Ruthless Alpha, and his Curvy Saint-Chapter 53

Lord Merrick’s POV

After Sheena agreed to seek clarification from the Moon Goddess, I left her chambers with my mind racing.

Angel might be mine.

The possibility hummed through my veins like electricity.

I needed to find her. Needed to see her, talk to her, start building whatever connection might exist between us before my brother could solidify his claim.

Her scent was easy to follow - that intoxicating blend of vanilla and baby innocence - that had been driving me slowly insane since she’d arrived. I tracked it through corridors, up a flight of stairs, getting stronger with each step until it led me directly to...

My study.

I paused outside the door, hand raised to knock, when another scent hit me.

Terrell.

My brother was in there with her.

Alone.

Jealousy spiked hot and vicious through my chest.

I forced myself to step back, to wait in an alcove where I could see the door but remain hidden. Whatever they were discussing, barging in would only make things worse.

Minutes crawled by.

One. Two. Three.

Each one felt like an hour.

Finally, the study door opened.

Terrell emerged, his expression neutral but his posture radiating satisfaction in a way that made my hands clench into fists.

He walked down the hall in the opposite direction, his footsteps fading into silence.

I waited until I couldn’t hear him anymore.

Then I moved.

Angel stood in front of my bookshelves, her fingers trailing along the spines with the reverence of someone who’d been denied such pleasures most of her life. The afternoon light streaming through the windows made her skin glow.

She was breathtaking.

"Do you like any genre in particular?" I asked, announcing my presence gently so I wouldn’t startle her.

She turned, a small smile crossing her face when she saw me. "I hardly read books like these. At the convent, we were trained to study the Bible, prayer books, texts about the lives of saints. Nothing like..." She gestured to the shelves. "Whatever all this is."

"Then you’ll have to start reading other kinds of books," I said, moving closer. "To open your eyes to the world beyond convent walls."

Her smile faded slightly. "That world doesn’t exist for me anymore, does it? The convent, becoming a nun, dedicating my life to God - all of it disappeared the moment my family was killed."

The pain in her voice was palpable.

"I’m sorry," I said quietly. "That your life changed so drastically overnight. That you couldn’t follow your dreams."

She was quiet for a moment, staring at the books without really seeing them.

"It seems like a long time ago now," she said finally. "So much has happened since then. Sometimes I can barely remember what it felt like to want that life."

"What kind of books should I read, then?" she asked, clearly wanting to change the subject. "Geography? History? Philosophy?"

"All of those, eventually," I agreed, scanning my shelves with purpose. "But for a woman in full bloom, experiencing the world for the first time outside restrictive walls, I know exactly what you need right now."

I found it on the third shelf - a book bound in deep burgundy leather, the title embossed in gold lettering.

The Immense Pleasures of Gloria.

I pulled it down and held it out to her.

Angel took it carefully, examining the cover. "What’s it about?"

"It’s about a young woman discovering herself," I said, choosing my words with care. "About pleasure, desire, understanding your own body and what it’s capable of feeling. It’s educational, but in a way the nuns certainly never taught you."

Her cheeks colored prettily. "Oh."

"I have one favor to ask, though," I continued, stepping closer. "When you read it - and I do want you to read all of it - I want you to think of me."

Her eyes widened.

"And if you have any questions," I said, my voice dropping lower, "any confusion about what Gloria experiences or what the book describes... come to me. I’ll teach you. Show you. In a way that you’ll understand completely."

The air between us felt charged, heavy with electricity.

Angel held the book to her chest. "I... thank you. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it."

Her voice was breathless, uncertain.

Perfect.

I was already imagining it - Angel reading about pleasure and desire, her innocent mind trying to process concepts the convent had kept carefully hidden. Her curiosity growing. Her body responding to words on a page in ways she didn’t understand.

And me, waiting to answer every question, to demonstrate every lesson, to show her exactly what her beautiful body was made for.

Let the storm last, I thought. Let it rain for weeks. Give me time to seduce her properly.

I’d have to consult my own priestess - the one I kept on staff specifically for such things - about extending the storm’s duration. A little divine manipulation never hurt anyone.

"I’m glad you came to my home, Angel," I said, moving closer still. "Since you stepped through those doors, making you comfortable has been my only real concern."

I reached up, letting my fingers trace the curve of her jaw in a gentle caress.

Her skin was impossibly soft.

She stepped back.

Just one step, but enough to break contact.

I followed, closing the distance she’d created.

"What’s wrong?" I asked softly. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"I... no, I just..."

"Just what?"

We were so close now I could see the flecks of darker blue in her eyes, could count the freckles scattered across her nose, could smell that maddening vanilla scent that made my wolf howl with need.

Kiss her, my wolf demanded. Claim her. Make her understand she’s ours.

I knew I shouldn’t.

Knew it was too fast, too aggressive, that she needed time and space and patience.

But her lips were right there.

Full and soft and slightly parted with her quick breathing.

And the magnetic pull toward her was overwhelming, irresistible, like being dragged toward the sun.

I leaned in.

My lips touched hers - just barely, the lightest brush of contact...

A sharp intake of breath cut through the moment.

Not from Angel.

From the doorway.

I turned my head to find Sera standing there, her heavily made-up face frozen in shock, her mouth open in a perfect O.

Damn it.

For a moment, we all just stared at each other.

Then Sera’s expression transformed - shock melting into something calculating and cruel.

She turned and ran.

"Shit," I muttered, releasing Angel. "I’m sorry, I have to..."

I didn’t finish the sentence, just took off after Sera.

She was fast for someone in a weird flowing dress and ridiculous shoes, her skirts gathered in her hands as she ran down the corridor.

"Sera!" I called. "Stop!"

She didn’t stop.

I caught up with her near the main staircase, grabbing her arm and spinning her around.

"Where do you think you’re going?" I demanded.

"To report to the Alpha," she said, her eyes glittering with malicious satisfaction. "He deserves to know that his betrothed mate is being seduced in your study."

My blood ran cold.

Not because of the pretend Alpha - Bellick didn’t matter here.

But because if Bellick knew, Terrell would know.

And Terrell, despite all his control and centuries of experience, was unpredictable when it came to Angel. He’d warned me, threatened me, made his position abundantly clear.

Stay away from her or face the consequences.

I had no idea what those consequences might be.

He was the Alpha afterall - and a really powerful one at that. I wasn’t eager to find out what he might do to me.

"Don’t," I said, my voice dropping to something dangerous. "Don’t you dare."

Sera’s chin lifted defiantly. "Why shouldn’t I? You rejected me. Ignored me all through breakfast while fawning over that fat cow. And now I find you trying to kiss her?" She laughed bitterly. "I’m going to tell the Alpha everything. Let’s see how comfortable she is when he decides to punish her for disloyalty."

"I’m warning you, Sera..."

"What are you going to do?" She challenged, pulling her arm from my grasp. "You can’t hurt me. Not without providing a candid explanation.

"Don’t forget," I interrupted coldly, "that you’re under my roof. Under my protection. I granted you sanctuary from the storm, gave you food and shelter and safety." I stepped closer, letting her see the predator beneath the nobleman’s polish. "I can just as easily revoke all of that. Throw you out into the storm. Let you find your own way to Black Wolf territory."

Her face paled. "You wouldn’t."

"Try me."

"The Alpha wouldn’t allow it. Not if I told him first..."

She tried to run again.

I was faster.

My hand shot out, grabbing the back of her dress, yanking her backward.

She stumbled, off-balance in those ridiculous shoes.

I didn’t mean for it to happen the way it did.

Didn’t mean for her momentum to carry her sideways.

Didn’t mean for her head to connect with the stone wall with that sickening crack.

But it did.

Sera’s eyes rolled back.

She crumpled to the floor like a puppet with cut strings.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I knelt beside her, checking for a pulse.

Still alive. Breathing. But unconscious, a lump already forming on her temple where she’d hit the wall.

"Guards!" I called out.

Two of my personal guards approached immediately.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Take her to my private chambers," I ordered, thinking quickly. "The ones in the west tower. Lock the door. No one goes in or out without my express permission."

"My lord?" One of them looked uncertain. "Is she... should we call a healer?"

"I’ll send one up later. For now, just secure her. She’s had a... episode. Needs rest and quiet." I met their eyes steadily. "And this conversation doesn’t leave us. Understood?"

"Yes, my lord."

They lifted Sera carefully, her head lolling against one guard’s shoulder, and carried her away down the corridor.