Goodbye Deadbeat, Hello Alpha!

Cruel Intentions

[Isolde]

"He's really handsome, isn't he?" Cynthia whispered.

She was one of the maids and her bed was directly beside mine. She looked younger than I, maybe by nothing but a few years. She had a bob cut. Her short, brown hair was pinned behind her ears on one side.

Trying not to seem awkward, I replied casually. "Yes, he is."

I caught Nikolai's lips twitching slightly. Just how sharp were those ears of his? Refusing to give him the satisfaction of my praise, I added. "But he looks like a troublemaker."

The maid panicked, her eyes widened as she quickly turned towards the family as if to confirm whether or not they'd heard. Then back to me.

"Shhh! Isolde, they can hear you!" Her panicking seemed a bit over the top. After all, I'd stated the obvious.

I watched Harlan give directions on who carried what luggage.

I stayed in line as Luna and her daughter passed by the queue of maids. Keeping my head down like everyone else was the polite thing to do. Unfortunately a pair of red designer heels stopped just in front of me.

"You."

With reluctance, I lifted my gaze. Bad move. Because the moment I did, I got smacked in the face by Luna.

The force of it snapped my head to the side and I remained dazed, completely stunned by such an unprovoked display of aggression.

"When did gravel have the right to make assumptions about my family, hmmm?" Her brown eyes narrowed in disdain, making the stretch of dark eyeliner stand out even more.

Cynthia was shaking beside me. She must have known the temper of the mistress after having worked here in the past. I couldn't let this escalate further.

I clenched the hem of my dress and mumbled politely. "Forgive me, mistress."

"I will. After all, I am a merciful woman." She turned away from me. "Harlan? This one will work the stables for the next few days. Also, I caught a glimpse of a mole in the woods. I want the vermin caught!" She walked off after that and her daughter's gaze lingered on me before she followed after her mother.

Nikolai walked side by side with his father and I dreaded that our circumstances from the night before were being revealed. Thankfully, when they passed by, the conversation was something about stocks and market volatility.

It was too soon to be walking on eggshells, but here I was.

After the family went in, we spread out to our duty posts. Cynthia apologised for starting the topic, forgetting I was new and didn't know the icks of Mistress Luna.

She explained that the head of the house, Nicolo Quinn didn't usually make trouble for the servants but once you got on Camilla and her mother's bad side—they'd frustrate you into quitting. And the contract signed before taking the job stated that you wouldn't get paid if you quit midway through. How annoying.

"It's fine, Cynthia. It wasn't your fault." I managed a smile.

Harlan's glare was enough to split us up.

After finishing my duties for the day, I returned to the shared room after dinner to sleep. From tomorrow, I would be stuck moving hay and cleaning dung.

'Breathe, Isolde. Just breathe.' I reminded myself, lying down slowly. There was an obvious lump under my pillow and when I lifted it to check, I found a goddamn stone!

Before I could react, I noticed a small strip of paper tucked beneath the stone.

My eyes squinted at the words.

'Midnight. Meet me at the stables.'

It didn't take a genius to guess who'd left the message and I should've ignored it. Should've stayed put like a sane, self-preserving adult would have—but I couldn't. All because Nikolai Quinn knew my secret.

So naturally, I got up and slipped out.

The moon wasn't as bright tonight and the dark sky was equally starless. That felt like a bad sign.

The manor sat on an impossibly large extent of land and there was a wide field dedicated to rich people sport.

It took a little trek before I finally arrived at the wooden doors of the stables.

Inside, I could hear the sound of horses snorting and shifting but that was as far as signs of life went.

Maybe the message had been a prank. Maybe that arrogant little bastard had wanted to prove that he had the upper hand by not showing up.

I stepped outside, opting to check all four corners of the building to fulfil all righteousness. At the second turn, an arm gripped and pulled me flush against a warm, solid body.

I inhaled deeply. "Let go—"

"Relax," came the whisper near my ear. "We have got to stop meeting this way Cougar."

Nikolai.

I squirmed in his grip, but he was stronger than his lean build suggested. "Seriously?" I hissed. "You dragged me out here to flirt in a barn?"

"No," he said lightly. "You know you owe me, right? For keeping our escapades from last night to myself and saving your life nonetheless."

His hand roamed higher and I smacked it away, taking a step back. "Why?" I demanded. "Why didn't you turn me in?"

He shrugged. "I have my reasons. One of which is entertainment. Why spoil the fun by exposing you right away? That would've ended things too quickly."

"You know you're insane, right?"

"No, not really. But I am bored." He sighed. "And besides, it's not like you can actually kill my old man. You might have caught me off guard, but he's in a completely different league."

I chuckled dryly, "we'll see about that."

He laughed heartily. "f**k, I love your mouth."

I folded my arms. "Get to the point. What do you want?"

He clicked his bottom lip. "You see, I was forced to spend my holiday in this backwoods place, completely isolated from civilisation, and worse..." His eyes dropped to my chest, unapologetic. "...away from women."

I rolled my eyes. "There are maids everywhere."

He scoffed. "Please. You think I want girls who giggle when I breathe near them? Who look at me like I piss gold?" His eyes turned crueller. "Boringgggggg." His gaze dragged over me. "Fortunately for me, you're not just entertaining, you're also generously endowed."

I gave a dry laugh. "So that's it? You kept quiet because you want to sleep with me?"

"You did sneak into my father's bedroom dressed like...that." He pointed at my nightgown.

His father's bedroom? So I hadn't gotten the rooms wrong? Things had only turned out that was because this asshole was hanging in the wrong room?!

I don't know what came over me. Maybe it was the humiliation of the slap from this morning. Maybe it was the ick of knowing I was being toyed with and the urge to wipe that smug look off his face.

I stepped forward. "Well, here I am." I said calmly, arms spread apart. "Go ahead then. Sleep with me."

He studied me for a moment as if expecting a bit more protest. If he expected me to stroke his fragile masculinity by begging or crying, then he had another thing coming.

"What?" His brows furrowed and a suspicious frown marred his features. "Just like that?"

I stepped into his space. "God, you talk too much." I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down to my level. Then I kissed him.

Hard.

His eyes widened, likely caught off guard. But it only took a few seconds for him to recover. His hand fisted my hair, his mouth matching my pace. I wasn't gentle. I didn't want gentle. I wanted control. And for a moment—just a moment—I had it.

Then the tables turned.

His tongue slipped into the warmth of my mouth, deepening the kiss with a groan. He tasted like toothpaste and his body pressed against mine.

My back hit the stable wall and he pinned me there with one hand on my hip the other trailing down to squeeze my ass.

He broke the kiss just long enough to whisper, "You're really not going to argue, are you?"

I smirked against his lips. "Aww, would it make you feel better if I cried and begged you to stop, little boy?"

That struck a nerve.

Good.

His hand left my ass, dragging low enough to slip under my dress. He lifted it, palm flattening over my bare back.

His skin on mine felt like fire and I could only assume it was the mate bond's doing.

His other hand caught my wrists and forced them above my head, pinning them to the stable wall.

I gasped into the kiss, not because I was afraid, but because I wasn't.

Instead, my heart was racing. No man had ever handled me like this. And by no man, I meant Johnny.

Nikolai's thigh slipped between mine, pressing firmly until I had no room left to shift. I felt his hardness. The unmistakable bulge that pressed against me.

"Nothing about me is 'little,' Cougar." He rasped against my throat.

A small chuckle escaped my lips. How adorable, rebelling because of my little comment.

The hand gripping my waist slipped underneath my dress. His long fingers ghosting over the inside of my thighs right before they slipped past my panties.

I flinched at the feel of him parting my wet folds and slipping lower.

"Well, fuck." His fingers halted momentarily. "I've barely touched you and your slutty little p***y's already dripping."

I looked away, embarrassed. How he could say such things with a straight face was beyond me.

He found my entrance and pushed one thick finger inside, then two. My eyes half rolled when he began to move inside me and I bit my lip hard, stifling the sound rising in my throat. But hell, it felt good.

Nikolai was relentless. My hips rocked against him before I could stop myself and the bastard chuckled low, watching me with those annoyingly blue eyes.

"god you're eager." His mouth trailed down to my throat sucking hard enough to leave marks.

My nails dug into his shoulders in a bid to steady myself. "Don't...get cocky," I warned through clenched teeth.

Without a word, he released my wrists and my back left the stable wall. The next thing I knew, I hit the ground and he followed, hovering above me, one knee pressed between my thighs.

He didn't break eye contact as he slowly undid his belt—dragging it out, like he wanted me to watch. And when it came loose, I did. The sheer length and thickness of his erection in all its glory.

My eyes widened in disbelief.

Were alphas built differently?

"Scared?" He murmured, slipping one hand under my spine.

I was. But I was also too proud to admit it.

The next few moments blurred.

In a breath, he was inside me.

I gasped, tossing my head back as he slid deeper with a pleased groan. Then he began to move and his slow, torturous thrust grew faster, knocking the air from my lungs.

His breaths fanned against my ear, his lips brushing my jawline as he rode me.

I couldn't speak. I couldn't think.

All these years, I'd seen s*x as a necessary evil between lovers. Nothing but duty. Johnny's was the size of a sausage—so there was no form of pleasure from lovemaking.

But this...

This...

It was different and that alone undid me.

I didn't know how to brace for the way my body responded. For the way my spine arched against the grass in response to the ecstasy that I was feeling.

It was far too overwhelming.

And somewhere between the rocking of his hips and lips on my skin, I felt the tears begin to slip. They slid down the curve of my cheek and behind my ears.

He didn't notice at first. He was too deep in the rhythm we'd fallen into, too lost in the allure of our bodies colliding.

Then suddenly, Nikolai stilled.

His breathing was uneven as he pulled back to search my face.

He was making a totally new expression. One I'd never seen on him.

"...You're crying." His brows creased, the pad of his thumb brushing over my cheek.

I looked away, ashamed. "No, I'm not." I quickly set one arm over my eyes in an attempt to hide. But it was too late. He'd already seen.

Now he knew how pathetic I was. That my arrogance had been an act.

Before he could speak again, we heard the sound of a man call out:

"Who's there?"

I froze, recognising the voice as one of the other staff.

Nikolai didn't flinch. Instead, he raised his voice and replied coldly. "It's me, Nikolai. Turn back and leave. I'm naked and with company."

Without another word, I heard the rapid retreating of footsteps and the distant apologies of whoever had the misfortune of interrupting.

The moment passed. But I didn't move and I didn't dare look at him.

His hand grazed my cheek again, slower this time. Not possessive. Not mocking. Just... there.

Then he spoke softly, almost confused. "Why are you crying?"

I couldn't answer. I couldn't admit that the pleasure had overwhelmed me. That I'd never felt this way.

But my silence was mistaken as something else.

I felt him rise, brushing grass from his arms. He didn't offer me a hand. Didn't taunt me, either.

Instead, he rubbed his nape. "Tears weren't part of the deal, Cougar." He murmured in a disappointed tone. "You've ruined the mood."

Then he walked away, leaving me curled up on the grass…