Triplet Alpha's Threat

(GN) Ch. 126 - Temptation

River POV

As anger surged within me, I paced the room, feeling trapped in this suffocating space, yearning to escape this library as well as the whole damn world.

Then, the one voice that never failed to ignite my fury pierced the air. "River?"

"Get the hell out!" I spun around, unleashing my rage upon her, but Kiera was a woman unshaken by intimidation.

"We need to talk."

"No, we don't. We shouldn't even be in the same room together." Striding towards her, I seized her arm, intending to drag her towards the exit.

"Will you stop being an asshole!" Athena's voice cut through the tension with steel, and before I could react, her foot connected with my right leg, sending a jolt of pain shooting through me.

As my grip loosened on her arm, my hand instinctively reached for my throbbing leg, wincing in pain. "What the fuck was that for?" I bellowed, my voice laced with fury.

"I came to talk, and you grab me like some cheap whore you throw away the next morning. I'm your damn mate, you asshole." Her words dripped with anger as she hurled books and pens at me in a fit of rage.

Raising my hand to shield myself from the onslaught, I felt a searing pain as a letter opener found its mark on my side. Despite the agony, I stood my ground, emitting a guttural growl of warning at this unruly woman.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I roared through the pain, extracting the blade from my side.

Kiera stood nearby, her eyes wide with shock, hands clasped over her mouth in horror. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"Sorry?" My roar reverberated through the room before I seized her neck in a vice-like grip, pulling her body forcefully against mine. "You just don't understand," I hissed, my tone lethal as my fingers tightened around her windpipe.

"Ri...ver," she choked out, her eyes flashing black as she struggled against my grasp.

"Goddess, you're so infuriatingly... so maddeningly..." I couldn't find the words to express the turmoil raging within me. The allure of this captivating woman was overpowering. My lips crashed onto hers in a violent kiss, consuming her as she gasped for breath. "You hold all the power, and it's too damn dangerous," I confessed against her lips, the struggle to breathe mirrored in her frantic gasps. Resting my forehead against hers, I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by all the emotions coursing through me.

"River." She croaked out, silently calling to me, begging my body to be a part of hers. I couldn't give in to her.

"Get out!" I hurled her body to the ground and lunged for the nearest desk, shattering it through the window.

"Enough!" Drake's authoritative voice halted my rampage, freezing me in place with a chair poised above my head. Frustration surged through me at the realization that even he held sway over my actions.

Turning to face my brother, I found him shielding Kiera as Chase assisted her to her feet. His gentle touch on her neck sent a pang of shame coursing through me, and I closed my eyes in remorse.

"I'm sorry," I whispered hoarsely as I lowered the chair. "We need to stay away from each other." The words hung heavy in the air.

"What's wrong with him?" Kiera's voice cut through the tension, her tone tinged with anger and confusion. "And why does he keep choking me?"

"He covers your neck to avoid marking you. He's an asshole, though, and tends to get a bit too rough with unwilling participants," Drake explained, his gaze never wavering from me.