Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle
"Strip."
The command was sharp, laced with authority, cutting through the silence like the crack of a whip.
The deep timbre of Dimitri's voice sent a shiver down the spines of the gathered women. They had learned quickly in the past two days, obedience meant survival. At his order, they bowed their heads, hands trembling as they peeled away the thin, tattered fabric that barely shielded them from humiliation.
But one of them did not move. She stood frozen in place promting Dimitri's eyes narrowed.
Interesting.
A slave disobeying him? That had never happened before. Was she stupid? Suicidal? A small smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.
The other women had already exposed themselves, their gazes fixed on the floor, bodies shivering under his scrutiny. But her?
She didn't tremble. She didn't shrink.
He then took a step forward.
And then another.
The air in the tent grew heavy with tension, the other women holding their breath as they braced for the inevitable. But just as he raised his hand, something made him pause.
She wasn't here.
Her body stood before him, but her mind was elsewhere, far, far away.
Fascinating.
His smirk deepened. He then lifted his hand, not to strike, but to dismiss.
The other women understood immediately.
Without hesitation, they scrambled to dress, their fingers fumbling with haste before they bolted out of the tent, their bare feet kicking up dust.
Now, there were only two left.
Him and her.
Sorayah blinked, her trance shattering as if she had just been violently ripped from a dream. She exhaled sharply, her chest rising and falling with controlled breaths.
Slowly, her gaze lifted, meeting his.
Not with fear. Not with submission but with fire.
She had been thinking so much about revenge that she got lost in her thoughts.
Dimitri watched her, amusement flickering in his glowing green eyes. He sheathed his sword with a sharp click and tilted his head, studying her like a predator toying with prey.
"Where are the others? Sorayah finally asked as she scanned around only to see the other women gone. "And how can I help you? What do you want from me?"
Her voice was steady, but he didn't miss the slight tremor in her fingers.
He chuckled low and taunting before stepping into her space, closing the distance between them until the heat of his body pressed against her.
His scent filled her lungs, steel, leather, and something darkly intoxicating.
"What do I want from you?" he echoed, his voice a whisper.
Slowly, deliberately, he lifted a hand, trailing a single finger down the delicate column of her throat.
Her pulse betrayed her.
Fast and unsteady.
His lips curled into something wicked. "I could list a hundred things," he murmured. "But right now? I want you to obey."
She struched her eyebrows, clearly confused.
Dimitri hummed. "Or do you prefer that I do it for you?"
"Are you trying to get my attention, little human?" he mused, his smirk deepening.
His hand grabbed a handful of her hair gently. His gaze locked with hers sending...warnings.
"Because I must say…" he leaned in, his breath hot against her skin. "You're playing with fire."
Sorayah swallowed hard, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Dimitri leaned in closer, his lips grazing her ear as he whispered, "The question is… how badly do you want to burn?"