“ Know this. You have to do what I ask of you. And don’t ask any questions. ” His voice drops a few octaves.

Instinctively, I place my hands over his chest, feeling his beating heart under my palm.

“ Just do as I say and everything will be fine. ” His eyes lower to my lips. “ Or else…” 

The lingering threat triggers the rebel side of mine. “ Or else? ”

“ Or else…” He lifts his gaze to my eyes and shoots me a very promising smirk. “ I will make you. "

********

********

A wild night out with her two best friends, away from her controlling boyfriend was all Natalie Whitman planned on the ocassion of her 20th birthday, but it didn't turn out quite right. Because now, she was marked and claimed by a man she doesn't even know and her boyfriend of two years is pounding the door. Hide the truth or pretend to be not marked—That's her only choice but it doesn't prove out to be easy when the Alpha who marked her comes barging in her life and it becomes impossible for her to ignore him.

NATALIE

“ It’s a mistake. ” I tell Giana just as we step inside the heavily crowded club.

The smell of sweat, sex and alcohol stings my nostrils, making me gag.

“ Oh come on! Live a little! It’s your twentieth birthday. ” Anne throws her arm around my shoulder, pulling me in towards her body.

“ It never ends well when you say this. ” I shake her arm off my shoulder and take a step forward.

“ Don’t ruin the mood! Let’s party! ” Giana screams in my left ear and grabs me by my arm, dragging me straight to the bar.

Deep down, I know I don’t stand a chance now.

Anne gives the order to the bar and I turn around, scanning the crowded place.

The loud music thumps against my ears and vibrates in my body, making me sigh to myself. The neon lights make my eyes hurt.

“ Do tell me once again why we are here of all the places? It’s free land. Anyone can attack us here. ” I yell at Giana who is swaying her body to the music.

“ It’s the best club in the city. ” Giana shouts back, a grin stretching across her lips.

I can already sense her eyes roaming around the dance floor, searching for the prey for tonight.

I roll my eyes while resting my back against the bar counter.

“ Enzo will be mad at me if he finds out I came here. He doesn’t like it. ” I whisper under my breath.

But, it’s still audible to Giana and Anne because of the heightened senses that come as a strength to us werewolves.

“ Fuck that asshole for tonight at least! ” Anne hisses and hands me the shot.

I glance at the small glass in my hand and then at Anne. “ That asshole is my boyfriend! ”

“ And next in line to take the place of our fucked up Alpha! ” Giana chuckles from beside me.

“ He is hot. ” I reason with my best friends.

“ That’s the only reason that we are allowing you to date him! ” Anne bumps her shoulder with mine, throwing me an evil smirk.

A smile breaks on my lips.

“ Drink up! ” Giana grabs my hand and forces me to gulp down the strong alcohol.

The burning sensation starts from my mouth and goes down my throat as I take a big gulp.

“ IT’S PARTY TIME! You are finally turning twenty, and unlike your eighteen and nineteen birthday, I believe you will be able to shift this time. All those fuckers thinking that you are wolfless will all be proved wrong! And maybe, you will also find your mate! "Anne screams in my ear and begins to bounce on her feet.

That's right. I am far past the age of shifting and I didn't shift until now, which lead everyone to believe that I am wolfless.

“ Enzo is my mate! ” I tell her before gulping down another shot.

“ Okay okay! Don't start this again. ” Giana dismisses the topic and drags me to the dance floor.

Leaving me in the middle, she goes to finding her prey.

Giana and Anne are both twenty-two years old yet they haven’t found their mates. So, they fool around with whoever they like because they are not into serious relationships with anyone who is not their fated mate.

Unlike me, of course. I fell in love with my Alpha Wilson’s son Enzo. He is twenty-two like my bestfriends and he believes that I am his mate. That's how the whole thing between him and me started anyway. I can't recognize him as my mate without a wolf, so I can only trust him when he says I am his mate. And I do, I trust Enzo with all my heart.

I shake the thoughts off my head when Anne comes towards me and begins to sway her body to the sensual music playing.

I chuckle when she throws me her infamous evil smirk. Then, I copy her movements and close my eyes, finding myself letting go of every other thought.

Dancing for a while, I go back to the bar and gulp shots after shots until I can’t think straight. Alcohol thrums in my veins. My vision becomes clouded and a wave of heat hits me.

No, no, no.

I suck the air harshly, taking hold of the bar counter behind me.

Another wave of heat rolls off my body when a strange scent invades my senses.

It’s stronger than all the other human scents in the club. It’s the scent of the forest ground just after it rains combined with the musk wood.

My mouth waters and my senses heighten. My eyes scan the area, searching for the person who has this strange scent.

Releasing the bar counter, I stumble down the two stairs in front of it and push past the rocking bodies.

My head pounds due to the strong effect of the alcohol running in my stream.

Another wave of heat overcomes me, hard. I gasp and pause in the middle of the dance floor. The sensation creeps down my body until it claims the sensitive spot between my thighs.

I clench my thighs together and push past the bodies faster to get the fuck out of here.

I knew it was heat season, but I didn’t know heat can affect the unmated she—wolves. Never heard of it before.

My first thought is that it might not be heat.

But then another wave of it washes over my body and I have to clench my thighs harder. A moan almost threatens to spill out of my lips at the tingly sensation.

The moment wetness pools in my panties, I let go of the doubts that it might not be heat which is affecting me like this.

A man’s back brushes against my body and I jump in my spot, feeling the heat getting stronger.

My eyes scan the area once more, silently searching for Giana or Anne. Everything becomes murky and I find it hard to focus.

Shaking my head, I stagger out of the crowd. I don’t know which direction I am going in but I want to get away from here.

Walking aimlessly, I end up in a dark hallway. My hand reaches out to the wall for support when another wave strikes me. The stickiness in my panties becomes worse.

I inhale a deep breath and the same scent attracts me towards it. Mindlessly, I follow it.

My vision turns black for a moment when I reach a staircase. I climb up the stairs and see a man walking towards the other side of the corridor.

It’s him. The scent is him.

I barely manage to follow him. My heart is drumming in my ears and in the pit of my stomach. And the slickness in my panties is making me move faster even though my legs are turning to jelly.

I round the corridor but see no one there. A frown tugs my eyebrows together.

I sigh and place my back against the cold wall before closing my eyes.

Another episode of heat claims my body and makes my back arch off the wall. A moan leaves my lips and my hand instantly reaches up to cover my mouth.

My eyes close on their own while I pant in the silent corridor.

“ Why are you following me? ” The deep voice startles me.

My eyes snap open. I look at my right and see the man standing there.

His scent wraps around me, causing me to take some strong — deep breaths.

He has dark hair, his eyes are an ocean blue colour, his nose is straight and pointed while his thick lips are a light rosy colour. He is built muscular, his height being 6 something and his fitted white dress shirt defining all his muscles.

His aura is powerful and dark, like that of an Alpha. My legs tremble and barely hold me up in front of him. I have to clench my thighs harder after taking a look at the Devil carved man standing in front of me.

Oh my Fucking beautiful Moon Goddess!

I drag my tongue across my lips, trying to register what’s happening to me.

I slowly drag my eyes up to meet his pinning gaze.

Electricity crackles when I stare into his ocean blue globes. It's like something goes boom in my mind. His eyes seem to be pulling me in, an unrecognisable emotion beginning to affect my heart.

He tilts his head to the left, his eyes flashing red for a brief moment.

I gulp my saliva and try to push myself off the wall, but fail to do so when another fresh wave of heat tramples over my body like a truck.

I moan harder, my nails scratching the wall behind me. My back archs off the wall, my eyes closing on their own.

The urge to be close to a man grows strong in my veins and my throbbing clit doesn’t help either.

Before I realise what I am doing, I am already moving towards the man who seems to be the only saving option to me.

“ He—Help me. ” I choke on my breath, my drunk mind failing to register what kind of mistake I am making.

The man catches my body, his large and warm hands coiling around my waist. It’s like fire meeting fire and burning everything in its path.

Sparks crawl down my spine, making me raise myself on my toes and smash my lips against his without any delay.

NATALIE

My lips land on his and I begin to devour him like a hungry beast. He doesn’t push me away for a second, but then, it feels like he snaps out of some kind of trance and shoves me away.

I stumble on my feet, whining, reaching out to him once more.

His hands on my waist, turn me around, my back hitting his hard front.

“ Well. Well. Well. Are not you too young to be roaming around here? ” He whispers close to my right ear.

I gulp my saliva, the taste of expensive wine plastered over my lips.

It seems like I am not the only one drunk here.

“ I am an adult! ” I shoot back, struggling to release myself off his hot touch.

A wave of heat rolls off my body and I stop struggling. My head falls on his chest behind me, my back arching and another moan falling out of my lips.

I press my thighs together, my hands landing on his big hands to claw them away from me. His touch is not helping my situation and my mind is too gone to allow me to deal with this situation rationally.

“ Why are you so desperate, love? ” His nose slides down my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

“ I — I am… ” I try to speak but words disappear from my mind when he pauses in the crook of my neck and inhales my scent deeply.

I bite my lower lip between my teeth and suck in a sharp breath.

“ Can you even take me? ” He purrs, his hands still encircling my waist, his thumbs running up and down my stomach in slow motion.

I nod my head instantly. I am not a virgin — I have had sex with Enzo before.

Enzo. A lump forms in my throat and I try to get away from the man behind me.

But, the moment he turns me around and smashes my back against the wall, hard, I forget about my boyfriend all over again.

It’s all heat fucking my mind.

Through my hazy vision, I see the man leaning in before his lips collide with mine. The sheer force knocks the breath out of me.

But, I respond immediately.

Wrapping my hands around his neck, I pull him closer and allow him to kiss me as hard as he wants.

Without wasting any time, he forces his tongue in my mouth, tasting every inch of it.

My hands disappear in his soft locks, tugging at them while my lips try to match his intensity.

He is rough with his moves, his lips stiff and his tongue invading.

I feel his hard cock against my stomach and I gasp in his mouth. This doesn’t scare me but makes me want him more.

Another wave of heat travels down my body, making me press myself firm against him.

I drag my hands down his chest, trying to unbutton his shirt with my trembling fingers.

He pulls away with a cruel tug and growls at me, his right hand reaching out to my throat to cage it between his palm.

He chokes me, not too harsh to cut the supply of my oxygen but hard enough to make me moan in pleasure.

“ As much as I would like to tear this dress off and take you here, I don’t think you will like it very much, Love. ” He whispers and picks me up.

I yelp, coiling my arms around his neck and closing my eyes instinctively. Everything whirrs past me and right after a moment, I am forced down on a soft bed.

I choke on my breath when he hovers above me and pushes his lips on mine again. Then, he moves his lips away from mine and nuzzles down my neck, leaving tantalising kisses down.

He bites into the crook of my neck, where it meets my shoulder. A burning sensation claims the bitten spot as he swipes his tongue over it.

I feel him panting against my skin, his chest vibrating with animalistic growls.

I gasp when he suddenly pinches my hard nipples from over the dress. Without even warning me, he tears the dress off my body.

My hands land on his shoulders, my body pressing against his. I let him remove the tattered dress completely.

The scent of my arousal spreads across the room immediately and it feels like I am flooding with wetness already.

He doesn’t waste any moment in ripping off my panties and then my bra. His hungry lips reach out to my nipples, sucking, biting, nipping fast.

My heart hammers against my ribcage as my body grows hotter by the moment.

His finger runs down my swollen clit and I mewl out aloud.

“ That’s good. So wet. ” He murmurs against my nipple.

I shiver under him before he presses down on me, making me moan out in his ear.

His finger enters me savagely. My pussy clenches around his finger and the throbbing of my clit becomes worse.

My hands claw at his shirt, wanting his skin to be on mine. I push out a moan while unbuttoning his shirt hastily.

He wraps a hand around my breast and begins to slide his middle finger in and out of me at a fast pace.

My breathing becomes ragged, my chest burning with the effort to claim the oxygen I desperately need to survive.

All of a sudden, he pulls his finger out of me and forces it in my mouth. I taste my own juice going down my throat as our eyes meet.

His gaze turns dark, red flashing in his eyes. I suck on his finger and he pulls it out of my mouth before closing his lips on mine.

His hands work on his pants, unzipping them and pulling them down his legs as I hurriedly push his shirt off his shoulders.

His skin feels rigid and hot under my fingers. Electric sparks erupt from every spot where our skin meets.

The sensation drives me crazy and forces me to pull him impossibly closer.

I attempt to drag my fingers down his chest which feels a little bumpy when he abruptly turns me on my stomach. My hands clench the sheets. I gasp for air.

A stinging smack lands on my butt cheek, making me bite my lower lip violently.

“ Bad girl. ” He rubs my butt cheek.

“ Raise your ass in the air. ” He hisses in my ear.

The demand makes me become even more wet. I do as he says and force myself on my knees.

His finger invades my pussy once more, going deeper this time.

I moan loudly, my grip tightening around the sheets.

A wave of heat passes over my body, causing me to press against his firm body. His cock brushes against my butt cheek, making my cheeks heat up.

He penetrates me with another one of his fingers, stretching me out good.

I gulp when he leans down, his chest rubbing against my back. His hand reaches out to my hair, tugging at them until my scalp burns deliciously.

My eyes land on the window in front of me. The light pouring in from that window is the only source of lightening in the room.

He takes his fingers out of me and wraps his left hand around the front of my neck, pulling my head back at a weird angle. This makes it difficult to breath, but the tingles which follow his touch don’t allow me to protest.

“ I tried stopping you once, Love. ” He reminds me.

I arch my back into his body, urging him to give me what I want instead of telling me all this.

He parts my legs and thrusts his cock inside me. My mouth hangs open when he uses force to shove it completely inside.

My walls stretch to their limit, an ache spreading in my lower abdomen.

“ So fucking tight. ” His raspy voice purrs in my ear.

My head spins. A scream of pleasure and surprise spills out of my mouth when he pulls out and thrusts his cock back inside.

The size of his cock threatens to tear me apart and fills me up to the hilt, hitting my cervix.

My pussy feels unbelievably filled. I sink my fingers into the mattress.

His grip tightens around my throat, black dots appearing in my sight. I hungrily pant.

Moans fall off my lips without any control as he thrusts in and out at an inhumane pace. I begin to wither due to the light pain in my lower parts and the lack of oxygen in my body.

He fucks me relentlessly, dominating every inch of my body and claiming my breath as well.

His growls and grunts fill the room, mixing with my low moans. The bestial noises sound like a perfect melody to my ears, only arousing me stronger. His thighs meet the back of my thighs harshly, creating loud noises.

Every stroke of his penetrates me deeper and makes me lose my sanity all over again.

There comes a moment when I feel like I am going to die with the overwhelming pleasure and of course, the lack of oxygen in my lungs.

My hands wrap around his hand on my neck and silently plead him to allow me to breath.

“ Fuck. ” I grunt when he loosens his grip around my neck.

And then almost instantly, it grows tighter than before. Pressure builds inside me, a climax threatening to ripple out of me and destroying me in the way.

Sweat coats my body all over. I scream, howl as he rams inside me continuously without stopping or even breathing.

His strength scares me and it feels like he is never going to stop. Yet, it excites me at the same time, makes my insides clench.

With another one of his monstrous thrusts, my insides contract around his thick cock. I yell in pleasure as the orgasm washes over me.

This doesn’t stop him. He pulls out for a mere moment and then pounds back in.

His hand releases my neck, permitting me to breath, to survive.

He begins to thrusts faster than before, his hand disappearing into my hair this time.

Overstimulation makes my insides hurt but it’s not enough to stop him. He continues to devour me, ruin me.

My hands disappear in the sheets, searching for a spot to rest myself on. His balls slap against the back of my thighs at great speed, bruising the spot surely.

With a fierce thrust, he releases a growl and pulls out of me abruptly. He releases his cum over my back and butt cheeks.

I shudder, the world blurring around me. My ears are muffled, my brain too tired to keep me going.

I breath in relief, dropping on the bed.

“ Fuck. So good. ” He grumbles, dropping beside me.

I let go of the sheets and keep my eyes closed. My mind loses track of the surroundings and eventually, I find myself falling asleep.

NATALIE

The eternal blinding light hits my face, making me groan and shift into the soft mattress. My body hurts as if someone has battered it to pieces while my head spins.

It takes me a moment to blink open my eyes and stare at the ceiling in complete confusion.

Where am I? That’s the first question which penetrates my thoughts.

The events from last night flash before my eyes when I try to get up, only to realise that I am naked, oddly sticky between my legs, undeniably sore.

Panic courses through my veins, my whole life starting to revolve in my head.

A gasp escapes my lips and I roll away, falling down on the floor with a thud. A groaning sound comes from above.

All my senses come to life as I forget all about the pain in my head and my body.

Fuck! What did I do?!

I place my hand over my mouth, stopping myself from making any noise. I don’t want to scream and wake him up. My face contorts and I barely manage to not start crying in absolute horror.

Lifting myself on my knees, I peek over the bed to look at the back of the man. His ocean blue eyes dash before my mind, the images from last night becoming even more clear.

I rake my thoughts, trying to recall where I left my mobile last night.

“ Fucking shit! ” I hiss to myself, before covering my mouth and cautiously watching the man’s back again.

I left my mobile in Anne’s car along with my mini purse because it was too much of a bother to me to carry it all around.

Finding no other way, my eyes search for the dress so I can wear it and disappear from here before this man wakes up.

Thank Goddess! I find it lying on the floor beside the bed.

I crawl to it and pick it up. The tattered piece of clothing waves before my eyes, mocking me.

My eyes trail off to the man’s back. “ Animal. ” I whisper under my breath.

I gulp, scanning the room once more. To my relief, his shirt is lying near his feet on the bed.

Raising myself on my knees, I reach out to his shirt. The man shifts in the bed all of a sudden, scaring the fuck out of me.

Lowering my head, I drag my upper lip between my teeth as my heart begins to pound hard in my chest.

Breathing through my nose, I lift my head after a moment passes without his voice calling me out.

His back is still facing me, his bulging inked muscles on full display while his lower body is hidden under the sheets.

Sneakily, I push my hand forward and grab his shirt before pulling it towards me.

I get up from the floor and wear it hurriedly. All along, my eyes remain on his figure, nervous and cautious.

After successfully buttoning up his shirt, I proceed towards the door.

The fact that I am only wearing a shirt doesn’t bother me as much as cheating on Enzo does. Tears well up in my eyes and unconsciously, I peek at the stranger from above my shoulder. A weird pull makes me continue gawking at him for a moment longer than I originally intended.

I sniff light and make my way out of the room, only to bump into a hard chest on my way. My nose picks up the scent of the person in front of me and I lower my head, finding myself alert.

Fuck! That’s what I was missing.

“ Who are you? Which pack are you from? ” The man questions, leaning down to have a look at my face.

He is the beta of the Night Walker Pack. I recognise his scent because he recently visited Alpha Wilson to talk about the war which might happen between us if we don’t meet their demands. Everyone began hating them in our pack after this beta visited if they didn't do before.

They are the demons who rule our werewolf world. They are called Night Walker Pack because they are known for attacking in the middle of the night and ending packs before the sun begins to shine in the sky again. Even the thought of coming across them or infuriating them can make a warrior wolf shit their pants.

They are dangerous and mysterious. There are many legends about their devil of an Alpha. People have rarely seen him but they all know his name, Ryker Ambrose.

A shiver travels down my spine at the thought of that monster of a man.

“ I asked a question! ” He growls threateningly.

“ I— ”

Did he recognise me? It becomes hard for me to breath.

As if the Moon Goddess has decided to save me, his phone begins to ring.

“ Don’t move. ” He warns, lifting a finger and turns around, picking up the call.

“ Yes Alpha! ” He says.

Is that brute calling the beta? Seriously? Can't he simply mind-link him? But, why do I care? I got my ticket to escape.

“ That girl…” A throaty voice appears from the speaker of the phone, but my mind is focused on escaping from this enemy before he grabs my neck and snaps it to draw some twisted pleasure out of it.

Without waiting for another moment, I push past him at a lightening speed and sprint down the hallway.

“ HEY! STOP RIGHT THERE! ” He shouts from behind, apparently still too busy to talk to his asshole of an Alpha to chase behind me.

I never make the mistake to look behind and show him my face, the face of the daughter of their rival pack’s beta.

Fuck! I am positive that he didn’t recognise me, simply asked because he sensed I was a werewolf and he had to make sure I was not a threat to him or anyone of his companion possibly roaming around here.

I breath a sigh of relief when I run out of the club, sunlight shining over me.

Instantly, I am grabbed by a figure who appears to my right.

“ Where the fuck were you?! We have been looking for you the whole night! Are you fucking mad?! We even had to call Enzo because we thought someone might have kidnapped you! ” Giana sneers at me.

My soul leaves my body for real this time. I turn around to look at her, my face turning pale.

“ Enzo?! You called ENZO?! ” I shriek.

The door of the club opens behind me. I hold my breath when Anne’s scent invades my nostrils.

“ Natalie! Thank Goddess! We have been looking for you for such a long time and we couldn’t find you. You almost killed us with worry. ” Anne engulfs me in a back hug while I stay rooted on my spot, trying to search for a solution.

“ Where is Enzo? ” I jerk Anne off and turn around.

“ He is on the second floor of the club, searching all rooms to find you. ” Anne informs me with a frown etching between her brows.

“ We need to leave. Right now. ” I yell the words at my best friends and run straight to the parking lot where I remember Anne parked her car.

“ Let me call Enzo down! ” Anne shouts from behind and my lungs stop taking in any oxygen.

“ DON’T! ” I shout at her.

She follows me into the parking lot, along with Giana whose eyes are wide, shock apparent in them.

Her eyes take me in and a look of understanding passes through her face.

“ Let’s go. Let’s leave. We can tell Enzo later. ” Giana grabs Anne’s wrist and pulls her to the car.

Anne brings out the keys from her purse and unlocks the car. I jump in the backseat, keeping my head down, just in case Enzo comes out of nowhere and catches me like this.

I don’t know. I don’t know what to do other than to run away from him. I don’t want him to find out, not like this.

Giana climbs into the passenger seat and turns around to glare at me right away. “ You have a lot of explaining to do. ”

I nod my head as Anne starts the engine and pulls the car out of the driveway.

“ You had sex with someone. ” Anne concludes in an oddly calm voice.

She was so occupied with the relief of finding me that she didn’t even realise I was not wearing my dress and I had a horrible stench of sex wrapped around my body along with the scent of another man.

“ What happened?! ” Giana huffs, keeping her head turned at me.

I inhale a deep breath and glance up at her and then at Anne who is staring at me through the back mirror.

“ I was drunk… ” It’s not a good enough excuse.

“ And I…felt hot…for some strange reason…I couldn’t help myself and went behind this…this man whom I don’t even know and I didn’t imagine that things would turn out like this… ” I breath through my words, trying to ease my pain.

“ Fuck! I feel so horrible. I should have stayed behind, should have told Enzo. ” I sniff loudly.

Giana shakes her head.

“ Don’t. ” Anne gives me a pointed look.

“ What? ” I stop crying for a second.

“ Don’t tell Enzo. You know how he is…he won’t take this lightly and… I don’t think it’s completely your fault. It’s the heat season…and it’s not entirely rare for…she—wolves to experience heat when they are close to their mates. ” Giana’s gaze switches between me and Anne.

“ He was not my mate! He was a random man. I — I don’t even know who he was… and…and…I should go tell Enzo right now… ” I give both my friends a look of disbelief, finding it hard to form the right words.

Giana reaches out to my neck. I don’t flinch and allow her to push away the collar from the left side. “ then how do you explain this, Natalie? ”

She presses on a spot where my neck meets my head and a hiss leaves my lips involuntarily.

“ It’s — It’s a mark. ” Anne gasps out loud, pressing her foot on the brakes abruptly.

The car stops with a jerk and my face hits the back of the driving seat, hard.

Shock drives away all pain and guilt. My hand touches the same spot and I feel the tiny bump in the shape of a wolf’s head.

I lean back and look in the back view mirror. The bright red mark of a wolf’s head peeks back at me.

My hands turn cold. Time slows down around me.

“ That fucker marked me! ” I scream in disbelief.

“ Yes. And you are still alive…so… ” Giana flinches before a knowing smirk stretches across her lips.