Chapter 5: The Alpha’s Obsession

Virendra had never been a man to lose control.

On the battlefield, he was ruthless yet precise. In the court, he was feared yet respected. He had learned, from a young age, that emotions were a weakness.

Yet now, as he sat in his chamber, gripping the goblet of untouched wine, his mind was consumed by a single thought.

Jayant.

He could still see him, standing in the grand hall, wrapped in silks and jewels, his chin held high as Alphas bowed before him. He had smiled—not at him, but at them. At men who sought to take what had once been Virendra’s.

The thought sent a surge of fury through him.

His fingers clenched around the goblet until it shattered, shards of glass biting into his skin. The sting barely registered.

"You don’t belong to them."

Those words had left his mouth before he could stop them. And the way Jayant had looked at him—cold, distant, untouched by the fire that still burned inside Virendra—had nearly driven him mad.

His Omega. His.

And yet, he was slipping away.

...****************...

...A Hunger He Could Not Name...

Virendra rose abruptly, pacing to the open balcony. The night air was cool, but it did nothing to calm the storm raging within him.

He closed his eyes, exhaling sharply. But instead of finding clarity, his mind betrayed him.

He remembered the way Jayant had felt beneath him. The way he had trembled, sighed, melted.

Virendra had conquered kingdoms, destroyed enemies, and yet… nothing had ever compared to the way Jayant had surrendered to him.

And now, the thought of another Alpha touching him—marking him, claiming him—was unbearable.

He growled lowly, the possessive instinct of his Alpha nature warring with the logic in his mind.

This is what you wanted, a voice taunted. You used him. You broke him. You should be satisfied.

But he wasn’t.

He was drowning in something far worse than regret—an obsession he could not control.

His hands curled into fists.

No. He would not let this happen.

Jayant thought he could erase him? Replace him? He was wrong.

With renewed resolve, Virendra strode toward the door, his voice ringing out in command.

"Prepare my horse. I am going to Mahabalesh."

The guards hesitated. “But, my lord, the suitor ceremony—”

"I don’t care." His voice was ice.

He would not let another man take what was his.

No matter the cost.

...****************...

...A Confrontation of Fire and Ice...

...(Jayant's POV)...

The morning sun bathed the palace in golden light, but I felt no warmth. I had been restless all night. Even in my dreams, I had felt his presence—Virendra’s burning gaze, his lingering scent, his unspoken claim.

But dreams were dreams. And I had already cast him out of my life.

Or so I thought.

The doors to my chamber burst open, startling me. My attendants gasped, stepping back as the guards hurried inside.

"Your Highness—"

And then, I felt it.

A powerful, dominant Alpha scent flooded the room, thick with anger and something more primal. Possessiveness.

I knew before I even turned.

Virendra was here.

He stood in the doorway, his broad frame tense, his jaw locked. His dark eyes bore into mine, filled with an emotion I could not name—or rather, refused to name.

I rose slowly, keeping my expression unreadable. "You are not welcome here, Virendra."

His lips curled into a smirk, but there was no humor in it. "And yet, here I am."

My heart pounded, but I refused to let him see my unease. "What do you want?"

He stepped forward, his boots echoing against the marble floor. The scent of him surrounded me—spiced musk, leather, and something distinctly him.

"You already know," he murmured.

I did.

And I would not give him the satisfaction of acknowledging it.

"You lost the right to stand before me the moment you walked away," I said coldly. "Do you think you can return now and claim what is no longer yours?"

His eyes darkened, his hands clenching at his sides. "No longer mine?" His voice was dangerously soft. "Tell me, Jayant, did you enjoy their attention? Do you truly believe any of those Alphas deserve you?"

I lifted my chin. "And why should it matter to you?"

Silence. A war raged in his eyes, something raw, something desperate.

"Because," he said finally, his voice rough, "you are mine."

Anger flared inside me. He dared to claim me after all he had done? After he had shattered me?

I took a step closer, tilting my head, letting my exposed scent gland catch the light. "Then mark me, Virendra."

He stilled.

"Take me now, in this very chamber," I whispered, voice laced with mockery. "Or will you run again?"

A low growl rumbled from his chest, his Alpha instincts warring with his pride.

He would not do it. He had never intended to claim me, only to ruin me. And now, when he saw what he had lost, it burned him.

I smirked. "That’s what I thought."

Turning away, I walked toward the window, dismissing him. "Leave, Virendra. You do not belong here anymore."

I did not look back.

But I could feel his rage.

And I knew—this was far from over.

The tension in the chamber was thick, suffocating. Though I had turned away, I could feel him—his burning gaze, his barely restrained fury. Virendra was an Alpha who had never been denied anything.

And I had just rejected him.

I expected him to storm out, to leave in a fit of rage like he always did. But instead, the air shifted.

He moved.

Before I could react, I felt him behind me. Too close. His scent was overpowering, wrapping around me like invisible chains. Spiced musk, dark leather, and something deeper—something primal.

A shiver ran down my spine, but I steeled myself. I would not let him see weakness.

"Did you think I would leave so easily, Jayant?" His voice was low, dark, dangerous.

I kept my gaze fixed outside the window, my fingers tightening around the silk curtains. "What more do you want, Virendra?"

His breath ghosted over my neck. "You."

I inhaled sharply.

He grabbed my wrist, turning me to face him. His grip was firm, but not painful—just enough to remind me of his strength.

I glared up at him, refusing to be intimidated. "You have no right to touch me."

Virendra smirked, his fingers trailing down to my palm, his touch slow, deliberate. A silent challenge.

"You speak as if you have forgotten," he murmured, tilting his head. "I was the first to touch you, Jayant. The first to make you tremble."

Heat flared in my chest, not from desire—but from rage.

"You were also the first to betray me," I shot back.

Something flickered in his eyes—guilt, regret, something unspoken—but it was gone in an instant, replaced by something far darker.

"You think you can erase me?" His voice dropped, his fingers trailing up my arm. "You think you can replace me?"

I jerked my arm away, my heart pounding. "I already have."

His jaw clenched. His eyes darkened. And in a flash, I found my back pressed against the cold stone wall, Virendra’s body caging mine in.

I gasped.

He loomed over me, his scent flooding my senses, his Alpha presence pressing down on me like a storm.

"Say it again," he whispered, his lips barely an inch from mine. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you no longer belong to me."

...****************...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***