Chapter 3: Home Sweet Home

“What are you doing here, Victoria?” Alaric asks her. She peruses me up and down for a moment before turning to him with another fake smile. She starts stroking his arm and it bothers me to see her touch him.

Alaric brushes past her and she follows him inside to the foyer. I barely have time to catch the door as she tries to swing it shut in my face. I close it gently behind me, muttering under my breath about her rudeness.

“Just waiting for you, darling. I was so worried when I heard you went to confront those witches,” she coos at him in a nauseating voice.

“As you can see, I’m fine. This is Raven. She is going to be working for me,” he tells her and then turns to me, “Raven, this is Victoria.”

His introductions leave out her title, so I have no idea what she is to him. A girlfriend, perhaps? That would be a shame, she’s not nearly good enough for him.

What am I saying, I thought, I don’t even know him. She stares at me with disapproval.

“You brought a witch here?” she asks him and the look he gives her says that he doesn’t like her questioning him.

“Yes, I did. I am the Alpha, so I believe that’s my prerogative,” he says in an irritated voice.

“Of course,” she replies submissively.

“Raven and I have things to discuss, Victoria,” he says, clearly dismissing her. A flash of hurt goes across her face but it’s quickly masked as she nods at him.

Then another pack member knocks on the door to ask Alaric something and while he’s talking she turns to me with a look of unmitigated disgust. She grabs my arm in a painful grip and rage flows through me at her audacity. I could make her disappear with the flick of my wrists but I remind myself that I’m on thin ice with the council already.

“He’s mine, witch. You won’t be here long, but while you are, don’t forget that. He shares my bed and I’m the one who is going to be his mate. Don’t even think about touching him,” she tells me vehemently.

“He’s a big boy, Vicky, I think he can make his own choices. Your concern is duly noted though,” I say sweetly with a tinge of sarcasm. Her eyes widen at my response and she narrows them at me.

“Don’t ever call me that again. I won’t repeat myself. Watch yourself, witch,” she spits at me. I rip my arm from her grasp and stand firm before her.

“I believe the Alpha dismissed you,” I say. She looks like she is going to lunge at me when Alaric comes up to us.

“Let me know if you need any help handling this witch, darling. You know where I am,” she says to him, brushing his cheek with her hand. He shakes his head as she walks away like he’s fed up with her antics.

“Well she seemed like a sweetheart,” I say sarcastically and roll my eyes. He gives me a puzzled look, but doesn’t acknowledge my statement.

“Come on, let me give you a quick tour,” he replies and grabs my hand. His big hand wraps around mine and envelopes it in warmth. I get a tingling feeling when he touches me and I do my best to ignore it. He leads me off to the left of the entryway into a beautiful living area.

“This is the main living room, then through here is the dining area and then the kitchen,” he informs me as he pulls me through each room, barely letting me take them in. Then we move through the gorgeous, state of the art kitchen with miles of stainless steel and white marble into a hallway.

“The mud room is on the left, then we have my office, a spare room and bathroom and finally, a meeting room. This is where our council meetings and large gatherings take place,” he explains. I look around the massive room which is set up almost like a ballroom. It’s got a huge chandelier in the center and a large floor in the middle. At the end is a large table in the shape of a half circle made of reclaimed wood with several chairs around it.

“You have a beautiful home,” I say softly. I’m not used to such opulence and I feel a little uncomfortable.

“Thank you. It’s been in my family for generations. Every new Alpha remodels and adds their own touches, but the structure itself has remained the same,” he replies. There is a brief moment of silence where we navigate our emotions through body language. He looks like he’s ready to pounce on me and I probably look like I’m ready to run out the door and never look back. But I know without a doubt that I won’t.

“Let me show you to your room,” he says, breaking the silence. He pulls me up the stairs after him and his long strides make it hard to keep up. He takes me down the hall to a bedroom and ushers me in.

“I trust this will suit your purposes,” he says. I look around and it’s absolutely gorgeous. A big four poster bed sits in the middle of the room with lush blankets and pillows. There is a small reading nook by the window and it’s decorated in pale pink and different shades of gray. It’s a very feminine room and I secretly love it. I will not, however, be showing him any of my excitement.

“My purpose of sleeping? I would think so,” I retort and he growls in response. He stalks towards me and I back up until my knees hit the bed. He gets very close and breathes me in. This guy has a real thing for smelling me, I think.

“You’ve got quite the mouth on you, Raven. But I don’t believe it’s being properly utilized,” he whispers in a sexy voice. His lips are so close to mine they are almost touching and I exhale a shallow breath. He leans in and brushes my hair back from my shoulder. I’m frozen where I stand, caught in a trance created by his presence.

I feel overwhelmed by him and I tell myself I’m not enjoying it. But I know deep down that it’s not true. Something is anchoring me to him that I can’t explain. I shiver in response to his proximity and he lets out an almost imperceptible growl. I feel compelled to reach up and touch his face, to move my mouth closer so he has better access.

I’m the one that’s a witch, but I find myself bound under the Alpha’s spell.