bChapter 152 /b

    ra’s POV

    My heart hammered in my chest.

    The scent of shampoo and something earthy, like fresh pine, filled my senses as he drew closer. His presence was intoxicating–my wolf’s quiet purr almost begging me to give in.

    But I wasn’t about to let my instincts control me. Not this time.

    “Do you want to fuck?” I asked, bluntly cutting through the tension between us.

    Doriah froze for a moment, caught off guard. Then, to my surprise, he burst intoughter. “You just made me love iyou /ieven more,

    I narrowed my eyes, trying to read him. “Do you? Or do you not?”

    rab./bb” /b

    He grinned, eyes gleaming with mischief. “I do. But let me put it this way: I want to please you. In bed. Physically and emotionally. In ba /bway that’s loving, respectful–and maybe a little rough around the edges.”

    He tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering a little too long “How does that sound? Better?”

    I shrugged, trying to act indifferent. “Sounds no different to me.”

    Dorian chuckled, leaning back in his chair as if he had all the time in the world. “Then what do you propose, mydy? I’ll do anything you

    ask.”

    I didn’t trust him. Not fully. There was something about him–something hidden beneath that charming smile.

    “I don’t even know you,” I said, leaning back and crossing my arms. “How about we take it slow? Get to know each other a little better?”

    I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that he was hiding something–something big. I needed to find out more about him, figure out if he was

    friend or foe.

    Dorian leaned in slightly, a yful glint in his eyes. “Old–fashioned, huh? I like that.”

    He rxed into his seat, his legs crossed, hands propped behind him, clearly unfazed. “So, what do you want to know?”

    I met his gaze, my tone turning serious. “Who are

    His smile didn’t falter. “Dorian Lawson,” he said casually, as if that name alone should be enough.

    I felt a knot form in my stomach.

    So he was going to keep lying to me. Fine. I’d give him onest chance. “Why did youe to the city of Grace Ruin? Why pledge loyalty to

    Lance? And why serve in Kimberly’s troops?b” /b

    He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “That’s a lot of questions.”

    “You said you’d answer anything I asked,” I pointed out.

    He hesitated, rubbing his chin as he considered his words. After a pause, he finally spoke. “bTo /banswer your second question bfirst/bb, /bbno/b, bmy /bloyalty isn’t with Lance. It’s with my people. My people only.”

    “My people?” I repeated, pushing for more. “Who are they?”

    b1/4 /b

    I was trying to figure him out. Was he an Alpha of a smaller pack? Maybe that’s why I hadn’t heard of him before. But Dorian only responded with a cryptic smile.

    “Yes, my people… the ones under my reign.”

    That was a load of crap.

    I pressed on, not satisfied. “Why did youe to this city in the first ce? You said you wanted ito /istay in the middle of the chaos… But what’s your real agenda?”

    He shrugged nonchntly. “Anyone with eyes can see there’s a war brewing. But this one… this one’s different. If someone doesn’t step in soon, the bnced of this world will be lost. Permanently.”

    I eyed him warily, my skepticism growing. “So, you think you can stop this war? You, a rogue soldier?”

    Heughed again, the sound light and carefree. “A little guy can have dreams, can’t he?”

    I crossed my arms, more irritated now. “Sounds more like narcissism.”

    He grinned. “Sure. But maybe I was talking about your ex, Alpha Thorne. Maybe he’s t the one who’s going to save the world, not me. You came to this city to take him down, didn’t you? That was the n, wasn’t it? Until he lost his mind and started working with the bad guys.”

    I bristled at the mention of Thorne. I didn’t want to talk about him, not with Dorian.

    So I changed the subject, my voice cutting through the tension. “Mind if I ask a few questions of my ownb?/bb” /b

    Dorian leaned forward, his smile widening. “What? Go ahead.”

    His grin was like a challenge, and I knew exactly what he was about to ask.

    “Since your ex is one of the bad guys now,” he began, his voice low and teasing, “…What are the chances of you getting back together with

    him?”

    My stomach tightened. He was crossing a line I’d already warned him about.

    I let out a sharp breath, avoiding his gaze. “I’m not answering that.”

    Dorian raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed. “I thought ithis /i

    was a must–answer kind of situation.”

    “Not when it involves him,” I snapped, looking away. I couldn’t let him dig any deeper. Not with Thorne. Not now.

    Dorian leaned back, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Alrightb, /bbthen/b. I guess you’re not happy with my answers tonight. Does that mean I still have a chance to take you to bed?”

    Despite my wolf’s desperate desire, I shook my head, the words leaving my mouth colder than I intended. “No.”

    Dorian’s smile didn’t falter. He stood up, stretching his arms above his head. Then, in one swift move, he scooped me up from the couch, his grip strong and unyielding.

    I gasped, struggling against him. “What the hell are you doing?b” /b

    His arms were like iron, holding me tightly no matter how hard I pushed against him.

    “Rx,” he murmured, his voice calm as ever.

    Before I knew bit/b, we were at the bed. He gentlyid bme /bdown, his eyes never leaving mine. “Get some brest/bb,/bb” /bbhe /bbsaid/bb, /bbthe /bbwords /bbsurprisingly /b

    b714 /b

    tender. “Do you want me to tuck you in?”

    I red at him, my heart still pounding. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

    His smile softened, and there was a glint of something darker behind it. “If you keep staring at me like that, I might just climb binto /bbbed /bwith you.”

    I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the heat that

    rising in my chest. “You’re taking the couch, right?”

    He nodded, not missing a beat. “Yeah. Can’t let

    you sleep on the couch.”

    He yawned, stretched again, and walked back to the couch. “Good night,” he said, turning off the light.

    The room plunged into darkness, and I wrapped the sheets around myself, trying to steady my racing thoughts. bWhat /bthe bhell /bbwas /bI bsupposed /b

    to make of him?

    Thorne had always been hard to read, but Dorian? He was a whole other level of mystery. Dangerous. And more charming than I cared bto /b

    admit.

    I couldn’t figure him out. And that scared me more than I wanted to admit.

    When I woke up, the morning light streamed through the window. For a moment, I just stared at the ceiling, disoriented. Then it hit me.

    What time was it?

    Dorian was supposed to wake me up, but he wasn’t here. The couch where he’d slept was empty, and the room was eerily quiet.

    I turned, spotting a note on the pillow beside me.

    Couldn’t wake you in your sleep. I’ll be thinking about you all day today. Lots of love, Dorian.

    I stared at it, my heart sinking.

    I nced at the clock. It was already 6:45. I waste.

    “Shit,” I muttered, crumpling the note and tossing it into the trash.

    He’d done this on purpose. I was sure of it.

    I rushed into the bathroom, quickly freshened up, and bolted out of the room. I had bto /bmake it to the basement before I got in more trouble.

    When I arrived, all the maids were lined up, and Wendy was talking to a tall man at the front. The moment I entered, everyone turned to look at me. My eyes locked onto the man.

    It was Thorne.

    What the hell was he doing here so early?

    Before I could say anything, Wendy shot me a re. “You’rete.”

    “I know,” I muttered, still frozen in ce, my mind racing.

    Thorne’s eyes were cold, studying me like he was waiting for an exnation.

    “Where were youst night?” he asked, his voice sharp.

    で

    09:42 Tue, 5 Aug

    I bit my lip, unwilling to answer.

    He let out a cold chuckle and turned to Wendy. “Where did she sleepst night?”

    Wendy hesitated. She nced nervously at me.

    And then, with a reluctant sigh, she answered, “She was with a guard… a guard named Dorian.”

    My stomach dropped.

    Thorne’s gaze never wavered. And I knew, in that moment, that everything was about to change.