Chapter-58. Die for
[Ezra]
"Out," I said, walking into the changing room where Xanthea was getting dressed.
The four staff who helped Xanthea get ready for the evening instantly bowed their heads and rushed out of the room as though they feared I might rip out their hearts if they failed to follow my order even by a second.
I had changed into a navy three-piece suit. I knew I would outshine every man in the room, even in casuals. But I had to look superior not to steal the show, but to add to Xanthea's shine.
The sun in the mortal realm had to be in its full glory so that when the moon borrowed its light at night, it could outshine every other star in the dark sky.
And my moon stood before the floor to ceiling mirror with her gaze held low. She was partially dressed, yet-
There was a subtle, dreamy glow on her face and a blur that highlighted the enticing glint in her eyes.
I had allowed her to dress up, however she liked.
The dress she chose was elegant and spiteful at the same time. The way it hid and revealed her skin was scandalous. The flowy red dress hugged her curves like second skin from her breasts to her waist before it flowed down to her knees. The dress had an elaborate and intricate work of rubies and diamonds around the hem and neck, making it one of the most expensive gowns in the luna collections of the mortal realm. Twenty millions. Xanthea wore lingerie more expensive than that in my pack. But it was what it was.
What made her look even more ruthless was the pearl backdrop necklace accentuating her back and the delicate pearl and gold waist chain that dragged one's attention to her hips.
'You lifted a small restriction from her and this is what you get. Just imagine what she'd become if you truly set her free,' Odeus said.
With a tight gulp, I licked my lips and all I could think of was claiming her as mine. Stupid thought, but...
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Gritting my teeth, I rubbed my nape, extremely annoyed by the feverish arousal that charged through my body, especially the rush in my cock. Odeus and I gazed at her as one would gaze at the dew on rose petals and the sunrise and the sunset and the auroras and rainbows. Transfixed. Xanthea nervously looked over her shoulder.
I ran my fingers through my hair as I forcefully tore my gaze from her.
Fuck! What is wrong with me?
I scrubbed my hand over my burning face as I let out a sharp breath.
There were moments when she was like a damsel in distress waiting to be rescued and then there were moments like this when her aura was so intimidating it was impossible to resist the temptation to taste the danger she might be hiding behind those enchanted emerald eyes.
Moments like these when I realized she didn't lack confidence. What she lacked was the space and freedom to be confident - to be herself.
Bewitching a demon wasn't an art mortals could master. But it was in moments like these when I had a feeling that she was very well aware of the web of seduction her body spun. That she was consciously luring us into a trap that would eventually lead to our downfall.
"I am almost ready, alpha... could you please wait for a few minutes?" she asked.
"Go ahead. There's no rush," I said, glancing at her reflection in the mirror again.
Lifting her eyes to my reflection, she scooped her silky hair off her shoulder and neck and allowed them to fall over her chest.
My eyes dropped to her bare back and the perfect curves of her neck and waist.
When Raven said he almost had a solo with her, I couldn't understand why he would wanna have solo sex with her. What was about her that let his control slip?
Now... I fucking understand. Because right now, I wanted to be buried deep inside her and fuck her for hours, days, at a stretch.
From her breaths to her scent, her mere existence was weakening my control.
I walked closer and closer to her until I stood behind her, a few inches away.
She reached her hand behind her to tie the delicate strings of her backless red dress.
"Let me do it," I whispered.
She withdrew her hand and placed them over her cleavage.
She held my haze in the reflection as I reached out for the strings on her back.
I leisurely ran my fingers from her waist, up her back, tracing her spine.
"Alpha..."
She gasped with a faint moan as goosebumps shot through her skin. Her eyelids fluttered shut as she bit down on her lower lip.
Pulling the strings of the dress, I yanked her closer to me. She arched her chest away from my body. A heated tension darkened my eyes as I tied the strings of her dress.
The strings around her shoulders that held the dress on her body were about to slide down when I secured them. Because if they fell, I knew my control would snap.
"T-thank you..." she said, tucking her frivolous hair strands behind her ear.
She was about to withdraw herself from me when I grabbed her hand. She spun on her heels as I twisted her wrist on her back and pulled her in. Her breasts pressed against my chest and her body tensed up. "Don't ruin the plan, angel."
She knit her brows, blinking innocently.
I lifted her chin, holding myself back from devouring those sinful lips, smearing that red lipstick and ruining her spellbinding makeup.
"You know exactly what I am talking about, don't you?" I leaned in, whispering against her lips. "You know what I am thinking. You've put those thoughts in my head. I told you to corrupt yourself, not my mind." "I... don't understand..." her words trembled against my lips as I ran my hand up her curves and cupped her breast.
"You do. You understand what you are doing to me better than I do," I grunted.
She shut her eyes, letting out a moan as I teased her hard nipples through the fabric of her dress. The sweet smell of her arousal made the throbbing in my pants even worse.
And with our lower bodies pressed so tightly together, I knew she could feel it too.
"I was only... trying to... play your game..."
"Fuck!" I growled, pressing our foreheads together. With a groan, I let her go.
Her chest heaved faster as she distanced herself from me and I tried to control my heavy breaths. Concentrate, Ezra!
Her lewd gasps. Her shamelessly pounding heart. Everything about her was fucking driving me insane.
'If this keeps on... before you burn down the world, she will turn you into ashes. Get a hold of yourself, man. She is just a fragile, little, dangerously gorgeous woman,' Odeus said.
"In your pack, wedding rings are... some kind of commitment symbol, right?" I asked, changing the subject. Because a change in subject was much needed.
"Y-yes. They are probably the highest form of commitment two souls can make when they tie up together in a marriage," she said awkwardly.
"Right," I licked my lips. "Brilliant!" I said, just as awkwardly.
I was too distracted by her lips to decipher what she said.
"Right," she said, averting her gaze.
I slipped my hand in my pocket and pulled out the ring box. I cleared my throat, opened the ring box, and proffered it to her.
She gaped at the ring and then lifted her eyes to mine.
"I chose this ring because it had diamonds and it sparkled more than the rest of the rings, so... if you don't like it, we can still get something else-"
"I love it," she said in a swift, calm tone.
"Good," I replied just as swiftly.
A bright smile spread across her face. Blinking fast, she traced her fingers over the ring.
"Can I... ask you for a favor?" she asked.
I gave her a curt nod.
"Can you... put the ring on my finger for me?" she said, pointing at the fourth finger of her left hand.
I pulled the ring out of the box. Holding her hand in mine, I slid the ring onto her finger.
She took back her hand and placed it over her heart.
"Thanks."
"Whatever. Are you ready or not?" I asked, slipping my hands in my pants' pockets.
My palms still felt heavy with her warmth.
Turning around, she looked at herself in the mirror again. Flipping her hair on her back, she checked her look one last time.
"You won't need a fire to burn down this pack, darling angel. You are hot enough to incinerate an immortal to dust," I teased and stood right behind her. "You look perfect, baby."
She peered at me blankly for a while before averting her gaze.
I chuckled softly at the natural blush that made her facial features even more seductive.
Another thought that was clearly not mine emerged in my mind.
"Wanna add a new touch to this game?" I asked so that she would look at me and she did.
"What?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Let's pretend to be a happily married couple who can't live without one another, even for a second. Today, you are allowed to do anything you want with me... as your husband. Behave however you want as my wife. Like you would with the man of your fantasy, who had your heart."
She lowered her head, smiling softly and then turned around to face me.
"You really want me to become heartless today, don't you? Telling me I can be your wife, giving me the freedom to love you just for today, and then demanding it to be fake - an act."
Her words caught me off-guard.
I smiled with a soft chuckle.
"Trust me. You wouldn't wanna fall in love with someone like me in reality, baby angel. It's wise to die of starvation rather than quenching your hunger with poison."
"Sometimes instant death is all life craves, alpha," she said calmly, her eyes playing some kind of tricks on me.
I stepped closer to her, and she stepped back.
"To crave death is to mock life," I said as I took another step closer to her and she took another step away from me.
"To live is dying," she whispered, taking a slow step away from me. "And to die for others is worth living."
Amused, I smirked, and she smiled back at me.
"Who do you wanna die for?" I asked.
"Haven't found him yet," she teased.
I scoffed, rolling my tongue across my inner cheek.
A pang churned in my stomach at her words. I couldn't decipher the gnawing feeling that crawled beneath my skin. I had never felt such apprehensive excitement before.
"But maybe you already have someone worth dying for," she said.
"Why? You jealous?"
She shook her head. "I'm just happy for both of you. Glad that she is by your side. Grateful that you are not alone."
My nails dug into my palms as I let out a curt nod with a smile that felt like a torture.
Maybe she thought I had a Luna candidate like Raven and Asher. Well, I slept around with a lot of women. So many I lost count, but I didn't have an official Luna candidate, and I didn't plan to have one. "You fantasize quite a lot. You don't know me, Xanthea. You know nothing about me," I said, and she stopped stepping away from me.
"It's true. I know nothing about you, but maybe I understand you a little better than I did before," she said, stepping closer to me and I halted my steps, allowing her in.
She looked into my eyes with a warmth I had never seen in her eyes before. At least, not for me.
Asher was a different case. This soft look often adored her eyes when she looked at him-
She balanced herself on the tips of her heels and reached out to coif my hair.
Perplexed by this sudden shift in her attitude, I peered at her blankly.
She adjusted my tie, and then gently ran her fragile fingers down my chest. Her eyes wandered over me before they came to an abrupt halt around my wrists. Squinting slightly, I watched her fingers gracefully secure my cufflinks. My eyes wandered to the black diamonds on the cufflinks before I looked at her again.
"I think... now we are ready to fake our love," she said and stepped past me.
Dumbfounded, I watched her walk to the door.
The sound of her heels against the marble triggered something darker in my chest.
Odeus broke out into laughter that got louder in my head.
'What?' I growled at him through my thoughts.
'Even when we set the rules, she knows how to play her games. She knows how to play us in our own games. You are totally under her control, man! She's hilarious. Haha! I like her,' Odeus said. 'You and your fucking rubbish!'
Odeus' laughter grew worse.
'Damn, I wish she had a wolf. I could get to know her on a deeper level-hey!'
I cut him off and pushed him in the depth of my subconsciousness.
I reached out to loosen my tie, but stopped. The sensation of her fingers sliding down my chest still lingered on me. So, I let it be.
"Husband," she called.
"Yes, wife?" I played along.
"Shall we... begin the game?"
"The game's already begun, wife."