The Blood Hound Pact

Chapter twelve

"You... you want to watch?" I breathe, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.

"I want to make sure every inch of you smells like me again," he says, his eyes turning a full, glowing amber. "The council wants to tell me you are a liability. They want to tell me that a human has no place in an Alpha’s life. But when I look at you, I don't see a liability. I see the only thing in this world that makes me want to stay human."

He reaches behind me, his hand sliding into my hair and tilting my head back. For a second, I think he is going to kiss me, but he stops just short. He leans down and buries his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling so deeply that it sounds like a growl.

"Honeysuckle," he mutters against my skin, his teeth grazing my collarbone. "That is better. But I can still smell him on your wrists."

He grabs my hand and leads me under the spray of the water. We are both still fully clothed, the warm water instantly soaking through his expensive shirt and my leggings. The fabric clings to him, showing off every cord of muscle in his shoulders and chest. He looks like a drowned god, and I have never wanted to ruin a man more in my entire life.

He picks up a bar of soap—something that smells intensely of sandalwood and him—and begins to lather my arms. His touch is firm, his hands sliding over my skin with a possessiveness that makes my knees weak.

"Silas," I moan, my eyes fluttering shut as the warm water pours over us.

"Look at me, Ivy," he commands.

I open my eyes. He is watching me with an intensity that is almost painful. He is washing the soap off my wrists, his thumbs circling the sensitive skin there.

"Julian Thorne didn't see this, did he?" he asks, his voice thick with jealousy and desire. "He didn't see the way your eyes change when I touch you. He doesn't know the way you breathe when I’m close."

"No," I whisper. "No one sees that but you."

"Keep it that way," he says, his hand moving up to cup my face. His thumb brushes over my wet lips. "The council is going to try and take you away from me tonight. They are going to use the Pact to try and force me to choose a pure-blood female."

"And what will you do?"

Silas leans down, his lips finally meeting mine in a kiss that is slow, deep, and tastes of absolute devotion. It isn't the frantic kiss from the panic room. This is a promise.

"I’m going to tell them that I’ve already made my choice," he breathes against my mouth. "And if they don't like it, they can find a new Alpha."

He pulls back, his eyes searching mine. "Now, finish your shower. Properly this time. I have to go and start a political war. I’ll have a dress laid out for you. You’re coming with me."

"To the council? Silas, they hate humans!"

"Let them hate," he says, stepping out of the shower, his wet shirt sticking to his back like a second skin. "They’ve never seen a human like you. And they’ve certainly never seen me this motivated to break the rules."

He walks out of the bathroom without looking back, leaving me standing under the water, gasping for air and feeling more claimed than if he had actually marked me.

"I am definitely going to need more wine tonight," I mutter, leaning my head against the cool marble wall.

Downstairs, I hear the front door slam. The Alpha is going to war, and for the first time in my life, I’m not afraid of the monsters in the dark. I’m only afraid of what happens when the monster in the shower finally gets what he wants.