Losing Control
463 Words
Rowan’s POV
Rowan didn’t move for several seconds after Aria disappeared down the stairs.
The hallway was quiet again.
But his body was anything but calm.
He dragged a slow breath through his nose and ran a hand through his hair, trying to steady himself.
It didn’t work.
Because the image of her standing there in that tiny black bikini refused to leave his mind.
The way the thin strings hugged her hips.
The soft curve of her waist.
The way her eyes had looked at him when she realized he was watching.
Rowan cursed under his breath.
“Get it together.”
He turned sharply and walked down the hall toward his office.
His steps were heavier than usual, his jaw tight with frustration.
This was exactly what he had been trying to avoid.
The moment she stepped back into his life, his wolf had started acting like a damn animal.
Restless.
Possessive.
Dangerously aware of her.
Rowan pushed open the door to his office and shut it firmly behind him.
The large room was lined with dark wood shelves filled with pack records, maps, and old journals from past Alphas. A massive desk sat near the center, facing the tall windows overlooking the forest.
Usually the room helped him focus.
Today it did nothing.
Rowan leaned both hands against the edge of his desk and lowered his head slightly.
His body was still tense.
Painfully tense.
His wolf was pacing beneath his skin, agitated and alert.
Because his instincts kept replaying the same moment over and over.
Aria standing in that doorway.
Looking up at him.
Saying his name.
Rowan exhaled slowly, trying to calm the heat still burning through him.
He adjusted his stance, shifting slightly as he tried to ignore the ache in his body.
It was ridiculous.
He was the Alpha of the Moonridge Pack.
A leader.
A man who had faced rival wolves and hunters without hesitation.
And yet one look from Aria Bennett had him losing control like a damn teenager.
Rowan dropped into the chair behind his desk and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling.
His mind betrayed him again.
He imagined her walking down to the pool.
The sunlight hitting her skin.
The water sliding over her body as she stepped in.
Rowan groaned quietly and dragged a hand down his face.
“This is a problem.”
His wolf growled softly in agreement.
Because deep down Rowan knew the truth.
This wasn’t just attraction.
It was something older.
Stronger.
More dangerous.
The pull he felt toward Aria wasn’t fading.
If anything…
It was getting worse.
And the longer she stayed under his roof this summer—
The harder it was going to be for him to keep pretending he didn’t want her.
- Writer
