Aila leaned forwards, placing her elbows on the dinner table as she held onto her knife and fork in front of her. She looked at him as his hand slid up her thigh, inching closer and closer to her heated core. Luckily Chiara was now in a debated discussion with Darren about something stupid he probably mouthed off to her about. Otherwise, she may have sensed the little interaction going on under the table. 

Aila tried to swat his hand away, but his grip tightened on her inner thigh where the touch of his hand sent shockwaves across her body, making her clench her legs together as she looked at him pleadingly. 

“Hmmm, if you don’t accept this punishment, I will make it even worse for you, Aila, and I don’t think you want to see what I will do to gain your submission and to show your little boyfriend there. Whose you are.”

Aila suddenly feared what else he might do. The calculative look and smirk on his lips made her shiver and immediately relax her thighs. His eyes lit up, and his voice was silky as he spoke through her mind again, “Now, I think you should continue to eat your food. It will get cold.” 

On instruction, she began cutting up her steak but caused the knife to screech into the plate after she felt his finger skim the side of her lacey underwear. She felt exhilarated from what was happening and became wet from his teasing hand and how in public they were. 

“Easy,” He said huskily in the mind-link. Aila glanced at him and blushed before returning to cutting up her meat. She had no intention of eating if he was going to do what she thought he would do. Surely her arousal was already becoming too much for the people at the table. Either their noses did not work, or they were ignoring it. 

The moment her eyes accidentally met Ajax’s, she heard the loud growl of Damon’s voice commanding her full attention. She looked back at Damon and was instantaneously locked in his darkened gaze as his hand found its way under her lingerie. She tensed slightly as his fingers began rubbing slowly and gently against her already wet folds. 

“That’s it, baby. Only me,” His whisper went across her mind, sending a slight shiver of goosebumps across her body.

She held herself back from moaning when his thumb found her clit and started to make slow circles, hitting just the right spot. Not only was she hot and needy, but she was still lustful from her last punishment. She felt her nipples harden against her bra as she started to close her thighs again, but one small growl from Damon in the mind-link told her otherwise.

Aila gulped as she glanced nervously around the table. To everybody else, nothing unusual was going on. She played with her food on her plate, trying to make it seem like she was doing something other than being teased and controlled by this demon of an Alpha. She gripped her cutlery to the point where her knuckles went white after his index finger entered her excruciatingly slowly.

Aila heard Damon hum in delight from how wet she was after such a minuscule movement. She inhaled sharply as his finger continued to slowly tease her and went deep enough that his knuckles brushed against her sensitive flesh. His eyes flickered to her chest as she unconsciously arched her back slightly, pushing her breasts out, all the while holding onto her knife and fork. She looked at him, her eyes almost begging him, begging him for what, though? Release?

Oh gosh, what if he didn’t let her come? 

Oh gosh, what if he did!? They were in a room full of people!

Just as her thoughts started to become panicked while her core clenched hungrily around Damon’s finger. He pulled out abruptly and leaned back as he replied to Beta Kane’s question. Aila leaned back against the chair, feeling as though she was about to burst and was quite happy he didn’t take it any further. She was beginning to lose her cool. 

It was then she noticed that most of the pack leaders had finished their meals and were chatting with one another. She felt a little rude, but at the same time, she wanted to crawl into bed and hide under the covers.

“And romp under the covers more like!” Malia spoke up after hiding since she told Aila off.

“What do you think, Aila?”

Aila snapped her eyes open and looked at Beta Kane; she didn’t realise she had closed them after trying to calm herself down. She glanced at Damon, who looked ridiculously smug, making Aila want to slap him, but she ignored him and looked back at Beta Kane, “I’m sorry, Beta, I didn’t hear you. My wolf was talking to me.”

“Ah, I see. Please, you don’t need to call me Beta here. We are all friends around this table,”

“Is that including the shithead at the end of the table?” Malia enquired genuinely in the back of Aila’s mind. She held back a chuckle while Kane continued.

“What is your wolf’s name?” He smiled earnestly, and Aila opened her mouth before Ajax interrupted, “Don’t.”

Everyone turned to look at him questionably. Damon stayed quiet as he, too, looked at the shapeshifter at the table and gestured with his hand for Ajax to continue.

“Never give your wolf’s name away to anyone, Aila. The moment they have their name, they have a power over you. It’s some weird freaky witch type thing. But if you give your name to anyone that isn’t your mate, then they could control your wolf.” Ajax explained.

Aila raised her eyebrows in disbelief before turning her head back to the Beta. Why did he-

“Sorry, I wanted to see if you knew. Damon would never have let you speak her name anyway.” He held his hands up in an apology, to which Nairi slapped him gently on the shoulder. Once again taking his attention away from Aila and the rest of the table.

“How do you know so much about werewolves?” Chiara pointed her question at Ajax.

“Well, I dated a few she-wolves before they found their mates and well, when the obvious happened,” Ajax replied, keeping his gaze level with the Gamma’s.

“How interesting..” Chiara muttered before drinking from her glass of red wine.

Ajax then leaned his elbow on the table and placed his cheek on his hand as he continued to gaze at Chiara, “What about you, beautiful? Do you have a mate?”

Everyone stopped what they were doing and snapped their heads in their direction. Chiara looked up at Ajax’s charming smile that he put on. The tension at the table became palpable as silence ascended and the remainder of the group looked on with their breaths held. Except for Damon, who seemed to smirk slightly; Aila wanted to smack it off him as she was worried that Ajax would be the next victim with a steak knife in their hand.

Instead of any form of violence from the Gamma, she replied icily in a low voice, “I had a mate.” She rose in her seat as her words sunk deep into the hearts of all that were seated there.

She excused herself from the table and left the dining room without another backward glance. Aila removed her gaze from the door where Chiara exited and looked back at Damon; she felt her heart clench at the thought of actually losing him and wondered what Chiara’s story was. However, the Gamma already told her one painful event of her past, she did not want to probe further. 

Darren was quick to follow, and he left the room at a brisk walk. He seemed well behaved in front of the Alpha, keeping his chat light without sending any insults or evil stares towards Aila. After ten more minutes of chatting to one another and Aila getting to know Beta Kane more, they decided to call it a night and leave. One after the other, they began to rise and leave the room. 

Aila was about to follow suit, rising in her seat when she felt Damon’s rough hand reach for her own. She looked at him and sat back down after seeing the look in his eyes. For once, they were not hard or shooting out commands to her but almost pleading her to stay. Aila couldn’t leave quietly and hide away under the covers; she needed to sit with her mate and face the music. One look at his genuine expression, though, and she immediately caved, rising again in her chair and reaching for him.

Their little power struggle earlier seemed to have affected them both, and after Chiara announced herself mate-less, the Alpha and future Luna found themselves forgiving the other. Aila’s hands found the back of his head, gripping lightly into the roots of his luscious locks as she stared down at him. His hands snaked around her waist and rested just above her bottom as he looked up at her. 

Aila stopped herself from pouting and met his lips instead of letting him speak; he immediately deepened the kiss and pulled her forwards, opening her legs as he did so. She opened her eyes, surprised by the act but even more so by herself as she climbed on top of him, their eyes now locked in a heated gaze while she felt his hard length straining against his jeans and fitting comfortably against her sensitive and now damp lady parts.