Ava I stand staring at myself in the mirror, thinking about the last two hours and how I landed up here. In the most gorgeous and expensive dress I have ever worn. It’s obscenely lavish, and while I should be disgusted with wearing something that could quite literally feed a small country, I’m not. What does that make me? Materialistic? Arrogant? Perhaps instead of trying to judge myself, I could, just for tonight, be a girl in an expensive dress. A girl with so many firsts in one day, it is making me dizzy. It was my first time driving in a limo and a helicopter, my first time having my hair and makeup done by a professional, and my first time being presented with an array of elegant dresses, shoes, and accessories—all in my exact size. No doubt I have Nick to thank for that. Another first was the penthouse suite I was in, with a view to die for. It all made me feel like a celebrity. “Knock, knock,” Nick says, entering the room when I grunt. “You shouldn’t be grunting in a dress like that. Geezus, Ava, you look like a model.” I take another look at myself in the mirror. My white dress is simple yet effective in perfectly highlighting all my assets. It is strapless, the corset- like top half of the dress cradling my breasts and cinching my waist while still allowing me to breathe, surprisingly. A lace bolero covers the scars on my arms and back while suiting this dress perfectly. The bottom half of this masterpiece drapes to the floor with a small train at the back. A slit is high enough up my right thigh to make me feel nervous but not high enough to flash anyone anything. The white is broken by one solid black line running along the right side of the bodice, down the end of the train. I paired it with black two-inch heels that wrap around my calves. My hair is simply done, as is my makeup. Though done by a professional, it adds a touch I cannot get at home, even if I tried. High, tight ponytail and smoky eyes, making the green of my irises pop. “Are you trying to kill the King?” Nick smirks, raising his eyebrows cockily. “What?” I ask innocently, not taking the bait. “That guy has it so bad for you, you have no idea. You can feel the mate bond even with the silver dulling it down. Imagine how it feels for him not having that buffer diluting the need and ache. Torture. Pure and utter torture. I speak from experience. I know the pull of the mate bond at one hundred percent. Don’t be surprised if he can’t ke ep his hands to himself. Or murder someone else who can’t. Without marking you, others may think you are fair game, especially looking and smelling so delicious.” Nick smirks, while his words just make me feel nervous. And guilty. I forget how this must be for Braiden. Alpha male. Trying to reign in his impulses. “He said he won’t touch me until I ask,” I say to Nick, meeting his gaze in the mirror. “Wow. That is restraint. Perhaps you should throw the dog a bone? He isn’t a bad guy, Ava. He would do anything for you. I can see it in the way he looks at you.” I roll my eyes at his words. The mate bond is doing this. It has nothing to do with what we want and feel.
“The pack is speaking, and I have ears. They have never seen the King like this with a woman. Never. Even with Selene, he never publicly displayed any affection. And before you say it is the mate bond, it isn’t. The mate bond doesn’t intrinsically change who you are. One doesn’t go from not liking PDA to suddenly liking it. Or creating a whole room in your house where someone can feel safe and at home. The mate bond intensifies feelings. It doesn’t manufacture them from nothing. Most people spend their whole life looking for their other half. As wolves, we are blessed with a mate bond, literally telling us who it is. It’s a gift, Ava. Why not just try?” Nick dips his head in question and then smiles when he hears Samuel calling his name. “Nick, My Queen, there you are.” He appears beside Nick. I have stopped asking him to drop the title. He doesn’t listen, and I grew tired of telling him when I realized my words were futile. “My King is waiting for you just outside. We will be in the hall.” Samuel grabs Nick's hand, almost dragging him from the room. “Okay, let’s do this,” I say to myself, glancing quickly at my reflection in the mirror before exiting the bedroom I got ready in. One st ep out of the room. That’s how far I make it before Braiden's scent overwhelms me, and the lust continually simmering between us bursts into flames, stopping me dead in my tracks. Braiden looks like a god. I have seen him in a suit before, but this one is different. Blacker, if even possible. More sculpted. The cufflinks glint in the light as his fists clench and unclench, my gaze swe eping his appearance from bottom to top. His usually messy black hair is styled back, an unruly lock falling forward in a way that looks styled. His grey eyes are no longer grey. Black eyes stare back at me instead, and he inhales de eply, a growl reverberating in the room and making my panties slick with desire. “Fuck, Ava. If you are trying to destroy me, congratulations, you are succeeding.” His voice is so gravelly with restraint that it turns me on further. I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry as he approaches. He devours me with his eyes, and I must refrain from moaning out loud when he circles me, his eyes everywhere. My wolf, who usually remains submissive, pushes forward, a strange yelp leaving my mouth. A sound I have never heard before and one I know to be from my wolf alone. “Your wolf is calling for her mate, Ava.” Braiden, now standing before me, dips his head as he whispers those words in my ear, goosebumps erupting everywhere. Even my goosebumps have goosebumps. My eyes close as Braiden’s hand cups the other side of my face while he nuzzles my neck. What if I just gave in to this? Gave into Braiden? I sigh, and his lips meet my neck, the lingering kiss etched onto my skin. “Braiden?” I say softly as my heart almost beats out of my chest. He slowly pulls back, his black eyes searching mine. “Yes, Ava?” He prompts me when I don’t say anything.
Could I do this? Could I ask him to kiss me? I blush redder than I already am, unsure how to get the words past my lip. “Will you...” The words die, my cowardice their murderer. “Will I what?” Braiden r epeats, his head tipping to the side as he waits patiently for me to finish. “Will you—” A knock on the door has me jumping and st epping back as Samuel enters. “I’m sorry, My King, they are waiting for you.” Braiden doesn’t acknowledge Samuel but stares at me intently for a full minute before turning around. “Ava.” He holds his elbow out for me to take, which I do after a moment's hesitation. I can feel the muscle rippling beneath my hold, and thoughts of how it will feel under my hand make me avoid eye contact with Samuel as we pass him. Afraid he will see the dirty thoughts written on my face. We pass Nick and follow two royal guards toward an elevator, which is already open and waiting. We enter, and just as the royal guards are about to join us, Braiden shakes his head, each taking a st ep back. The doors close just as Nick and Samuels' surprised faces come into view. The tension in the elevator is thick, and I glance at Braiden, his mouth set in a hard line and his jaw ticking. Braiden presses the ground floor button, and as it moves two floors down to the eighth floor, he hits the stop button. The elevator halts so abruptly that I grab his arm to stay upright. Braiden crowds me, forcing me back until my back hits the elevator wall. “Ask me, Ava. Tell me what you want.” Wow. This moment is so intense the air crackles between us as my heavy breathing eats up the oxygen. “Maybe we should wait until after the event?” I say quietly, the nerves making the question come out high-pitched. “There is no later. There is just now. Ask me.” Braiden waits for me, and somewhere inside, I know he would wait this whole evening away if that’s how long it took me to say the words. Be brave. I can do this. It’s just a kiss. “Will you kiss me?” The words leave me in a breathy whisper but so loud in other ways. He growls and then closes the distance between us, his lips meeting mine and an explosion of sensation following. The spark usually accompanying his touch almost burns from the intensity, the pleasure ripping through me all the way to my core. His lips dominate mine, and then his tongue enters my mouth, taking and giving, rough and gentle, licking and nipping. It is exquisite. He takes this moment and paints it into a masterpiece, etched into the very fiber of my being as if the cells in my body have been rewritten. No moment will ever be this sweet. No moment will ever be this perfect. My breath becomes his, and my body gravitates further towards him like a magnet until my hands are pulling on the lapels of his suit and his large, rough hands are running up the side of my waist. We pull apart, our breathing ragged, black eyes meeting white as our animals stir inside. Timed perfectly, the elevator phone rings, my heart jumping into my throat with fright.
“Dammit.” Braiden sighs, his eyes remaining locked on mine as he st eps back, picking up the phone. “Yes. Everything is fine. No. No need for a technician. We will be down shortly.” He puts the phone down, sighing in frustration. “We should go. We are already late,” I say, smoothing my dress and trying to compose myself. “I would cancel in a heartbeat, Ava, but tonight is important.” I smile at Braiden, the tone of his words telling me how torn he is. “I’m ready.” I smile. A genuine one that pulls a similar one from him. He is the King. He has responsibilities. I understand that. “How do I look?” I ask him as he pushes the stop button to resume our descent. “Like I should push the stop button and continue where we left off.” I laugh, nudging him with my elbow playfully before looping my arm back through his. As we get closer to the ground floor, nerves start fluttering in my stomach, reminding me that I am out of my element. I was about to enter a public, high-profile event with the Alpha King of all werewolves. But when I look up at the man beside me, all I see is Braiden.