Anders Larzelere's PoV:

– "Why, To Marry Me, Of Course."

I wake up to a pounding headache, feeling like someone is slamming a hammer against my forehead.

Fuck.

Did I drink too much last night?

I press the heels of my palms to my eyes, squeezing them shut.

Argh...

"I see you're awake finally,"

Wait, this voice sounds familiar!

My eyes fly open in shock, and for the first time, I actually take in my surroundings properly.

Cobalt blue and white walls, blue dresser, sheets...

THIS IS NOT MY ROOM!

Then it all comes rushing back to me.

Some crazy Angel gave me some drug last night.

"Who the fûck are you?!" I yell, sitting up in one quick motion.

That's a mistake.

Blood rushes to my head at the swift movement, and immediately, my eyes burn and my head aches with pulsating pain.

Ouch.

"Are you alright?!" That lyrical voice exclaims with something akin to concern, and the next moment, I feel warm fingers gliding across my hands on my eyes, trying to remove my hand.

In that mind-numbing pain, I give in to the stranger's attempt and her fingers replace mine in rubbing my head.

Ahh...

It feels like heaven...

Wait!

I push her hands away, and move backwards on the bed to put some distance between us. She jerks in surprise by my reaction, and for a second I see a shadow cross over her eyes, but it's too quick to decipher and she covers it up.

"I'm sorry," She whispers, raising her lean hands up in defence.

I squint at her with narrowed eyes, unable to open them fully due to the hammer pounding against my head.

"'Sorry'?!" I repeat, "Are you fucking kidding me?!" I yell, glaring at her.

She takes a step back in surprise.

Just for a second, her smirking façade drops again, and before I could glimpse at the dark emotion clouding her irises, she smirks again.

She crosses her arms across her chest.

"For someone who's kidnapped you sure are brave," She comments with a casual air, and only after a second the meaning behind her words actually dawns on me.

Kidnapped? As if.

"Hardy Har Har. As if I can't escape you. You're just a girl." I appraise her lean body and raise my eyebrows. "Just move, babe. Let me leave." I shake my head and push the sheets off me, getting off the bed. She doesn't move an inch when I shove my feet into my shoes — which were lying by the foot of the bed, by the way — and run my hand through my hair, making my way to the door.

To my utter surprise, I get stopped.

By her grip on my arm.

I turn to her with raised brows, but she doesn't show the tiniest bit of emotion in her expression.

Is she stupid or what? Can't she see that I have WAY more muscle than she can ever have?

I roll my eyes and pull my hand back from her grip.

Only, I don't get to do so.

Because, I can't.

My annoyed expression drops.

Replaced by confusion.

Fear gnaws at the pit of my stomach slightly.

WHAT?! Anders, you even took down that muscular swimmer last year when he called Paige a bad word! Why can't you pull away from a girl?!

"Uhm.." I tug harder at my arm, but it just doesn't budge.

Is this girl on steroids or something?

I take a look at her face, her Angelic face, but I can't detect even a slightest hint of effort.

Huh? How is that possible?

"What...how...?" I blabber, completely befuddled.

"Training," She grins, raising both brows haughtily.

"Training?" My mind scrambles for answers. "But...still..."

She winks, and lets her grip loosen on my arm.

Something clicks in me and in that second, I bolt.

Just when I get near the door of this humungous room, she appears out of nowhere like a flash of lightning, blocking my path with outstretched arms.

She presses her lips together, trying to control and obvious grin that is begging to break free.

My jaw slacks.

Okay, seriously, What. The. Hell.

She laughs at my dumbfounded expression.

Whoa.

For a second there, I forget the outside world when my eyes lock on the happy expression on her face, at the way her eyes crinkle at the corner and shine like 24 karat gold, at the way her pink lips part like the most delicate flower. My heart blooms at the tinkling sound of her laughter.

Anders, you stupid, stupid, stupid! What the hell are you thinking? She. Is. Your. Kidnapper.

In my anger on myself, my mind short circuits for a second, and something in me urges me to duck under her arm and escape. Without thinking, I quickly bend and try to slip away.

Of course, I don't succeed.

She gets me into a head lock.

I slam my head into her stomach, and it seems like she didn't anticipate my move this time, because she loses equilibrium and slips to the floor. But even in her unbalanced state, she doesn't loosen her grip on me, pulling me to the ground with her.

I try to gut her with my elbow, but this time she guesses my move and blocks it solidly. In our tangled jumble on the floor, we roll around, each of us trying to defeat the other.

I pull her hair, and she almost yanks a hand full of mine away.

I try to kick her off, she almost kicks me back where the sun doesn't shine.

I try to twist her arm, but she almost tugs mine off my socket.

Key word: Almost.

I sigh, and rest my head on the carpeted floor, looking up in defeat.

She has my arms crossed across my chest and held in her firm lock, and she's sitting atop me with her legs on either side of my waist.

This position would've been considered suggestive by me, were this not such a situation.

"Ugh!" I glower at her, and she grins once again.

"How did you manage to do that?!" I exclaim tiredly, giving up on this crazy girl.

"Who do you think I am? Alpha—" she starts proudly, but stops mid sentence, biting her tongue with a cringe, that clearly says that she gave away something she wasn't supposed to.

Alpha? What the freakin' hell?

"Um, I mean—Ah! I meant the future CEO of the DeVega group of Industries,"

Pssh, she acts as if she's the only one with money here.

"You're Mariano's daughter?" I ask, flatly.

"Yup," she replies, still grinning.

"Well, then you obviously know who I am then. Why have you brought me here?"

"Why, to marry me, of course."

For the second time in 5 minutes, my jaw drops.

•••