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.

And then he beat

disgust in Tieran’s expression warmed Cassandra’s heart. The fact that he felt anything aside from hatred for the Janus clan members spoke well of the Alpha. “An Alpha’s

I guess Ulster wasn’t in class that day

“You are very witty,”

was kidnapped and all that, I was actually an

said he approved, though he said

to picture the austere man as a

for foolishness.” At her disappointment, he clarified gruffly, saying, “My brothers and I weren’t

more like

that sounded somewhat normal and relaxed a bit. “What did you do for schooling? I’m guessing you

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

like to have grown up with duty and honor and tradition pounded into your

repeated stiffly, retreating behind that damnable mask

Tieran a dull boy?” she teased lightly. “There has to be something you

do not have time for

all the time,” she grumbled, sighing when she felt they’d taken two steps backward

believe I am grouchy?” he asked,

sense in sugarcoating it. “I

said, surprising her. “When the moon is full, I change

the feel of the ground beneath her paws and how exhilarating it’d felt to simply put miles between herself and everyone

that, too,” she admitted, smiling in understanding. A moment passed between them that resembled the beginnings of camaraderie and she savored the

unusual for a female to turn,” he said. “I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that you are so different, in so many

different,” she agreed. “I think the world my mother always used to describe me

a werewolf, it’s a travesty,” he said with

like my parents had good reason to

with reluctant understanding. Maybe they

bit into it, the juice dribbling down her chin before she could catch it. Tieran was on his feet in an instant, wiping the sweet juice away with his thumb.

swallowed the bite of apple

programming and not true desire. She forced herself to look away even as he pulled her

we don’t have to do this,” she whispered. “I know

silence stabbed her in the heart. Closing her eyes, she gathered every bit

said harshly as she backed away. “I know I am not Serra and I never will be. You’ve done your duty — I’m pregnant — so

letting him off the hook, but he shocked her when he simply stared, his eyes burning with even

her. “You are my mate. We are bonded in flesh and blood. No one will bring you food but me and no one will be between those thighs but

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