The Alpha and The Vigilante novel Chapter 45

"Because you escaped." His voice hardened with malice, and I knew the Gamma would receive the beating of a lifetime, all because of me.

I woke up in the Alpha's bed, alone. A fleeting thought of escaping passed through my mind.

"Before you think about escaping, pup, just know I'm in the closet changing," His voice yelled out from the closet.

My eyes widened. Sometimes it was like he could read my mind. I wasn't sure if it was because the mate bond was so strong he could intuitively guess my thoughts, or because he really was the perfect soulmate for me.

How did you even know I was awake? I asked through the mindlink, irate that he could anticipate my motives so effortlessly.

"The change in your breathing, not to mention your heart rate accelerates as soon as you wake up." He answered coolly, stepping out of the closet in nothing but jeans. So much for getting dressed.

I frowned at his answer. How can you hear that?

Alpha Cain smirked, the embodiment of smugness, coming to sit next to me on his bed. "Being Alpha has its advantages, mate."

Will I get those powers when I'm Luna? I asked him, slightly hopeful that at least one good thing would come out of our mating.

Grinning, he reached out and stroked the side of my face with his thumb. "As happy as I am to hear that you've finally accepted your destiny to be the Blood Luna, I'm afraid not, little mate. Only the Alphas get enhanced senses and strength."

I scowled. The Moon Goddess is sexist.

The Alpha did not take kindly to my harsh words. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look him in the eyes. "The Moon Goddess knows that the Alpha Female doesn't need enhanced powers when their mate can protect them."

I narrowed my eyes, but didn't feel like starting an argument. His explanations still seemed rooted in sexism to me. I wasn't even sure how much stronger Alpha Cain was than me, nor was I even sure if he was more dominating. I felt untamed by him, which unsettled my wolf. For some reason, she felt as though she could only respect him if he was stronger and more dominating than her. I didn't exactly disagree with her sentiments. I knew that I had been pushing Cain so far because he let me, and I didn't respect him for it. A strong female requires an even stronger male to make her submit. The bond was becoming so much stronger between my wolf and I, it was beginning to tell where her thoughts ended and mine began.

I scoffed. 20 lashes is nothing.

Alpha Cain got a dangerous glint in his eyes. "They aren't ordinary lashes, little mate. But do not fret, you will see what I mean soon. We'll see if you're so tough when watching the punishment be inflicted."

Rolling my eyes, I got out of bed and went into his closet to get changed. I had been inflicted with so many different means of torture, he was out of his mind if he thought I would be even slightly uncomfortable watching someone be whipped. His pack was a joke, and so was he.

"One of the maids went shopping for you. The left side of the closet should have something you'd like to wear for the time being. We will take you shopping once I can assume you're no longer a flight risk." He spoke the words lightheartedly, and I suspect he knew that the mate bond would make it impossible for me to leave now.

I picked out a plain black cropped tank top and leggings. To my surprise, there were even new shoes in the closet. Most of them were black, and more focused on function rather than fashion. I wondered if Cain had told the maid my style. I picked out a pair of black running shoes, not knowing quite how the night would end.

After picking out the clothes, I went into the bathroom to change, ignoring Cain while he laid on the bed.