NADINE.

We arrived at the packhouse, and the first thing my eyes looked for was Mindy. But I didn’t see her. I saw other females around. They were probably the Omegas of the packhouse.

They looked at us when we came in, but no one greeted me, even when I smiled at them. And Xander didn’t even bother to introduce me. They all made me feel like I was not welcome. They just continued with their routine without giving me a second look.

I also thought Xander was the one who would show me my room, but he let someone else take me. I was directly ushered to the second floor. And no matter how I tried to converse with the female who walked beside me, she never replied and only told me where my room was.

And then I was left on my own.

I didn’t even know what I was supposed to do.

I had been walking back and forth, contemplating whether I should go down and introduce myself to anyone I would meet and, at the same time, try to find out who Mindy was. But then I was not sure if I was welcome to do that. I didn’t want to look aggressive.

I was still undecided when I smelled Xander’s scent. Even if I didn’t want to, my body jerked up, and a smile curled on my lips. I couldn’t deny that I was excited to see him again.

But I reminded my wolf to restrain herself. Xander, too, was the enemy.

“Hi!” I greeted him as soon as I opened the door, flashing him my widest smile.

“Can I come in?” He asked. His deep, baritone voice sent shivers down my spine.

I didn’t reply, but I opened the door wider. He stepped in and waited for me to close it before he spoke again.

“I won’t be staying long. I just want to leave some instructions before I go.”

“What do you mean?” My eyes squinted.

“Don’t go out of the room while I’m away.”

“What? How about dinner? Are we not going to eat together?”

“I’m done with dinner.”

My mouth hung open at his words. I knew he didn’t want me here, but I didn’t expect him not to invite me to my first meal in this territory.

“How about me?”

“I’ll have someone bring dinner before I go.”

I bit my bottom lip to stop my teeth from chattering.

“If you want to leave the territory, just say. And I will drive you anywhere. A hotel in the city. Or an inn. Just say it.” He added.

He was throwing me out. But I would not give him that pleasure.

“No. I want to stay.” I smiled.

“Then it’s settled. Do not open the door to anyone, even if it’s the Alpha.”

“Am I not supposed to meet Mindy?”

“What?” He looked surprised by my question.

“I’m not allowed to go out or even open the door. I’m assuming it’s because I’m not allowed to bump into her.” There. I finally said it. “Will she be upset if she finds out you met your mate?”

“Whatever you have in mind, throw it away. Don’t believe Maddox. My brother knows how to offend everyone, especially me.”

“So, she’s not your chosen mate?” I just wanted an answer.

“I’ll get something for you to eat. Do you have any requests?” He asked, ignoring my questions.

“I want an answer.”

“We’ll talk once I’m back. Or if not, we can talk tomorrow morning.”

“I want to talk now.”

“What do you want to talk about? I don’t have much time. It’s a full moon, and I will be helping pups who are shifting.”

“Exactly. It’s a full moon. I will go into heat.”

“I know…”

He was still cold.

I had two choices. Either return the animosity he was showing me or pretend I didn’t notice how rude he was to me.

I chose the latter.

“I’m excited, Xander…” I bit my bottom lip and fluttered my lashes. “I’ve heard so much about a female’s heat.”

I was hoping my act would tug something in his heart.

“Are you? What do you think will happen?” A smile finally crawled on his lips, and in an instant, it made my pussy throb. Hard.

“I don’t know. I guess it depends on you. You can also tell me what to do.” I smiled at him before throwing him another question. “I think it’ll be amazing.”

“Do you think so?” He asked, his brows hiking up.

I bobbed my head excitedly, still smiling at him. “Are you not excited?”

Xander grabbed my hand and placed it over his front, making my body jerk. I felt his erection, and it was getting harder.

“Oh, Goddess…” I mumbled softly.

“Does it tell you how excited I am?”

Before I could stop myself, I had already squeezed his shaft.

“Nadine…” He grunted. And my name came out so alluringly from his lips.

“Sorry…” I tried to pull my hand away, pretending to be embarrassed by my action, but he wasn’t letting go. If anything, my action only made his cock swell more.

“Are you really sorry for doing that?” He asked as a smug smirk tugged on his mouth.

He was already handsome with a stoic expression on his face, but with a smug smirk on it, he was absolutely gorgeous.

I shook my head.

“I didn’t know I was given a naughty mate.” His eyes dilated, and the way he was staring at me made heat rise from my stomach.

I couldn’t help the seductive smile that curled on my lips. And I swear, my eyes might be twinkling. I like where this is going.

“You’re beautiful… Especially when you smile like that.” He let go of my hand, and I slowly lowered mine, even if I didn’t want it away from his cock. Because, as crazy as it might be, it was my only proof that this man was also attracted to me.

Xander cupped my chin and let his thumb brush against my skin. My lashes fluttered, and I couldn’t help but close my eyes as I reveled in his touch.

The sparks and his addicting smell were making me and my wolf lose control.

Focus. Focus. I kept telling myself.

“We’ll talk later. I have to go.” His voice snapped me out of my reverie and made me open my eyes.

He was still looking at me, his knuckles continuously brushing against my skin.

“Can you stay? Please.”

“I have to go.” He repeated. This time, his voice sounded throaty, and his eyes kept dilating. His wolf wanted me. I had to take advantage of that.

“Please…” I said in a raspy voice before parting my lips.

I was ready to beg more, but his thumb brushed against my bottom lip, and the expression on his face as he parted his own lips made me speechless.

He looked so sexy. He watched his thumb move as he slowly pushed it into my mouth.

I moaned before closing my lips around his thumb. A growl reverberated from his chest as I began sucking it, and my hands flew to his torso, clutching his shirt as I pressed our bodies closer together.

“Harder…” He grunted as his arm snaked around my body, and his hand landed on my ass.

The fire started igniting in my stomach, spreading all over my body.

I closed my eyes and sucked his thumb harder, but then he slowly pulled it away from my mouth. I whimpered while opening my eyes, only to see his face closing in. My heart skipped a beat, and the moment his lips brushed over mine, I felt a wave of warmth envelope me.

My arms coiled around his neck as his hand gripped my waist. His kisses started gentle and soft until they became aggressive, devouring every corner of my lips until his tongue forced his way inside my mouth. And I just let him in.

The taste of him — it silenced every thought in my head and made me want him more.

Focus. Focus.

A sultry moan escaped my throat when I felt my body being lifted and my back landing on the soft mattress. Xander was kissing me bruisingly hard, and the grunts coming from his throat let me know how hungry he was for me.

His actions were building my confidence. He wanted me.

My hands went to his hair the moment his lips left mine and trailed down my throat. “I want you…” I mumbled.

“Damn, Nadine… I can smell your arousal…” He groaned as he pressed his bulging erection against my front.

NADINE.

“Damn, Nadine… I can smell your arousal…” He groaned as he pressed his bulging erection against my front and I couldn’t help but grind mine onto him.

“Fuck!” He growled as his hand gripped my hair, and our eyes met. “My wolf wants you!”

“Yes.. please…” I moaned. “Take me…”

His hand moved, and goosebumps raised on my skin as he trailed his calloused palm along my thigh while our mouths fought for dominance. His fingers brushed on the tiny fabric covering my core before he slipped it to the side and began touching my folds. His touch was rough, but I reveled in it, and in no time, I could feel my pussy leaking.

He pulled away from my throat and pushed his body up so his face paralleled with mine. I whimper in disappointment because I wanted his lips on my skin.

“Aren’t you too wet for me, mate?” He asked as he licked his lips. His eyes dilated again while his two fingers slid in between my folds and penetrated my pussy - stroking in and out of me.

Whimpers and moans escaped my throat until I began gasping for air. He was finger fucking me hard while grunts and groans rumbled in his chest as if he couldn’t get enough of me.

“Is this what you’ve been looking forward to, little mate?” He asked and my delirious state wouldn’t let me answer.

Instead, I wrapped my legs around his waist, and arched my body, wanting to make more contact with him.

This caused my dress to slip, revealing the skin of my thighs.

I was still lost in the sensation, rubbing my core against his fingers as I kept moaning, when I realized he had stopped moving and that his body had become rigid.

My eyes snapped open. I saw Xander as his expression turned into a scowl. I followed his line of sight, and his eyes were directed on my right thigh, where my big tattoo was — a rose with a snake coiled around it.

I could tell from his expression that he didn’t like it. Was a tattoo a deal-breaker for him?

“Who are you?” He growled as he pulled his hand under my skirt.

“What?” I asked, confused. I propped my elbows on the mattress and pushed my body up.

His gaze met mine. His eyes dilated as he let go of my body completely and rose from the bed.

“Who are you?” He repeated.

“Nadine…” I answered, but my heart was thudding too loudly, as if it would jump out of my chest.

“Why are you here?”

“I’m your mate.”

“Really? Are you here for me or for Tristan?” He was growling again.

My eyes widened at his words.

Shit! How did he know about Tristan? Tristan was the former Beta of this pack and I was sure he had never told anyone about us.

He was my ex-boyfriend. He went missing, and the next thing I knew, news spread out that he had died of a rogue attack. Others might have believed that, but I didn’t. But I had no way to prove that my theory was right — that he was killed by Alpha Maddox and not by rogues.

But if he knew I was Tristan’s girlfriend, would I be in jeopardy?

“Fuck! Fuck!” He brushed his hands over his long hair as he kept growling.

“You’re scaring me!”

““Don’t lie to me! You’re Tristan’s girlfriend! Are you here for him? Too bad for you, you will never hear or find answers about him!” He said in a cold voice.

I opened my mouth to speak. I wanted to defend myself, but he beat me to it.

“Do you love him?”

“He’s dead already!”

“Do you love him? Answer me!”

“What is the sense of that question when he’s already dead?” My eyes widened when the realization hit me.

What if he had something to do with his death? I had always assumed the Alpha killed Tristan, but what if his Beta was also an accomplice?

“Just fucking answer me!” I felt jealousy rise in his aura, and for some reason, I wanted to clear up any doubts he had.

I shook my head as I tried to reach for his hand. “I’m here for you.”

“Stop with your lies. You’re not here for me.” He moved before I could touch him. He went to my luggage, harshly opening the zipper.

I rushed to him and tried to get him off my bags. “What are you doing?”

“Stay back there!”

“Those are my personal things! You have no right to inspect them as if I’m hiding illegal items!”

“Don’t you?” He asked, his eyes dilating, before he pulled a pair of black leggings from the stack of my folded clothes. “Put this on.”

“No…” I shook my head as I inched backward from him. Was he throwing me away from this territory, and he wanted me to have more suitable clothes than this dress?

I didn’t want to cry. I already knew many things could go wrong today, but I didn’t expect my heart to get broken by how he treated me. I thought I could take everything, but the pain coming from his blatant rejection was something I wasn’t prepared for.

Focus, Nadine. Focus. I need to stay here. I told myself.

“Please… I have nowhere to go.” I kept moving backward. I didn’t notice the bed until I bumped into it, and my knees bent, making me fall back on it.

Xander moved fast and, without warning, slipped the leggings onto my feet and into my legs.

“Stop!” I tried to kick him off, but aside from his strong grip, the pain in my heart made me weak. “Xander, please!”

“Don’t let anyone see this tattoo!” He said, his teeth gritting. He was holding my hands together while his other hand pulled the tights up on me.

“Why?” I finally gave up fighting.

“Just do what I say!” He successfully did it, and once he was done, he coiled an arm around my waist and pulled me off the bed, taking me along with him. The band holding my hair snapped, and my hair ended up almost covering my face, but I didn’t have the energy to fix it, even if it was blocking my sight.

“I want to understand what’s going on. What did I do wrong?” I asked in a painful voice.

Xander didn’t answer and proceeded to open the door. He looked along the corridor, and when he saw no one, he took me out of the room and locked the door.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Stay quiet.” He said in a hushed tone, and it was taking all of me not to freak out. He was holding me by my waist, almost half carrying and dragging me. It was painful, but I knew complaining would just lead me nowhere.

So I tried to numb myself. I had no idea what happened. One moment, we were into each other, and the next thing, he was throwing me out.

We walked down the corridor and down the stairs, but instead of going to the ground floor, we proceeded to another staircase going down, which I believed was the basement of this packhouse.

“Where are you taking me?”

“I said don’t make a noise.” He said coldly.

I wanted to scream and defy him, but I was too tired. It had not even been hours since I came here, and I already feel defeated.

“What is this?” I asked when he opened a metal door after he punched in the code.

“Get inside.”

“No. No.” I pushed him off me, but he was faster. He grabbed my waist again and placed me in the secluded room. He dropped me on a single bed before walking away with a fast stride, closing the metal door without even looking at me.

“No!” I screamed as anger surged through my whole body. He had put me in a bunker, and without a code, I knew I would never be able to get out.

I pushed my body off the bed and went to the door, trying to punch all the possible codes I could think of, but it kept beeping. I kept trying until I got a warning.

One more wrong code and it would notify the Alpha directly.

My body shook as I screamed. But I kept fighting to keep my tears from falling. As much as I wanted to get away from this bunker, I didn’t want to deal with Alpha Maddox, as I knew my heat would come soon.

Females who met their mates and were not marked would go into a wild heat every full moon, releasing a scent that would attract every unmated male. The unmated males would go into a haze with only one goal: to fuck the source of the heat.

And the last person I wanted to be around when I went into heat was Alpha Maddox. Given his reputation, I was sure he would take advantage of me.

I kept slamming my palms on the metal door before I rested my forehead against it as I murmured while my tears rolled down my cheeks. “I will make you pay, Xander Trevino! Mark my words!”

NADINE.

As soon as he left, my heat came. And it was the worst feeling that I ever had in my whole life. I was burning and miserable.

In the beginning, I kept myself composed and did my best not to even flinch at the first sign of pain when it came. But as time went on, I couldn’t stop myself anymore.

I was burning. I thought I was about to die. I couldn’t stop my cries anymore. So I just let the pain consume me and added my mate’s name to the list of people who had wronged me.

I thought Xander was different. I thought being his mate would make me special in his eyes. But I was wrong. He was one of the worst kinds.

I spent the whole night crying, cramped up in my little bed. I didn’t know when and how I fell asleep. Or maybe I passed out.

I woke up with my clothes soiled from my sweat and tears. I was sure the whole room was reeking of my juices because of how many times I touched myself until I couldn’t remember anything anymore.

I was the only one in the bunker, but I felt used and violated.

My eyes darted to the camera attached to the roof directly in front of me. I saw three cameras around the room but this was the only one that kept blinking last night, letting me know that someone was watching me.

I was sure he was at the other end. He probably watched me with his men, and they all enjoyed themselves or laughed at me while I touched myself during the peak of my heat.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as my lips quivered.

I felt like an open show.

The camera wasn’t blinking anymore but I turned my body around so my back was on it and I was facing the wall. Only then did I let my sobs go again.

I would cry so hard that when all the tears had gone dry, I would pick myself up and start my plan again. I would not let Xander derail me from reaching my goal.

I had no idea how long I had been in this position when I heard the lock of the metal door click, but instead of smelling my mate, I smelled the Alpha.

I closed my eyes and whispered to my wolf, asking her if she had the energy to help me fight off Alpha Maddox if he attempted to harass me because I was already drained out of it from all the screaming and thrashing I did the whole time I was in heat.

Before my wolf could answer, I felt my body being hoisted up, and I had no choice but to place my hands on the chest of the person who carried me in bridal style.

No words were spoken, and I kept my eyes closed. I had no idea if the Alpha knew I was awake, but at the moment, I didn’t want to talk to anyone.

I felt my lungs expand as I was able to take a breath of fresh air. I was out of the bunker, but I had no idea where he would take me. My eyes remained closed until I heard footsteps approaching and my mate’s scent swirled around me.

“You can give her to me.” Xander’s voice came out cold, as expected.

“No.” The Alpha answered in an equally cold tone. “If I knew you would put her in the bunker, I would have taken care of her myself during her heat.

“Give me my mate, Maddox,” Xander growled at him. It amazed me that he was not afraid of the Alpha. Maybe because they were brothers.

“Out of the way, Beta,” Maddox told him without stopping from walking.

“I said, give me my mate!” Xander roared, and I felt his aura rising. “Or I will fucking grab her from you and I would not care if someone gets hurt.”

I opened my eyes, curious to see the Alpha’s reaction, but then he lowered my body to the floor, and I had no choice but to stand on my feet.

My chest was heaving as I slowly tilted my head up, and it was only then that I realized there was another person beside Xander — a petite female with olive skin tone and long, straight black hair. An Omega.

The Omega smiled at me before she took a step forward. “Let me help you, Lady Nadine.”

“I don’t think she wants your help, Mindy.” Alpha Maddox scoffed sarcastically, and my face heated up.

Pain hit my chest, and in an instant, I pulled my arm harshly from her touch before I threw a deadly glare at Xander. I wondered if he spent the night with her while I was suffering from my heat.

I felt like I was the Omega. I looked like a peasant — my hair was a big mess, and my clothes were soiled from my sweat — compared to how fresh-looking Mindy was with her neatly comb-haired and ironed clothes.

My eyes pooled with tears, but I didn’t take my gaze off Xander, who was also meeting my gaze with a deadly look.

“Let me walk you to your room, Lady Nadine,” Mindy spoke again in her angelic voice, but she didn’t attempt to hold me this time.

I wanted nothing but to scream at her and tell her to stop pretending to be nice to me. But instead, I answered in a calm but sarcastic tone. “I’ve got feet. I can walk on my own.”

“Don’t help her if she doesn’t want to,” Xander told her and my hands coiled onto tight fists as I kept myself from tearing up.

I turned my back to all of them and walked up the stairs. I had no idea where I got the strength to keep my head high and to keep walking despite not having any energy at all. But somehow, I was able to walk arrogantly and made it out of their sight.

If Xander wanted war, I would give him a war he never expected.