Chapter 2

Hadley Burns POV:

Bennet's tall frame blocked the morning sunlight, casting a heavy shadow over me while his Alpha King aura made the air in the penthouse bedroom feel thin.

Staring at the neat ring of tooth marks on his throat, memories of my drunken madness flooded back, setting my face on fire. Even an Alpha's top-tier healing hadn't erased that mark overnight.

I swallowed hard, digging my fingernails into my palms to force my voice steady. "Mr. Richardson, last night was an accident. I drank too much."

He raised an eyebrow slightly and pulled a leather armchair closer, sitting down with his long legs crossed in total control.

His gaze flicked down to my white knuckles before returning to my face. "An accident? Biting an Alpha King in his own territory isn't something you can brush off as an accident."

I bit my lower lip, refusing to crumble completely under his gaze. "I'll pay for it. Medical bills, emotional damages, or I can buy you a new silk shirt?"

Bennet let out a low, humorless chuckle, making the air vibrate as if a giant Dire Wolf were growling silently behind him.

His long fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest. "Do you really think the CEO of the Richardson Pack cares about a few human dollars, Miss Burns?"

My throat tightened into silence. A billionaire who owned half the coast certainly didn't need my tiny savings from selling paintings.

I took a deep breath, clinging to my last bit of pride. "Then what do you want? As long as it's within my power."

Bennet stood up and walked slowly back to the bed, the crisp cedar scent growing thicker with every step.

He dropped one knee onto the edge of the mattress and leaned over, caging me between his muscular arms as he braced his hands on either side of my hips.

We were so close I could feel the scorching heat radiating from his bare skin, his gray-blue eyes dark enough to swallow me whole.

I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for him to use brutal Alpha force to punish my offense.

No pain came. Instead, his hoarse, deep voice brushed against my ear with a dark, coaxing edge. "You can afford what I want. In fact, you're the only one who can give it to me."

My eyes flew open, meeting a gaze so intense and suppressed that my heart hammered wildly against my ribs.

His eyes dropped slowly to my tightly pressed lips, and his Adam's apple bobbed once more.

He tilted his head, his warm breath fanning across my sensitive earlobe and sending shivers down my spine. "For example, paying me back with yourself?"

His words exploded in my head like thunder. I shoved against his hard chest with both hands and scrambled backward until my spine hit the cold wooden headboard.

"Please don't joke like that, Mr. Richardson," I said, my voice shaking. "I'm just a Wolfless. I'm nowhere near your league."

The moment the word "Wolfless" left my mouth, the lazy teasing vanished from Bennet's eyes, replaced by a freezing, suffocating majesty.

He straightened up and looked down at me, his tone leaving no room for argument. "In my dictionary, there is no such thing as out of my league. There is only what I want."

Turning away, he walked to the minibar and poured a mug of warm pink liquid before handing it to me, his voice softening strangely. "Drink this. It'll calm your nerves."

I stared at the sweet strawberry vanilla milk—something wildly out of place in a ruthless Alpha's penthouse—and took the bone china mug, my fingertips accidentally brushing the cold silver suppressor cuff on his wrist.

Silver was the only fatal weakness to werewolves, capable of burning their flesh and suppressing their inner wolf, yet he wore a heavy cuff of it directly against his skin. He pulled his hand back quickly, his jaw tightening, and walked over to face the floor-to-ceiling window.

Sipping the warm milk settled my churning stomach and brought back a sliver of my sanity.

I stared at his broad back. "If money won't work, what exactly are you asking for?"

Bennet turned around, the morning sun outlining his tall figure in gold, and picked up a thick, leather-bound folder from the coffee table.

He tossed the folder onto the duvet in front of me. The dark gold Dire Wolf crest stamped on the cover stung my eyes.

Sticking his hands into his trousers pockets, he watched me calmly as I opened the first page of the standard pack legal document.

My eyes scanned the bold black letters at the top, and the air rushed out of my lungs.

I jerked my head up, staring at him in pure disbelief. "A Blood Pact? You want to... marry me?"

Bennet gave a slow nod, a dark, unstoppable glint flashing in the depths of his eyes. "That's right. That is my bill for damages."