Sophia watched as Ronan's green eyes glowed with a dangerous amber hue, and she instantly regretted her question.
Why had she even asked him that? She shouldn't care if he didn't smile at her the way he did with Minerva. Who cared what girl this brute liked, anyway?
But she cared.
The anger bubbling inside her made her want to run over and scratch Minerva's face off and then kick Ronan in the shin with all her might. What's wrong with me? she thought. I have Matthew. I shouldn't be bothered by Ronan flirting with another girl!
And Minerva had been nothing but sweet, treating her far better than Ronan ever had. How could she be jealous of someone who hadn't done anything wrong? She should hate Ronan and only him.
Yet here she was, feeling jealous over Ronan, who clearly didn't give a damn about her. Something had to be messing with her head. She was going insane.
[You love your mate even though he's cruel to you, don't you? Silly, silly girl], her wolf taunted.
[No way. Are you crazy? I don't love Ronan. No one sane would love somebody like him. He's horrible!] Sophia argued internally.
[But he's your mate. You can't help it, can you?]
[That's not true. This is just a moment of weakness, that's all. I must've suffered temporary insanity], she insisted, trying to dismiss her wolf's nagging voice.
Ronan's growling voice broke through her thoughts. "Well? Are you going to say something, or are we just going to stand around and stare at each other all day?" he demanded.
Panic set in. "What was the question again?" she murmured, struggling to remember where the conversation had left off.
"I asked what you meant by your question," Ronan replied, inching closer. His presence was overwhelming, and Sophia's heart pounded in her chest.
"I… I was just wondering… um…" Her voice trailed off, barely audible. She couldn't even bring herself to look him in the eyes.
Ronan's laughter echoed through the cave, a sound that sent chills down her spine. "What were you wondering? And what's with the stutter? Do you think I'm going to hurt you?" he mocked, his voice gravelly and filled with menace.
"Why wouldn't I think that when you've hurt me so many times before?" Sophia shot back, though her voice wavered. Summoning her courage, she met his eyes. She couldn't let him intimidate her, not now, not ever.
"Good fucking question. Why shouldn't you be scared? I say you should be. You should be terrified of me. And coming here to this quiet cave when you could've been safe and sound in Matthew's arms? Bad move, little runt. I thought you were smarter than that, but I guess I was wrong," Ronan sneered, raising an eyebrow in a taunting manner.
[To be honest, I'm pretty terrified myself], her wolf whimpered.
[Right there with you], Sophia silently agreed.
Desperate to understand his hatred, she asked, "Ronan, what did I do wrong other than being the enemy's daughter? Why do you hate me so much? I know you can be nice because I saw you with Minerva. You care about her. Why can't you care about me too?"
Ronan's cruel grin spread across his face, revealing a row of perfectly straight, white teeth. He leaned in closer, his voice laced with disdain and mockery. "So, the little runt is jealous that I'm paying more attention to someone else, hmm?" His breath was hot against Sophia's skin as he pressed himself even closer, towering over her petite frame. She could feel her heart racing at his close proximity, unable to deny the unsettling attraction she felt towards him. Despite his malicious behavior, there was no denying how handsome he was - his features angelic yet his demeanor oozing with darkness and wickedness.
"I… I'm not jealous. I could care less!" she cried, though even she knew she was lying.
[You're lying through your teeth again. Maybe he'll be nicer if you tell him you like him], her wolf suggested.
[No way], Sophia shot back.
"I'm not jealous. I'm just sad that you'd rather be kind to another girl but be cruel to your own mate," she said, tears beginning to form. Ronan reached out, catching a tear with his finger and staring at it as if it were a foreign object.
"Crying again? You do that a lot," he remarked quietly.
"It's all your fault!" she snapped, the frustration in her voice clear.
Ronan's eyes crinkled with amusement as he loomed over her, his towering figure making her feel small and powerless. "My fault?"
Sophia swallowed her fear. "Yes, because—"
Before she could finish, Ronan's lips crashed into hers. The kiss was rough, almost violent, and she gasped as he forced her against the cold cave wall. His lips dominated hers, and she whimpered when his hand slid under her dress, his fingers brushing against her most intimate spot. She was mortified, knowing he could feel how aroused she was.
"N… no…" she mumbled against his lips, trying to push him away, but her body betrayed her as she clung to him, fingers tangled in his thick black hair.
Ronan finally broke the kiss, his hands gripping her firmly as he lifted her, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist. "You have no right to be jealous of Minerva. You mean nothing to me. I'll never like you the way I like her."
His words cut deep, but Sophia couldn't stop herself from asking, "Wha… why? What does she have that I don't?"
She hated how pathetic she sounded, but the question escaped before she could stop it.
Ronan didn't bother responding. Instead, he pressed his body against hers with even more force, a wicked smirk on his lips as his evident arousal taunted her. "Do you enjoy this?" he growled. "Being dominated and roughed up? Are you some kind of masochist?" His chuckle was laced with both desire and disdain.
"No. I don't like it," she breathed, though her body told a different story.
"Then why are you so wet? Do you want me to fuck you?" he hissed, his voice low and dangerous as he peppered kisses along her neck and chest.
Sophia tightened her legs around him, burying her face in his shoulder, trying to escape the overwhelming sensations. His hand roamed her back, fingers tangling in her hair before he yanked her head back. "I wasn't going to do this because I didn't think you were worthy, but fuck it. I bet it'll piss Matthew off," he growled.
Sophia barely had time to process his words before he leaned in and bit into the crook of her neck, his teeth scraping against her skin. She gasped as he began to suck, leaving his mark on her.
-~-
Sophia's mark throbbed beneath her skin, a painful reminder of what Ronan had done. It felt like an open wound, pulsing as if trying to speak to her. Was her body rejecting what Ronan had forced upon her? She couldn't help but cry out to her wolf, frustrated by the mark she never wanted.
[That bastard. How could I let him mark me when I wanted to reject him instead]? she asked her wolf, her anger seething.
[You enjoyed every second of it], her wolf hissed back, mocking her.
Ronan leaned against the cave wall, propping himself up with one foot. He was unnervingly still, like a living statue. But when he did move, it was with a lethal precision, like an animal created to kill and destroy. That was part of what made him so dangerous and, unfortunately, so alluring. Sophia had never experienced kindness from him, and she wasn't sure he was even capable of it.
A bone-deep coldness settled into her, chilling her to the core. A gentle, caring man would have offered to hold her, to warm her, but Ronan was far from gentle. He wasn't like Matthew, who was kind and considerate. Ronan was barely even a man—he was a beast, capable only of hunting and killing.
His icy, penetrating gaze seemed to reach into her soul, making her flesh even colder. She shivered, not just from the chill in the air, but from the coldness he exuded. The water from the nearby waterfall seeped into the cave, making her dress wet and uncomfortable. They should have been heading back to the house, but instead, they remained where they were, staring at each other in tense silence.
What did he want from her? He had made it clear that he hated her, yet he was always near, as if he couldn't stay away. She couldn't understand him, no matter how hard she tried.
"You okay?" he grunted, glaring at her.
"No, I'm not okay. I'm freezing," she snapped back, her frustration boiling over. "I need to change out of these wet clothes and sit by a fireplace for two hours."
"What, you want me to cuddle with you to keep you warm?" Ronan bit back, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Anger stirred in her belly. "I don't need anything from you."
He laughed harshly. "We both know that's a lie." He pushed himself off the cave wall and approached her like a predator stalking its prey. "You need me. Your body needs me." He reached down, brushing his finger along her cheek. "And what a needy little bitch you are."
Sophia gasped as her nipples hardened beneath her wet shirt. She didn't want to desire him, but her body betrayed her whenever he was near. Even now, she trembled with a need for him that she loathed. He made her feel like a dirty whore, craving him like an addict craves a drug. "Go away, Ronan. You disgust me."
His mating scent, musky like forest soil after the rain, filled her senses. He smelled like nature and something primal, something that called to the wildness in her.
Ignoring her words, he sat down beside her on the cave floor, causing her to scoot away. He chuckled, the sound rumbling in his chest like distant thunder. "Sophia, why do you keep denying me? Now that I've marked you, you're mine until your death. You won't want anyone else but me, and my scent will linger on you no matter how hard you scrub in the bath."
"Just leave me alone," she said through clenched teeth.
He was right—she did want him, but the thought made her sick. She hated that her wolf side dictated her desires, reducing her to an animal. She was human, not just a creature driven by instinct. "Just… go back to the house. I'll return on my own."
His laugh sent shivers down her spine. "This is rogue territory, little girl. You'd be raped and destroyed on sight by these mindless beasts. Is that what you want? Better the devil you know than the devil you don't." He smirked, winking at her.
When he tried to grab her, she elbowed him in the gut, but it didn't even phase him. "That tickled," he said, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
"Ugh. Just keep away from me and don't touch me." She kicked him away and scooted further into the cave.
"Stop where you are, sweetheart. Any further and you might land in the arms of a starving bear," he said with a chuckle.
She glared at him. "There are no bears. You're just trying to scare me."
"I'm not," he replied lazily. "Trust me, in a fight between a wolf and a bear, the bear will win every single time."
She flinched when he tried to touch her again, the itchiness from her wet clothes becoming unbearable. "Then maybe I should taunt the bear until it gets mad and eats you. While you're fighting it, I can run like hell."
"I'm more likely to throw you to the bear as a distraction so I can get away," he said with a sneer that both repulsed and attracted her.
"Why are you such an asshole? Matthew—"
"Don't you dare mention my twin's name, not now," he snarled.
His angry words made her quake. This time, it wasn't the cold that made her shiver, but the intensity of his presence. Her wolf was thrilled that he wanted her so much, even though it was clear he hated her. He was both cold and hot, and she was terrified he would set her on fire with his desire.
"Matthew is—"
"I warned you, Sophia. Don't test me," Ronan hissed.
Something in her snapped, a devil whispering in her ear to push him further. She returned to his side and shoved his muscled chest. "Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it? Matt—"
Before she could finish, his lips crushed against hers, devouring her with a fiery passion. His hands roamed over her body until they found her ass, hoisting her against him. She could feel his erection pressing into her needy core, even through their clothes. The heat of his lust burned through her, and when his tongue invaded her mouth, she surrendered to his sensual assault.
They were so caught up in each other that they didn't notice someone had entered the cave until they heard a throat clear.
Matthew!
Ronan abruptly dropped her to the ground, and it took Sophia a moment to gather herself. That bastard didn't even bother to help her up.
She tried to walk toward Matthew, ready to jump into his arms, but Ronan grabbed her again. She struggled, trying to pull away, but his grip was like iron.
It was then that she realized Ronan had known Matthew would show up, and he had wanted his twin to see them kissing. This fucking bastard.