The Lycan Kingpin's Captive: A Baby For The Beast novel Chapter 55

I move back from Xiomara and lean against the wall. The gravity of what I’ve just said seems to sink in and she crosses her arms over her ample chest.

“So, in other words, I am your prisoner,” she says, jutting out her chin in defiance and I can’t help but chuckle.

“Are you forgetting that your father gave you away? You’re more like a gift, but one I didn’t exactly ask for,” I say and grit my teeth.

This seems to make her eyes narrow at me. “What is that supposed to mean? If you do not want me, there’s always an option to return to sender,” she says, and I’m not sure if she’s actually being serious, but I burst out laughing anyway.

“Oh, Bambi, do you think that’s possible in your position? You’re the daughter of an Alpha, an important chess piece that your father needs to move so his pack can advance,” I say and walk towards her. “You can be lucky you were given to me and not some warrior with an affinity for violence.”

She sucks in a breath but maintains her defensive position. “You just had me bent over the counter-”

“But did I hurt you? No, I merely subdued you without using violence. You’ll soon find out that with me…” I say, tilting her chin up. “I can make you submit without using violence.”

Her eyes grow wide at the obvious double meaning behind my words, then she pushes me back hard - or rather, she tries to.

“I will never submit to you,” she says rather weakly and I chuckle before grabbing her wrist gently.

“Hmm, I do love a challenge. But if you’re ever looking for a shoulder to rest your legs on, you know where to find me. Make yourself at home while you’re at it,” I say and wink at her before walking out of the kitchen.

This entire thing has gotten me wound up so fucking tight that I know I’m going to snap at the next person who looks my way. I don’t want this woman invading my personal space, I don’t want her scent in my home, or to know she’s just up the fucking hallway.

So I go to the one person I can take my anger out on - Nikolaos.

I sense him in his office when I walk into the mansion and make a beeline for him, however just as I’m about to burst in, I hear the unmistakable sound of Mia moaning. Gods, these two - you’d swear they’re teenagers with the way they’re constantly at it like rabbits.

“You guys gonna be much longer?” I ask, hearing Mia squealing and a grin slips onto my face. “There are pack members who require the Alpha's council and you have a fucking bedroom for this.”

“Do you mind, asshole? I’m having my second breakfast here-”

“NIKO!” Mia cries out, obviously embarrassed and I can’t help but chuckle. A few minutes later, a very flushed Luna walks out and doesn’t meet my eye as she scurries off to wherever.

I still feel guilty for how I tricked her back then and the things I said as well as the names I called her. Even if it was to get the truth out of her, she didn’t deserve it. But I’m always the one to play the bad guy in this game; I just don’t know where that ends anymore.

“You better have a good reason for keeping my mate from her orgasm,” he says when I walk inside the office and I’m about to respond when that forbidden word rings in my head.

Mate?

“Wait, what the fuck did you just call her?” I ask with an incredulous scoff. “Mia is your mate? How?”

He leans back in his office chair with a grin on his face. “On the night of the Equinox, it seems like that was the catch to meeting your mate all along,” he says with a shake of his head. “But enough about that, you needed to see me?”

I would congratulate him if I didn’t feel so fucking jealous. As much as all shifters pretend they don’t care about meeting their mates, we’re all liars. We all want to meet the one who the Goddess chose for us; some are just luckier than others.

Then again, no one deserves this more than Niko, given what he’s been through. He’s like a brother to me and deserves all the fucking happiness in the world.

“I do,” I say, deflecting. “Xiomara is at my place right now and she looks as pissed as a cat in water. I swear, she might kill me in my fucking sleep.”

Niko laughs out loud. “That’s exactly why I chose her for you-”

“Oh, so you don’t just want me dead, you want me DEAD dead. I see how it is,” I grumble, crossing my arms and scowling at his amused expression. “Seriously, Niko, I can’t deal with that fucking princess. Send me in to fight rogues, just don’t give me a fucking bride.”

Niko shakes his head and leans forward, lacing his hands together on top of his desk. “So what do you want me to do? We need to tether ourselves to these packs who turned their backs on us, and we can only do that through an arranged marriage, Maxim.”

I hate when he speaks like this because I fucking KNOW the reason; it’s for the good of the pack, not because he’s out to directly punish me.

Sighing, I pinch the bridge of my nose between my thumb and index finger. “Can you get me someone who won’t stab me in the neck the second she gets? Someone who will leave me be while I do my thing?”

Niko seems taken aback by this. “You want a different bride?”

I nod. “I can’t deal with someone like Xiomara, you know how I prefer my space. She takes up most of that with her bratty attitude and she hasn’t even been in my home a full twenty-four hours. If you want me to do this, get me a timid bride - someone like Gianna.”