Chapter 3 Skylar's vow.

"I'll make your life hell, you'll see." Skylar vowed as she was bundled into the limo. "I'll make sure you never have a moment of peace."

"Peace," mused Nick. "Often overrated. You get all the peace you want when you die."

"You just wait and see."

"Alright, darlin'," drawled Nick, "I'll wait." But he was worried. How was he to deal with a mate who hated him? This one not only hated him but she would be glad to have his head on a platter with a goblet of wine right next to it.

Oh, well, he thought as he reclined his head, he'll just have to wait and see like she'd said.

****

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to."

"It's okay, Sapphire."

"No, it's not. I came to- I wanted to-"

"Sapphire. Calm down. I wasn't naked."

Because he saw that she was still very uncomfortable, he said, "You came for something, right?"

"My book." she said, reaching for a novel on the bed.

"Why don't you come upstairs, Sapphire? Take a shower, change. I can have someone bring you dinner."

"Umm, Alpha Liam-"

Liam just watched her.

"How about you just show me one of the guest rooms."

He continued watching her.

"You know, it'll be awkward to share a room with someone you barely know."

Liam did not move. "Not to me."

She sighed. "So you don't want to sleep separately?"

"No, Sapphire."

A moment passed in silence.

"What exactly are you scared of, Sapphire? That I'll murder you in your sleep?"

"Well, not really, but-"

"We've been mated to each other. Relax. And besides, I like you already."

"You do?"

"Yep. Now go freshen up." he steered her towards the bathroom. "I'll have dinner waiting downstairs."

****

"I'll do what I bloody well please, Mr Nicholas Ryder." Skylar punctuated each word with a jab of her finger at his chest. "What. I. Please."

"You seem to like trouble, don't you?"

"Try me."

The Alpha merely raised an eyebrow.

"You're not sleeping in this bed with me, Mr Alpha."

"Really?"

Nick took off his shirt, and calmly slid underneath the covers.

Skylar lunged.

As her palm came in contact with his skin, Nick gave a growl so loud the house seemed to vibrate. She jolted back in shock.

"Quit fooling around," he warned in a low, low voice. She stared at him for a moment then, chin high, matched out of the room with a loud bang of the door.