THE AWAKENING

Chapter-21-

Tieran appeared at her doorway, interrupting her thoughts. He carried a tray of food that might feed a room of people but he barely noted the strain.

She couldn’t help but appreciate the way his muscles bunched and bulged from the weight of the heavy load. Each time they were alone, her hormones reacted like unruly teenagers, heedless of caution or reason.

His eyes darkened as her scent washed over him, her pheromones melding with perfect precision into a heady aphrodisiac. “Your food,” he announced unnecessarily, placing the tray at the small table and turning to leave.

“Tieran…” she called out to him. “Can we talk?”

“I haven’t the time for idle chit-chat,” he answered curtly. “Is there anything else you require?”

“I require the father of my child to speak to me,” she said. “You treat me like a prisoner and a whore, neither of which I appreciate. If we are supposed to be parents together, shouldn’t we try to get along?”

He cast her a short look but gruffly acknowledged the logic in her request. “Your request is valid,” he said, taking a seat furthest from her in the oversized chair opposite the bed.

She withheld a sigh and tried not to feel bruised by his subtle rejection. He didn’t want to want her but like her, their hormones were causing them to dance to a different tune. She secretly admired how strong he was to deny his own feelings.

As much as she wanted to ignore the pull, she couldn’t help the drift she felt toward him. She craved his touch, his scent, the feel of him inside her. She slid her tongue lightly along the seam of her lip and he caught the subtle movement.

His eyes flashed and he growled low in his throat. “You wished to talk?”

“I…I don’t know anything about you,” she stammered, trying desperately to stay focused when all she really wanted to do was drop to her knees and take that lovely length of cock hiding behind his jeans into her hot and greedy mouth. “I have so many questions that I don’t know where to start.”

“Such as?”

“Well, where does the clan’s wealth come from? I mean, Clan Janus lives by a very different standard so I imagine there had to be some smart investments on someone’s part to help sustain the clan.”

One dark slash of an eyebrow rose incrementally. “You wish to talk finances? I assure you, Cassandra, we are well and securely funded. There is no need to worry where your next meal will come from.”

She frowned. “That’s not what I meant at all. Listen, in the normal world, people have to work for their money but as far as I can tell you, you don’t punch a clock so there must’ve been some wealth pocketed somewhere in order for you to sit on your Alpha chair all day.”

“I do not sit on a chair all day,” he said, affronted. “You imply laziness on my part.”

“No, not at all,” she said, rushing to clarify. “I’m just trying to understand and put things into place from the only perspective that I have.”

“Oh, I see,” he said, slightly mollified. He shifted in his chair and sighed. “To answer your question, yes, Clan Barrachius has always been smart with their investments. We’ve amassed a healthy sum of money over the centuries that is now handled by an investment firm. Clan Janus has been foolish in not taking a more active role in the health of their clan finances. However, according to Cristophe, Ulster has been amassing wealth through less than honorable means. He has far more than he shows.”

“I’ve seen the way they live. It’s shameful the way he treats his women. He tried to force the women to breed by getting a witch to cast some kind of spell.”

“Did it work?” Tieran asked, concerned.

miscarried. And then

Cassandra’s heart. The fact that he felt anything aside from hatred for the Janus

in class that day when they taught that lesson in Alpha

“You are very

Before I was kidnapped and all that, I was actually

said he approved, though he said nothing.

austere man as a carefree

serious as I need to be. I have been training to be the Alpha since I was a pup. There wasn’t much time for foolishness.” At her disappointment, he clarified gruffly, saying, “My brothers and I weren’t above getting into mischief now and then. We were, as my mother used to say,

like it.

and relaxed a bit. “What did you

Our father wanted us to be educated. He said the world was changing more rapidly than our species but we had to be able to keep up in order to protect the clan from outside forces. He said ignorance was never

honor and tradition

he repeated stiffly, retreating behind that

fun. You know, all work and no play makes Tieran a dull boy?” she teased lightly. “There has to be something you enjoy doing that’s not tied to your

not have time

wonder you’re so grumpy all the time,” she grumbled, sighing when she felt they’d taken

believe I am grouchy?” he asked, mildly bothered by

in sugarcoating it. “I don’t think I’ve seen

I

paws and how exhilarating it’d felt to

she admitted, smiling in understanding. A moment passed

wrapping my head

think the world my mother always used

a travesty,” he said with

my parents had good

grunted with reluctant understanding. Maybe they were making

she could catch it. Tieran was on

and her temperature rose. She swallowed the bite of apple and he removed the fruit from her hand. She knew what would happen now. It was

that he didn’t want to be with her, that he was driven by some biological programming and not true desire. She forced herself to look away even as he

you leave now, we don’t have to do this,” she whispered. “I know it’s not me you

her statement and his silence stabbed her in the heart. Closing her eyes, she gathered every bit of strength she had and pushed him hard

backed away. “I know I am not Serra and I never will be. You’ve done your duty — I’m pregnant — so feel free to send someone else to bring my food that way neither of us

stalk from the room, angry at her rejection or perhaps secretly relieved at her letting him off the hook, but he shocked her when he simply stared, his eyes burning with even

bonded in flesh and blood. No one will bring you

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