Dominic's POV
The second I saw Ashen fight, I knew he was different.
Not just because he was fast, not just because he was stronger than he should be for his size—but because he fought like he was desperate to prove something.
Like every punch, every strike, was a battle against something unseen.
I'd seen warriors fight to win. I'd seen them fight to survive.
But he fought to deny.
That alone made me pay attention.
Then he turned on me standing there, chest rising and falling, his sharp blue eyes filled with defiance.
The way he looked at me, like he wasn't afraid, like he was daring me…
I felt something stir deep inside.
Something dark.
Something possessive.
And the scent faint, almost masked, but still sweet, intoxicating,it clung to him in a way that sent a pulse of heat through my veins.
I couldn't place it.
And that pissed me off.
So I did what I always did. I took control.
In the Office
I expected him to be scared when I pinned him.
He wasn't.
He fought, twisted in my grip, fierce like a wolf backed into a corner.
I liked it.
Too much.
I let my instincts take over, teasing him, testing him,pushing just enough to see how he would react.
And he reacted perfectly.
His body went rigid, breath catching, just for a moment.
A moment too long.
I saw the confusion in his eyes, the frustration.
The way he wanted to deny whatever he was feeling.
I knew that look.
I'd seen it before.
I'd felt it before.
And I knew, without a doubt, that this wasn't over.
So when I let him go, watching the way he ripped himself away from me like he couldn't stand being near me,like he couldn't stand himself—
I smirked
What the hell was that?
I was never this easily distracted. I never let anyone get under my skin. But him?
He was different.
The scent still lingered in the air—faint, hidden, but undeniably there. It was driving me insane.
I wanted to figure him out.
I wanted to break him open and see what he was hiding.
And worse? I wanted him to fight me while I did it.
Before I could dwell on it any further, my office door swung open without a knock.
Ryker.
My Beta. My second-in-command. And the only one who could get away with barging in like that.
He took one look at me, then at the door Ashen had just slammed behind him, and raised a brow.
"You look… tense," he said, smirking.
I scowled. "What do you want?"
Ryker stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "I was coming to talk about the new warriors,Specifically that reckless little shit you just had in here."
My jaw clenched. "Ashen."
Ryker hummed. "Yeah. He's a stubborn one. Doesn't back down, doesn't submit,not even to you."
Something dark curled in my chest. No, he didn't.
And I liked it.
Too much.
I didn't respond, and Ryker narrowed his eyes slightly, studying me like he was trying to read my mind.
Then his smirk widened.
"Wait." His voice dropped, amused. "Don't tell me you actually like this one?"
I shot him a warning glare. "Careful."
But he just laughed.
"Shit, this is new." He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "You never show interest in anyone. Ever. But him? You look ready to eat him alive."
I growled. "Drop it."
Ryker only grinned wider. "Oh no, I'm enjoying this way too much."
I rolled my eyes and moved to sit behind my desk, ignoring the way my mind kept drifting back to Ashen.
His scent.
His body under mine.
That brief second where his breath hitched—
I exhaled sharply.
I needed to get this under control.
Because one way or another, Ashen Wolfe was going to break.
And it would be me who made it happen.
I forced my mind back to the conversation, even as Ashen's defiant glare and the lingering scent in my office still taunted me.
Ryker was watching me, too damn smug for his own good.
"Alright, let's talk business," I said, rubbing a hand over my jaw. "What do you think of the new warriors?"
Ryker didn't look convinced by the change of subject, but he played along.
"They're strong," he admitted. "Well-trained. But a few of them are too hotheaded. Like that one Ashen. He nearly took Adam's head off in the dining hall."
I smirked. "I saw."
Ryker raised a brow. "And?"
I leaned back in my chair. "I don't mind a fighter. As long as he learns control."
"Control?" Ryker snorted. "He doesn't even flinch when you stare him down. He either has balls of steel or a death wish."
I knew which one it was.
And I was going to enjoy testing it.
I exhaled, shaking my head. "Put them through their paces in training. If any of them can't keep up, they don't belong here."
Ryker nodded. "Got it. Anything else?"
I hesitated for a second. Then, before I could stop myself—
"Ashen," I said. "Keep an eye on him."
Ryker's smirk returned instantly. "Thought you weren't interested?"
I shot him a cold look. "I don't like mysteries in my pack."
His grin didn't fade, but he nodded. "Fine. I'll watch him. But if he ends up in your office again, don't pretend it's just about pack business."
I didn't answer.
Because we both knew the truth.
And that truth?
Ashen was already under my skin.
By the time I left my office, the sky had darkened, and most of the pack had settled in for the night. The halls were quiet, save for the occasional patrolling warrior nodding in respect as I passed.
I barely acknowledged them.
My mind was somewhere else.
Or rather,on someone else.
Ashen.
His scent still clung to my senses, faint but persistent.
His defiance still burned in my memory, the way he had looked at me, unflinching.
It was irritating. Infuriating.
And yet—
I wanted more.
I exhaled sharply as I stepped into my house, shutting the door behind me. I needed a cold shower.
I stripped off my shirt as I walked toward my bedroom, my muscles tense, my body still buzzing with frustration.
But the second my head hit the pillow, exhaustion pulled me under.
And that's when it started.
The dream.
I was on top of him.
His wrists pinned. His body trapped beneath mine.
He was so damn small, but he fought me, resisted, his breath coming in sharp, uneven gasps.
"Let go," I growled against his throat, inhaling the faint, intoxicating sweetness that had been haunting me for days.
Ashen shuddered.
I could feel it the way his body wanted to obey, even as his mind fought against it.
Even as he clenched his jaw and spat, "I'll never submit."
I smirked.
I leaned closer, my lips brushing his ear.
"We'll see."
Then I bit down.
I snapped awake, my chest heaving, my body aching with frustration.
Fuck.
I ran a hand over my face, trying to shake off the lingering heat in my blood.
What the hell is wrong with me?
I never dreamed like this. I never let anyone get under my skin.
And yet, Ashen Wolfe was everywhere.
In my thoughts. In my instincts. In my goddamn dreams.
Why?
I sat up, gripping my sheets, breathing hard.
This wasn't just lust.
It was something else.
Something dangerous.
Something I wasn't ready to admit.
But one thing was clear—
I needed to figure out what the hell he was doing to me.
And I needed to do it soon.