Page 69 of Red's Beast

"Why would I do such a thing, mate? You want to play alpha, let's play and see who wins." He rises up, pulling his belt loose with one hand while holding my hands in his other. This can't be good.

"What are you doing? Let me go, Corbin."

He bites his lip as he takes the belt and snakes it under my hands, then wraps them. I strain my neck to see what he is doing and see him secure it to the bed. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"It looks like you've tied me to the bed." I swallow hard as I look at the belt, which is now tied into a restraint. Sadly, I didn't notice that there when I came into the room, or I would have ensured I ripped it from the wall.

"Now, I can do what I want." He settles on top of me and leans until his nose is touching my neck. "Your scent is intoxicating."

"Corbin, please. The full moon is three days. We have to wait until the ceremony." I pant between words as he kisses the place where the mating mark will be. "Please, don't do this."

He raises up and looks into my eyes. "That old tradition should be buried, don't you think? Personally, I think that was an alpha's way of controlling the pack."

I tremble underneath him, afraid of what this means. "Are you sure you want to challenge that? What if whoever decided thisrule was told by someone higher and if we break it, we end up doomed or worse?"

He kisses my neck, and my breath hitches in my chest. His hand pulls at my skirt until he can touch the bare skin of my thigh freely. "For you, I'd challenge anyone and everything."

"Corbin, you know I'm not your fated mate. What if you meet her someday and here you are tied to me?" I'm trying to appeal to reason, but I don't know that he has any. The beast told me I had to hold on a few more nights. I bite my lip as I regret the way I acted with him.

He is right to call me a brat, and I should have never accused him of killing my parents, not after he saved me from Nigel. Surely, there is more to that story.

Corbin lifts off me and strips his shirt over his head. The sight of his muscles makes me freeze up for a moment as I stare. He catches me, his tongue darting out between his lips to wet them. "Do you like what you see? Is your mate satisfactory? Also, no one will ever wander into the pack, so my fated mate will never come knocking at the door. You might as well move past that."

As our eyes meet, I tug harder on the bindings, causing him to laugh. I disregard most of what he says and focus on the one thing I need right now. For him to get off me. "Corbin, I don't think we should push our luck."

He chuckles low. "When have I ever followed the rules?"

I whisper, "Never."

"And I don't plan to start now." He leans down, settling over me, and kisses me gently on the lips. My wolf screams internally and I try to mute her, but the pain inside is too much to bear.No, this isn't right. Must get away.

I can't get away, though. This is my fate, for the good of the pack. I will become Corbin's mate and keep him in check, so they don't suffer.

The answers are within you. You have to fulfill your destiny.

As I finally kiss him, he groans with satisfaction.This is my destiny, wolf. Just bear it. It'll only hurt until he claims me. The pain is temporary.

Please, don't do this. You know the truth. Can't you just hold on a few more nights? Don't let him claim you. Wait for the beast.

I don't think I have a choice.Tears line my eyes as he kisses my jaw and down my throat. He hovers a moment over the spot that will display his mark. Inhaling deeply, he drags his tongue across it, marking me with his scent just like he did the day he trapped me in the closet.

I can feel my wolf flinch away. She had been close to the surface, but now she is retreating.This isn't right, and you know it. Every touch, every mark, shouldn't be.

As I lie there, staring at the ceiling, I wonder what the beast is doing now that our bond is silenced.

The beast. Oh, how I miss his intrusions. What I wouldn't give right now to hear his voice. Corbin moves his hand down to my side and holds my waist tightly.

"I can't get enough of you," he mumbles as he kisses my shoulder. He grows silent for a moment as he scrapes his teeth along the top of my shoulder.

I say nothing, because what is there to say? I'm not doing this out of love. It's out of duty to the pack. It's not like I haven't tried to stop him. So, what if we incur the wrath of whatever or whoever set our rules? My conscience will be clear if or when that day comes.

At least I will try to reclaim what was my grandfather’s even if it is partially. I’ll make everyone see that this is not how pack life should be.

"Are you not enjoying yourself, too?" He trails his lips up to my throat. His skin is warm as he moves across me and all I can think about is if this was the beast, I'd be thrilled. But no, it's Corbin, the son of the man who tortured me all these years. To be with Corbin will be just another prison I have to endure.

Can I really choose duty over my destiny? Aren't they the same?

Are you an idiot?I can hear the echo of my wolf’s voice from somewhere deep within.

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