THE ALPHA'S OBESSION

His normal ritual

Declan

I kept my distance, my body angled so our skin didn’t brush. I didn’t trust her,not yet. Every instinct screamed caution. She might have been trembling and wide-eyed, but I’d seen that act before.

“Start talking,” I said, my tone leaving no room for hesitation.

She swallowed hard, her voice thin but steady enough. “Anna… Brenda Lewis. I’m a bartender. I was walking home from my shift when I was abducted. I don’t even know why… I don’t know who you are or what’s going on.”

Her words rang with confusion, but I wasn’t about to take them at face value. Everyone had a story, and the good ones sounded exactly like hers—just the right mix of innocence and fear.

A knock broke the moment. Before I gave permission, the door opened and two maids stepped inside. Each carried a tray,one held a long, thin silver knife polished to a mirror shine, the other balanced a small silver cup, steam curling from its rim.

Anna’s eyes darted between them, then to me.

I took the knife from the first maid, its cold weight familiar in my hand. “This is my normal ritual,” I said, my voice low and deliberate, “to know if you were sent to kill me.”

Her brows furrowed in shock. “What?”

I didn’t repeat myself. I simply reached for her hand. She jerked back, but I caught her wrist easily,my grip firm but not crushing. Her pulse raced against my fingers.

“No—please—”

The blade kissed her skin before she could finish. A quick slice. A bead of crimson welled up, then more. She gasped sharply, a sound somewhere between pain and disbelief.

Her blood was warm against my fingers as I tilted her palm over the silver cup. Thick drops splashed into the dark liquid already waiting inside, the red swirling into the mix.

When the last drop I needed fell, I released her hand and gestured to the second maid. “Drink,” I ordered.

They didn’t hesitate. One after the other, they raised the cup to their lips, draining it without a flinch. When the last sip was gone, they bowed slightly, set the empty cup back on the tray, and left in silence.

I watched Anna’s face pale. Her chest rose and fell too fast, her eyes wide and fixed on me as though I’d just performed black magic.

“What—what was that?” she whispered.

“A precaution,” I said simply, setting the knife down. “Their bodies will tell me within minutes if you’re poisoned, cursed, or otherwise a threat. If they live, you live.”

Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She swayed, the color draining from her cheeks entirely.

I took a step toward her, but she stumbled back, her heel catching on the edge of the rug. Her eyes fluttered once, twice, and then rolled back.

Her body went limp.

I caught her before she hit the floor, her weight light in my arms. She was out cold, her breathing rapid but steady. For a moment, I simply stared at her face,pale, framed by that tumble of brown hair, lips parted as though she’d been about to protest even in unconsciousness.

Annoying woman.

I carried her to the bed in the adjoining room, laying her down on the edge of the mattress. The maids had prepared it just as I’d ordered earlier,clean sheets, warm blankets, and no windows she could use for an escape.

As I straightened, Lucas’s earlier words echoed in my head: If you hadn’t taken Lot 7, I would have.

Something about that unsettled me more than I cared to admit.

I pulled the blanket over her, my eyes lingering a second too long. She looked harmless now, but so had the last woman who’d tried to kill me.

This was just the beginning.

I walked into my study, the familiar scent of leather and old books wrapping around me like a shield. I needed the quiet, the distance, the chance to think.

But the door opened before I could even sit down. Marissa stepped inside, her arms crossed, eyes sharp with something between irritation and concern.

“Why did you bring in another woman?” she asked, her voice tight. “After the last one tried to kill you?”

I leaned back in my chair, keeping my expression unreadable. “That’s my business, not yours,” I said flatly. “Stay out of it.”

She moved closer, her tone softening but her gaze unwavering. “I’m worried about you, Declan. It’s normal to care.”

I gave a humorless laugh. “I’m observing her, Marissa. Once I find even the slightest trace of something dangerous, I’ll end her and move on to the next auction.” My words were deliberate, cold. I needed her to understand there was no space for sentiment here.

Marissa hesitated, studying me like she was searching for something buried under my words. “Will you ever love her?” she asked finally.

I met her gaze, my voice low and certain. “I don’t have time for love.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, anger flickering in her eyes. Without another word, she turned on her heel and left, the sound of the door closing behind her echoing in the quiet room.

I exhaled slowly, staring at the empty space where she’d stood. Love was a distraction, and distractions got people killed. I’d learned that the hard way.

I flipped the document several times but couldn't get a hold of what I was reading or trying to put in writing so I stood up, switched off the table lamp and walked out of my study.

I made my way to the adjoining room next to mine and my property still laid there, sleeping peacefully.

I checked the drawers and pulled out a silver blade. It has been laced with poison and will slice through the skin and bones of every human within seconds. I walked over to the bed and brushed the blade over her lips,her eyes opened immediately and this time around,I saw it…

Fear.