~THALIA~

What I didn't expect was that Alpha Cassian would not be residing in the mansion with me.

When I discovered that, a wave of relief surged through me so abruptly it nearly made me feel lightheaded.

I didn't need to confront him daily. I didn't have to rise each morning beneath the same roof as a man whose mere presence would unsettle me.

Alpha Cassian uttered it quietly, as though it were a trivial matter.

He wasn't currently based in our city. In fact, he wasn't even anywhere in the country. He was overseas, overseeing the expansion of the Frostclaw family business after they had franchised it abroad.

He didn't mention when he would come back.

But he mentioned something that gave me another sense of partial relief.

'If he didn't return before the three years were over, I'd be free to leave.'

At first, I lived in constant fear, afraid that he might come back at any moment.

However, time moved fast and two years and seven months had passed, yet I never heard from him. The last time I saw him was in a magazine I saw with my coursemate when I was in year one at the University.

I was currently in year three. I paid for an apartment near the campus in year two so I would be able to work and save in order to pay Alpha Cassian. I only went to the mansion once or twice a month.

But it was fucking difficult to save 500,000 dollars. I only managed to save 100,000 dollars for more than two years that I had been working.

It was finally the long holiday before we moved to the second semester of year three and there were also only three months left for my contract with Alpha Cassian to end.

It was the weekend and I booked an Uber to take me home.

When I got home, my Aunty was already waiting for me at the gate. I had only called her to let her know I was on my way home, I never expected her to be waiting for me outside.

The instant I alighted from the car, she rushed to me and gave me a tight hug.

"My pretty Thalia, I miss you," she squealed

This time, I would be spending a whole two months with her at home. I guessed that was why she was so excited and waited outside.

"Aunty, you look beautiful today," I teased.

She held my hands as we walked inside.

Thank Goddess she was perfectly healed and could be her cheerful self again.

When I got to my room, I didn't bother to offload my clothes from the box since I had some in the wardrobe. I always got new allowance, clothes, groceries and other things in the house every month.

Just as I changed into comfortable pajamas, my phone started ringing. I panicked at first as I thought it was Alpha Cassian but when I finally picked my phone and checked, it was my high school mate, Julian.

Then I picked the call.

"Hi Thally, how are you doing?" he said, beaming.

"I'm good and you? It has been a long time," I replied.

"Yeah.it has."

"So.why do you call?"

"Thally, I called because you absolutely have to come to the class reunion tonight. I asked around and you haven't been in touch with anyone since graduation."

"No, I won't be able to come. I don't really have time." I said firmly.

"But the Universities are currently on holiday."

"Yeah. But that doesn't mean I have time to come."

"Thally, please, save my face. Today is also my birthday and I made a promise that I would make sure our goddess attends."

The word goddess made me giggle.

Why was I being called a goddess ?

That was because I was not only beautiful, but also the top student in my grade, always ranking first in exams.

"Alright." I sighed. "I will drop whatever I want to do today and come because it's your birthday and you've put me in a tight spot."

I gritted my teeth.

"Anyways,send the address."

"I will send it right now."

•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•

By evening around 7:30pm, I dressed in my short-sleeved wine-colored gown and slipped into my silver platforms. I liked wearing platforms often because they made me walk with confidence.

"Aunty, I need to attend my school reunion. It's impromptu."

"Alright. I trust you'll take care of yourself."

I waved her off as I walked out to wait for the Uber I booked.

A few minutes later, the Uber arrived and I hopped in.

At exactly thirty minutes, we finally arrived at the address. When I walked in, I didn't expect all my classmates to be present. If I hadn't gone, I would have been the only one who did not attend.

The reunion was so fun coupling with Julian, the class governor's birthday.

I didn't want to drink even though my alcohol tolerance was higher than most wolves my age, but Julian kept sliding glass after glass into my hand.

When I finally glanced at the wall clock, it was past 11pm. I knew I had to leave. I grabbed my bag and walked outside.

"Hey Thalia! Why are you leaving?"

~THALIA~

I looked back and I saw Julian following me.

"Because it's already late."

"But I can book a room for you to sleep till tomorrow morning."

"Oh no, don't bother. There's still time. I'll just go home."

"But I really want to talk to you about something."

"Oh, that's not a problem. We can talk on the phone," I assured.

"I will just sit with you in the taxi. By doing that I will be able to discuss with you and also see that you get home safely."

I hesitated, then nodded. "If you insist."

Then he waved a taxi down and we both entered. I gave the driver my address and he began to drive.

"So," I asked, breaking the silence, "what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Hmm.I just want to ask you to be my girlfriend," he whispered. "I've liked you since high school," he added.

I blinked"Julian, you've always been a sweet guy back then in school and you'll definitely pass to be my boyfriend but I'm married. I had a really private wedding a few years ago when I clocked eighteen."

"Are you trying to decline without hurting me?"

"No, it's the truth."

He went silent after that. He didn't say another word until we reached my place. I waved at him as the taxi drove away, taking him back.

As soon as I alighted, I saw Aunty Jasmine standing outside. I quickly rushed over to her.

"Aunty, are you standing here because I didn't come back early?" I asked, feeling remorseful.

"Thalia, why are you back so late? I've called several times but you didn't pick up. And you even drank alcohol!Alpha Cassian will be furious." She spat those words out, her worry clear.

"But he's not around or.is he?"

My voice trailed off as I realized that he was back.

"Yes. He's back. He arrived just a few minutes after you left. He wasn't happy that he didn't meet you at the mansion."

Seeing that I was standing there in a daze, Aunty Jasmine quickly pulled me inside. "Hurry up and go meet him upstairs. I don't want you to be in trouble."

I stopped at the door. I clenched and unclenched my hands at my sides repeatedly before taking a breath and pushing the door open.

He was sitting on the sofa with laptop on his lap.

I took a nervous breath. "Welcome Alpha."

He lifted his eyes and looked at me from head to toe. I bet he was glaring at the short sleeveless gown that I wore.

"You've grown taller than since I last saw you," he remarked.

"Yes and I probably became even more beautiful," I teased to calm the stiffening atmosphere but he didn't smile.

"Did I say you could wear something like that outside?"

~ALPHA CASSIAN~

The smile from the joke she had told earlier was no longer on her face.

Her head was immediately lowered, her hair fell forward, and it covered half her face.

She stood there like a person awaiting a sentence.

I knew by the way her hands clasped together that she knew she was already in trouble.

"No. You didn't. The dress looks beautiful, that's why I wore it," she murmured.

The words grated against my nerves.

I dropped the laptop, stood up, but walked calmly, took a cigarette from the minibar, and sat back down again, not taking my eyes off her, watching her like a prey.

I took a long drag from my cigarette, and then exhaled it slowly after it filled my lungs.

The lights in the bedroom were dim, deliberately so. I wanted her to feel uncomfortable, to feel every breath she took when she was around me.

"Do you know what time it is?" I asked fiercely.

She nodded.

"You have certainly grown bold," I went on, my voice light, but with an edge to it. "Drinking, and coming home this late."

I chuckled, the sound dripping with coldness.

"Tell me, how do you think you should be punished?"

Her fingers shook by her sides.

"I don't think I deserved any punishment," she went on, her voice barely above a whisper. "It was my school reunion, and.our class governor's birthday, you know. Everyone was drinking. I only had a little, and it was fun, and I forgot the time."

She paused, then went on, her voice still very soft, "Besides, I did not know you would come home. You could have called me."

I knew what was feeding her ego. She was certainly calculating the days she had left in her head, the days she had thought she would get away from me.

Only three months remained.

My eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

If only she knew.

Those years, those months, my absence, my silence, did not count. They never had, no matter what I had told her, no matter what I had promised her, no matter what I had told her I had planned to do, I had changed my mind.

The contract had not really started back then. It had just been on hold.

Now, everything was about to start over.

~ALPHA CASSIAN~

Not even when she'd grown prettier since then.

When her delicate features and hour-glass form had finally started stimulating me as a burning, needy heat started rising to my cock.

Honestly, since the very first time I'd seen her at the hospital, desire had hit me and it never left.

I'd been gone for too long, and all those miles just had made me want it more.

I'd always known that, eventually, I would get my hands on her, and now that I was finally here, there was no need to wait for the inevitable to occur.

It was always going to happen from the beginning.

I flicked my ashes into the tray. "What sort of fun did you get up to?"

"Just normal fun. Nothing else."

"Flirting with an old flame? Did you get to have sex?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Her lips clamped together. "No."

I smirked.

I moved closer, invading where she was standing. " Aren't you afraid I might look into this?"

"Well, I am telling you the truth," she shrugged.

I moved even closer, my body practically pressing against hers and blew out another smoke ring which we watched dance between us.

I used my finger to tilt her head up until our eyes met. Her skin was cool under my touch.

"You don't panic, do you?"

Her voice was low. "Maybe."

I let my finger slip back down until her head was back in its place.

"You are truly an arrogant little wolf," I told her. " You know that right?"

Her eyes darted away. "If I were, I would not be here right now."

I truly wanted to break her.

That idea turned me on.

"Thalia Emerson," I said, my voice low but steady. "The moment you signed that contract, you lost the right to stand on equal ground with me. You even begged to be my slave. but I chose to make you something better. Or have you forgotten?"

Her hands began to shake.

"Oh, I remembered you signed without reading because you needed the money so badly," I smirked.

"I..."

"You are mine. Remember that I did not force you to sign the agreement." I interrupted, "And our agreement does not just end in 3 months. It just started now."

"What.do you mean?" she questioned nervously.

I let out a small scoff. "Exactly what you heard. Therefore, do not go against my will, you are mine, I do not share what is mine, nor will I let anyone else touch it."

"I had thought..."

"Put all thoughts of that out of your head." I cut in.

"Alpha...you definitely said that once the contract was over I could leave if you weren't here. Perhaps you have forgotten that?" she murmured.

"Of course not. However, since I came back before the end of the contract, I've changed my mind," I grinned.

Before she could continue, I grabbed her wrist and dragged her towards the bathroom. She stumbled to keep up with my pace.

I would see how defiant she stayed after I reduced her to a whiny mess.

"We are going to wash off all of those disgusting hands that touched you today," I told her.

I pushed her under the shower and turned it on.

A torrent of cold water immediately cascaded down on both of us.

She let out a gasp as if a sudden shrill was torn from her lungs. She instinctively clawed my sleeve with her fingers as her body shook from the coldness but I did not budge.

"Are you cold?" I asked.

She nodded quickly, her teeth chattering as she did.

"Good. It's cold for both of us," I whispered.

Then I turned the water off.

She stood still for a moment, perhaps unsure whether she was able to move yet.

"Get out," I commanded, as I stepped out myself.

She got out of the bathroom, sopping wet from head to toe, her hair and clothing completely soaked and water pouring from her body. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself, her body still shaking.

Her lips quivered as if she were desperate to speak, but before she could utter a word, I had already swept her into my arms.

I carried her to the bedroom and dumped her onto the bed.

"Take off all of your clothes," I commanded.

"Why.do you want me to?"

I locked eyes with her and said in a low voice, "Because I want you."

I began to tear my wet clothes off until I was naked from the waist down, only wearing my damp boxers that clung tightly to my skin.

She still hadn't started removing her clothes.

I was so horny and pissed.

"I said take off your clothes, or I'll tear everything off!" I barked.

She jumped up.

I watched as she started undressing until nothing was left of her but her skin. She lay back, exposing herself completely.

I positioned myself over her and slid my arms to her sides, grasping her hip bone firmly before trailing my fingers down along the soft flesh until they reached her thighs.

I parted them just wide enough for me to settle between them, burying my fingers into her tender skin as I claimed every bit of it with slow, deliberate strokes.

Her skin tingled under my touch as a layer of goosebumps erupted over her body, but I continued, pulling my palms back up over her thighs, my thumbs inching further towards the heat radiating from her body.

Her body trembled fiercely, and she began to push herself away, arching her back away from the bed, an instinctual urge to escape me, but I used one of my hands to keep her still by placing it on her hip, pinning her precisely where I wanted her.

Each and every gasp, each and every twitch she made seemed to fuel the fire in my gut making my cock grow harder in my boxers.

"Alpha Cassian..." she breathed, my name on her parted lips like a question.

"Shush," I growled low, blowing my warm breath into her ear, my lips grazing against her lobe before biting it lightly, "Do not speak unless I tell you to. Feel only what I give you to feel."

Her fingers were digging into the sheets, her knuckles so white as she strained against her own body.

"I don't think I can handle this." she whispered.