Too Late, Alpha: I Choose Your Rival

Ch 13:Her Mouth Back On Mine

Kael's POV:

I had expected that question.

A girl broken by the ones she cherished the most would definitely be reluctant to take any offer blindly, especially one from me.

But a slow, lazy smirk spread across my lips as I crafted a confident look before lowering my hands from the wall.

"Think about it logically," I whispered a little closer, as my words brushed against her ear. "If you simply walked away from that cheating piece of trash, sure, it would hurt his pride. But it wouldn't break him. It wouldn't destroy him from the inside out."

I paused, letting a brief silence settle between us before coming straight to the point.

"Now imagine what happens when he sees you standing in the arms of his biggest nemesis?"

I shifted my intense gaze to look straight into her eyes, with the lazy smirk intact. "You know that very well…Ethan hates my guts to his core. He despises everything I stand out for.

“And for all these past years, you had roamed around him like a quiet, obedient little puppy, hanging on his every word. Now the moment he sees you wrapped in my arms…belonging to my territory, it will drive him nuts. He will go completely and hopelessly insane with jealousy and panic.”

With a sly smirk, I tilted my head a little. "And…it would give us the front-row seat to watch his absolute ruin. And I bet it will be a complete entertainment package that I have tailored just for you.

“So…Doesn't that sound delicious?"

Elisa’s chest rose and fell fast with shallow breaths, as if she was trying to imagine the picture I had drawn in her mind.

Hearing my words, I could see the dark satisfaction flashing in her eyes…the image of Ethan spiraling seemed like an irresistible poison she desperately wanted to drink!

"It sounds effective," she admitted, her voice was tight, though she didn’t seem to be completely convinced.

"But every choice comes with a price." I pulled away from her and crossed my arms while observing her tense body language. "If I indulge in your little game, what exactly are you going to give me in return?"

As expected, Elisa didn't flinch. She looked right back up into my eyes, her gaze hardening enough to look deadpan and serious. "I will help you win the Championship title."

Honestly, I didn’t expect that. I let out a sharp, arrogant bark of laughter, as the sound echoed off the concrete walls.

"What’s new in that? I’m going to win it anyway, Ashford.”

"No," she objected, her fingers fidgeting a little when her voice dripped with an unknown certainty that caught me entirely off guard.

"Ethan will do anything and everything to stop you from claiming that victory title. You don't know what he's truly capable of behind closed doors. And that’s why I am going to help you claim it. And in return, you need to keep your word. Starting right now."

I raised an eyebrow, genuinely amused at the deal of her bargain. "Oh? And how am I supposed to keep my word?"

"Help me get a room in the Lycan dormitory," to my surprise, she boldly demanded, while her hoarse voice seemed to be desperately trying to hide her vulnerability under her tough exterior. "I just got kicked out of my wolf dorm…so you have to help me get a room here."

I stared down at her when a thick silence fell between us.

A room in our dorms? A wolfless girl who was Ethan’s shadow just a few days ago now wanted to live among us Lycans?

My sharp instincts screamed at me to turn her down, since I could never completely trust her kind.

The one who had spent years tied to the hip of my sworn enemy…for all I knew, this entire broken-heart drama could be a beautifully orchestrated trap designed by the Ice Moon pack, or that bastard Ethan himself!

If she wanted my protection and my territory, first of all I needed an invincible guarantee.

Lycans live and die by loyalty. I needed to know she was fully caught in my net before I let her cross my threshold.

"You want a room in my territory?" I murmured, leaning a little closer to her face until she flinched when our nose tips almost brushed against each other.

"That’s a heavy demand, Ashford. If you want my help, you need to come with an upfront payment. Something to prove you're actually loyal to me."

At this point, I had expected her to argue. If she was truly here to fool me in her orchestrated trap, at this point, she would desperately try to negotiate or drop her head in defeat.

Instead, Elisa's shimmering ocean eyes locked onto mine with a glimpse of sudden, reckless fire.

Before I could even process her next move, her small hands slid up the front of my jacket. Gripping my collar with a surprising, frantic force, she yanked me down.

And then, slammed her lips against mine!

It wasn't like a cautious kiss, unlike last night… instead, there wasn’t any hesitation in her demeanor this time.

That sudden, frantic, and breathless collision of our lips intertwined with each other sent an explosive jolt of electricity straight down my spine.

Thunder went absolutely feral inside my head, roaring in pure triumph from inhaling her scent, demanding that I lock my arms around her waist and take total control while my blood surged like wildfire.

But before I could wrap my arms around her waist to crush her against my chest, she abruptly parted her lips, stumbling back half a step against the wall.

Breathing heavily, as I saw her face entirely flushed with a crimson tint, she quickly wiped the back of her hand against her soaked lips.

"That's... That's your upfront payment." She stammered when I saw her tough, cold exterior cracking just enough to let her internal panic be exposed.

She took a quick, shaky breath when she murmured in a rigid tone, "So... you have to help me now."

However, my mind was already spiraling by now. A dark, low, restless growl from my lycan rattled deep in my chest.

Within seconds, her touch had set my body completely on fire, vibrating my pulse with an intense demand for more.

I didn't care about the terms, and honestly, at that moment I didn't care about our revenge plan.

I just wanted her mouth back on mine right now.

I hurriedly stepped closer, and my hand reached out to cup the warm back of her neck so I could drag her right back into my space.

How dare she pull away after egging me on?

"W-Wait!" Elisa gasped. Her low voice indicated that she seemed to have sensed my impatience.

Her small hand flew up to firmly cover my mouth, while the touch of her palm felt warm against my lips, though it blocked my approach.

From behind her hand, her shy eyes rolled wide as she pressed her back flat against the wall and mumbled in a shaky voice.

"We need to set some rules in our deal first!"