A Deal with my Dominant Alpha

Chapter Four

Cora’s POV

The ride to the mansion was quiet but intense. Darius didn’t say much, his eyes focused on the road ahead, his jaw clenched. Sitting there next to him, I felt an odd mix of emotions turning inside me.

Darius’ scent was… different, intense and enticing. It made me feel awkward, like there was something invisible between us.

When we arrived the mansion, it stretched above us, its structure overwhelming. As we entered and walked up the stairs, I caught a glimpse of Alpha Curtis Gerrard. The man that was unto me from the very beginning and I just wondered what he would do to since I stole his daughter’s man .

Alpha Curtis’ gaze locked onto mine, and the intensity of his stare almost made me stumble in the stairs. I could see anger reflecting off him from the distance, making my knees weak.

Just when I thought I might fall, I felt Darius’s touch on my hand, gripping me. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice soft.

I nodded, “Yes,” though my heart was racing where I stood. He urged forward and I followed him up the stairs, each step making me more nervous than the last second.

We reached his room, and he closed the door behind us. My fear stirred as I looked around the luxurious space. I had heard stories about princes taking advantage of Omegas, and now, being alone with him, those fears returned fierce in my mind.

Darius took off his shirt, and my heart raced further, I couldn’t help but gasp. He then turned to me, revealing a teasing smile on his lips.

“Are you scared, Cora?” he asked as if reading my mind, leaning in closer to me.

I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening. “A little, yes,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

He chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down my spine and made my heart race faster in my chest. “Don’t be,” he suddenly said, his face just inches from mine.

Our lips almost colliding, and just when I thought he might kiss me, he pulled back quickly. “I have no interest in you, Cora, or any woman for that matter,” he said, his tone suddenly becoming serious.

“Like you are gay?” I asked with a hint of confusion in my voice.

“No, I deal with females but I have no interest in pushing for a relationship,”

I stared at him, stunned, wondering why he had then summoned me. “Then why… why did you choose me?” I asked with a trembling voice.

Darius sighed, running a hand through his hair backwards. “Because I knew I could make a deal with you.” He answered and stared back at me.

“A deal?” I asked, confused.

“Yes,” he said, sitting on the edge of his bed. “You will play along with this show of mine. Convince everyone that we are madly inlove with each other. And in return, when I am alpha, I will let you go and make you the richest woman alive.”

His words hung in the air, heavy with what he had just said. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. “You’re serious?” I asked, searching his eyes for any hint of deceit.

“Completely,” he replied, his gaze not leaving mine. “I need someone I can rely on to play along, someone that knows she has something to gain from all of it ,to help me maintain appearances. And I believe you should be perfect for it,”

I felt a mix of relief and confusion. “And what happens if I refuse?”

He smiled, a hint of danger in his eyes. “I don’t think you will. This is a good deal for you. You get freedom and wealth in the end. All I need is your cooperation.”

I took a deep breath, trying to process everything. This was not what I had expected at all, I thought to myself.

The sound of money was enticing though, but the idea of going along with Darius’s plan terrified me. I hesitated, my mind racing with the possibilities and the dangers.

Just as I was about to voice my concerns about the plan, Darius spoke up again. “There’s one more thing I can offer you,” he said, his voice calm but loud and clear enough.

I looked at him, my fear meeting with a spark of an idea in me. And just before he made another odd request to me, I voiced “I want you to help me on a case,”

“Case? What is it about?” He asked.

“I need you to help me find who murdered my mother. I always wanted to but I didn’t have the resource nor the time to do it,” I supplied sharply.

I thought he would protest to my request or insist I did only what he wanted, but Darius’s eyes widened in surprise. “Your mother’s killer? What happened?” he asked, his face softening as if showing a bit of concern.

I took a deep breath as the heavy words hung at the tip of my tongue, “Our house was set on fire by someone. My mother and I were inside and she didn’t make it.” I revealed.

“Wait, the tragic fire? You were inside the house?”

I nodded quietly in response.

“How did you survive? The whole building was scorched?” he asked, the sound of genuine concern in his voice.

I shook my head. “I don’t know. I remember the flames, the heat… and then nothing. I woke up the next morning at Madame Equisite’s shop. She found me and took me in,”

Darius studied me for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. I’ll help you find your mother’s killer.” He said, “But remember this, if you betray me in any way, I promise I will make your life worse than it was before.”

His tone was cool, a cute smile on his lips, but the threat was clear. I shivered, knowing he meant every word he said.

I managed to gather some courage and responded. “I understand,” I said quietly.

As silence took over the room, curiosity got the better of me, and I couldn’t help but ask, “Why aren’t you interested in anyone?”

He rose his gaze to meet mine, I could tell he was taken back by the question as his expression hardened, and then he looked away. “That’s not something I’m willing to discuss.” He answered firmly.

Another silence followed and it was heavy this time, but I decided not to press further. Instead, Darius extended his hand toward me for an handshake. “Deal?”

I looked at the hand, then up his eyes. After seconds of thinking, I reached out to shake his hand, but as soon as our skin touched, an electric-like sensation went through me from the point of contact. I felt my adrenaline kicked in as a tingling sensation occurred with in me.

I gasped, pulling my hand back, my eyes wide with shock. Darius’s reaction was immediate and intense. He yelled out angrily, his face transformed with rage and confusion.

“No! This can’t be happening!” he yelled.

I stared at him, my heart pounding. “What… what’s going on?” I asked, as if having no idea of the undeniable mate bond I’d just felt between us.

He took a step back, running his hands through his hair. “We’re mates,” he spat out, his voice filled with anger and disbelief.

“Why does it have to be you?!”

I knew what it was, but as Darius revealed, the realization hit me like a punch to my stomach. “Mates? You are my mate?” I echoed, unable to believe it.

“Yes!” he answered, his voice trembling with madness. “But this wasn’t supposed to happen. I chose you for the plan, not… not for this.”

I felt a strange mix of emotions inside me, fear, confusion, and a little trace of something else. “What does this mean for us?” I then asked Darius, who was growing mad with rage every second.

He glared at me, his eyes burning with both anger and the shock finding out the horrible truth. “This change nothing for us,” he said through his rage. “Our deal stands. But don’t think for a second that I’ll accept this bond or you for that matter.”

“What?” I voiced without knowing as my heart shattered, feeling my insides with pain.

“I reject you because I don’t need a mate. You stick to the deal, understood?”

His words stung at me inside, but I nodded, too afraid of him to argue. “Okay,” I said quietly. “I understand.”

He clenched his fists, clearly struggling to control his emotions as he left me in the room alone with my thoughts.

The pain of rejection hung over me as my eyes welled up with beads of tears.