Seraphina

I followed him through the brush, my bare feet sinking into the cold, thick mud. The forest was a wall of black, tangled branches that seemed to reach out for me. Xandriel never let me past the perimeter of the camp. I was a bird in a cage, and the cage was small. Now, the world felt too big, too dark, and far too quiet.

A black Audi waited on the shoulder of the highway. It looked like a predator crouching in the shadows, all dark glass and gleaming chrome. Hayes opened the back door, and I slid in, keeping my back pressed against the cold leather of the far side.

Alexander climbed in after me. He didn't try to close the gap. He sat on the other side of the bench, but his presence filled the entire car. He was beautiful in a way that hurt to look at. His jaw was sharp, his hair cut tight, and gold rings glinted in his ears. Tattoos spiraled down his thick arms, intricate patterns that disappeared under his sleeves.

He growled low in his throat, a vibration I felt in my own chest, but he stayed in his corner.

"Why are you so tense?" he asked. He was staring out the window at the passing trees.

I expected to feel more anger toward him for the raid, but mostly, I just felt numb. Xandriel had no soul. He was a hollowed-out beast who broke things for fun. Alexander had destroyed Xandriel's world, and part of me wanted to thank him for it.

"I am not tense," I said. My voice was flat. I wasn't screaming. I wasn't crying. That was as calm as I got.

I rolled my eyes and looked away. He was bossy, just like every other Alpha. I knew how this went. We would get to his house, and the list of rules would start. Stay here. Do this. Don't speak.

"You are. I can hear your heart thudding against your ribs from here." Alexander reached out, his large hand hovering near mine. I pulled away instantly, tucking my fingers into my lap. He retreated, his eyes snapping to mine. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Seraphina. There is no need to be rude."

I didn't flinch. Men like him wanted a reaction. They wanted fear or fire. I gave him nothing. I watched the rain start to smear across the glass, my breath fogging the window until the world outside was just a gray blur.

"You won't even give me a chance," he said, his voice dropping to a soft, pained whisper. "I want to treat you the way you deserve. What did that monster do to make you like this?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

He wouldn't be able to stomach it. I had no filter left. The car slowed, turning into a long, gated driveway. When the tires crunched to a halt, I reached for the door handle, but the lock clicked. Alexander's arm was suddenly draped across the back of my seat, his body blocking my exit.

"Yes," he said firmly. "I want the truth. I am not letting you out of this car until you tell me what is happening in that head of yours."

"Fine!" I snapped. The dam broke. "It started with the housework. Then it was a quick rape whenever he felt like it. Then it was long nights where I had to guess if I'd fed him right or if I was touching him the way he liked so he wouldn't hit me." I leaned closer, my eyes burning. "I have scars you will never see, Alexander. So just let me go. There are a thousand women in this world. Pick one that isn't broken."

Alexander's face went pale. His knuckles turned white where he gripped the door handle.

"I will kill him," he rasped. "My pack will hunt him until his lungs burst. He is a dead man."

He unlocked the door and tried to reach for my arm to help me out, but I shoved his hand away and stepped out into the rain.

"You never have to see him again, Seraphina. I promise you."

I ignored him. I didn't want promises. I wanted a bed.

The house was massive, a stone and glass mansion that screamed wealth. In Xandriel's camp, rich men had slaves. They had pretty girls who existed to be used. I waited for the shove, for the hand on my neck to force me through the service entrance.

It never came. I walked through the front door side-by-side with the Alpha.

He led me to a room on the second floor. I stopped in the doorway, my breath catching. There was a bed. A real bed. It had navy blue walls and charcoal gray sheets that looked like clouds. I'd spent years giving my bed to Xandriel or sleeping on a thin mat on his floor.

"You'll get in trouble if you leave the property without me," Alexander said. I sat on the edge of the mattress, testing the softness. It felt too good. I looked out the window at the woods, thinking of my people back home, probably huddled in the dirt. "Am I making myself clear?"

"I know the deal," I said, not looking at him. "You saved the people I care about. I owe you. I'll follow your rules."

"Is that all this is to you? A debt?" He sounded sad, which made me want to scream.

I closed my eyes. I used to dream of finding a mate. I thought it would be a spark, a rush of love. But with him, all I felt was a dull ache and a flicker of heat that terrified me.

"I don't want to be punished," I said, hearing his boots heavy on the floor as he moved closer. "If you saw what he did to me, you wouldn't want to hurt me either. Just... don't touch me."

"I won't touch you," he promised.

"Without permission," I added, the words catching in my throat. I had to set the boundary now. "When do you want dinner?"

He paused. "What?"

"Dinner. If Xandriel's food wasn't hot the second he sat down, he'd choke me. Do you want it at six? Seven?"

"I don't expect you to cook, Seraphina. I have staff for that."

I turned to face him, my brow furrowed. "Then what? Laundry? Sex? Do you have specific days for that? Or is it just whenever you're in the mood?"

The Alpha's composed face crumbled. He looked like I'd stabbed him.

"You're my mate, not my slave," he said, and the way he said my name made my skin prickle. "One day you'll be Luna. You'll have power. You'll have everything. I just need you to learn how we live here. I am not him."

"Then I'm lost. I don't know how to be that."

"You can do whatever you want. Just stay on the grounds and stay out of my office." He stepped closer, his scent of pine and musk filling my senses. "And stay away from certain men. I get jealous. You won't like me when I'm jealous."

"What do you want from me then?" I asked, my voice rising. I needed to know the price. "You don't share? How many of your men am I supposed to entertain?"

Alexander lunged.

I hit the wall behind the bed, my heart stopping. He didn't touch me, but his fists slammed into the drywall on either side of my head. He was inches away, his eyes glowing a predatory gold, his breath hot on my face.

"What do you mean, share?" he growled.

"I thought we should stop talking," I whispered, my pulse racing so hard I thought I'd faint. "You're angry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"No! Answer me! What do you mean by share?!" He looked like he was going to vibrate out of his skin.

"With the other men," I stammered. "In my old pack, the Alpha's girl was for everyone if he was feeling generous."

"Damn it!" Alexander roared, the sound echoing off the walls. "No! I don't share what is mine! Never!"

He backed away, his chest heaving. He looked at me like he wanted to say a thousand things, but instead, he turned on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door so hard the frames on the walls rattled.

I sat there in the silence, trembling. I'd been here thirty minutes, and I'd already broken the Alpha.

Seraphina

The rain drummed against the glass, a constant, heavy rhythm that hadn't let up since I arrived. I stood by the window, watching the blur of the forest. I had told Alexander to leave me alone. His temper was a wild thing, unpredictable and loud.

He was a strange man. He treated me like a prize one second and a problem the next.

I stayed in the room, anchored by my own fear. I hadn't been away from Xandriel for this long in years. It felt weird, but the distance was like a weight lifting off my chest. Xandriel was useless without me. He couldn't cook a meal or keep his own life in order. He used people until they broke.

The click of the door handle made my heart lurch into my throat. I heard my pulse thudding in my ears, a fast, frantic sound. I didn't turn around. I just stood there, waiting for the nightmare to start again.

"Are you hungry?"

Alexander's voice was lower now, vibrating off the navy walls. I trembled. I wanted to be brave. I wanted to show him that he couldn't break me, but my body wouldn't stop shaking.

"The pack is heading out to the grounds for training. We will be alone for dinner. Come eat with me," he said. He sounded almost hesitant, like he was bracing for me to say no.

"No," I said. I kept my voice firm. I didn't want to leave this room. I didn't know what happened at his dinner table. I didn't know if "dinner" was just a code for something else.

"Please," he said. I heard him huff, a sound of pure frustration. "I am trying to ask nicely, Seraphina. Don't make this harder."

I sensed his impatience. It was a familiar heat, the kind that usually ended in a bruise.

"Just dinner?" I asked.

"Just dinner," he repeated.

"No."

I heard his boots heavy on the carpet, moving fast. I spun around, my back hitting the glass of the French windows. He stopped inches from me. He was a wall of muscle and heat, his face flushed with a dark, angry red.

"I just told you I cleared the house for us!" he yelled. He looked stunned, like he couldn't believe I was still standing my ground. "Join me. Now."

"I said no!" I screamed back. I'd rather starve. I'd rather rot in this room than bow down because he raised his voice. I leaned back against the latches of the window, my mind spinning, looking for a way to hurt him. "I'd rather work for every one of your men than sit at a table with you!"

The lie felt like poison on my tongue, but I wanted him to leave. I wanted him to hate me and go away.

Alexander's chest puffed out. His eyes went dark, the pupils swallowing the iris. He lunged toward me, a blur of motion. I panicked. I didn't think. I just threw myself sideways to get away from his reach.

The latch gave way. The French windows swung wide into the storm.

I tumbled backward into the cold air. The rain lashed at my face as I felt the floor disappear. Suddenly, iron-hard fingers clamped around my wrists. Alexander jerked me forward, hauling me back into the room with a strength that made my bones ache.

He let go the second my feet hit the rug, remembering my rule about his touch. His face was no longer red. It was pale with terror.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" he breathed, his voice shaking. "What is wrong with you?"

"That wouldn't have happened if you weren't looming over me!" I snapped. I fought back the tears stinging my eyes. "Close the windows. Stay away from me."

"I am your Alpha," he growled, stepping back into my space. The fear was gone, replaced by that suffocating authority. "Whether you want the bond or not, you will listen to me. There are consequences for this kind of disrespect."

"I can handle it," I said. I looked him right in the eye. "You're just like him. You're cruel. You're a bully. And I am not afraid of you."

"You think I'm cruel? You want to serve my men?" He spat the words, his jaw tight. "Fine. If that's what you want, have at it. You have no choice now."

He turned and slammed the door, the sound like a gunshot. I couldn't breathe. My lungs felt tight. Would he really do it? Would he throw me to the pack? I moved toward the door, my hand trembling as I reached for the handle.

I opened it, and my heart stopped.

He was still there. He was leaning against the wall, his head in his hands. He looked small. He looked broken.

"What do you want from me before you let me go?" I asked. I looked down at my arms. Faint blue bruises were already forming where he had grabbed me to keep me from falling. "Why are you keeping me here?"

"You're my mate, Seraphina," he said, his voice a rough ghost of a sound. "I'll have you one way or another."

He started walking down the hall, a low growl rolling in his throat. I followed him, my legs feeling like jelly. I needed to end this.

"I belong to Xandriel," I said to his back. "I bear his mark."

Alexander stopped dead. I bumped into his back, the heat of him seeping through my clothes. He turned, his eyes searching my neck, his breath shallow.

"I don't see a mark," he said. The relief in his voice was sickening.

"He put it where no one would see."

I reached down and yanked the hem of my shirt up, just above my hip. The jagged, scarred mark sat there, half-hidden by the waistband of my jeans. It was a brand of ownership.

Alexander's eyes flared. His fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.

"We can end this, Alpha," I whispered. "Just reject me. Set us both free."

"Never."

He looked at me with a hunger that made my blood sing. I hated it. I hated how my body reacted to him, how the air between us felt thick and electric.

"Don't you want other women? You're an Alpha. You can have anyone. Just let me go."

The bond was screaming at me to touch him, to close the distance. It was a physical ache in my chest.

"I only want you," he said. He stepped closer, his gaze dropping to the mark on my hip. "He marked you in secret. But when I mark you, it will be for the whole world to see."

My cheeks burned. I felt a pull in my gut so strong I had to grip the wall to stay upright.

"You are destined to be my Luna," he said.

Then he turned and walked down the stairs, leaving me shivering in the hall.

Seraphina

I paced my room while the first light of morning cut through the curtains. Alexander hadn't been back since he stormed out. Curiosity is a dangerous thing, but it pulled at me until I found myself sneaking toward the top floor.

His door was ajar. I pushed it open just enough to see him. He was sprawled across the bed, one arm tucked under his pillow, his face turned to the side. The sheet was low on his hips, leaving the heavy ink of his tattoos exposed against his skin. He looked peaceful. Almost beautiful.

Xandriel was a beast who needed sex to stay sane. I figured Alexander was the same. Alphas always had a string of women waiting for them. I stood there, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest, wondering if I could use his trust to find a way out of this gilded cage.

I backed away and closed the door softly. I'd rather starve than let myself feel anything for him. He was just another man who thought he owned me.

The mansion was deathly quiet. At Xandriel's, the nights were loud with drinking and smoke. Here, everything felt too clean. Too still. I turned a corner in the hallway, my mind miles away, when a hand suddenly shot out of the shadows.

"You smell like a rogue."

A man slammed me against the wall. The back of my head hit the wood with a crack that made my vision swim.

"Alpha Alexander has me here," I gasped, trying to find my footing. I wouldn't call myself a mate. Not to this stranger.

"Then why are you wandering?" He didn't wait for an answer. He fist my hair and jerked my head back, shoving me forward. "Who let you out of the holes?"

"I let myself out!" I bit back. If he killed me, at least the struggle would be over.

He snarled and shoved me into a dark bedroom. I stumbled, falling hard onto a bed I didn't recognize. Before I could scramble up, he was on top of me. His hand crushed my throat, pinning me into the mattress. I clawed at his wrists, my lungs burning for air.

"No! Stop! Please!" I managed to scream, my nails catching the skin of his face.

"Stay still!" he yelled. He pinned my wrists over my head. He was heavy, his breath smelling of stale coffee. "You're too pretty for a cell. You could be mine if you played right."

"Stop touching me!"

His hand fumbled with the button of my pants. I tried to bring my knees up, to kick him where it hurt, but he wedged his body between my legs, locking me down. I screamed again, a raw, piercing sound that felt like it was tearing my throat.

"You aren't in charge here, girl," he spat.

He slapped his palm over my mouth to stifle my cries. Tears leaked out, hot and fast, soaking into his skin. I closed my eyes, waiting for the end. I waited for the weight of another man to break what was left of me.

The door didn't just open. It exploded.

The weight was gone instantly. I heard a roar that sounded like a building collapsing. I sat up, shaking, pulling my clothes back together as I watched Alexander. He had the man-Percival-by the throat, pinning him so high against the wall his toes barely touched the floor.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Alexander's voice was a lethal vibration.

"She... she's just a woman!" Percival wheezed, his face turning a dark shade of blue. "She's a prisoner, Alpha!"

"She is my mate, you dumbass!"

Alexander didn't just hit him. He broke him. He threw a punch that sounded like snapping wood, then tossed Percival to the floor like a piece of trash. When Alexander turned to me, the red vanished from his eyes. He looked horrified.

"I-I'm sorry," I choked out, the words barely a whisper.

"Shh..."

He didn't ask. He just gathered me up in his arms, pulling me tight against his chest. I didn't fight him this time. I was too cold, too tired. He carried me down the hall, his heart thundering against my ear.

"Why didn't you tell him?" he asked, his voice thick with a mix of fury and pain. "He should have known who you were."

"Because I am not your mate!" I shouted. The trauma turned into anger the second I felt safe.

Alexander stopped and set me on my feet. He looked exhausted, his shoulders slumped as he put his hands on his hips.

"Yes, you fucking are!" he barked. "I won't force my mark on you, Seraphina, but my people will know who you are to me. Percival is finished. I promise you that."

"You act like I asked for this," I cried, the frustration finally boiling over. "I don't want any of you! I don't want this life!"

Alexander turned and punched the wall beside my head, his fist buried deep in the drywall. Dust settled on my hair.

"Listen to me," I said, my voice trembling. "You're a handsome man, Alpha. Go find a girl who wants you. I don't care who you sleep with. Just leave me alone. I'm already marked by Xandriel anyway."

"I can't do that." He started walking me back toward my room, keeping his distance but staying close enough to be a shield. "You're never leaving this house. No one is ever going to touch you again."

"You can't save me!" I screamed at his back. "I was born for this misery!"

"I'll try," he said, his voice shaking with a sudden, quiet intensity. "I'll do everything I can."

"What is all the screaming about?"

A girl stepped out of a room nearby. She was stunning, even in silk pajamas. Her hair was perfect, her eyes sharp and annoyed. I froze. Was this one of his girls?

"I-" I started, but Alexander cut me off.

"This is my sister, Margo," he said, rolling his eyes.

Margo looked me up and down, her lip curling. "Why are you fighting at six in the morning? And why are you with a girl?"

"This is Seraphina," Alexander said, his voice softening. "My mate."

Margo's entire face changed. She didn't look annoyed anymore; she looked like she'd just won the lottery. She started jumping up and down, a huge grin breaking across her face.

"Really?! Finally! So you're the one. It's been so long!" She stepped toward me, staring at me with wide, curious eyes.

"What?" I whispered. I'd never met her in my life.

"When's the wedding? I'm so happy! Alexander might actually stop being a jerk now."

I looked at the floor, my face burning. I wasn't thinking about weddings. I was thinking about survival.

"Margo, stop," Alexander muttered, clearing his throat.

Margo ignored him. She reached out and played with the ends of my hair, her smile warm and genuine.

"You're gorgeous," she whispered. "My brother better not mess this up. He's been a nightmare since he lost his last chance at a mate. Come on, let's go eat."

She draped an arm over my shoulders and led me toward the kitchen, leaving Alexander standing alone in the dark hallway.

He lost his mate? Was the last story that he told me true? Am I really his lost mate?