Page 113 of Rot In Knotty Pieces

And to be honest, the fact that I’m in trouble is as thrilling as it is disconcerting. A part of me never saw this dangerous side of this alpha before, but now I can see it. Just because he’s been gentle and soft with me so far doesn’t mean that he is that.

I slap his hand off my wrist and spin out of his arms, but he catches me by the hair and yanks me back. When I thrust my elbow into him, he just laughs and grips my hip, twisting me so I have no choice but to spin to face him.

“Put your arms around my neck, Raven.”

“I don’t think that would be a healthy life choice,” I murmur.

“You think defying me would be?”

I bite the inside of my cheek so I don’t smile and raise one hand to grip the collar of his T-shirt, tugging on it.

“Beta,” he warns.

I don’t know why it gives me such a thrill when they acknowledge that I’m not like the rest of my alters, but it does. I slide my other hand up his chest, hesitating for five heartbeats before I slide them up around his neck.

“Good girl.”

I immediately remove my hands. Red flag. All the red things. I pull back, but his fingers clamp down, holding me tight.

He spins me around with one arm across the top of my chest and walks me towards the window. “Since you aren’t going to behave, we’re going to do this the hard way.”

“What’s the hard way?” I am far too curious.

I feel a sharp prick in my shoulder, and then a black bag is put over my head.

“Rolly! What the fuck are you doing?”

The world spins, and I get weak and then woozy. Compliant. He lifts me up, and I hang loose in his arms.

“Bad alpha,” I slur.

“Oh, just think of all the ways you can get off punishing me later,” he murmurs.

“So bad.”

“You like that word. Bad. I am bad, very bad. I’ve been very good up until now, but I don’t like it when what’s mine disappears.”

The bag is ripped off, and I find myself on a bed. How did I get here? Where are we?

I stare up at the ceiling, watching it spin.

Rolly wanders around, yanking off his tie and then his shirt. Is he going to fuck me? He moves over to the bed and climbs up, straddling me. His gaze leaves my skin flaming everywhere it touches.

“You are so beautiful, I love that rebellious, always-plotting mind of yours, Raven. Slipping away, always thinking that you have to be alone, fighting the war yourself. And all the time, you command a small army of alphas who would gladly do your bidding.”

“Get off me.”

He ignores me.

“See, commanding doesn’t work,” I grumble.

“Ah, well, I’m a rebellious and slightly oppositional kind of alpha myself. I like to be difficult.”

He leans down and presses the softest ghost of a kiss to my lips.

“You were looking for someone. Who was it?”

“It’s a secret.”