Chapter 9

• Author's POV:
• Raven paced back and forth across the plush living room of her lavish mansion, her bare feet sinking into the thick ivory carpet with each agitated step. She lived alone in the sprawling estate, save for the small staff of housekeepers and groundskeepers who maintained the opulent property.
• But at this moment, she felt utterly isolated, her mind a cyclone of disbelief and turmoil. She simply could not fathom why the Moon Goddess had seen fit to bestow upon her another attempted mating - and to the fearsome Alpha King himself, no less. Azrael Draconis was a figure of awe and reverence among their kind, his power and dominance unrivaled by any other alpha throughout the werewolf realms.
• Why, in the goddess's name, had she been foolish enough to agree to dinner with him? The words had tumbled from her lips in a moment of breathless disorientation before she could regain her senses. Raven wished she could turn back the hands of time, if only to deliver a stern reprimanding slap to her idiotic former self for such an impulsive, reckless decision.
• She glanced up at the antique gilded mirror hanging above the carved stone fireplace, studying her disheveled reflection. What in the world was she going to wear? Her brow furrowed as she immediately banished the thought. Fretting over an outfit implied she actually intended to go through with this...this...whateverthehell it was with Azrael. When her only logical objective should be rejecting the Alpha King's claim and moving on with her life once and for all.
• Yes, that had to be her aim - to make him accept her refusal of the mating, once and for all severing the mystical bonds that kept traumatizing her existence. She could not, would not allow this mate business to jeopardize her fledgling design company's future. Not when she had finally landed the game-changing contract with AD Media Group that would allow Ezhara Designs to spread its wings internationally at last.
• Raven's pacing gradually slowed to a halt as her resolve strengthened. She was the principal architect of her own destiny now, not some playground for the Moon Goddess's cruel jokes. If Azrael Draconis thought he could simply claim her like an archaic broodmare for his pack, he had another thing coming. By the end of this evening, she would ensure the insufferably arrogant alpha understood in no uncertain terms that she was off limits -- even to the all-powerful Alpha King himself.
• With a curt nod of rigid determination, Raven spun on her heel and started up the winding staircase to her bedroom quarters. She had a date to prepare for...and a mating to obliterate once and for all. Her fragile heart couldn't withstand yet another brutal rejection.
• Raven ascended the curved staircase with measured steps, her fingers lightly trailing along the ornately carved banister. A melancholic sort of resignation had settled over her, acceptance that she must see this night through to its inevitable conclusion - the final severance of an archaic mating bond she had never asked for nor wanted.
• Upon reaching the upstairs landing, she made her way down the dimly lit corridor towards her private quarters. The large bedroom was a sanctuary of soft ivory and pale blues, an airy retreat of gossamer fabrics and plush upholstery. As sunlight faded outside the arched windows, the room took on a hushed, tranquil ambiance.
• With a weary sigh, Raven crossed to the impressive walnut wardrobe and flung open the doors, revealing racks upon racks of designer dresses and gowns. Her fingers lightly skimmed over silken fabrics and delicate embroidery as she searched for the perfect garment for the evening's occasion. Something to present a polished, confident veneer...but not so ostentatious that it implied any sort of suggestive intent.
• Finally, her gaze settled upon a simple white sheath dress - the cotton fabric lightweight and flowing, the modest neckline brushing the hollow of her throat. Yes, this would suffice to look pretty yet understated. She didn't need to appear as if she were vying for Azrael's affections. The opposite, in fact.
• Quickly undressing, Raven slipped the gauzy dress over her lithe frame, smoothing her palms over the sculpted bodice. She moved towards the gleaming vintage vanity, perching on the tufted stool to brush out her raven tresses until they shone. A sweep of mascara and faint rose-tinted gloss completed her minimalist look.
• One last appraisal in the mirror, and she had to admit...she looked lovely in an effortlessly elegant way. Perhaps that would counteract any potential arrogance from the Alpha King, who likely expected his demanded mate to parade around like a preening concubine.
• The jarring peal of the doorbell echoed up the stairs, causing Raven to stiffen. Azrael had arrived...and with him, her unavoidable fate for the night. Rising to her feet, she smoothed her hands down the front of the dress once more and lifted her chin in a subtle show of quiet poise.
• "Miss Wildheart?" The quavering voice of the butler drifted up the stairs. "There is a gentleman is here for you..."
• With one final steadying breath, Raven turned and made her way back down to the marbled foyer. There he stood in all his broad-shouldered, commanding glory - Azrael Draconis, clad in an exquisitely fitted black suit that likely cost more than her annual salary.
• Those blazing amber irises of molten gold raked over every inch of her frame in a shamelessly ravenous perusal. An approving rumble reverberated through his powerful chest as his gaze at last met hers.
• "You look...ravishing, little mate," he purred in that deep baritone laced with lucid sin. "Although the dress hardly does you justice. I confess I long to see you in nothing at all so that I might worship every inch of your exquisite skin as you deserve."
• Raven's cheeks flushed scarlet at his bold words, but she refused to cower or avert her eyes demurely as he likely expected. She was Raven Wildheart, not some vapid, swooning fool to be seduced by an arrogant alpha's hollow flattery.
• Azrael's nostrils flared slightly as he scented her spiking embarrassment, and his full lips curved in a satisfied smirk. In the back of her mind, Raven could have sworn she felt a ghostly caress...the faintest tendril of pure masculine longing brushing against her psyche like a belonging she shouldn't recognize.
• Unease rippled through her. She knew the legends, of course - of how powerful alphas could reach into their mates' minds, forging an unbreakable psychic bond. Was that what she had just experienced from him? A dark promise of the intimacies yet to come should she capitulate to his demands?
• No...she wouldn't ponder such disturbing possibilities. Nor would she allow Azrael's dizzying presence to unhinge her determination. With a terse nod, Raven brushed past him towards the open doorway, her movements stiff and controlled.
• "We shouldn't keep our reservations waiting," she remarked in a tone far cooler than she felt as the sultry evening breeze caressed her bare arms.
• The deep, gruff chuckle from behind caused her skin to erupt in prickles. "As you wish, my mate," Azrael rumbled in obvious amusement, following in her wake. "For now..."
• As the valet handed her into the sleek black sports car idling in the circular drive, Raven could feel the weight of the Alpha King's stare burning into her back. His boldly spoken endearment slithered through her thoughts like a dark promise.
• For now...she was under no illusions that Azrael would accept her rejection without a fight. Which meant she would have to be utterly relentless in shattering this mating bond tonight. No matter how alluring -- or terrifying -- submitting to his primal alpha nature might be.