Page 213 of Kingdoms of Night

She kept throwing that title at me like it was an insult.

I’d been born an Alpha. I’d embraced it. Just because she saw being an Omega as a weakness or something to hide didn’t mean I felt the same way about my designation in life.

“You keep talking about controlling urges,” she continued. “But you were ready to knot me in the stream.”

“Yes. When I thought your wolf wanted mine,” I replied, picking up the pace because I really wanted to end this conversation. And the only way to do that would be by depositing her in a cabin and locking her in a fucking room.

“And now?” she pressed, because clearly she didn’t know when to stop. “You no longer want to knot me?” The teasing lilt in her tone had me clenching my jaw.

Is this all a game to her?

Or was she just trying to goad me into proving some sort of point by making me fuck her?

“What point are you trying to make here?” I asked her, tired of these word games. I didn’t enjoy speaking on a good day. And today was far from good.

“That you wanted to knot me and that you’re still going to want to knot me,” she said. “I accept that because it’s how our wolves work. So if you can’t maintain control, I’ll understand.”

I grunted again. “I’ll be fine.” However, she wouldn’t be. She’d be in pain, and it would hurt me not to help her, but I wouldn’t be justany knotfor her.

“Seriously, Jonas. I don’t need you to prove your control to me. It’s okay.”

I stopped again to glare down at her, done with this fucking conversation. “This is about more than proving my control, Omega. You made it very clear that you don’t want me. And that’s fine. I accept your rejection. Which is why I won’t be knotting you.”

She blanched. “I didn’t reject you.”

I shook my head and started walking again. This had to be the longest mile in the history of miles.

“I didn’t reject you,” she repeated. “I just said I’m about to go into heat. I’ll react to any knot. That’s biology, Jonas.”

“Right,” I agreed. “Any knot.” Notmyknot. Even though her wolf had challenged mine and I’d won that challenge.

However, the female didn’t see it that way.

She didn’t want me. She didn’tknowme. She’d made it clear from the beginning of our working relationship that she wanted nothing to do with me.

I’d wanted to fuck it out of her. Although, now I didn’t want my knot anywhere near her.

Because I refused to beany knot.

Maybe my ego had played a role in my decision, or perhaps my wounded wolf was the cause, but either way, I wasn’t changing my mind.

Riley fell quiet for so long that I wondered if she’d passed out. But a glance downward showed me a beautiful face with wide blue eyes. She was staring at me in a way she’d never looked at me before. Like she’d finally realized I was a man.

I forced my gaze away from hers and focused on the woods again, needing to get her back to the cabin.

Her scent was sweetening with each passing second, her Omega genetics calling to the beast inside me. My instinct to claim her rode me hard, especially because of the little game her wolf had played with my animal.

I won, he kept saying.Mine.

Except the human half of the shifter didn’t want us.

Her small hand suddenly stroked my chin, her fingertips grazing my stubbled jaw. I instinctively moved away from her touch, my wolf growling inside.

She flinched and pulled her hand back. “Sorry.”

“Don’t test my control,” I gritted out through my clenched teeth. “You won’t like the consequences.” Not because I’d knot her, but because I would discipline her.

By locking her in a fucking room to suffer alone.

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