Episode 4

Dante

She defies me. This girl tries to hide it, but I feel it. The fear. The anger. The confusion. I feel all of it in her. She leans forward, resting her elbows on the table, her breathing controlled.

"And I don't usually take orders." She retorts, her voice sweet, but sharp as a blade.

I lace my fingers on the table, observing her every reaction. Her chest rises and falls subtly, her fingers clenched on the fabric of her dress, the way her eyes dart quickly around the room, as if looking for an escape.

She has none.

"Do you think you have a choice?" I ask, low, calm.

She leans in a little more, her gaze fixing on mine.

"Do you think you can force me?"

A minimal smile appears on my lips. She's testing her own limits. And mine.

My tone remains low, but full of certainty, as I say:

"I don't need to force you, Julia."

Her name leaves my mouth in a way that makes her hold her breath.

Her eyes widen, small details betraying that my words hit her harder than she’d like.

She doesn't realize it, but her body already responds to me. Her blood boils. I can feel it.

And this connection…

This primitive bond she doesn't yet understand… will soon be impossible to ignore.

"You're a monster, Dante Blackwood." She says coldly, her voice laden with contempt.

Her words should affect me. But they don’t. I’ve heard worse. I’ve been called a beast, a demon, a living curse.

Monster? That's almost a compliment.

I stare at her for a long moment, allowing the silence to weigh between us. I want to see how far her courage goes.

Julia keeps her chin up, her eyes fixed on mine, as if trying to strike me with her furious gaze.

"You say that as if it makes any difference." I reply, my voice calm, controlled. "As if I care about your opinion."

Her lips press into a thin line.

"Maybe you should."

"And why is that?"

"Because I am your wife."

I smirk. Ah, this is adorable.

"Wife?" I repeat slowly, savoring the word. "You're nothing more than a name signed on a contract, Julia."

Her eyes widen for an instant, surprised by my coldness.

But she soon recovers.

"Then why did you bother bringing me here? If I'm just a name on paper, why this whole charade?"

I cross my arms, analyzing her.

She wants answers.

And I could give them to her.

I could say her blood is valuable, that her lineage is the only one that can give me an heir strong enough to continue my legacy.

I could say that, deep down, I didn't want a wife.

I wanted a solution.

But something in the way she confronts me, defiant, makes me hold back these words.

Julia isn't ready to hear the truth yet.

Not the way she needs to.

"Eat." I say simply.

She laughs, ironic.

"Do you really think you can order me around?"

My patience is vast, but it has limits. And Julia seems determined to test every part of it.

"I don't think." My voice comes out low, but sharp as a blade. "I know."

She swallows hard. I can see her body tensing, her heart accelerating.

The wolf inside me notices.

And loves it.

Julia leans back in her chair, crossing her arms.

"I won't be your prisoner, Dante."

I lean forward, reducing the distance between us even more. My eyes fix on hers, cold and dark as the night outside.

"You already are."

The shock of the cold liquid against my skin is immediate. Did she really have the audacity to throw water in my face?

I blink slowly, feeling the drops run down my face as silence fills the room.

Julia remains before me, gripping the empty glass tightly, her eyes wide as if even she couldn't believe what she just did. Her breathing is rapid, her chest rising and falling, and I can see her fingers trembling slightly.

But not from fear. From pure provocation.

My instincts react instantly. The wolf inside me awakens, eager, growling low. She dared to challenge me. Slowly, I run my fingers over my face, wiping away the water without looking away from her.

Julia shifts in her chair, tense, but refuses to back down.

"I hope that woke you up to reality, Mr. Blackwood." She says, her voice laced with irony.

I smirk, a slow, dangerous smile.

"You just made a mistake, dear wife."

I see her throat move as she swallows hard, but Julia doesn't look away. She wants to play this game.

I rise slowly, moving around the table until I stop beside her chair. She follows my every step, her fingers tightening on the fabric of her dress, as if preparing to flee.

But there's nowhere to run.

I grip the arm of the chair and lower my face until our eyes are level. My voice comes out low, controlled, but laden with something darker.

"If you think you can defy me and get away with it, you're sorely mistaken."

She opens her mouth to reply, but hesitates. She finally realizes the mistake she made. I pull back slowly, keeping my gaze locked on hers, and then I turn, calling Albert the butler, with a simple snap of my fingers.

"Take Mrs. Blackwood to her chambers." I say, still with my back to her. "Now."

Albert approaches, making a polite gesture for Julia to accompany him. She hesitates. I can feel her indecision, her desire to challenge me once more.

But she realizes. This time, it's better not to push the limits any further.

Without a word, Julia stands and leaves the room, her posture rigid, but her energy vibrating with frustration.

I watch her disappear down the hallway, and only then do I allow a small, satisfied smile to appear at the corner of my lips.

The little wife wants to play?

Then let's play.

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