Warmth.
That was the first thing Nene noticed.
Something solid, steady, and far too close.
She shifted slightly, eyes still closed, and—
Felt an arm tighten around her waist.
Her entire body locked up.
Wait.
Wait, what?
Her eyes snapped open.
Dark sheets. Expensive cologne. A ridiculously large bed that was definitely not hers.
And behind her—
A very warm, very solid Alpha.
Her stomach dropped.
Oh, hell no.
She turned her head just enough to confirm what she already knew.
Zhao Alexander.
Lying next to her, completely at ease, his breathing slow and steady, his arm still wrapped around her waist like it belonged there.
Nene's brain short-circuited.
How?! When?! Why?!
She definitely went to sleep in her own room.
She distinctly remembered closing her door, crawling into bed, and ignoring all of her problems.
And yet—
Here she was.
In his bed.
With him.
Her heart pounded as she stared at the ceiling, trying to piece together the situation.
Okay. Okay. Maybe she sleepwalked.
Except she had never sleepwalked in her life.
Or maybe—maybe he moved her.
Which was worse.
She gritted her teeth.
No. Nope. Not happening.
She needed to get out of here before he woke up.
Slowly, carefully, she tried to shift—
Only for his grip to tighten.
Her breath hitched.
She froze.
Then—
A deep, half-awake murmur against the back of her neck.
"Stop moving."
Her soul left her body.
She went completely rigid, her pulse slamming against her ribs.
Alexander's voice was low, rough from sleep, but too damn calm.
Like this was normal.
Like she wasn't currently on the verge of having a heart attack.
She swallowed hard. "Why am I in your bed?"
A slow exhale. Then, without opening his eyes—
"You came here."
She stiffened. "No, I didn't."
His lips tilted slightly. "You did."
Her fingers twitched. "That's not possible."
His gold eyes finally opened, heavy with sleep, but sharp.
"Apparently, it is."
Nene shoved Alexander's arm off her waist and practically launched herself out of the bed.
"No. Nope. That didn't happen," she said firmly, pointing at him like it would make this situation disappear. "I did not walk into your room. That is a lie."
Alexander, still ridiculously calm, sat up slowly, raking a hand through his already-messy hair. "Are you calling me a liar, wife?"
Her eye twitched. "Yes. Yes, I am."
His lips tilted slightly, like he was mildly entertained.
"Alright," he murmured, standing up effortlessly, his golden eyes sharp despite the fact that he had just woken up.
"Let's check the footage, then."
Nene froze.
"...What?"
Alexander didn't answer. He just grabbed his phone, tapped a few buttons, and—
A second later, a holographic screen appeared over his nightstand, displaying security footage from last night.
Nene stared.
Oh. Oh, hell.
The video started at 3:14 AM.
The hallway outside her room.
At first, nothing.
Then—her door opened.
And out walked Nene.
Barefoot. Half-asleep. Completely unaware of where she was going.
Nene watched in horror as she, herself, in real time, shuffled straight out of her room—past the guest areas, past every other option she could've chosen—
And walked directly into Alexander's bedroom.
No hesitation.
No stopping.
Just a straight path, like she belonged there.
Nene's soul left her body.
Alexander turned to her, smirking. "Would you like to keep denying it?"
Her mouth opened. Closed.
Then, finally:
"What the actual hell."
She pointed at the screen. "I WAS ASLEEP. THAT DOESN'T COUNT."
Alexander's smirk only grew. "Doesn't it?"
"NO." She crossed her arms. "I've never sleepwalked in my life."
Alexander tapped the screen again, rewinding the footage back to 3:12 AM.
This time, the cameras caught inside her room.
At first, she was asleep in her own bed.
Then, slowly, her breathing changed.
Her fingers twitched.
And then—without waking up fully—she sat up, turned toward the door, and got out of bed.
Like it was automatic. Like something had pulled her.
Nene's blood ran cold.
That—that wasn't normal.
Slowly, she turned to Alexander, scowling. "You did something."
Alexander looked far too amused. "I didn't do anything."
"Then why would I come here?!"
He tilted his head slightly, watching her. "You tell me."
She hated the way he said that.
Nene stormed out of Alexander's room, her face burning, her mind racing.
She had sleepwalked into his bed. SLEEPWALKED.
She didn't even know what that meant.
She didn't want to think about why her body moved toward him without her knowing.
All she wanted to do was get dressed and forget it ever happened.
Twenty Minutes Later—
Nene stood in front of her full-length mirror, critically assessing her outfit.
A black turtleneck dress. Long sleeves. Fitted, stylish, very much "Alpha wife" material.
But the skirt?
Barely mid-thigh.
Nene tilted her head.
It was technically covered. No cleavage. No bare arms. Very sophisticated.
But it also sent a very clear message.
Fine. You want me to follow your dress code, Alpha? Let's see how far I can push it.
She grabbed her boots, checked her reflection one last time, and stepped out of her room.
And immediately walked straight into Alexander's solid, unmovable chest.
She stumbled back, scowling. "Do you just wait outside my door?"
Alexander barely even looked at her face.
His golden eyes dragged down slowly, scanning the length of her outfit, taking in every deliberate choice she made.
A slow, measured pause.
Then—
"Go change."
Nene's smirk was instant. "No."
Alexander's jaw tightened. "Now."
She crossed her arms. "Why? It's a turtleneck. Completely covered."
Alexander's gaze flickered dangerously. "Your legs are exposed."
Nene tilted her head, all fake innocence. "You didn't say anything about legs."
Alexander exhaled slowly, like he was physically restraining himself from something.
"Nene," he said, voice dangerously calm, "go change before I decide for you."
Her stomach flipped.
But she refused to back down.
Instead, she lifted her chin. "Make me."
Alexander's gold eyes darkened.
For a long, thick moment, he just stared at her—assessing, calculating, deciding exactly how far he was willing to let this go.
Then, before she could react—
He took a slow, deliberate step forward.
Nene stepped back.
Another step.
She backed up again.
Until—
Her back hit the wall.
Her breath hitched.
Alexander loomed over her, his hands braced on either side of her head, his heat swallowing her whole.
"You want me to make you?" His voice was low, steady, and far too dangerous.
Nene's pulse jumped.
But she forced herself to smirk. "Isn't that breaking your 'civilized' rule?"
A slow, wicked smirk.
"Yes," Alexander murmured. "But I'm starting to think you want me to."
Her stomach flipped violently.
She swallowed hard, trying to keep her cool. "It's just a skirt."
"It's a challenge."
"It's fashion."
"It's a test."
She gritted her teeth. "You don't own my wardrobe, Alexander."
His gold eyes burned into hers. "I own their reactions to it."
Nene froze.
Because suddenly, she got it.
He didn't care about the dress.
He cared about who else would see her in it.
She was his.
And in his world, if another Alpha looked at her the wrong way, there would be blood.
Her throat tightened.
She didn't want to give in. Didn't want to let him win.
But also—
She wasn't stupid.
She exhaled sharply. "Fine. I'll change."
Alexander leaned back slightly, looking far too satisfied. "Good girl."
Her face burned. "Screw you."
He smirked. "Go try another outfit first."
She gritted her teeth and marched back to her closet, slamming the door behind her.
This Alpha was going to drive her insane.