The sound of running water from the adjoining bathroom sent heat coursing through his veins. Riley was showering just twenty feet away, her naked form hidden only by a thin wall and his rapidly fraying self-control. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to abandon everything—the competition, the pride politics, the careful dance of proving his worth—and claim his mate the way his tiger demanded.
He could picture it with devastating clarity. Stepping into that steaming bathroom, lifting her against the tile wall, claiming her completely while the warm water cascaded over their joined bodies. No more half-bonds. No more uncertainty. Just Riley, his forever, bound to him in ways that couldn't be undone or questioned.
His hands clenched into fists at his sides as his tiger prowled dangerously close to the surface.
Take her. Mark her. End this torment.
But he couldn't. Not yet.
Today wasn't about what his body craved or what his tiger demanded. Today was about proving to every pride member who had begun to doubt him that Adrian Kael was the Alpha they needed. The ones who whispered that grief had made him weak, that his hesitation to claim a mate showed indecision rather than careful strategy. The younger members drawn to Darius's aggressiveness, the older ones unsettled by Adrian's measured approach to leadership.
Sure, Council Leader Morris had confirmed that his partial bond with Riley made him unchallengeable for the Alpha title. But political immunity meant nothing if his pride lost faith in his ability to lead them into the future. They needed to see strength, decisiveness, the kind of commanding presence that had defined the Kael bloodline for generations.
And they would. Today, when they watched him fight, they would witness the discipline and strategic thinking that made him worthy of his father's legacy. More importantly, they would see Riley—fierce, uncompromising, magnificent—and understand that together, they were stronger than Adrian could ever be alone.
Her strength matched his own, her discipline rivaled his control, and her courage in the face of a world she'd only just discovered humbled him. The pride would see all of that on full display when she dominated her division with the same ruthless precision she brought to everything else.
The bathroom door opened with a soft click, and Adrian's entire body went rigid. Riley emerged in nothing but a towel, droplets of water still clinging to her shoulders and her long black hair damp. The scent of her—flowers and citrus mixedwith something uniquely her—wrapped around him like a caress.
His jaw clenched as she crossed the room with that purposeful stride he'd come to crave, completely unaware of how thoroughly she was testing his restraint. When she stopped directly in front of him and rose on her toes to press her lips to his, every rational thought scattered.
The kiss was soft and soothing, nothing like the desperate claiming they'd shared in her office. But it ignited something primal in him, a possessive hunger that made his tiger surge forward with renewed demand.
Forget the competition. Forget the pride. Keep her here, in this room, until she's completely yours.
Adrian broke the kiss before he could act on the impulse, his breathing unsteady as he stared down into her warm brown eyes.
"I can feel your nerves through the bond," Riley said, her voice soft with understanding. "They're intense. But I can also feel your desire now."
She laughed, the sound both knowing and affectionate. "As much as we both want to stay here and focus on each other, we need to head to the arena for the first round."
The practical reminder cut through his haze of want like cold water. She was right, of course. They had responsibilities, expectations to meet, and a future to secure. But knowing that didn't make walking away from her any easier.
"I know," he said, his voice rougher than intended. "I'll go get the truck ready while you get dressed."
Before he could change his mind—before he could give in to the overwhelming urge to strip that towel away and claim what was his—Adrian turned and walked out of the bedroom.
Within minutes, the cool morning air hit his face as he stepped outside, but it didn't calm the restless energy coursingthrough him. He climbed into his truck and gripped the steering wheel, trying to center himself the way he had before every important business negotiation or pride decision.
But this was different. This wasn't about profit margins or territorial disputes. This was about Riley and the weight of responsibility he felt for dragging her into his world.
Yesterday's fainting spell still haunted him. The way she'd gone pale and collapsed when he'd mentioned completing their mate bond, the fragility in her expression when she'd woken up in his bed. He was overwhelming her—with the estate, with the politics, with the accidental claiming that had bound them together before she'd had time to truly understand what it meant.
Had he given her enough space yesterday?
Their quiet dinner had seemed peaceful, her laughter genuine as Mark regaled them with embarrassing stories from Adrian's youth. She'd appeared to be settling into the rhythm of estate life, even asking thoughtful questions about pride traditions and hierarchy.
But doubt gnawed at him. Did she feel trapped? Obligated to complete their bond because of his mistake rather than her own desire?
The front door opened, and Riley emerged with her gear bag slung over her shoulder, her hair pulled back in a ponytail that highlighted the determined set of her jaw. She wore fitted black leggings and a sports bra under a lightweight jacket, every inch the professional fighter she was.
She slid into the passenger seat, and her scent immediately filled the cab, settling his nerves in a way that surprised him. The flower and citrus combination that was uniquely hers wrapped around him like a calming embrace, quieting his tiger's restless pacing.
Neither of them spoke as he started the engine and pulled away from the estate, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. Through their bond, he could feel her focus sharpening, her mind already shifting into competition mode. Her nervousness was there too, but it was the good kind—anticipation rather than fear, excitement rather than dread.
And beneath it all, he sensed her awareness of him, the way she was monitoring his emotional state just as carefully as he was reading hers. The intimacy of it should have been unsettling, this constant exchange of feelings and thoughts. Two days ago, the idea of being so thoroughly known by another person would have sent him running.
But with Riley, it felt like everything he'd been missing without realizing it. She understood his control and discipline, his need to prove himself, the weight of legacy and expectation that had shaped his entire life. And in return, he felt her fierce independence, her determination to succeed on her own terms, the vulnerability she hid beneath layers of strength and focus.