Chapter 4: I'm Not in Kansas Anymore

Alaric suddenly backs away from me and shakes his head like he’s trying to clear his mind. I feel a small sense of satisfaction; just maybe he is as affected by me as I am of him. The loss of his immediate presence leaves me bereft and I scold myself internally for almost letting things get out of hand. Yet somehow I wish they did.

“There need to be some ground rules if you are going to work for me,” he says in a strained voice.

“What would those be?” I ask in a somewhat shaky tone. I curse myself for my less than confident response.

“First, you will not use your powers on me,” he replies and narrows his eyes at me.

“Second, you will do what I ask without question or hesitation,” he continues.

“Third-” he starts to say but I cut him off.

“Hold on a second. I will not do what you say without question or hesitation. I am a human being with free will last time I checked. What if what you ask me to do is against my morals or could harm another?” I say. He looks upset at my remarks but seems to have a tight leash on his anger. For now.

“You will. Do you want to know why?” he asks me arrogantly. I don’t respond so he answers his own question.

“You will because I am the Alpha of the pack in which you have been graciously welcomed into and you work for me. Furthermore, nothing I ask of you will contribute to the destruction of your morals or harm anyone else. Contrary to your obviously uninformed and low opinion of me, my only purpose is to protect and serve my pack members,” he informs me.

“Then I will do everything I can to help you in your endeavors. As long as I agree that the actions are appropriate,” I reply haughtily. His eyes turn black in response and I worry I’ve pushed him too far with my obstinance. He takes a step closer to me like he did before, but this time his stance is threatening instead of sexy.

“You are very stubborn. I hate that quality in my employees. Especially coming from someone who should be acting a little more gracious towards me considering I saved her from a rather gruesome fate,” he says.

“I was going to be thrown to the wolves either way, wasn’t I?” I answer sarcastically. The veins in his forehead look like they are ready to pop but I can’t help it; he brings out the fire inside me. His pompous demeanor raises my hackles and I want him to be aware of just how far he can push me. Which, come to find out, isn’t very far.

“I will see you in my office in the morning, nine sharp,” he says coldly and I nod politely. So this is how it’s going to be, I think.

After Alaric leaves my room, I plop down on the bed with a sigh. I’m itching to practice some spells or get lost in a book. I need something to distract my mind from my very attractive and confusing new boss. He’s arrogant and obviously used to getting his way. But something inside me is telling me there’s more to him than meets the eye.

I lie back and feel my eyes getting heavy almost immediately. Clearly the day has taken its toll and it isn’t long before I fall asleep…

My eyes fly open as I realize I’m not alone in the bed. Alaric is above me, staring at me intently. He smiles seductively and once again I’m caught in his gaze. I know I should tell him to leave, that this isn’t appropriate. I work for him and I’ve already told him I won’t do anything other than that. But my pulse is racing as I stare into his eyes and I have a feeling my emotions are showing on my face.

He reaches one hand up and softly caresses my cheek. I lean into it, embracing the affectionate gesture. He lowers his body a little bit more until he’s pressed against me. I feel every inch of him on my body and I whimper in response. He growls so low it’s almost like a purr and I feel the vibration in my soul. He’s barely touching me but my skin feels like it’s on fire.

“Alaric,” I whisper and he puts a finger to my lips. Then he starts tracing them with that same finger and I feel electric shocks shooting down between my legs. His hips press deeper into mine and I can feel how excited he is, and how huge. A fleeting panicked thought runs through my head at the idea of taking him inside me.

But I’m like a moth to the flame and even with my inexperience with men; I feel a deep desire to get closer. He must see the hesitation in my eyes because he puts his hand on my cheek again before speaking.

“Don’t worry Raven, I only want a kiss,” he says and then adds, “For now.”

He starts to bring his lips closer to mine and perspiration starts to form on my brow. I’m elated and nervous at the same time. My mind is screaming at me to stop him but my heart is beating in tandem with his. It feels as if we are joined by an invisible thread, delicate but strong. Even closer now, his breath caresses my mouth and I begin to soften beneath him. I’m ready for his kiss; for everything he wants to give me...

I abruptly sit up in bed when I realize it was all a dream. I huff in frustration at myself. I’m irritated I had an illicit dream about my boss, but somehow even more mad that I woke up at such an inopportune moment.

I get up to go to the bathroom and see a large t-shirt laying on the vanity along with some girly soaps, shampoo and creams. When did that stuff get in here? Did Alaric bring them in while I was sleeping?

Was my dream really a dream, or a delicious and dangerous reality?