In the hallway I paused as their voices echoed in the main room. Turning my head, I peered at the doorway that led to the outcrop building, and I rushed toward it. I didn’t think I would escape Saint and his men, not when I knew how they tracked and their ability to do so. I was merely buying Tora time to run with the children, hoping they wouldn’t end up as collateral damage.
“Come on, Brat. Don’t play hard to get,” Saint’s deep baritone voice filled my ears, sending a wave of unease into my belly.
“She always enjoyed when you chased that ass,” Eryx injected, which caused the hair on my nape to rise with awareness.
Laughter echoed around me as I slid behind a large shelf inside the newly renovated library. My heartbeat was erratic, and the scent of my fear was smothering to my senses. I projected it, allowing them to catch it before I shed my robe, shoving it onto a shelf and rushing to the other side of the room.
“Mmm, she always smelled like trouble, too. A little fear, a little woman, and a whole lot of promise for the sexy little bitch she’d become. Come on, Princess. We want to play with you,” Sian chuckled, his laughter wicked and dark like the soul he held within him.
Another voice entered the one-sided conversation. “Her lips are to die for, but then they’re as poisonous as the bitch that owns them,” Phenrys grunted. “I always wondered if they’d feel as good around my cock, but then little Miss Prim wouldn’t ever give up the goods. Would you, Brae?”
I almost snorted, listening while they moved through the library’s large, elaborate layout as one unit. It was how they did everything. They had hunted me once, which had terrified and excited me. It ended with Saint discovering me and our link igniting in this very room since the library was where I’d spent most of my time.
“Come on, woman. Don’t keep us hanging. Let us see you. You know you want to play with us. This brings back memories, doesn’t it? Us hunting you down, and you finding out your mate was one of us, only to fuck him over in the cruelest way? I didn’t take you for a sentimental bitch, Princess.” Zayne’s tone held amusement, causing a shiver to rush down my spine.
I heard them pounce where I’d discarded my robe, and grunts of laughter escaped to fill the room. I lifted my eyes to the window that led into the courtyard, beyond where the pack had gathered. My body trembled as I dashed forward, hearing their cries of discovery as I left my hiding place, rushing toward the window.
I launched my body into the air and yelped as something solid collided against me. I bounced, landing on the floor with a bone-jarring thud. Flipping onto my ass, I stared up as Saint looked down at me. His men formed a V behind him, all foreboding in their attire.
They’d grown up. Saint was the largest and roughest around the edges. Phenrys was smaller than the others, but he was Saint’s beta and always had been. Eryx was sex incarnate in his impeccable suit. Tattoos peeked from beneath his rolled-up sleeves and the collar of the crisp white shirt, running up his jawline to vanish in his hair. Cassian, aka Sian, was covered in blood with too much flesh showing. A deep V-line led into his jeans, whispering promises of sin, tattooed in the lines leading to his cock. Zayne, the nerd of the pack, wore red suspenders with a bright blood-red bowtie, also covered in blood that had splattered his glasses. Not that Zayne needed the glasses, but he still wore the things because he thought they made him look smart. And Bowen, the brute of the group, known to make women scream for hours on end, even before he’d become an adult.
“Miss me, Brat?” Saint asked, causing the surrounding men to chuckle.
His stare slid over my scantily clothed body with hunger and a glint of something sinister and cold in his eyes that terrified me. My chest rose and fell with my labored breathing as they all watched me, hoping I fought against them. Saint’s generous mouth curved into a wicked grin as he strode closer, lowering to his haunches and grabbing my thighs painfully.
“I asked you a fucking question, Braelyn.”
“Why the hell did you come back here? You were free. All of you were free of this place. You could have gone anywhere and done anything you wanted with your lives. Yet you came back here?”
“I promised to destroy you. Don’t you remember? I’ve always kept my promises, haven’t I? Unlike you, Princess. I should have known you were just like your father. Guess I won’t make that mistake again. Right, boys?” Their sinister laughter filled the library, sending a tremor of fear rushing down my spine. “Get up, now.”
Saint stood, watching as I struggled to get to my feet. The moment I succeeded, I kicked my foot out, gasping as he dodged it, grabbing my arm to yank my body against his. The nearness caused my wolf to peer out, itching to get to his. My body heated from his touch, burning for what we’d failed to do the last time we were together.
Saint’s eyes glazed over, turning crimson as his wolf peered into my gaze. Our bond wasn’t something either of us could ignore, but apparently, he intended to fix that issue. The scent he oozed caused my lips to part as a soft moan escaped my throat. He walked me backward until my spine slammed against the wall, and his hand slid up and around my throat. He didn’t apply enough pressure to cut the air off to my lungs, but it was enough to feel the dominance he held over me.
“Fight it all you like, Brae. In fact, I hope you fucking do fight me. This thing between us—it’s happening. After I’ve claimed you, you can do whatever the fuck you want as long as I approve of it. You’re about to know how the bitches beneath you feel when they’re nothing but a fucking breeder. That was your worst fear, wasn’t it? Being nothing more than a pretty womb that some alpha used to breed his pups?”
I didn’t answer him. Instead, I studied the changes in his face. He’d grown into a primal male that exuded alpha pheromones. He’d surpassed all my expectations. Sea-green eyes that changed with his mood held mine, and the midnight hair that dusted his forehead and shoulders held a blue tint beneath the moon’s illuminating light.
His eyes drifted over the changes in my face, no longer the teenage girl he’d fallen in love. My body had blossomed in his absence, and my breasts had gone from an average B-cup to a D. My hips had filled out, accentuated by a slight bubble butt that gave it a healthy bounce. I’d also shot up, reaching six feet in height, which still made me seem fragile and delicate to his nearly seven-foot frame.
“You grew up, Brat. You grew up good, didn’t you?” Saint mused with a thickness in his tone that caused my nipples to harden from an eagerness to feel his heated breath against them. His thumb moved, rubbing over my full lips before he snorted. “Red isn’t your color. What’s the matter? Can’t speak without your daddy present to hear your words?”
“I don’t need my father to tell me how fucked I am right now, Saint. I can do the math on that one myself.” He lowered his mouth to my ear and nipped my earlobe. He tugged it with his teeth, releasing it as a growl escaped his chest with a deep vibration that slithered over my body.
“You have no idea how fucked you really are, but you will figure it out soon enough. Now be a good girl and show me to your bedroom. I can’t have you watching me slaughter your daddy while you’re still wearing your fucking mating gown; now can we, boys?” Saint smiled cruelly as they laughed. “Move, or I’ll remind you why pissing me off isn’t a good idea.”
Chapter Two
Saint and his men walked me through the hallways that were now crawling with strangers. Unfortunately, in true fashion, they blocked anyone from seeing my skimpily clothed body while keeping me from seeing anyone else. The scents of human hunters, demons, and wolves inside the lodge set off warning bells in my head. Those three types of creatures never went together. No matter how hard they tried to be allies, it always ended in a bloodbath.
At the door to my room, Eryx reached past me, opening it only to groan as they discovered it was filled with women. His startling green eyes moved back to meet mine, and then a deep, loud growl rumbled from his chest, sending the betas and omegas in my room into a frenzy. My b
ody pulsed, and Saint chuckled, yanking me back as his arm slung around my middle, pulling my body against his.
The women slinked out of the room, some of them crawling on their knees in fear. I had to fight the urge to kick Eryx for creating their panic, but I was certain I’d pay for any slight against them. Saint’s thumb rubbed my nipple, the action done on purpose to let me know he smelled the arousal that was oozing from my body.
Once the room was emptied and the men had checked it for weapons, Saint shoved me inside without warning. I tripped, catching myself before I could face-plant onto the floor. Turning, I watched as he entered behind me, closing the door. He silently moved his eyes over my scarcely filled room, picking up a chair that he placed at the end of my bed, sitting on it to watch me.
“Strip,” he growled, sitting back in a relaxed pose with his hands on the armrests of the chair.
“No,” I snorted, crossing my arms over my chest to hide the tremor in my hands from his raspy tone. Saint’s lips twisted into a sardonic smile as his eyes sparkled with mirth while he let his gaze slide down my lithe frame.
“Take off the fucking mating gown, Braelyn. I won’t ask you again,” he warned huskily.
“I told you no, Saint.” He stood abruptly and moved toward me without warning.
I back-peddled, and a soft cry escaped my lips when my rear connected with the dresser. Saint’s hands landed on either side of me, caging my body against the wood. The amusement in his expression sent a ripple of warning through me. His mouth lowered, brushing against mine, hovering there without touching my lips. I knew he felt my body tremble from his nearness, smelling the anxiousness his proximity created.
“It wasn’t a request, Brat. I wasn’t asking you to take it off. I was telling you to remove the gown you intended to fuck Carlson in, now,” he murmured softly, sending confusion through me.
He stood back, watching me as his hands trailed over my shoulders, sliding to the front of the gown before he tore it wide open.
My chest rose and fell with labored breathing. Saint held my stare captive, never dropping his gaze to my breasts. The gown slithered to the floor, pooling around my feet before something cold pressed against my stomach. My entire body shuddered at feeling a blade against my naked belly. My attention remained on his face, uncaring that it would probably be the last thing I ever saw before he murdered me.
Lips trembling, I gasped as the cold blade moved over my heated skin. His lips curled into a sinful smile before he lowered his attention to my bralette, sliding the knife blade beneath it to cut through the lace, revealing my left breast. He did the same with the other, leisurely moving the blade higher to cut the straps and then the middle fabric that hugged my ribs.
“Did you fuck him?” he asked softly, running the dull edge of the blade against my erect nipple.
“No,” I replied honestly.
“Did you want to?” Saint stared at my chest as I shook my head in reply. “Use your words, Princess. I’m playing with your nipple, and I’d hate to slip.”
“No, I didn’t,” I whimpered, gasping as the blade cut into my breast. Saint lowered his heated mouth, trailing his tongue over the small cut he’d made. His saliva healed the wound, but the bite of pain remained as he stood back, studying me.
Snorting at my answer, he slid his eyes behind me before he reached over, leaning against my body to light the candles that sat on the dresser. When he was done, he turned me around to face the dresser. His hands grabbed mine, placing them onto the wooden top before he pushed my thighs apart with his foot.
“Are you afraid of me or excited? Your body is responding to mine, but you reek of fear, Princess,” Saint chuckled, his tone thick and husky.
“Both,” I admitted, hating that he could smell the state of my body.
Warm lips moved over my shoulder, sending a violent tremor rushing through me down to my toes. My stomach clenched with need while fear tugged at my mind.
Saint laughed against my skin, sending heat pooling to my core as he stepped back to take in my ass, arching for him. I was twisted, but who wouldn’t be with a mate like this asshole? My nipples pebbled into hard peaks, begging for his mouth to pleasure them. My scent released, and no matter how much I fought the wolf within me, she refused to behave with her true soul mate this close.
The dull side of his blade lowered from the base of my neck, slowly trailing to the curve of my ass. I dropped my head forward, fighting the moan that built in my throat. Saint used the blade to cut the soft material that was my only defense from him. His heavy stare burned against my skin, and I didn’t need to see his eyes to know he was taking in the curve of my spine, bowed in submission.
A deep, rumbling growl built in his chest until he finally unleashed it on me. It quaked against my skin, causing small bumps of awareness to continue until his tone bordered on demonic. The air left my lungs in a whoosh, and arousal coated my sex from the deep, demanding growl he released. My spine lifted and arched up invitingly, begging him to take what I offered. It wasn’t just need rushing through me; it was a visceral ache that tore at the genetics embedded in my soul.
“Holy shit,” I murmured, hating that my body wanted to gyrate and spread for Saint to fuck me hard and fast before burying his fangs into my body, leaving me marked deeper than ever before. It shouldn’t be that easy to get me, yet everything within me was screaming for him.
This mate crap was for the birds, not wolves.
Saint slipped his hand around my waist, lifting until his palm touched against my throat. His other hand was slowly sliding down to my sex that clenched and begged him to fill it with his essence. The savage wolf within me didn’t understand or even care that he intended to hurt us and leave us in a heap of destroyed ruins. Saint jerked my body back, chuckling as a moan bubbled up, escaping my lips.
“Tell me this isn’t for me,” he urged, his fingers sliding through the arousal he’d created by allowing his wolf to speak to mine. “You’re so fucking wet right now. You’d let me fuck you, wouldn’t you? Your wolf wouldn’t let you fight it right now. Tell me I’m wrong, Brae. How is it she responds to me so easily if you’re not mine?”
“She has a split personality disorder on her best days,” I whispered huskily, rubbing my pussy against his fingers.
“She knows she’s mine by right.” He pushed a single finger into my body, and it tightened, holding him within. Everything went haywire inside of me. My stomach coiled, a deep ache throbbed where he slowly worked his finger into my opening. He withdrew, lifting his finger until the sound of him sucking it clean entered my hearing. I gasped, shuddering against his heated body.
“You’re not marked,” he pointed out, slowly releasing my throat to step back. The heat I’d felt diminished, and left me cold. “How is it you intended to mate that prick tonight, yet his mark doesn’t grace your flawless skin?” he demanded, but his voice had come from across the room.
I peered over my shoulder, taking him in as he lounged in the chair. I spun around slowly to face him, hating the need still coursing through me. The look in his eyes made my body tighten and burn with desire. Saint lifted his hand, and his finger motioned for me to come toward him. Instead, I leaned against the dresser, knowing that if I obeyed, I wasn’t leaving this room a virgin.
“Come here,” he rumbled, his voice a mixture of lust and anger that made my nipples harden with anticipation. “Don’t make me come get you. You won’t like what happens.”
Swallowing past the tightening in my throat, I walked to where he sat reclining in the chair. I remained out of his reach, but he sat forward abruptly, grabbing my hips to pull me forward. My body toppled against his, catching his shoulders as he sat back, forcing me to straddle his body or remain lying on him at an awkward angle.
Saint’s tongue swiped out, tasting the rosebud that taunted him. I gasped at the feel of his heated mouth against my nipple, whimpering as he nipped it playfully. His fingers bit into my hips, hold
ing me down against his hard arousal.
“Did you miss me? I missed you. I missed the taste of your lips and the way your eyes sparkled when you were thinking inappropriate thoughts. The way heat painted your cheeks like they are right now. Mostly, I thought about ways to punish you for what you did to me, to us. Tell me I’m not your mate. Tell me you don’t feel me as deeply as I feel you right now.”
I shook my head softly, peering down at him while he watched. His attention moved from my face to drag slowly down my body. Saint sat up abruptly, forcing my chest to press against his. Finger’s trailed up my spine to clasp at the back of my neck before he brought his mouth against mine.
A hungry growl slipped from my lungs, and my body rocked against his. His tongue slid along my lips, pushing past them to tangle with mine. Raw, intense need rocked into my core, and I unleashed what little control I held. I lifted my hands from his shoulders, pushing through his thick hair to hold him against my mouth. The scent of my need freed, filling the room to duel with his as he dominated me harder, using just his kiss.
Saint lifted me, forcing my legs to wrap around his waist as he moved us to the bed. Following me down, he lifted his head, peering between our bodies where my arousal was coating my needy sex. He placed his forehead against mine, slowly backing up to look between my thighs.
“You are exactly what your father told me you were, Braelyn. A needy, willing whore that would fuck anyone, even your enemies, if they came to pillage and plunder your cunt,” Saint snorted derisively. “Cover yourself, and act like you’re not some easy pussy that fucks anyone willing to touch it.”
His words left me speechless as tears pricked my eyes. My body shook with rage and confusion. Pulling the sheet up around me, I moved to my dresser, grabbing panties, a tank top, and shorts that hugged my thick curves. His words stung since I hadn’t ever been willing to fuck anyone.
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