I hear the door shut a few steps behind me, and I see that Klaude left, most likely after seeing the asshole in the middle of the room.

"Well?" He shouts, waiting for my answer.

"Out." I snap, god, I feel like a teenager who just got caught sneaking out. Well, in a way I am. I begin to head for my room, when a growl stopped me.

"Alessandra." I turn back, and put on my bitchiest face.

"Yes, dad?" I place my hands on my hips in defiance.

He glares at me, his eyes glowing a bit brighter. "Stop being childish, Alessandra. Now, where were you?"

"Why should I tell you?" I snap. "Why should you care, Hm?"

He growls again, his temper rising. But I really couldn't care less at the moment, my fury at him bubbling.

"Because I'm your mate, because the one rule I gave you was to stay in this wing unless I was with you? Because you keep running around with my cousin?"

"You're angry about Klaude?! That's what this is about?" I am full on screaming now, and I curl my hands into fists.

"What do you expect me to think?" He is shouting back, his eyes glowing like two flames. "Am I supposed to be happy with you, treating Klaude like he's your mate? When you scream at me every other second?"

I stare at him in bewilderment. "You were about to have my family killed!"

"That's my job." He shouts, exasperated. "They broke a law, I can't just pardon them because they're your family. I didn't make the law."

"But your father did!" I shout without thinking. I put my hands over my mouth, realizing I've never mentioned his father to him before.

"What does my father have to do with this?" He hisses, and takes a small step closer.

"Don't act like you don't know." I scoff, and cross my arms over my chest. His eyes move down to it, his eyes glowing brighter. I quickly drop my arms, and scowl. "Stop that."

"Is this because my father attacked your pack? Your parents?" His voice is low now, and it's more terrifying than his shouting.

"I grew up an orphan because of your father, because of your pack." My voice wavers a little bit, flashbacks beginning to grow in the back of my mind. "And now you're becoming just like him, killing my family once again."

Octavius freezes, and his eyes lose a bit of their glow.

"Alessandra," His voice is soft now, and I look at him, but don't meet his gaze. He steps a bit closer. "I am nothing like my father. My father would have slit their throats in that office. My father would have them executed by his officers with their bare hands. My father would have killed you for defending them." His eyes blaze a little at his words. I am stunned into silence, only able to listen. Octavius has never told me about his father before, how he felt about him, the true monster in his life.

"I pledged to never be like my father." He whispered, and he is so close to me, his hand grazing my arm. "That's why I stay in accordance with pack laws, because he didn't, he made his own, pardoning his whores and killing anyone who spoke a bad word about him. He was a monster, and he made my life a living hell." He takes a step back and I just continue to stare at him.

He begins to lift up the bottom of his shirt and I freeze.

"What are you doing?" I stutter.

"Relax, I just need to show you something." I do as he says, and watch as he lifts up his t shirt, revealing his beautiful body. His shoulders are broad and his body is that of a greek god, sculpted and contoured, and I take a moment to gaze at how beautiful he really is. I trail my eyes up his body and meet his gaze and blush, but his face remains stern and serious.

He turns slowly and I gasp, bile rising in my throat. His back is covered in huge scars, old and pale pink, that line his muscular back. I step forward, and lightly touch one that leads from his shoulder to his waist, and I hold back a sob.

"He did this to you?" I shudder, and he turns to face me, his bare chest lightly touching my clothed one.

"They began when my mother died, almost every night until he was killed." He looks down, and shuts his eyes momentarily, his lashes curling.

"Octavius." I whisper, and move closer to him, resting my forehead against his chest. "I'm so sorry."

"No, Alessandra." He starts, and wraps his arms around my waist, burying his face lightly in my hair. "I am so sorry, the past nights and days since the meeting, they've been killing me." He shivers slightly. "When you screamed that I would be dead to you, my heart broke, I thought you were rejecting me."

I raise my head from his chest, and lightly place my hands around his cheeks, holding his face. I trace my thumbs over his lashes, where tears are welling, and down his cheekbones, and I look up to his eyes, as he looks down at me through hooded lashes.

"I could never do that." I whisper, and his hands on my waist tighten, as his jaw clenches and he exhales.

"I died every second of last night, when all I could hear was you crying, and not being able to do anything about it." He rest his forehead against mine, and our lips are an inch apart.

"It's okay." I whisper and gently brush his lips with my thumbs, and they open. I inhale sharply.

"I feel like I'm dreaming, that I'll wake up and you won't be in front of me, I won't be holding you."

I can hear his heartbeat next to mine as he grips me closer.

"I'm not going anywhere."

And I close the gap between us, kissing him softly. He is still for a fraction of a second before he pulls me even closer, kisses me deeper. I press my chest against his, wrapping my arms around his neck and weaving my fingers in his hair, tugging gently. He growls quietly, and slides his hands lower, grabbing me under my thighs and up, up, up.

He holds me in his arms and I wrap my legs around his bare waist, pulling away to breath. He doesn't stop, as his lips travel down my neck, leaving small bites and marks as he goes farther and farther down to my collar bone. He is moving now, his legs carrying me, as he sits on the couch, with my legs straddling either side of him.

His lips move back to mine, capturing them in a passionate embrace. His kiss is hunger and loss, and so so soft, as he grips me everywhere. His lips go down to my collar again, leaving a trail of kisses, and I moan softly, eliciting a purr from him that vibrates against me. He nips at the spot, and I let out another moan, and flush in embarrassment, which disappears when I feel his canines against my skin.

"Do it, please." I whimper, my voice hitched and husky. I feel him smile against me before he sinks his teeth into my neck, marking me as his.

At first, there is a blinding pain and I wince, then it changes, and I see fireworks behind my eyelids, and I tug at his hair, pulling myself closer to him until his canines leave my neck. I breath heavily, and he lifts his head to lightly kiss me, before placing his forehead against mine.

His breathing is labored, deep and rough.

"Mine." He growls, a smile in his voice.

"Yours." I whisper, and slump against him in a deep sleep.