As they walked to Bella's dorm all Ren could think about was how he can get inside those juicy thighs. Up close, Bella was a masterpiece of "Elite" genetics. She was shorter than her mother, but her build was more athletic, legs that looked toned from years of dance or track, and a waist so narrow it made the flare of her hips look impossible. Even in her modest Academy dress, she radiated a high-class heat that made Ren's palms itch.
"My roommate, Vivian, is a Social Media major," Bella explained as they reached the door of the luxury dorm. "She's lived here for two years. She knows the hierarchy better than anyone. Her input will…"
Bella swiped her keycard and pushed the door open.
The scent of spicy garlic and expensive shampoo hit them first. Then, the visual.
Standing on a small step-stool in front of the stove was a girl with a wild mane of auburn hair and headphones clamped over her ears. This had to be Vivian. She was lost in a rhythmic, suggestive dance. She was wearing nothing but a pair of lace-trimmed underwear and a black bra that seemed two sizes too small for her massive, swaying breasts.
Ren froze. His eyes locked onto the way the light caught the curve of her spine.
[Ding!]
[Target Detected: Vivian]
[Social Rank: B+]
[Condition: Peak Physical Vibration]
Ren's heart slammed. The "Toll" was demanding a second payment, and the sight of Vivian's nearly exposed boobs was the catalyst. Is this it? Ren thought, his breath hitching. A double target? A threesome?
"Vivian!" Bella shrieked, her face turning a deep, vivid crimson.
Vivian spun around, her headphones slipping to her neck. Her jaw dropped as she locked eyes with Ren, a 6'3" titan standing in her living room. Her hands flew to cover herself, but the tiny black bra couldn't hide the bouncing of her breasts.
"Oh my god! Bella!" Vivian scrambled off the stool, nearly tripping as she bolted toward the hallway. "Warning! Give a girl a warning!"
Bella slammed the door shut from the outside, leaning her back against it and covering her eyes with her hands. She was laughing, but it was the laugh of someone completely mortified.
"I am so sorry," Bella gasped, her shoulders shaking. "She thinks she's the only one in the building during the afternoons."
Ren let out a low chuckle. His body primed for action. "It's fine. But I don't think we're getting any 'input' from her today."
Bella looked up at him, her eyes still bright with shock. "Clearly not. My place is officially compromised. We can't work here with her hiding in the bedroom dying of shame."
Ren leaned against the wall, looming over her. "My place is a mess. I haven't had a chance to clean it since I moved in last night. But," he paused, his voice dropping an octave, "it's private. No dancing roommates. Just us."
Bella hesitated. The thought of her and a hot guy like Ren in the same place; anything could happen there. She looked at the door, then back at Ren. The "Ice Queen" was wavering. "Fine. But don't expect me to help you scrub the floors, Camry. We're there for the project."
"Of course," Ren said, his smirk widening. "Just the project."
The walk back to the campus gym was different. The sun was beginning to dip, casting long, orange shadows over the Academy. When they reached the heavy metal door of the garage, Ren noticed Bella's pace slow.
He gripped the handle and yanked it up. The sound of the rolling metal was loud, industrial, and raw.
"Welcome to the scholarship suite," Ren said dryly.
Bella stepped inside, her expensive shoes clicking on the concrete. She looked around at the piles of scrap metal, the dusty couch, and the old iron-frame bed. The place where hours ago her mother had been screaming his name.
"It's... rustic," Bella managed, though she looked fascinated. She walked over to the desk, a piece of plywood balanced on two toolboxes and set her bag down. "At least you have space. My dorm feels like a shoebox compared to this."
Ren closed the door, the garage plunging into a soft, intimate dimness lit only by a single overhead bulb.
[The Sovereign's Toll: 75% Pressure]
[Warning: Cardiac strain imminent. Secure a Tithe.]
Ren felt the sweat break out on his neck. He walked over to where Bella was opening her laptop. He didn't sit in the chair; he stood behind her, the heat from his body radiating onto her back.
"So," Ren said, his voice thick. "Social Mapping. Where do we start?"
Bella turned around to face him, but because he was so close, she had to crane her neck back. The bravado she had in the classroom was gone, replaced by a wide-eyed, breathless tension.
"Ren," she whispered, her hand trembling as she reached out to steady herself against his chest. "Why is your heart beating so fast? I can feel it through your shirt."
Ren did not reply but he just reached down, his large hands catching her waist and lifting her effortlessly onto the edge of the plywood desk.
Bella didn't pull away. She looked small on the edge of that makeshift desk, her legs dangling, her expensive dress riding up just enough to show the smooth, athletic curve of her thighs.
"You're... you're very arrogant," she whispered, though her fingers had curled into the fabric of his polo, pulling him closer instead of pushing him away.
"Is it arrogance if I know exactly what you're thinking?" Ren countered. He stepped between her knees, his massive frame forcing her to spread her legs to accommodate him. The friction of his denim against her inner thighs sent a visible shiver through her.
[Ding!]
[Skill Active: Scent of the Alpha]
[Target Arousal: +15% and climbing...]
—(Whispers of Desire: Bella)—
(I should leave. I should call him a creep and walk out. But I can't move. My legs feel like lead, and my stomach is doing backflips. He looks at me like he owns me... and god, I think I want him to…)
Ren didn't give her brain time to catch up with her body. He reached up, his large hand cupping her jaw. He felt her breath hitch, a small, shaky sound that seemed to make the blood race faster down to his junk. Ren leaned in and claimed her mouth.
It wasn't a gentle kiss. It tasted of suppressed hunger and the sudden, violent breaking of her "Ice Queen" facade. Bella let out a soft, muffled moan into his mouth, her arms winding around his thick neck, her fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck.
Ren's hands slid down from her face, tracing the line of her throat before moving lower. He felt the rapid, frantic thrum of her pulse under his palms. His hands moved over her shoulders, At this point, the dress she was wearing felt like a nuisance.
When his hands found the curve of her waist, he pulled her flush against him, her chest heaving against his. He could feel her nipples hardening through the layers of her clothes. The Ice Queen persona had melted.
"Camry..." she gasped as he broke the kiss to trail his lips down her ear. He could now feel her dripping wet.
He lifted her off the desk entirely, her legs locking around his waist. She was light in his arms, a feather compared to the raw strength pumping through his muscles. He carried her toward the old iron-frame bed.
[The Sovereign's Toll: 90% Pressure]
[Warning: Imminent Release Required.]
Ren laid her back onto the mattress, the same mattress that still held the invisible imprint of her mother. The irony wasn't lost on him, but the hunger was too loud to care. He moved over her, his shadow looming large on the wall, as his hand reached for the zipper at the back of her dress.