Chapter 2

Corrin POV:

The heavy rear door of the Rolls-Royce swung open from the inside as Beta assistant Arthur stepped out, releasing a suffocating wave of Alpha pheromones smelling of arctic ice and sharp cedar that froze the wet air around me.

I purposely shrank my shoulders, feigning the trembling awe of a weakling crushed by his genetic Dominion, and lifted my damp hem with both hands to climb carefully into the spacious backseat.

The door thudded shut behind me, sealing out the storm. Dayton Kirkland leaned deep into the black leather seat with his long legs crossed, his bespoke dark suit outlining broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and lethal power.

In the dim cabin light, his ice-blue eyes swept over my soaked bangs and pale lips without a shred of warmth, a faint crease forming between his brows.

"Drive," Dayton commanded coldly toward the front seat, his deep voice carrying an absolute Alpha's Command that no lower-ranking wolf in his Pack could physically resist.

As the engine glided silently into the rainy night, I buried my calculating sharpness and shifted closer to him like a shivering kitten seeking warmth.

Reaching out with freezing fingertips, I gently tugged the cuff of his suit jacket, injecting a soft, nasal tremor into my voice.

"Dayton... you're finally back. I missed you so much."

He didn't shake my hand off, nor did he answer, simply staring down at me with those oppressive ice-blue eyes as if evaluating the loyalty of his private property.

Knowing a simple greeting wouldn't satisfy his control freak nature, I bit my lower lip, leaned across the console, and pressed my cold cheek against the side of his strong neck, nuzzling the pulsing artery just like a submissive wolf offering total surrender to her pack leader.

Beneath my breath, the taut muscles of his neck stiffened, and the pale jagged scar trailing down toward his collarbone grew hot against my skin. No apex Alpha male could resist complete submission.

Dayton let out a low snort and finally raised his left hand—a custom Patek Philippe gleaming on his wrist—to catch my chin between his rough fingers, forcing my face up.

"Missed me? Missed me so much you ran off to a pointless gala to mingle with a pack of useless bottom-feeders?" he mocked, though his thumb stroked firmly across my pale lower lip.

My eyelashes fluttered violently as I squeezed out two crystal tears that pooled on my lower lids without falling.

"Because... because the apartment is filled with your scent, and when you're not there for me to smell you in person, I get so scared..."

That calculated lie struck straight at his male protective instinct. The frost in Dayton's eyes thawed slightly; releasing my chin, he hooked a heavy arm around my waist and hauled me against his chest.

I rested my cheek obediently against his solid pectorals, listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat while a cold smile curved my lips in the shadows. Another test passed with flying colors.

Silence reclaimed the cabin save for the rhythmic sweep of the wipers. Keeping my eyes shut, I mentally calculated how many tens of thousands of dollars in black-card limit this rainy-night act would cash out.

After twenty minutes, I noticed the bright city streetlights outside thinning out, replaced by a heavily guarded, private tree-lined highway.

My eyes snapped open as I peered through the tinted glass, my heart skipping a beat—this road didn't lead to the downtown penthouse where he usually kept me.

"Arthur, where are we going?" I asked in a small, anxious voice, looking toward the front partition.

Arthur glanced into the rearview mirror at Dayton, and only after receiving no mental link to stop did he answer in a brisk, professional tone.

"Miss Branch, Mr. Kirkland instructed me to drive straight back to Azure Manor."

Azure Manor! I dug my fingernails hard into my palms to keep my expression from cracking into a grin.

In the Kirkland Pack's power structure, Azure Manor was Dayton's most fortified personal territory, guarded like a military citadel where even Pack Elders were rarely permitted entry.

By strict werewolf law, an Alpha's private den was completely off-limits to any female who wasn't blood kin or a fated Mate.

Yet here he was, bringing a gene-defective Wolfless canary—a woman who only cared about his bank account—straight into his forbidden sanctuary?

I turned my head to stare at Dayton in shock. His eyes remained closed as he rested against the headrest, acting as if it were a trivial whim, though I knew this move would set off an earthquake across Lone Peak City's elite circles.

Pure ecstasy flooded my chest—entering Azure Manor meant gaining direct access to the billionaire Alpha's inner sanctum and exponentially bigger assets!

Crushing my greed down, I tugged nervously at his lapel with a frightened, shrinking look.

"Dayton... am I really allowed to go there? Won't it break the Pack's rules..."

Dayton opened his eyes, arrogant dominance flashing in their icy depths as he caught my wrist and yanked me closer.

"On Kirkland territory, my word is the only rule," he growled, his Alpha Dominion pressing down on every inch of my skin. "All you need to remember is to stay obediently inside the cage I draw for you."

The Rolls-Royce slowed to a crawl as ten-meter-tall black wrought-iron gates carved with ancient wolf totems loomed ahead in the rain, flanked by heavily armed Gamma guards.