Page 57 of The Duke’s Unwilling Bride

She hesitates, and I can tell by the way her eyes drift from me to the door, pausing a moment to judge the spaces in between, that her brain is calculating routes and trajectories. But it will be of no use to her. The moment she’s within reach, I will show her exactly what it means to be taken down by an Alpha.

Taking her time, she makes a grand show of stepping out of the trousers and placing them over some piece of wood near her. The long shirt hangs down, covering her mound and the tops of her thighs. However, since I know what lies at the juncture, my imagination fills in the gaps, making me rock hard.

She thinks to distract me. It’s clear in the slight twitch of her lips. And even though blood runs through my veins, hot and thick, I’m able to force my lusts to the side for now. This moment in education is far more important than seeing to my prick, no matter how my balls ache as they draw up.

For just a second, she moves like she’s going to run, and so, I hunch down, preparing myself for the tackle, but then, she stands again, acting as if she never planned to run in the first place. I hesitate, unable to discern her actions when she takes off like lightning forking across the Thames.

Reaching out, I just miss her as she flies past, the overly large shirt flapping around her like ridiculous wings. She’s far swifter than I gave her credit for, and I vow to myself to never make that mistake again. Just as her fingers curl around the knob, my arm wraps around her waist, pulling her back so that her hands grasp at air.

Sobbing, she struggles, fighting me with every bit of strength she has. But it’s not enough. It will never be enough. And that is the lesson I intend to drive home.

Tonight, she could have been ripped away from me, harmed in a way she might not have recovered from. It’s worth any emotional distress to know she’s safe in my arms. Maybe with a throbbing arse, but safe.

I wrench her away from the door and bring her back to the middle of the room. To her credit, once her feet touch the floor, she runs back, and all I can do is shake my head and give chase again. Once more, I grip her about the waist, but this time, I haul her over my shoulder, carrying her over to the equipment.

She lashes out, her hands and feet kicking me in earnest, but I barely feel them. “Let me go, you brute. You’re not even giving me a chance.”

“That’s the point, little omega.”

“It’s not fair,” she screams out.

This time, I let her yell and scream as much as she wants. No one will bat an eye here, and for the first time, I wonder why I haven’t used this place as somewhere we could see to our needs without an audience. But then I remember… she told me not to touch her.

Well, this ends tonight. She’s my wife, and I will take my due. It’s good she likes things rough. She will need all the lubrication her body can provide.

“You never play fair,” she wails out one final time, giving a pitiful sniff. “If it were some other Alpha, they would at least give me a chance. But not you. You only want me to fail.”

At the very idea of some other Alpha chasing her through this room, my vision blurs as red starts to seep in. “You seem so convinced, my little omega. That you can leave if I just ‘play fair’?”

“Yes.”

I lower her to the floor, holding onto her as she stands on her own. “Then you may test that assumption at your convenience. Come, try it again. I promise not to even touch you.”

Her eyes widen. “Promise?”

“You have my word. I will even hold my hands behind my back if you like.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“Nor I you. In that way, we are indeed even. But know this. If you are unsuccessful in your endeavor, if you are unable to flee this room and get to safety, then I will not be responsible for my actions.”

The moment I release her, she takes off, but before she can get very far, I let out an earth-shattering growl. Slipping my hands behind my back, I hold them there, gripping my wrists so I keep them pinned. I am, despite what she says, a man of my word.

As soon as my Alpha growl hits her, she’s on the floor, her body prone before me. But even then, she tries to crawl forward, her fingers outstretched, as if she can magically unearth herself from the pressure of my command. Even though I want to think ill of her, I cannot help but admire the strength coiling through her limbs as she forces her body to move inch by inch.

But it’s not enough. Even with me merely walking, I’m next to her in a matter of moments, my growl never faulting. I never wanted to use this on her. I never wanted to subject her to the humiliation of bending to my will in that way, but she insisted.

I stand before her, waiting until she inevitably looks up. The defeat on her face when she sees my arms nearly guts me, but it’s high time she understands just how dangerous this would be for her. It’s the final nail in the coffin that solidifies my need to claim her, to keep her safe from everyone but me.

“Are you ready to end this and submit to me?” My heart thumps in my chest as I await her words, needing her to willingly be mine.

“Yes, Your Grace.” Her voice is small, dejected, and all it does is make my balls draw up until they ache.

“Good. Because tonight, I’m not going easy on you.”

“You still don’t frighten me, Your Grace. Did you not give me your worst on our wedding night?”

Like a sullen child, she rolls her eyes, diminishing the burgeoning feelings sprouting in my heart. I so wanted her to respect me, to come to me like one of the paid women I’m used to pleasuring. But no. Just like always, she insists on acting put out, as if getting her needs met is abhorrent to her.