Page 17 of Tamed By the Alpha Wolf

In that moment, I saw her.Reallysaw her. I recognized the fire in her eyes, the tension in her shoulders. Guilt and shame weighed down her scent. Muscles coiled tight, ready to lash out at any hint of pity or weakness.

She was drowning, just like I had been. Desperate for someone to pull her back from the edge. Daring the world to push her under.

She needed someone to be strong for her, but in a way she could control. Someone who could weather the storm of her rage and hurt without breaking. I could be that for her—the immovable object to her unstoppable force.

My wolf growled in approval, recognizing a kindred spirit. We both knew that sometimes, the only way to help someone was to give them something to push against.

I braced my arm next to her head, caging her against the wall. With my free hand, I caught her chin and forced her eyes to meet mine. “What did you do, Elise?”

CHAPTER SIX

ELISE

Icouldn’t move. I could barely breathe.

Nico’s body pressed against me, pressed me against the wall, pressed air from my lungs and thoughts from my brain. His silver eyes blazed into me, pinning me in place. I’d never been so aware of another person’s presence. Their heat. Their smell. The sheer unyielding mass of muscle bearing down on me.

Part of me screamed to fight, to run, to get the fuck out of there before I did something stupid. But a deeper, darker part of me reveled in his touch. In his power.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the desire rushing through my veins. But instead of dark nothingness, memories swirled to life. Screams and pain. The taste of blood in the air, sharp and metallic. The searing burn of guilt eating me alive.

“Look at me.” Nico’s voice rumbled through me, demanding obedience. “Open your eyes and tell me what you did.”

His thumb ghosted over my lower lip, gentle despite the command in his tone. The touch sent a shiver down my spine.

My wolf stirred under my skin. Restless and hungry, wanting to sink her fangs into him again, to brand him and stake my claim.

But that wasn’t what I wanted. Not really.

I wanted to submit. To lose myself in the feel of his muscular arms holding me in place, the heat of his skin. I wanted to let go, and let the darkness inside me free without fear of judgment or consequence.

“I killed him,” I blurted, the words tearing free in a rush of shame and relief. “I killed my alpha. My ownfather.”

Reluctantly, I let him guide my eyes back to his. The raw hunger there took my breath away. But behind it was something else—understanding. Acceptance. If anything, he pressed closer, caging me with his body.

“Did I tell you to stop?” Nico demanded.

It was too much. Too intense. I licked my lips, my heart pounding in my chest. I opened my mouth, but the words lodged in my throat. So instead, I looked away, breaking the connection. I couldn’t bear for him to see all of my sins laid bare.

But Nico was having none of it. His grip tightened on my chin, just shy of painful. “Look at me when you speak.”

My pulse raced at the dominance in his voice, the brush of his lips against my cheek. His other hand slid down my arm, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Every nerve in my body seemed to come alive under his touch.

“My father, Marcus, was a jealous, obsessive alpha.” My words came out haltingly, like each syllable was being ripped from my chest. “What we had was never good enough, not when someone else had more. Land, money, wolves, didn’t matter. He wanted it all.”

Nico’s eyes burned into me, daring me to look away. To disobey. His hand drifted from my chin to my collarbone, his touch possessive as he traced the line of it.

“He became fixated on conquering Crescent Hollow,” I breathed. “Daniel, our second, opposed the idea. He didn’t want to anger the neighboring pack. But my father... he...”

“Keep going,” he growled, nipping at my earlobe. His hand moved down to my hip, his fingers digging in slightly.

“He killed him,” I whispered. “Murdered Daniel and blamed it on Crescent Hollow to spark a war.”

Nico’s hand slipped beneath my shirt, his calloused fingers splaying across my bare skin. I sucked in a breath at the sensation, my head spinning.

“What happened next?” he prompted, his voice rough with barely contained emotion.

“J-Jude,” I stammered, struggling to focus as Nico’s hands roamed my body. “He ordered Jude—Daniel’s daughter—to infiltrate the Crescent Hollow pack. To spy on them and find evidence of their alleged guilt. He sent my friend into danger on a lie.”

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