Page 88 of Chased By My Grumpy Alpha
I study her face, observing the way she’s withdrawing again. “Changed your mind about retaliation?”
She doesn’t respond.
“Are you going to be soft and let him get away with what he put you through?” My voice turns hard. “What he put Luna through?”
Her head whips up. “That’s not it.”
I raise a brow. “What is it, then?” I pause, watching her carefully. “Don’t tell me you really did love him.” Maybe I should rip him apart, limb by limb.
She stares at me for a long moment, and there’s a shift in her expression. Finally, she speaks. “No.” Her voice is quiet but certain. “You were right. I just fell for his pretty words.”
Her answer satisfies me. Without warning, I reach out and pull her into my lap. She struggles against me, pushing at my chest, but I don’t budge. Her attempts to escape only make mepress her body closer to mine. I can feel every curve, every breath.
“Let me go,” she demands breathlessly.
I ignore her protests, my hand moving up the back of her neck, my fingers threading through her hair. “All your life, you have been taken advantage of,” I say quietly, though there’s a mocking edge to my words. “Getting back at Andrew will be the first time you take a stand for yourself.” My other hand trails along her collarbone, and I feel her shiver despite her resistance. “Do you want to remain weak for the rest of your life?”
Fire flashes in her green eyes, and I can practically feel the anger radiating off her. “I’m not weak.”
“Prove it.”
Chapter Fifteen
Astra
I don’t understand what has happened to Lucian.
The taciturn mercenary who barely spoke unless he was giving orders has been replaced by someone who can’t seem to stop touching me. His fingers graze my arm when he hands me water. His hand supports my back when I sit up too quickly. He pulls me into his lap as if he has every right to do so.
During our journey, he was sharp-tongued and dismissive, answering my questions with grunts or cutting remarks. Now he watches me with an intensity that makes my skin burn, and every casual brush feels like he’s branding me.
And the worst part? My body responds to his touch like I’m starved for contact.
“Let me go,” I demand again, pushing against his chest. But he’s solid as stone, completely immovable.
His hand tightens in my hair, not painfully but possessively in a way that makes my body temperature rise. “Getting back at Andrew will be the first time you take a stand for yourself.”
His other hand trails along my collarbone, and I can’t stop the shiver that races through me. The touch is light, almost blasé, but it sets my skin on fire.
“Do you want to remain weak for the rest of your life?”
That word may as well be a slap in my face. “I’m not weak!”
“Prove it.”
I shove him with both hands, putting all my strength into it. He doesn’t budge an inch, just watches me with those intense, blue eyes while I struggle against him like a trapped animal.
“You’re the most annoying person I’ve ever met!” The words burst out of me, raw with frustration. “Why won’t you just leave me alone?”
My voice cracks on the last word, and I hate myself for it. I hate that despite everything—despite Andrew’s betrayal, despite learning that love is just another weapon people use against you—some desperate part of me wants to lean into Lucian’s warmth. Wants to believe that maybe this time is different.
But I can’t be that foolish again. I won’t.
“I don’t understand what you want from me,” I continue, my anger mixing with something that feels alarmingly close to panic. “You called me pathetic and annoying. You made it clear you couldn’t wait to be rid of me. So why are you here? Why are you—”
My words cut off when he takes hold of my jaw, forcing me to meet his blazing gaze. There’s nothing gentle about the way he looks at me. Nothing soft or comforting.
“I let Andrew have his chance with you,” he says, his voice becoming low and dangerous. The possessiveness in his tone makes my breath catch. “I have you now.” His thumb traces my lower lip, and fire shoots straight through my core. “And I’m not going to give you up.”
