply, his voice firm but neutral.
I clenched my jaw, swallowing the retort climbing up my throat. Fine. If he wanted cold indifference, he’d get
- it.
But deep down, I couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling that my earlier words–about not being ready, about needing time–had somehow triggered his mood shift.
The rest of the meal passed in uncomfortable silence, my heart heavy with unease.
(Third–person’s POV)
Jason paced the floor of Alexander’s private chamber, his Beta instincts thrumming with unease. He had just delivered the latest report–Grace’s condition was worsening rapidly.
But Alexander barely reacted, his focus fixed elsewhere.
“You’re not listening to me, Alexander,” Jason said tightly, frustration creeping into his voice. “Grace’s time is running out. And yet here you are, chasing ghosts with Scarlett.”
Alexander’s lips pressed into a thin line. The memory of Roman’s presence in Scarlett’s office–a force that both enraged and intimidated him–played over and over in his head.
“I won’t lose her,” he muttered, almost to himself.
Jason sighed wearily. “This isn’t about Scarlett anymore, is it? Or is it guilt for wasting two years of engagement while wanting someone else?”
Alexander’s face darkened, but he didn’t answer.
Down the hall, Grace’s faint whimpers echoed, each sound driving another nail of desperation into Alexander’s chest.
(Grace’s POV)
Pain wracked my body, the silver poisoning burning through my veins like liquid fire. Every breath felt like a battle against my own frailty.
The room was empty–Sarah had gone to make arrangements, leaving me alone with the hum of the
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machines surrounding me.
My phone vibrated weakly on the stand beside me. I reached for it with shaking hands, nearly dropping it as I
swiped to answer the call.
“Hello?” my voice came out hoarse.
“You think you can ignore me forever?” Thomas Ward’s gruff voice snarled through the receiver, his anger palpable even through the line.
My heart stopped. “Thomas,” I whispered, fear lacing my tone.
“You owe me, Grace,” he growled. “If you think your condition excuses you from paying, think again. Tell me you haven’t forgotten about the attack you planned on Scarlett.”
My blood ran cold. My grip tightened on the phone as my breathing grew harsh.
Thomas didn’t let up, his voice rising as I said nothing. “You got what you wanted back then, Grace. Now it’s time to pay up. Because if you don’t-”
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