CHAYSE'S POV

The Alpha was a possessive predator. I already knew that.

But I had a weakness—a tactical advantage that worked once. I would try it again.

I turned over on the massive bed, facing his perfectly sculpted, terrifyingly hard chest. His golden eyes were closed. His breathing was slow and steady.

I placed my hand on his rock-hard chest. I let my fingers trace his abdomen. His face, even in sleep, shifted. A breathless expression.

I hauled myself up and placed soft, deliberate kisses along his jawline. I moved down his throat, my lips dragging against his skin.

Very hard to do. But necessary.

The moment his throat rumbled—a soft, deep growl of pleasure—I knew I was winning. I focused my tongue on a specific spot. The growl deepened, a vibration I could feel through the bone.

I worked my way back up his neck, toward his chin. I waited for the grip around me to loosen.

It didn't.

'You didn't think you could fool our ,mate a second time, Chayse? Did you?'

Aria! I cursed my wolf. It's morning! Forgive my foolishness, but we have bigger problems.

The Alpha’s hand clamped onto the back of my head. He pulled my face toward his, stopping centimeters from his lips.

He chuckled. The sound confused me.

"You thought I was sleeping?" he laughed, his golden eyes flashing open. The gold was suddenly shot through with specks of light blue.

I stiffened, inhaling the stronger scent of mint.

"Oh, Little Mate, if I had stayed asleep through that, I would have to hate you."

He growled seductively. "You're wearing my shirt, Chayse."

His hand slid down my bare leg. My whole body shook. Aria was howling and purring like a housecat. I was frozen—a useless, trembling mess.

"You'd better change that before things get too out of hand."

He loosened his grip. That was the only invitation I needed.

I bolted.

I threw open the door and sprinted down a different hallway. Windows to my left! A chance!

I glanced down the side of the mansion. Four stories. I snarled under my breath. Who needed a four-story house? And who cleaned it?

I hit the main staircase. I flew down the steps toward the front door—and gasped.

He was waiting.

Alpha Laven stood there, arms open, his trademark smirk visible even from a mile away.

He didn't move fast. He simply grasped my waist, pulling me to his chest. His breath hit my neck. I went instantly limp.

"Little Mate, you're still wearing no pants, in my shirt, and you ran off," he whispered.

His grip tightened on my waist. I gasped at the pressure. Bruises were forming; I knew it. Just like my wrist.

I whimpered.

His eyes flashed regret. Shared hurt. Just like yesterday.

Then he lifted me, making me straddle his waist, and placed me gently on a plush couch. He leaned over me, examining me like a broken toy.

I rolled my eyes.

"Could you please give me a moment without physical contact?" I said, injecting a stern warning into my voice. "A free wolf like me would really like some time to run around and be the woman that I am."

He growled—a low, annoyed rumble—but he let me up. My waist finally got relief.

"I am going to work. Stay here." His tone was a command. "I have someone coming to take you around town."

He turned and ascended the stairs, back to his room.

I collapsed onto the couch. I vowed to never try the sexual manipulation trick again.

I lifted the shirt. Brown bruises, lined with red, were already forming on my sides. I frowned, but dealt with the sharp throb. Healing was already at work.

I went into the massive kitchen, which was conjoined with the living room. I needed sustenance.

I searched the cabinets. Above the toaster was a pumpkin bread. The most delicious thing my eyes had ever seen.

I couldn't reach it.

I climbed.

I hauled myself onto the polished white marble counter, then gripped the cabinet shelf. My foothold slipped. I tumbled backward, grabbing desperately at the cabinet door.

Snicker doodle! I cursed—a non-curse, but it felt strong.

I twisted in the air and landed hard on the floor. The cabinet door was ripped off its hinges, cushioning my fall.

I cringed. My wrist took the brunt of the impact. But my werewolf healing was already working, mending what was torn.

"Stupid cheap cabinets and such fancy counters! Curse the kitchen gods!" I muttered, standing up.

The light pitter-patter of feet came from the hallway. Not a man.

"Hey!"

I jumped, my senses kicking in.

A girl. Peppy. Excited. Just like Eliza.

"I'm Caroline, Luna," she said, her voice bright. "And I'm here to take you around town, buy you some clothes, and hang out for the day!"

I smiled, dropping the formality. "No need to call me Luna, Caroline. I prefer just my first name, Chayse."

She leaned forward, conspiratorial. "Meet me outside once you've gotten dressed."

She ran to the front door, threw it open, and sat on the porch step.

I shrugged. I headed upstairs to the second closet. I picked out a simple outfit—a defense against the dress code. I pulled on my white Converse and went outside.

When Caroline saw me, she bolted, taking off across the lawn and expecting me to follow.

Running. Finally, a chance to be a free wolf.

But as I chased her across the massive lawn, I realized something critical.

We were not running out.

We were running further in. The Blood Moon territory stretched further than I imagined, and there were no visible fences, no walls, and no escape routes.

And then I saw it: a tiny, silver-lined bracelet on Caroline’s wrist. A marker. A tracker.

I wasn't being shown the town. I was being tested.

XANDER LAVEN'S POV

She was driving me insane.

My control—the rigid, iron discipline that made the Blood Moon the leading pack in the entire county—was a memory whenever she was near.

The way she teased me, running off, the way her wolf, Aria, purred when I showed affection.

I’d caught her biting her lower lip, completely unaware, and the sight was sexy.

Earlier, when she’d let Aria take over, I knew I was doing something right. I was easing into the bond without crushing her spirit. It was the only way I could live with the guilt of taking her from her brother, from her pack. She was mine, yes, but I wanted her whole, not broken.

I fought the urge to simply grab her, place my mouth on hers, trace the lines of her body, and mark her right now.

Hunter screamed the possessive urge every minute. I wished I didn't treat her like my property, but the Mate bond was an aggressive force for an Alpha of my bloodline.

I ran my hand through my hair, ripping at the roots. I looked like I'd lost a fight, which I had—the fight for my sanity.

My entire life was devoted to strict control. That’s why the Blood Moon Pack dominated. I hadn't wanted a Mate. This was supposed to be my last year at the Mating Gathering, and I was ready to find a surrogate—an unmated pack female—to bear an heir. Easy. Clean.

Then she was there. Defiant. In a revealing dress that showed off every dangerous curve. Her eyes—brown with that fierce hint of green—sparkled with insolence as she defended her damn fudge. I’d been furious, then mesmerized, then consumed.

I hated seeing her cry. That single moment in the car, when her tears surfaced, had made Hunter snarl in rage at me.

I crept down the stairs, finding a regular t-shirt and sweatpants—a temporary, fragile shield against the Alpha.

She was on the couch. Asleep.

Her lips were parted. Her long hair cascaded over her face. One leg was thrown casually over the back of the couch, exposing her long, gorgeous figure in those tight black leggings.

'Hunter surged. Mark her. Claim her. Now.'

I contained him with a massive effort. I lay down behind her, positioning my body so we were spooning. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close, burying my face in her hair.

"Hey, Chayse," I whispered, the words raw with the bond’s desperate truth.

Her breath hitched. She was awake. I knew it.

She smirked. A soft, mocking sound.

"Oh, shut up," I growled, shoving my nose into the crook of her neck. I took one final, huge, life-sustaining breath of her scent.

"Now you're speaking my language," she whispered, snuggling closer before relaxing completely into my arms, pretending to fall back to sleep.

I raised my eyebrows. Defiance, even in sleep. I closed my eyes, letting the deepest, most tranquil sleep I had ever known claim me.

.........................

I woke to an empty spot in my arms.

The clock read 5 AM. Forbidden hours for my brain. I frowned, realizing she'd abandoned me for the kitchen.

A faint, sweet scent hung in the air; pumpkin Bread.

I saw the small, scrawled note on the counter;

"Knew you would need this in the morning"

My sister, Caroline. The only one who could break my cabinets and get away with it.

I sensed Chayse's shift immediately. She was upstairs. Preparing to run.

No. She didn't leave the house. She padded back down the stairs—a massive, soft white wolf—and curled up next to my human form.

She was seeking warmth. She was seeking me.

Hunter erupted in a silent roar of victory.

I gasped in shock, but my arms instantly curled around her, pulling her close. I pet her head gently, feeling her eyes flutter closed beneath my touch.

After a while, the petting stopped. The warmth beside me changed.

Hunter was awake. I shifted instantly, silently. My massive black wolf, eyes glowing bright blue, lay beside her white form.

Aria grinned deviously inside her. Hunter pressed against her side. We were in our natural state, resting. I let the calm wash over me.

But the full moon was tomorrow.

................

The day passed in a blur of escalating tension.

The full moon was less than twenty-four hours away. My Alpha bloodlines were a furnace, and Hunter was practically chewing on my ribs. I locked myself in my office, trying to force control through paperwork.

Then the music started. Loud. Blaring.

I heard her swaying her hips, dancing around, changing characters in a dizzying display of human joy.

I growled, my control returning in a flash of guilt. I released her shoulders. I kissed her forehead, then let out a deep, uncontrollable growl of lust.

My wolf was winning. The full moon was too close.

My lips moved down her face, settling on her neck. Hunter was fighting, raging. I needed to claim her.

I was frozen. Aria held her still. Our lips battled for dominance, but Hunter had one goal.

He won.

I felt him lick her skin. A soft, tentative pressure. Then the sharp penetration. My canines sank into her soft, tender skin.

She gasped. I bit harder, drawing the metallic scent of blood.

I licked the bite clean. I pulled back. My golden eyes were filled with the pleasure of possession, but the shadow of regret lingered.

"You marked me," she whispered, breathless.

I nodded. I held her close, feeling the instant, overwhelming rush of the bond. Now, I felt her attraction. Her acceptance.

"You marked me," she whispered again, the confusion warring with the new pull toward me.

I sighed, burying my face in the nape of her neck, inhaling her scent mixed with mine.

"I have to leave you, Chayse," I stated softly, cupping her cheek.

"Why?" she asked, her eyes wide with sadness.

"The Amber Sky Pack is having problems. I was personally invited to discuss it before it hurts the rest of the packs."

"Then why can't I go?" she demanded, snapping instantly into defense. "That was my former pack! My brother should be Beta by now! I want to see him, and—"

I placed a hand over her mouth. "Only if you stay out of Alpha business, Little Mate. I don't want to scare you."

She narrowed her eyes, pulling my hand away.

"Scare me?" she growled, her voice hard as glass.

"My mother died because of rogue wolves, her body ripped apart in front of me. My father came back from a battle with the largest wound down his sides and ribs, blood pouring out. I've seen the light of battle where wolves drop like flies around you. I know what it feels like to be the only one alive from your troop, everyone else dead!"

I stared at her, stunned. The defiance was a shield for a lifetime of trauma.

"Just saying," she finished, her voice flat. "You won't scare me, but I'll stay out of your business."

I nodded, kissing her softly. I turned and went back to the office, my mind reeling.

She was tougher than I thought. She was a survivor.

I needed her safe. I needed her alive.

Chayse moved to the bathroom mirror. The bite on her neck was a bright pink, mint-scented bruise. It was permanent. She wiped it with a towel. The scar would be there forever.

I owned her soul. But she owned my sanity.

CHAYSE POV

I kept touching my mark so often, I knew I had to stop. It was like a magnet to Xander, and every time I touched it, a spark came from it. My scent had changed slightly, more towards Xander's scent.

More mint, and with three days of living in this pack, pine had become my overall scent besides my main vanilla scent that my mother told my brother about when I was nine. I guess that scent is my personal scent that wolves identify me by.

I was sitting on the couch at nine at night, watching "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" on a movie channel. I knew that it was the third of January, but what can I say? Christmas sticks with me through the year.

The holiday cheer just gets more exciting during December. I sang the songs, laughed like the Grinch, and imitated his funny noises he makes between the narrator's pauses.

I still had the pumpkin bread wrapped up on the table from this morning, so I had decided it was the best idea to eat the whole loaf. Yeah, best idea if I wanted to throw up. Eh, oh well.

The bread made me all too sleepy, so I went up to bed, taking a quick shower before crawling into bed with just running shorts and a long shirt—I note that was actually mine this time.

Of course, by the time I showered, I couldn't sleep a wink. I groaned and lifted myself from the bed and down to the kitchen, drinking some milk, then trying to find some source of starch.

Starch made me sleepy, such as pasta, bread, and corn. Luckily, I found some leftover macaroni in the fridge and decided to eat the whole container. My wolf purred again like a cat at the cheesy, creamy taste of the macaroni.

I moaned happily, earning a growl from a door across the hall. The door burst open, revealing a Xander with messed up hair and pink eyes. He was probably sleeping until he heard my moan of pleasure from the food.

Huh, same difference, no? He made his way over to me and ran his hand over my mark, sending even more sparks than when I touched it.

I shut my eyes as he cupped my cheek tenderly and pecked my cheek before going back to his office. I couldn't blame him. If I were him, I wouldn't want to sleep with me either. I mean, who doesn't want a piece of me? No one can resist Chayse Veg—LAVEN... He, he, keep forgetting.

I shrugged and continued to eat my pasta until everything was gone. I dropped the dishes in the sink and returned to the palace of comfort, the bed. I slipped underneath the covers and cuddled with a pillow, until I had sweet dreams.

"Hey sissy? How's your life with that killer over there?" My brother, Jonas, growled.

"Has he attempted to kill you yet? He killed mom after all..." I gasped, moving away from Jonas as he mentioned mom.

"No, he didn't! I saw mom die myself! Xander wasn't a part of it!" I yelled, running forward and pushing him.

Jonas didn't fall, the impact only damaged my wrists, making the bruises I once had on the first day I met Xander more purple.

"Well, if you don't believe me, ask him yourself. He did hurt you, too, Chayse. Your wrists, your hips, your bite," he chuckled, spinning me around to face an angry Xander.

My eyes widened dramatically as he grew larger and larger, his fist rising above his head, ready to strike my face. Jonas pushed me underneath his fist, but I rolled away, dodging my mate's fist by a few inches. I yelled at how close that was.

Jonas picked me up and threw me at Xander, who caught me and crushed my frame. His giant head came close to mine and whispered softly:

"Who said I loved you?"

He didn't. He didn't go there. He told me himself last night he loved me. I looked back up at him as he tightened his grip, my rib cages hurting badly.

A snap was heard in my torso as a couple of ribs broke, making me let out a cry. My Beta-trained body could only take so much before it snapped.

"You thought I was honest with you, Little Mate? Oh, naive you certainly are. I thought you were supposed to be the next Beta, Chayse Vega."

Tears were streaming down my face as the name hit me. Vega. It hit a hole in my heart. He changed me back. A zap was felt on the place where he marked me, but when I checked, the mark was gone. Vanished. He had rejected me.

He let me go, my body falling from at least 120 feet in the air. I took a deep breath and braced myself for impact.

The wolves in the Amber Sky Pack said being rejected felt like your whole body being crushed, then your mind being set in a depression, then you begin thinking suicidally because you can't live without your mate. I wanted to die at that moment. I was inches away from the concrete and...

I gasped, forcing open my eyes to the bright sunlight shining through the windows and a distressed Xander beside me, his worried eyes cast upon my face. I curled up in a ball, my face covered in sweat.

"Xander, you love me, right?" I sniffed, my tears falling slowly down my face. He pulled me close like he had done many times before.

"I love you more than anything, Little Mate," he whispered.

"And you would never reject me, right?" His face turned serious. "Chayse... I would never in a million years reject you. I would die without your presence near me and your personality gone." His face hardened.

"Never say that again," he growled harshly before claiming my lips as his. Dominance was already his before the kiss even started.

He laid me back on the bed, our lips still connected and his strong body on top of mine. The smell of desire emanated from his body in waves, my nose catching the scent quickly and begging for more.

I clung to his frame, nearly digging my nails into his back as I struggled to hang onto his smooth skin. He trailed kisses down my neck and moved lower to my collarbone, making my heart speed up. He moved to my belly and lifted my shirt up, giving kisses on my abdomen.

He suddenly realized my expression of shock and lifted himself from me, looking into my eyes.

"I know you're not ready, and I won't do this today," he muttered. I nodded.