His dark voice trails down her spine, lighting a path of desire that renders her breathless. "If only I were in a position of no consequence."
Alia's breath wavers when the pad of his thumb slowly glides across her bottom lip.
"Then I could give in...
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"Forbid a man from something and he craves it like his soul's salvation." - Laini Taylor
•
Barging into Christian's crowded office, Valen's eyes are set on his Gamma as he storms towards him. Each of the nine Generals jolts at the sudden entrance, flinching away from his dominating presence. Some of them are leaning against the walls with their arms crossed, and others lounge on two of the black leather couches, now startled to a stand.
Christian leans against his desk with his arms crossed, but at Valen's arrival, he quickly pushes himself to his feet. Zoya presses herself further into the wall, wishing to disappear completely to avoid Valen's wrath. A few of the Generals send her wary glances.
Christian's eyebrows fly up when Valen grabs his face and holds it steady. With his thumbs in front of Christian's ears and his fingers in his blonde hair, the Gamma is stunned into silence. An expectant, focused look appears on the General's face.
Bewildered, Christian blurts, "are you going to kiss me?"
Valen glares at him. "Just touch my hands."
For a moment, Christian contemplates obliging the male, an amused smirk pulling at his lips. But then he remembers the consequences of touching Valen's skin, and his eyes harden. "Everyone out."
The room clears in seconds. A stark quiet blankets the pair when the door is yanked shut. "Don't say things like that," Christian chides. "You know I can't touch you."
"Just do it," Valen persists, hands still on his Gamma. "I need you to do it."
A tinge of desperation lingers in his words, and it has Christian questioning the male's motives. It's the only reason he decides to consider the request, and eventually, he steps out of Valen's hold. "Not here," he says, walking past the General to the door. "This room won't hold you."
Clenching and unclenching his fists, Valen releases a breath and follows his Gamma out of the office and towards one of the staircases on the floor. A quiver erupts from deep inside his chest, filling him with anxiety as he comes to terms that his Gamma will touch his skin. Just thinking of it makes his skin crawl. But he needs to do this.
"I'll use it as a training demonstration for the Warriors," Christian decides, walking down to the floor below. "They need to know what to do if you succumb to a memory in their presence."
Valen stays silent as they move towards one of the elevators on the floor. They step inside and Christian presses the button labelled '-3', taking them to one of the underground levels.
"We'll go to the Testing Hall. The walls are impenetrable, so you won't get out when the Warriors start moving."
Valen clenches his jaw, unease filling his veins. For a split second, he considers taking back his words, but the memory of Alia touching him hours earlier slaps him into silence.
