Dante flashed a toothy smile at me and strode from the room, leaving my bedroom door open behind him. I stood there stunned, blushing like an idiot.

When I what for him!? He did not just tell me I'd be coming for him. I'll make it my goal NOT to do that now.

He wants a challenge? I'll give him one. No more submitting. If he wants an alpha she-wolf, then that's what he'll get.

Finishing drying myself off, I changed into a pair of black yoga pants that I knew made my ass look nice, and a navy blue halter top that made my grey eyes pop. Paired with the makeup and the extra perk my skin had in it, I actually felt beautiful.

I made my way downstairs and found Rosa sitting in a chair at the dining room table, thumbing through a gardening book. Next to her, a bowl of something was sitting, steam billowing off of it.

"Good morning, honey. How are you feeling?" she asked, not looking up from her book.

"I'm good," I stuttered, not used to the nice formalities yet.

"How are you?" I repeated her question back to her, but it sounded awkward as it left my mouth. Damn, it would take some time for me to learn how to be normal again.

She looked up at me and pushed her glasses down her nose a bit, then raised one eyebrow.

"Allen told me about the dream he had. The goddess told him everything, Melanie, and you deserved none of it. You're our equal now, and nothing is going to change that. You're walking on eggshells around us when we only want to help you. Let us help you get into a more normal life," Rosa said, tears lining her eyes. I smiled at her, then leaned in for a hug.

"Thank you," I whispered before pulling away and sitting down at the table with her. Rosa pushed the still-steaming bowl towards me and handed me the spoon that had been lying next to it.

"It's beef stew. You need protein and carbs to gain some of the weight that you need back. There's a whole pan of it out there. Eat until you're full," she ordered in her motherly tone, and I laughed.

"Tell me about your book. I love flowers," I said as I dug into the bowl of stew, and she smiled at me.

"I'd love to," she replied.

We spent the next few hours talking about everything under the sun, starting with her book and flowers to her meeting Allen and her childhood before that. I ate so much beef stew I felt like I'd explode, but I was fat and happy. The need for human interaction I'd so sorely missed before was satiated. Nobody would ever replace my mother, but Rosa reminded me so much of her that it hurt.

We were interrupted by the front door swinging open, spilling Allen and Dante into the living room. Both were laughing about something and as they stumbled into the kitchen, I could see from their flushed faces that they were either drunk or close to it.

Here we go. Plan not to be submissive begins. Don't back down, Melanie.

"Hey, my beautiful mate," Allen said cheerfully, kissing Rosa on the cheek and running his fingers along the scar on her face. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her from her chair. "Let's go upstairs," he added, wiggling his eyebrows at her. She smirked and followed him, throwing a small wave back at Dante and me.

"Ugh. Ew," Dante groaned as he moved towards the kitchen. I heard the fridge open, then a hiss as he opened a bottle of something. I stood up and padded over to the kitchen doorway and watched as he tipped his head back and took a long swig of beer. He was tan, and his stomach poked out from the bottom of his shirt as he took his drink. His shirt was tight against his biceps, and a tattoo sleeve took up most of his right arm, with another one just barely dotting his left shoulder.

His rich brown hair was messy, and his face was tired and gaunt as he set his beer down on the counter and leaned against it, scrolling through his phone. He must have let his mask down, thinking he was alone. The light glinted off a ring that went through his left eyebrow.

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"Hey," I called, obviously startling him. He dropped his phone and, in his haste to catch it, knocked his beer off the counter behind him. We both watched as the glass bottle shattered against the stone tile and beer flowed over his feet.

He looked up at me and narrowed his eyes before he bent down and started to clean the glass up, stopping abruptly with a hiss of pain.

I walked over to him then, intent on helping him clean up the mess. Blood dotted the floor in front of him as his finger welled with blood where he'd cut it on the glass.

"Oh, you're bleeding," I pointed out awkwardly.

"No fucking duh, Captain Obvious," he spat at me, and I laughed. Laughing earned me another glare as he stood up, cradling his finger.

"You gonna do something about it, or are you gonna stand there and hold it like a pussy?" I taunted him, and his eyes flashed with something unrecognizable before he stepped closer to me, his face inches from mine.

I could smell the booze on his breath as his chest heaved and his eyes met mine. I met his challenge and kept eye contact.

"Oh, someone has finally found some balls, have they?" Dante asked, his voice low and angry.

"Did someone lose theirs? Maybe I picked them up for him," I replied, continuing to toy with him. I watched as something snapped behind his eyes, then I flew across the room.

He flew with me, pinning me against the wall. I smiled wickedly as I felt his hard cock push against me through his shorts. It was just as I suspected; I had the same effect on him as he did on me.

But what he didn't know was that I trained in self-defense for a long time, and while I might be a little rusty, I could still overpower him.

I just didn't want to.

I wanted him to fuck the soul right out of my body.

Too many complications with that option, though.

He seemed to realize that, too, as he stepped back from me with a regretful look on his face. It was silent between us for a few moments as we stared at each other. You could cut the sexual tension in the room with a knife.

"What is it that you're trying to achieve?" Dante asked, still trying to control his breathing. I shrugged in response.

"You told me that I wasn't supposed to bow to anyone anymore. You said you'd punish me if I did. I'm just following my alpha's orders," I replied sweetly, and he growled.

"I'm still your alpha. Challenging me won't get you far," he said through clenched teeth.

"I mean, it seems as though you enjoy it," I told him, laughing as I shifted my gaze from his face to the tent in his shorts.

"Very funny," he deadpanned. His reaction made me laugh even harder. A snort escaped me between laughs, and I stopped abruptly, cursing myself for not paying attention.

Whenever I laugh too hard, I always snort. I hate it.

Dante raised his eyebrows at me with an amused look on his face, and I shook my head.

"Don't," I warned him, and the deep rumble of laughter came from him a moment later.

He stepped closer to me again and rested his hands on the wall behind me, caging me in as he stared down at me.

"W-what are y-you doing?" I stuttered, losing my mojo and becoming increasingly anxious.

"Oh, where'd all that confidence go?" he whispered as he leaned his head down and nibbled on my earlobe, raising goosebumps all along my body.

"You smell so good, you know that, right?" he asked as he put his face in the crook of my neck and breathed in. "Like honeysuckle."

I couldn't respond; it was like I was paralyzed.

"I can smell how wet you are for me right now too, and I haven't even done anything to you yet," Dante said softly as he ran his hands along my body. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore how he was making me feel. I could feel the warmth radiating from his body and could still smell the alcohol on him.

"I-uh-I," I tried, but he pressed his lips to my neck, distracting me and cutting me off.

"Too bad you don't get the pleasure of getting fucked by me yet," Dante taunted as he bit my neck, and I squeaked.

"Who said I wanted it?" I finally ground out, my voice a little too loud.

"It's not hard to notice, my little wolf. You're bad at hiding it," he replied, holding up his cut finger. With a wicked grin, he smeared the blood on my lips, the metallic taste mingling with the electricity sparking between us.

"Now, you really can't hide it," he whispered, his eyes locked on mine as he traced my lips with his bloodied finger.

I shivered, a mix of revulsion and arousal flooding my senses. Dante's eyes darkened as he watched my reaction.

"Very funny," he deadpanned and backed up. He grabbed another beer from the fridge, opened it with his teeth, then took off upstairs.

All while I still stood there in disbelief, my legs shaking like jello under me.

I just got here, moon goddess. What are you doing?

I could almost hear her laughing in my head as I finally got moving and flew up the stairs to my room.

I opened the door, sighing as I started to pull off my clothes to get into bed. I didn't bother flipping the light switch; I was ready to fall into bed and pass right out.

"Ah, first you try to fuck me in my parents' kitchen, and now you're stripping in front of me in my own room?" a familiar voice said just as I flung my shirt off.

Horrified, I looked around, not being able to see anything in the dark until my eyes adjusted. There in front of me, on his bed, lay Dante. And he was naked. Completely naked.

I was in such a hurry I'd gone into the wrong room.

Goddess help me.