Alpha Petrova

Chapter 10

Alexander:

Serena didn’t say a word, and for the first time since she had walked into my room, she had absolutely nothing to say, and I found myself watching her carefully as she stood in front of me.

Her eyes were fixed on mine, but the anger that had been burning in them only seconds ago had changed into something else. Shock, disbelief, and perhaps the realization that I had meant every word I had just said.

I had chosen her, and I knew that it was something that she didn’t expect… what Helena didn’t realize by sending in the other women is that it was my choice not to want them… but with her, things were going to be different.

Her lips parted once as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out. She simply stepped back, putting distance between us, and I allowed her to.

My wolf was restless inside me, satisfied in a way that I found irritating.

Mate.

I ignored him, knowing well that now wasn’t the time for me to be claiming her.

Serena finally swallowed before she looked toward the door. “Can I leave?” she asked quietly. “Please…”

The lack of anger in her voice caught my attention more than anything else. I tilted my head. “You can.”

She turned toward the door and started walking, clearly wanting nothing more than to put as much distance between the two of us as possible. I watched her take three steps, then I reached for the knife resting beside the plate on the table. The faint sound of metal moving caught her attention.

She froze for a second then turning to face me, her eyes widened when she saw the knife in my hand. The color drained from her face and she shook her head in question. “What are you doing?”

I didn’t answer, and her body immediately tensed as I walked toward her. “Alexander…”

There was warning in her voice now, but beneath it I could smell the fear that suddenly filled the room. “Come here.”

“No.” I reached for her arm, and Serena immediately tried to pull away. “What the hell are you doing?” she snapped, trying to fight my grip. “Let go of me.”

“Stop fighting.” I said, looking her in the eye.

“Put the knife down!” I guided her toward the bed. She fought harder the moment she realized where I was taking her, and her panic sharpened almost instantly. “No… let me go!”

“Serena…”

“No!” She shoved against my chest. “Get away from me.”

My wolf growled beneath my skin at the fear pouring from her. I caught both of her wrists with one hand before she could hit me and pushed her backward onto the mattress. Her eyes widened. “Alexander, don’t…”

The words stopped me for half a second, not because I intended to do what she feared… no, I wouldn’t harm her. But hearing that fear in her voice made something inside me tighten. “You need to calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down when you’re holding a f*****g knife.” I released one of her wrists and caught the hem of her dress.

She immediately kicked at me, and I caught her leg before it connected with my stomach. “You are going to regret this. I swear, I am going to make you f*****g pay for this.”

“I already regret inviting you to dinner.” I said, smirking.

“You bastard.” She snapped.

I pushed the fabric of her dress upward just enough to expose the side of her thigh. Her breathing became faster. She tried to push herself backward against the bed, but I kept one hand firmly against her leg.

“Stay still, Serena, and for one f*****g second, just stop fighting.” I said, looking at her. “It will literally only take a second.”

“Get your hands off me.” Her eyes moved toward the blade, and before she could move again, I dragged the very tip of the blade across the outside of her thigh.

A small cut. It wasn’t deep, nothing that wouldn’t heal before morning. Serena gasped, and her entire body froze as she shook her head in question. “What the f**k?”

A thin line of blood appeared against her skin. I lowered her leg toward the white sheets, allowing several drops to stain the fabric beneath her.

“What are you doing?” She asked as she looked at the now stained sheets.

I placed the knife on the bedside table. “There.” I looked at the small drops of blood against the sheets before meeting her eyes again. “Anyone who asks will have their answer. I would have told you, but judging by how stubborn you are… I figured this was a better option.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re making them think…”

“Yes.”

For a second, I thought she might actually slap me this time. “You are insane… you actually cut my leg to make everyone believe that you slept with me?”

“The cut will heal by morning. But it serves its purpose.”

She pushed herself upright, immediately pulling the fabric of her dress back over her thigh. “What purpose?”

I stepped away from the bed. “The women in the common quarters will believe I chose you tonight. And they will believe that you are no longer one of them.”

Her expression darkened. “And somehow that is supposed to help me?”

“It means no one is going to question what happens next.”

“You really need to stop speaking in riddles and just say one full damn sentence without me needing to f*****g translate every word.” She snapped, and I chuckled.

“You’re being moved out of the common slave quarters.” I said, looking at her as she stared at me like I had just violated every common sense that she could think of.

“What?” She shook her head. “Why?”

I looked at her as though the answer should have been obvious. “Because I won’t have my mate sleeping among the slaves. That means you will have your own room, your own training, and you will be considering yourself ‘my favorite’ amongst the others.”

“And Helena?”

“She will be informed soon enough, and these stained sheets are going to be proof of it.” I said, not bothering to explain more than I already have. “Now, all you need to do is actually play your own lies to your own good. You managed to get this far, I am helping you get past the rest.”

Serena stared at me like she wanted to reach for the knife herself. “You have clearly lost your mind.”

“Maybe so,” I leaned down and pressed a brief kiss against her cheek… good night, Serena,”