Claimed by My Bestie's Alpha Daddy novel Chapter 40

My thoughts were a chaotic mess. Adrenaline buzzed in my blood like electricity. I couldn’t stop replaying the heat between us, my body still twitching with need even as l tried to focus.

I wanted to crawl back into his arms. I wanted to throw him against the table and finish what we started. But couldn’t afford it. The threat was too real. The entire Pack was depending on us.

My teeth dug into my lip as I forced that hunger down and stared at the map with murder in my eyes. Adrenaline roared in my ears, and my thighs still ached from the way I’d ground against him. I swallowed hard, forcing the hunger back down.

“Can we intercept those agreements? Convince their allies to apply pressure?” My voice shook with pent-up want I couldn’t shake even under threat.

Beta shook his head. “Not in time. They’re finalizing it. If he flips two more, we’re boxed in.”

Emma rushed in, breathless, tablet in hand. She didn’t even bother to greet anyone before slamming it onto the table. “Look at this. He’s playing on their fear. Selling protection against ‘external threats’ he’s manufacturing himself.”

Nathan scoffed. “Classic tyrant marketing.”Richard’s eyes found mine. They were hard again, all thè heat from before replaced by calculation. “Options?”

I forced myself to keep my voice steady. “We can hit them on the external front. If their treaty partners threaten to withdraw, they might back down. Fear cuts both ways.”

He gave a single, decisive nod.”You’re on external analysis. Find pressure points. Quietly.”

“Understood,” I managed, though the word felt heavy in my mouth. I dropped my eyes to the table so I wouldn’t see the way he looked at me, like a soldier, not the man who had just kissed me like he was starving.

The room split into smaller groups. My fingers trembled over my datapad. Emma hovered at my side.

“People saw you,” she hissed under her breath.

I snapped my head up. “Emma-”

“I’m trying to shut it down. But they’re saying you’re the reason he’s distracted. That you’re compromising him.”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My eyes drifted across the room where Richard barked orders at Simon and Beta, back rigid, voice iron. No sign of the man who’d had his mouth on mine. Who’d sounded like he might break when he whispered my name.

When the meeting finally adjourned, I tried to slip out first. But Richard’s hand caught my forearm. His grip was warm, firm, and I felt my entire body betray me by leaning back toward him.

“Later,” he murmured, voice low and wrecked.

“Later,” I forced out. It tasted like poison on my tongue.

I wrenched my arm free and left before I could do something humiliating like cry. Or worse, turn around and kiss him again in front of everyone. I could hear the faintest cry of something inside me, snarling with frustration. Claim him. No. Not here, not now. I had work to do, treaties to read, allies to threaten. A war to win.

But as I walked away, I could still feel the phantom press of his lips against mine. The way his hands had trembled when he held me. And I hated, more than anything, that I wanted to go back.