Submissive Alpha Male

Xander barely had time to relish his newfound freedom when Valeria posed a question; something that had been scheduled for him. His mind scrambled for an answer, but the moment she narrowed her gaze, he knew.

He had forgotten her birthday. Again.

The weight of realization hit him like a punch. He felt like a fool, convicted once more in this unspoken trial of love. First, it had been the late birthday message, and now, he had completely erased the date from his mind. It was embarrassing. Unacceptable. He had to get himself together.

Yet, to his surprise, Valeria didn’t tighten her grip on him this time. No punishment. No playful torment. Instead, she sighed, a hint of amusement curling at the edge of her lips.

“At least you promised to work on that… a disciplined affection,” she mused.

Then, in a gesture that made his breath hitch, Valeria reached for the crown cuffs; the very symbol of his submission; and unfastened them.

“Go on,” she said, tossing them aside. “No more past rules. I’m letting you roam free.”

Xander flexed his wrists, relishing the freedom, yet somehow, a part of him already missed the weight of those cuffs. They had bound him, yes, but they had also tethered him to her in a way that felt irreplaceable.

“Does this mean…?” he started, hesitant.

Valeria smirked. “We can have a normal relationship? Maybe.”

For the first time in a long while, she was giving him space; space to prove himself, to be more than just a tamed Alpha. Now, the question was… could he handle it?

________

Xander Alekto sat rigidly on the velvet couch, his sharp jaw clenched, hands resting on his thighs in forced stillness. The morning sun filtered through the sheer curtains of Valeria’s penthouse, casting soft golden lines across the room—too gentle, too serene for the tension humming beneath his skin. No chains bound him, no cuffs restrained his movements, yet an invisible force kept him rooted.

Valeria sipped her coffee leisurely, her gaze steady on him, unreadable yet commanding. “You’re learning, Xander,” she murmured, setting her cup down with a soft clink. “No defiance today. That’s an improvement.”

His throat worked, but he said nothing. Defiance? He had no illusions left about where rebellion would get him. He had been alpha once—untamed, unchallenged. Now, she unraveled him with nothing but patience, unshakable control, and a discipline far more suffocating than physical restraints.

“I wonder,” she mused, tapping a single manicured nail against the porcelain, “do you miss it?”

His fingers twitched slightly.

Valeria smiled. “Good. That means you remember.” She leaned forward, voice dropping to a whisper, silky and unwavering. “Now, let’s see if you remember how to behave without being told.”

Xander exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening around the porcelain cup before setting it down with controlled precision. He had rehearsed this moment in his head all morning, weighing the words, measuring the tone. But no matter how he phrased it, the reality stung the same.

“I need a job,” he said finally, his voice level but edged with something raw. “Everything; my family’s legacy, the businesses, the asset; was passed down to my brother. I have nothing.”

Silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft chime of a spoon against Valeria’s coffee cup. Then, she laughed. A slow, amused chuckle that sent heat creeping up Xander’s neck.

“Oh, Xander,” she sighed, tilting her head with a knowing smirk. “You’re really going all in on this humiliation arc, aren’t you?” She reached for her phone, fingers gliding across the screen. “Hold on, let me tweet this real quick—‘Former alpha asks to be employed by the woman who tamed him. The economy is really humbling men out here.’”

His jaw clenched. “Valeria—”

“Wait, wait, let’s make it a meme,” she cut in, tapping rapidly. “I’ll put a picture of a wolf, then an image of a poodle in a designer leash. Caption: ‘Growth.’”

Xander shut his eyes, inhaling deeply. He wasn’t sure which was worse; the fact that she had dismissed his situation as a joke or that, deep down, he knew she wasn’t entirely wrong.

The sharp crack of Xander’s fist against the coffee table sent a tremor through the room. The porcelain cup rattled, nearly toppling over, but Valeria didn’t flinch. She simply arched a brow, amused.

“Oh?” she mused, setting her phone down. “Was that frustration, Xander? Or are you trying to remind me of what you used to be?”

Xander exhaled hard, his knuckles still pressed against the wood. He was ashamed—ashamed that she laughed at him, that she turned his downfall into a meme, that he had no power left to fight back. But that didn’t mean he was powerless.

Slowly, he grinned, rolling his shoulders back like the weight of defeat had never touched him. “You’re right,” he said smoothly, wiping his knuckles against his thigh. “That was childish. I should be disciplined for that.”

Valeria narrowed her eyes, intrigued. “Should you?”

“But,” Xander continued, voice dripping with calculated charm, “if you want me to be a well-behaved man, I need purpose, don’t I? Obedience without direction is just wasted potential.” He leaned forward, his grin widening. “Put me in your business, Valeria. Give me a job. Discipline me through responsibility instead of punishment.”

Valeria studied him, tapping her fingers against the armrest. Her lips twitched upward. “You think you can twist your way into employment by making it seem like an extension of your training?”

Xander shrugged. “I think you’re smart enough to know I’d make a damn good CEO.”

She laughed—genuinely, this time. “An alpha in a suit, answering to me?” She tilted her head, considering. “You know what, Xander? That’s actually hilarious. And I do love a good joke.”

Her smirk sharpened. “Fine. Let’s see if you’re half as competent as you think you are.”

Without hesitation, Valeria reached out, her fingers tracing the sharp lines of Xander’s left cheek. There was no mockery in her touch this time—just something deliberate, something that made the air between them shift. Then, with the same effortless dominance she always carried, she leaned in and kissed him.

Soft, sure, final.

When she pulled away, her voice was silk wrapped around steel. “Congratulations, Mr. Alekto. You’re my new CEO.”

Xander blinked. Then blinked again. A breathless laugh escaped him, rough and disbelieving. “You can’t be serious.”

Valeria smirked. “You think I’d waste a position like that as a joke?”

Xander ran a hand through his hair, still grinning—half in amusement, half in sheer disbelief. After everything—after being reduced to nothing but her pet, her entertainment, her ‘tamed alpha’—she was actually handing him power again?

He chuckled, shaking his head. “So, what? I go from being your broken toy to running your empire?”

Valeria tilted her head. “No, Xander. You were never broken. Just… restructured.” Her lips curved. “And now, let’s see if my well-trained alpha can handle real power.”

Valeria rose from her seat with effortless grace, adjusting the cuffs of her silk blouse as she moved toward the door. Her heels clicked against the marble floor, a rhythmic reminder of who dictated the pace here.

"Come," she said simply, without looking back.

Xander hesitated for a fraction of a second, then pushed himself up to follow. He didn’t ask where they were going—he wasn’t sure he had the right to. And with the way Valeria carried herself, it was clear that questioning wasn’t even an option.

He glanced down at himself. The same clothes. The last outfit he had worn while being confined, disciplined—even while he slept. A simple, tailored black shirt, slightly wrinkled, and loose drawstring pants that did nothing to reflect the man he once was. It wasn’t the sharp suits he used to wear, the commanding presence he once owned.

Yet, now, he had no choice but to move forward, dressed in the remnants of his submission.

Valeria stopped at the elevator, her gaze sweeping over him with a knowing smirk. "You’re still wearing that?" she mused, tilting her head.

"You never gave me anything else," he said dryly.

She chuckled, stepping inside as the doors slid open. "Fair enough. Let’s change that. A CEO should look the part."

Xander exhaled through his nose, forcing down the last bit of his pride. He stepped in beside her, the mirrored walls reflecting the absurdity of his situation. He was following her. Always following.

And then, as if to drive the point further, Valeria spoke again.

"Oh, and since we’re heading out, you’re driving."

Xander turned his head slowly, eyes narrowing. "I’m your driver now, too?"

She smiled, leaning back against the wall. "A CEO should know every role in his empire, don’t you think?"

He let out a low laugh, shaking his head. "Of course. Anything else, boss?"

Valeria’s smirk deepened as the elevator doors closed. "Plenty."

Xander clenched his fists, the memory of the past year still heavy in his bones. The last outfit he wore; dark slacks, a crisp button-up, and the remnants of discipline etched into every seam; was the same one he had slept in, eaten in, and obeyed in. Now, it was all he had left.

Valeria walked ahead of him, her heels clicking against the polished marble floor, an unspoken command woven into each step. “Follow me,” she said, her voice smooth as silk, laced with quiet authority.

He had nothing else to do but obey.

When they reached the private garage, she pointed at a sleek, black hypercar. Xander stared, a slow smirk creeping onto his lips. So this is what she’s been hiding.

“You’re really an elite,” he muttered under his breath, half in awe, half in amusement. The cold, untouchable Valeria; the woman he had loved and dated not for power, not for wealth, but for something deeper; was more than just a mistress. She was an empire.

“You never knew?” She arched a brow, clearly entertained by his realization.

“No,” he admitted, his voice low. “But I promise… I won’t break your rules. Not after this.” His jaw tightened as flashes of his imprisonment surged back; the cold walls, the locked doors, the year stolen from him. The ones who had taken him, punished him, owned him, were never pursued by the police. Not his family. Not the law. No one had come for him.

But she did.

And now, standing in front of this woman who had the power to rewrite his fate, Xander exhaled sharply and reached for the car door.

“Get in,” she said. “You’re my driver now.”

His lips twitched upward. Driver? CEO? Pet? Whatever she wanted, he would be.

Xander slid into the driver’s seat of Valeria’s car, his fingers instinctively gripping the wheel. The luxurious interior was a clear reminder of who she was; an elite, a woman far above what he had imagined. He had loved her, not for status or wealth, but because she was Valeria. Yet, now, after a year of imprisonment; kidnapped, disciplined, broken down; he was no longer the man he once was.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye as he pulled the car out of the penthouse parking lot. Valeria sat beside him, effortlessly composed, her gaze fixed outside as if the city belonged to her. And maybe it did.

He let out a quiet chuckle. “You trust me to drive your car?”

Valeria didn’t even flinch. “You were a general manager before. It’s not surprising you know how to handle things.”

Xander smirked. “Including stealing a business empire?”

This time, she turned her head, her icy gaze locking onto him. There was no fear, no hesitation. Just calm, absolute control.

“If that’s what you’re planning,” she said smoothly, “then you must be underestimating me.”

He exhaled, shaking his head. “You really think I’d betray you?”

“You’ve been betrayed before,” she countered. “You know how easy it is.”

Xander’s grip on the wheel tightened. He could play a trick, turn this trust into his advantage, take everything from her as payback. But as he sat there, driving through the city under her command, he realized something; sometimes, being trusted was its own kind of discipline.

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