Chapter 2

Vivian Carlisle POV:

My hand froze on the brass doorknob, and my spine stiffened as I slowly turned to face the bed.

Axel sat up with predatory grace, the morning light glinting off the hard, corded muscles of his chest and shoulders.

He casually pulled on a black silk bathrobe, slid on his gold-rimmed glasses, and walked barefoot across the floor toward me, his heavy cedar scent pressing against my chest until every breath felt like inhaling wet sand.

I gripped the leather strap of my handbag until my knuckles turned white, forcing my voice to stay steady. "Last night was just a drunken accident. We are both adults, so let's pretend it never happened."

Axel let out a low, mocking laugh and stepped closer, his towering frame casting a dark shadow that swallowed me whole.

"An accident?" he drawled, his amber eyes narrowing behind his glasses. "When you kissed me at the bar, it didn't feel like an accident."

I sucked in a shaky breath and tried to twist the knob behind my back. "I need to go home. I have a shift at the lab."

His arm shot out like a striking viper, and he planted his palm against the door panel beside my ear, trapping me between his chest and the exit.

"Do you really think you can sleep with me and walk away whenever you please?" His hot breath brushed against my temple.

My heart hammered against my ribs as I glared up at him. "I am engaged to Declan! If anyone finds out about this, it will trigger a massive scandal across the entire Pack!"

At the mention of Declan's name, a flash of pure murderous disgust flickered across Axel's amber irises.

"That worthless cur doesn't deserve to touch the hem of your coat," Axel spat coldly.

He raised his other hand, twirled a lock of my blonde hair around one long finger, then lifted it to his nose and inhaled deeply. "And don't pretend you feel nothing. My scent is all over your skin right now."

A violent shiver tore down my spine at his invasive gesture, and I slapped his hand away. "Have some respect!"

Axel's expression hardened, and he unleashed the full weight of his Command, sucking every ounce of oxygen out of the penthouse suite. As a rare Lycan—an apex immortal bloodline standing above even royal Alphas—his genetic pressure was an unbearable physical force.

My knees buckled under the crushing weight, and I sagged backward until my shoulder blades struck the cold door.

He stalked forward and pressed his rough thumb pad against the tiny red mole at the corner of my eye, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper. "From this moment on, you belong to me."

I bit down on my lower lip until I tasted blood, fighting the primal urge in my bones to bow my head in submission. "In your dreams! I will never be your secret mistress!"

Axel chuckled darkly, sliding his icy fingertips down the side of my neck until they rested directly over the pounding pulse of my throat.

"If you refuse, I will open the Pack Mind-Link right now and broadcast to Declan just how loudly his fiancée screamed beneath me last night," he threatened smoothly.

Cold sweat beaded on my forehead, and I dug my nails into my palms. My trap for the engagement party was weeks away, and I couldn't let my revenge unravel before it even began.

I squeezed my eyes shut, swallowing the bitter bile rising in my throat. "Fine. I agree to your terms. But you stay out of my private affairs."

Axel withdrew his suffocating aura at once and reached out to straighten my crooked collar. "Good girl. Now go wash up, and I'll take you to work."

I bolted into the marble bathroom and turned the shower to freezing cold, scrubbing my skin until it turned raw, yet the sharp scent of winter cedar refused to fade.

Half an hour later, dressed in a crisp, newly delivered business suit, I followed him in stony silence down to the private underground garage.

He pulled open the heavy rear door of a limited-edition armored Maybach himself, his polite posture masking an iron command that allowed no refusal.

Inside the car, he sat beside me, his muscular thigh pressing against my knee and radiating scorching heat through the thin fabric of my slacks.

I shrank back against the tinted window and stared out at the city streets blurring past, trying and failing to ignore his heavy gaze on my profile.

As the Maybach glided toward the towering glass facade of Apex Essence headquarters, I reached for the handle. "Let me out at the corner."

Axel caught my wrist in an iron grip and yanked me back against the leather seat, his amber eyes locking onto mine. "I am coming to your apartment tonight."

My breath caught in panic. "No! Declan could drop by at any time!"

A cruel smirk spread across his face. "Even better. Let him see who your real master is."

The second his fingers loosened, I shoved the door open, jumped out onto the pavement in my heels, and hurried through the revolving glass doors without looking back.

Once I reached my cubicle in the Research and Development department, I dropped into my chair and pulled up the preliminary synthesis data for Luna's Essence with shaking hands.

Suddenly, my communicator lit up on the desk with a text message from Chloe.

"Sweetie, your engagement party is next month! Come try on dresses with me at the Silver Moon Couture this afternoon, okay?"

As I stared at the fake endearment on the screen, the nauseating image of her naked body tangled with Declan's flashed through my mind.

My lips curled into a cold sneer as I tapped a single word onto the screen. "Sure."

Since she loved playing the loyal best friend so much, I would hand-deliver a massive gift to her before the engagement party even arrived.

I pulled open my bottom drawer, took out a military-grade micro data drive, and copied last night's hotel video onto it under heavy encryption, my fingertips icy with murderous resolve.