Alpha in the Field

Aftermath

Maya

I woke up to the Adrian's arm draped across my waist, his breath warm against my neck, his scent clinging to my skin so strongly it made my stomach turn. The room was quiet except for the steady rhythm of his breathing, but my own chest felt tight and heavy. My body ached in ways I didn’t want to think about, the sheets tangled around us and his heat pressed close.

Carefully, I slid his arm off me, moving slow so he wouldn’t stir. My feet touched the floor and I pushed myself up, my legs weak, my skin prickling with every step I took. I couldn’t breathe right. I reached the small mirror by my desk and pulled my shirt aside. That’s when I saw it.

A faint mark on my shoulder, raw and red, shaped by his teeth. I raised my fingers to it and flinched when a sharp burn spread through my skin, alive and searing. I grabbed the edge of the desk to steady myself, my chest rising too fast, my pulse racing in my ears.

“Don’t bother hiding it.” His voice came from behind me, steady and deep.

I froze, my hand still at the mark, my eyes locked on his reflection in the mirror. He was awake now, propped on one elbow on the bed, his hair messy, his eyes dark and fixed on me.

“That mark means you’re mine now,” he said, his tone calm, certain, like he was telling me something as simple as the time of day. “No one can take you away from me.”

My fingers curled into a fist, anger rising in me so fast it drowned out everything else. I spun to face him, my chest heaving.

“You forced yourself into my life, Adrian,” I snapped, my voice sharp enough to cut. “You came here uninvited, you broke into my room, and now you act like I’m supposed to accept this. You ruined everything.”

His gaze didn’t waver, his body still stretched out lazily against the sheets, but his presence filled the room all the same.

“You think I don’t know what I did?” he asked, his voice low and steady. “I know you fought me. I know you hate me for it. But don’t lie to yourself, Maya. You wanted me too.”

My throat tightened, the heat in my face burning, and I hated that his words struck somewhere I didn’t want to look.

“I didn’t want this,” I said, shaking my head, my hands trembling at my sides. “I didn’t want you. I didn’t want any of it.”

“Yes, you did,” he said, his tone calm, almost soft, but it carried the weight of something unshakable. “Your body answered mine every step of the way. You can deny it all you want but you felt it.”

I clenched my jaw, refusing to let the tears rising in my eyes fall, refusing to give him that satisfaction. My heart pounded so hard I thought it would crack open, and the mark on my shoulder burned hotter, proof of everything I didn’t want to admit.

“You’re wrong,” I forced out, my voice shaking but sharp. “You don’t get to decide what I feel. You don’t get to take my choices away from me.”

He sat up slowly, swinging his legs off the bed, his eyes never leaving me. “I didn’t take anything, Maya. I claimed what was already mine.”

A sharp knock on the door made me jump.

“Maya?” Stella’s voice called.

My chest tightened and I moved quickly toward my clothes, but Adrian’s hand caught my wrist. He pulled me back against him, his chest firm against my back, his lips brushing close to my ear.

“Open it,” he whispered, his tone calm, almost amused.

“Let go,” I hissed, twisting in his grip, but he only smirked, his eyes daring me to resist. My heart pounded as I shoved him back hard enough to break free, grabbing the nearest clothes and pulling them on. My hands shook as I tugged my shirt over my head, the fabric brushing the mark on my shoulder, the burn searing under the cloth.

Another knock. “Maya? Are you in there?”

I rushed to the door, turning the handle just enough to slip through before Adrian could follow. I pulled it shut behind me fast, my back pressed to the wood, my chest still rising too quickly.

Stella frowned immediately, her eyes scanning over me. “What happened to you?”

“Nothing,” I said too quickly, shaking my head. “I was just…..”

Her eyes narrowed on my neck, on the edge of the shirt that didn’t cover everything. “Maya,” she said, her tone sharp now. “What is that? Who did that to you?”

I reached up, pulling the collar higher, but it was too late. Her expression had already shifted, her lips pressed tight, her gaze heavy on me.

“Stella, please, just drop it,” I muttered, pushing past her down the hall, but she caught my arm.

“Maya, don’t lie to me,” she snapped. “You’re shaking. You’re not okay. What the hell is going on?”

Before I could answer, footsteps echoed from the far end of the hallway. Damien stood there, leaning against the wall like he had been waiting, his eyes fixed on me. “You can’t hide it,” he said. “Adrian’s obsession will destroy you if you don’t get out now.”

My breath caught in my throat, my body freezing at his words.

Stella turned toward him, her grip on me tightening. “What are you talking about?” she demanded, but he didn’t answer her, his eyes stayed on me.

My pulse raced, every nerve on edge, the sound of his words repeating in my head. Destroy you. Get out now.

I shook my head, forcing my voice out. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, my throat dry, my chest too tight.

Damien straightened, pushing off the wall, his gaze never leaving mine. “I know exactly what I’m talking about. And you know it too.”

Before I could respond, Stella pulled me closer, her arm wrapping around me protectively. “Enough,” she snapped at him, her tone harsh. She dragged me back toward her door, her steps quick, her grip unrelenting.

“Maya, come with me,” she said firmly, not giving me a chance to argue. She pushed her door open and pulled me inside, slamming it shut before Damien could say another word.

I stumbled inside, my body tense, my mind spinning. Stella turned on me immediately. “You’re telling me what happened right now.”