Chapter 82
The heavy thud of the car door sealing them inside felt like the snap of a trap. Christian slammed his foot onto the accelerator, unleashing the engine’s raw roar.
He carved through the nocturnal gridlock with a lethal, terrifying precision—not just a man driving a machine, but a predator navigating his territory with absolute authority. Beyond the tinted glass, the city bled into a neon blur of fractured golds and bleeding rubies.
Fleur pressed her forehead against the cool pane, but it offered no relief.
Inside her, a liquid fire was pooling, heavy and demanding. It wasn’t just desire; it was the volatile, intoxicating pull of the bond, awakening a fever in her blood that threatened to incinerate her sanity.
Beside her sat a monster wrapped in tailored silk, a dangerously breathtaking Alpha whose very aura commanded submission. The air in the luxury cabin grew suffocatingly dense, thick with the scent of ozone, expensive leather, and his intoxicating, cedar-and-musk scent.
Without breaking his gaze from the asphalt, Christian reached across the console. His large, calloused hand engulfed hers, fingers locking with a possessive strength that made her breath hitch.
When his bright eyes briefly cut to hers, Fleur gasped. The irises were blown wide, bleeding into a midnight black—the beast beneath the skin was clawing at the surface, driven wild by her proximity.
“Damn it,” Christian growled. The sound rumbled deep from his chest, a low, lupine vibration that rattled her bones.
His knuckles turned stark white against the steering wheel, the tendons in his jaw tight enough to snap. “I need you. Now. I won’t make it back to the estate p>
Fleur’s pulse hammered frantically in her throat. She had known him as a husband, had lived in his shadow for three years, but she had never seen him this unraveled, balanced on the knife-edge of total feral surrender.
The car suddenly veered, tires screeching as he threw the vehicle down a secluded side street.
“Where are we?” she asked, her voice a breathless whisper.
“My estate owns a high-rise down this block. It’s the closest sanctuary,” Christian rasped, his voice dropping an octave, thick with the gravel of his inner wolf. “I have to claim you, amore mio. Tonight p>
A shiver of pure anticipation racked her spine, leaving her damp and aching. She couldn’t lie to herself anymore—the wolf in her recognized its mate, and the hunger burning between them was a mutual madness.
The sports car practically flew up the hotel’s private ramp, coming to a dramatic, smoking halt under the grand canopy.
A startled valet rushed forward, but Christian was already moving. He abandoned the keys, rounded the hood in a blur of supernatural speed, and ripped Fleur’s door open. His grip on her wrist was firm, unyielding, and desperately possessive as he pulled her into the opulence of the marble lobby.
“Is the penthouse secured?” Christian demanded. His voice cut through the quiet lobby like a whip, dripping with absolute alpha authority.
The hotel manager, instantly recognizing the terrifying aura of his reclusive boss, scrambled out from behind the desk, pale and bowing slightly.
“Yes, Alpha Christian. The private suite is completely isolated and ready for your occupancy.” He held out a sleek black keycard.
Christian snatched it without a word, his gaze fixed ahead as he steered Fleur toward the private elevator bank. The pressure of his hand on the small of her back felt like a brand, sending jolts of electricity straight to her core.
The moment the elevator doors slid shut, sealing them in the mirrored, golden carriage, Christian’s tenuous restraint shattered.
He lunged, pinning her against the mirrored wall. The impact rattled the glass, and his head dipped down, his lips parted in a desperate hunger to taste her.
But Fleur slammed her palms flat against his broad chest, pushing back with all the strength she could muster. Christian froze, a dangerous, confused growl catching in his throat as his dark eyes searched hers for answers.
“A private suite, always waiting?” Fleur breathed, bitterness lacing her words, fueled by a sharp, territorial jealousy she couldn’t suppress.
“Is this where you bring them? I know what the media calls you. A heartbreaker. A Casanova. You tell me you love me, but do you say that to every woman you trap in this elevator p>
Christian frowned, a flash of genuine hurt crossing his aristocratic features before fading into fierce intensity.
“What? No, Fleur. Never. No one else has ever set foot in that room. Hell, no other woman has ever held my interest long enough to try. It has only ever been you. From the moment I scented you, it was always you p>
His voice carried the absolute, unshakeable truth of a mate’s vow. Yet Fleur’s heart warred with her mind. She knew his reputation. For three years of marriage, he had been a phantom, a dominant force who seemed driven by an insatiable, restless appetite.
“You expect me to just forget the rumors, Mr. Wayne?” she challenged, crossing her arms, her chest heaving. “The world knows your playground p>
A dark, weary chuckle escaped his lips—a sound of raw amusement mingled with frustration.
“The human world knows nothing,” Christian murmured, stepping closer until his heat entirely enveloped her. “The playground is a mask. A necessary lie. What I am with the public is a shadow; what I am with you is the truth. My wolf only answers to one female p>
The raw intensity of his gaze threatened to dissolve her resolve. Desperate to keep her footing in reality, she whispered, “Why play the monster for them, then? Why live a double life p>
A breathtaking, devastating smile touched his lips—a rare sight that made Fleur’s heart flutter frantically and her inner thighs ache with a sudden, involuntary clench. He rarely smiled, but when he did, it belonged entirely to her.
“Because a wolf must hide his pack from the hunters, my love,” he murmured sensually. He reached out, his large hand gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, the rough pad of his thumb caressing her flushed, burning cheek. “I play the villain to keep the people I love safe p>