I didn’t know where I was when I came to, but the air reeked of stale alcohol, blood, and wet fur. My mouth was taped shut. My arms and legs were bound tightly to a heavy wooden chair, the ropes digging into my skin. The lighting was dim, flashing intermittently like in some underground rogue pack’s den during a drunken brawl.
Somewhere nearby, the deep thrum of bass vibrated through the cracked stone walls, shaking the floor beneath my bare feet.
Then Ava sauntered over, her heels clicking sharply against the floor, a glass of some dark–rec drink, probably blood wine, slipping lazily between her fingers.
She looked far too pleased with herself.
“About time you woke up, little mutt,” she purred.
A low growl rumbled deep in my chest despite the tape. My heart raced, and I tugged uselessly at the ropes, the rough cords scraping my already raw wrists.
My voice came out muffled but sharp.
“What the hell do you want from me? Do you think you can just kidnap a wolf and get away with it? When I get out of here, I’ll have you skinned alive.”
Ava laughed coldly. Without warning, she grabbed my chin, her claws scraping lightly against my skin, forcing my eyes to lock with hers. Her irises gleamed red for a second, a show of dominance, but I refused to look away.
“You think you’re in any position to threaten me? That’s adorable.”
She smirked, her fangs glinting as she leaned in close enough that I could smell the rot of lies on her breath.
‘I was just finalizing my plans with my mate.”
She sneered.
‘And then you had to show up and ruin everything. I know you heard us, mutt. I couldn’t just let you walk away.”
The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as I bit down on the inside of my cheek in fury. My ip throbbed, split, and bleeding. I spat it at her feet without hesitation.
‘Marcus already knows, I called him.”
growled when the tape slipped loose.
‘He’s not just any wolf. He’s Alpha. He’ll smell your lies a mile away. You ready for that?”
Ava’s smile faltered for a second before curving into something darker, and crueler.
‘Let him try. He can tear apart half the city if he wants, but he’ll never find you here. This place is shielded. Wards on every wall. No scent trail. No howl strong enough to break through.”
My gut twisted into knots. She wasn’t bluffing.
‘And by the time he even gets close…”
She trailed off, swirling her drink lazily.
‘You’ll be dead. Or worse.”
5:03 pm G
She yanked me out of the chair with surprising strength, dragging me to the center of the den where dozens of rogue wolves lounged, their eyes glowing faintly in the dark. The stink of unwashed bodies and damp fur was suffocating.
Ava raised her glass high.
*Boys! Special delivery. She’s a pureblood Alpha’s mate, untouched. First come, first served.”
A roar of approval shook the walls.
Chairs scraped back. Heavy boots pounded the floor as they surrounded me, circling like predators.
I screamed hoarsely, thrashing against the ropes still wrapped around my ankles, but it was no
use.
“Get away from me!” I snarled, snapping my teeth. “Don’t touch me!”
The wolves lunged. Rough hands grabbed at my clothes, tearing fabric away in shreds. My skin. prickled in the cold, exposed under the flickering lights.
“Damn, she’s a feisty one.”
One of them growled, his canines flashing as he yanked at my shirt.
“Bet she’ll make some real sweet pups.”
“She smells like him.”
Another muttered, nostrils flaring.
“Like the Nightshade Alpha. Gonna ruin that before he even gets here.”
Rage boiled over inside me. Without thinking, I twisted and sank my teeth deep into the wrist of the closest wolf, tearing a chunk of flesh free. Blood splattered across my face.
The man howled in fury and backhanded me hard enough to send me sprawling onto the rough stone floor.
“You little bitch!”
He roared. His claws unsheathed and he ripped the last of the ropes free, hauling me up by my
hair.
Another slapped me across the face, hard enough that my vision blurred.
‘Keep fighting,
One snarled against my ear.
‘Makes it more fun.”
kicked and thrashed, refusing to give in, but his hands closed around my throat, cutting off my
screams.
A cold, merciless voice sneered in my ear.
“You should’ve stayed out of our way, mutt. Now we’ll teach you what happens to traitors.”
Fangs grazed my shoulder, and a clawed hand began to fumble at the waistband of my jeans.
Tears streamed down my cheeks, blurring my vision, and then…
The doors exploded inward with a deafening crash.
5:03 pm G
A massive figure stormed into the room, his presence sending an instant ripple of fear through the rogues. The scent of fresh pine and iron filled the air, powerful and pure.
An Alpha’s scent.
Marcus…
Before any of them could react, Marcus was already moving, he was fast and deadly. He grabbed the wolf pinning me down and flung him across the room with a single brutal kick, his body crashing through a table with a sickening crunch.
The whole room seemed to freeze.
Marcus’s golden eyes were blazing. His fangs were bared, and his wolf, his true beast, was clawing just beneath the surface of his skin.
He was here.
And he was out for blood.
