“I suggest you don’t fight me when we exit this room. If you do, I will ensure you’re tied to a bed and left there until I finish using you. I’m going to murder your father, and then if you beg me enough, I may let your intended escape here unscathed. He was, after all, lured here by the promise of your pussy. Wasn’t he?”
“Kill him,” I uttered thickly, dropping the sheet to step into the black panties and shorts. Tugging the top on, I turned to stare at the man I’d once loved more than my own life.
I’d needed a reminder that he wasn’t the same person I’d fallen in love with all those years ago. It had been ten years after all, and while he may smell the same and seem the same, he wasn’t. Saint was a stranger now, covered in tattoos with something dark and sinister burning within him. We’d grown up, both of us changing while separated. I couldn’t expect him to be the same boy. This wasn’t the Saint I’d fallen madly in love with in the summer we’d spent together. This was a man that had been banished because of me, and as a result, had become a monster. He wasn’t back to reclaim our love.
He’d come back for one purpose and one alone—to destroy me and everything I loved.
Chapter Three
Outside, the debris and bodies that previously littered the courtyard had been cleared. People were gathered there now, watching what was happening near the middle of the square. Saint and his men walked me through the crowd, and the surrounding voices hushed as we got closer. I didn’t need to see what everyone was staring at because I could smell the blood filling the air and scent the male to which it belonged.
Saint’s men parted, revealing my father seated on the ground, on his knees. My eyes slid over him, and my heart thundered against my chest the moment his cruel eyes lifted, locking with mine. Madness peered up at me, his hatred of me shining in his multi-colored depths, condemning me.
“You’ve been judged and found guilty, Harold Haralson,” Saint’s voice boomed, causing me to jump. His green-blue eyes lifted to mine, a cocky grin spreading over his lips.
“You don’t have the right to judge me, boy!” my father snarled as spittle ejected from his bloodied lips. “Braelyn will never take you back. And even if she did, she’s nothing but a broken little beta now, with nothing to offer a true alpha.”
“Yeah? How about I breed your pretty little bitch where you can see me fucking her?”
My father laughed, his eyes still locked with mine. “Did you tell her what I did to you, boy?” he snarled, spitting out the word boy like a curse. “No, you didn’t tell Braelyn what her rejection did to you because then she’d know the truth.”
“She’ll know it soon enough. I intend to show her exactly what you allowed to happen to us. I’m going to destroy your pretty daughter, Harold. I’m going to breed her like a bitch, listening to her scream against my ear. You promised me I’d never be good enough for her, yet I have her now. You may have poisoned her mind, but I don’t want that from her. I just need her womb to finish the bloodline her mother started. We don’t need you alive for that, though, do we, boys?” Saint asked as his fist sailed toward my father’s face, sending him reeling to the side.
“No, we don’t need his evil ass alive to take everything from him. Right, Bowen?” Sian asked, snorting as he grabbed me, holding me tightly. My heart thundered against my ribs as he inhaled my scent, cupping my breasts tightly. “I think we’ll all enjoy fucking your perfect little Princess on your grave, Harold,” he chuckled. “What do you think, Bowen, you want to fuck Braelyn’s tight body on her father’s grave?” Sian shoved me toward Bowen while Saint watched, his eyes noting the way my body trembled with actual fear instead of lust this time.
“Fuck, yes. I want to hear her scream as I rail the bitch. I bet she likes it hard, don’t you, Princess?” he growled against my ear, wrapping his hand around my throat until the air failed to escape past my lips. “Zayne, you down to fuck her ass while I rail her pussy?” he asked, and before I could push away from Bowen, Zayne was against my chest.
“Mmm, my pleasure. You take her ass, and I’ll start on this side,” Zayne crooned, lifting my chin to hover his lips against mine. “What do you say, pretty pussy cat? You want me to rail your cunt so hard you don’t know anything else but the feel of me stretching it full?”
“She’s got lips, gentlemen, and I require them around my cock,” Phenrys announced, sliding in front of Zayne, then pushing his thumb into my lips while I slowly blinked past the stars, blotching my sight. “Suck me off, Princess? I always wondered how your soft lips would feel wrapped around my cock. I know you kiss clumsily, but a guy can hope you figured out how to use your mouth for something worthwhile in the last ten years, right?”
My legs started to buckle, and Bowen released his grip around my throat slightly to let me gasp air in past Phen’s thumb. It was instinct, closing and opening my mouth as I sucked air into my starving lungs. Phen chuckled, watching me as someone’s hand slipped between my thighs, stroking my sex roughly.
“What do you say, Princess? Do you want to play with us? All of us? We intend to play with you. We can let your daddy watch since you always did everything he asked of you. I bet you make some sweet noises when you’re packed full of cock and choking one down your throat. I bet Saint will even let us take a shot at breeding your needy cunt,” Sian chuckled, watching as I struggled in the arms of the others.
Something wet splashed against my face, and I blinked, scenting the coppery tang of blood. Eryx, who smirked at me with his dark onyx eyes, turned my head forcibly. The look that burned in them terrified me more than the hands roughly exploring my body.
“I think we should all take turns making her come. Once that pussy is swollen, I say we fuck it raw until she only knows pain. I’ve always wanted to fuck you, but you knew that before you ever belonged to your mate. Didn’t you? You used to hide from me and run if I even got close to you.” Eryx’s grip tightened until I screamed, then he stepped out of the way to show me what was happening.
Saint was pounding my father’s face into the ground before he ripped him to his feet. My father’s face was little more than a bloodied pulp, but that wasn’t enough. Saint’s hand shoved through my father’s back, punching through his chest with his beating heart held in his palm. The crowd cheering him on as he’d pulverized my father went silent. Saint pulled my father’s heart back through his chest with one hand. Using a blade in the other, he severed his head from his body, sending more blood to splatter over his men and me, watching it unfolding.
“Your daddy told us all about you, Braelyn. He even brought me pictures of my mate being fucked. I say we tie her up and use her until she’s nothing more than what she craved to be for her daddy. His precious little whore he passed around to his friends, using her pussy to lure his enemies into slaughter. How many children did you lure in for him? Hundreds? Thousands?” Saint moved to stare down at me as his men still held me. His words echoed in my head, but I couldn’t make sense of them.
Saint’s crew parted, allowing him to slide in front of me. He lifted his bloodied hand, curling his fingers tightly around my jaw before shoving my father’s heart against my lips.
“Fucking eat it, bitch,” he seethed, watching me through crimson eyes. I opened my mouth, and my canines descended, taking a bite from the rough muscle organ. Blood dripped from my lips, running down my throat as he watched me. I ripped it off, holding the tears at bay as I chewed the gritty meat. Saint held the organ to his lips, ripping off a sizeable chunk before passing it around to his men. My body buzzed with the wrongness of having this many males close to me, but my eyes didn’t leave Saint’s crimson alpha gaze while I swallowed the meat. His lips curved into a sinister smile before he leaned closer. “How does daddy taste?”
“Salty,” I whispered, causing the men to laugh.
Saint’s eyes returned to normal before he leaned closer, brushing his bloodied lips against mine. He lifted his hand, pushing fingers through my hair before wrenching
my head back, slamming his lips against mine while Bowen held me in place. His kiss wasn’t gentle, fueled with the rage and lust that death created in our breed. He devoured me as if I was next on the menu.
“The interesting thing about your rejection, Princess, is that Saint doesn’t crave you as much as you crave him. That means he won’t be disappointed when he finds out you like my cock more than his,” Eryx laughed, watching my head roll back as Saint lifted his, staring down at me.
“I get her first, boys. After all, she fucked me the hardest,” Saint snorted, glaring at me as he stepped back. “Bring out my mate’s chosen alpha that she intended to fuck tonight. I find myself wanting to murder him too. After all, he dared to touch what rightfully belongs to me. Afterward, we’ll get to know each other better, mate.”
Saint’s men didn’t release me, even as Carlson was pulled from where he’d been watching everything unfold. Unlike my father, he fought off the men who grabbed him. Saint snorted, lowering his head while the struggling alpha was brought closer against his will.
“Did you touch her?” Saint asked, and Carlson’s glare searched me out.
“No, I didn’t. I should have. She wanted it well enough,” Carlson spat, glaring at me as if this was my fault.
I snorted, sliding my unimpressed gaze down his body. Carlson growled, but my body didn’t respond as it grew in sound. Saint examined me as I turned my lip up at Carlson’s weak attempt to make me react. Saint growled from deep in his chest, and I lifted my ass, whimpering as my legs threatened to give out. Eryx smirked, canting his head as his nostrils flared.
“And so the ice princess melted, and her pussy wept to be filled.” Eryx smiled with darkness peeking out from within him that terrified me. Out of all Saint’s friends, Eryx was the most twisted and insane. The fucker had worn a suit to battle, merely rolling up his sleeves as if he’d worried about getting them dirty.
“Fucking whore,” Carlson snapped, spitting on the ground in a show of disrespect.
“Just not whore enough to trip and land on your dick, though, right?” I taunted, watching the anger pulse through him.
“I ought to wreck your fucking vagina, bitch.”
“Let’s be honest here, Carlson. The only vagina you’ve ever wrecked was your mother’s when you came out of it. From the stories I’ve heard from your betas, you’re rather—lacking down there,” I laughed, watching the anger reach a boil as his eyes turned crimson.
The men holding me snorted and chuckled as Carlson lunged toward me. Saint’s fist landed against Carlson’s face, slamming him back without warning. Carlson sailed backward, turning his attention on the larger threat present. The pack went crazy, howling and cheering as they watched two evenly matched alphas face off together. Fucking savages.
Even I enjoyed watching Saint beating the fuck out of the other alpha. Carlson threw a punch, and Saint dodged it, his body, a rippling mass of sinewy muscles, glistening in the torchlights. Saint was toned in all the right places, and the tattoos he’d chosen to adorn his skin fit him perfectly, contouring against his muscles. Saint’s anger fueled the crowd as his skilled moves fed them energy.
Saint fighting was a sight to behold. He dodged every attack easily, landing several hard punches in the process. His body pulsed and tensed, moving fluidly like a dance. My body hummed with lust, undeniably so. His scent filled the air, forcing my wolf to the front of my mind. My nipples hardened, and when Bowen noticed, he strummed his thumb over the tank top that covered them while grunting in my ear.
“He fucks like he fights, Princess. Hard, fast, and with no fucking mercy against those who betray him or touches what belongs to him. Saint is going to enjoy your pretty screams,” Bowen growled. Eryx turned toward me, his mouth slanting up into a wicked smile that made his maddening, dark eyes sparkle.
Saint howled, forcing our attention back to him. He stood in the middle of the courtyard, holding Carlson’s severed head, announcing himself the new alpha of the pack. It was a loud, mighty howl that forced the pack to their knees. Even I tried to drop, but the arms holding me prevented my body from doing what it demanded I do. Submit.
Green-blue eyes slid to mine before Saint tossed Carlson’s head toward me. He rolled his neck, and before I could react, Saint used his power to slam against me, forcing me to the ground. My body thudded against it, and when he lowered to me, I immediately wrapped my legs around Saint’s waist as his teeth pushed into my shoulder, claiming me.
Pleasure and pain fought against one another. My eyes stared up sightlessly, seeing nothing past the red-haze of lust his mouth against my flesh created. Saint pushed his cock against my apex, slowly licking over the mating mark he’d placed on my shoulder, declaring me off-limits to everyone else—everyone except the men, who watched us with molten lust burning in their stares. He slammed his fist into the ground beside my head, studying me as I gasped at the need he’d created.
“Now, you’re mine, Brat. Eryx, have the women set up the mating bed. Bowen, get the whiskey and alcohol flowing. The rest of you, murder those Carlson brought with him and give the women a choice to join us or die with their alpha. Phen, ensure everything is ready for me to mate my little bitch the moment that moon rises tonight. I’m not chancing her escaping me again.” Saint pulled me up, forcing me to walk forward toward the lodge. “Move, you need to bathe before the mating, Brat.”
I started forward, sliding my eyes to the pack where Toralei stood. Panic ripped through me, knowing that if she was here, so were the children. My stomach churned, and Saint grabbed my arm, dragging me past her as I dug my feet in, staring at her.
“Walk, or I’ll carry you, Braelyn. You still need to learn the terms of your surrender. Unless, of course, you prefer we all come to your bedroom, and you entertain us?”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat, walking with Saint out of the courtyard. I could hear the pack already descending on the bodies of dead alphas, which would be consumed as a show of disrespect. It was one reason I’d been able to keep my shit together. Saint’s men had taunted me about fucking me on my father’s grave, but honorless alphas weren’t buried; they were consumed and shat out as a statement of how the pack truly felt about them.
The lodge’s broken doors came into view. Saint’s people were already repairing the ax holes, or, more to the point, patching them from the enormous holes he’d made to remove the board that had barred it. Inside, Saint refused to release my wrist as he dragged me behind him. My pride was hurt, but I wasn’t upset about his return. The timing had been shit, but what would he have done if he’d shown up after the coup had happened? Too bad I’d never know.
Chapter Four
In my bedroom, Saint closed the door behind him, sealing out the world. My body shivered violently, battling the combination of lust and bloodlust, which to our kind, was harder to do when both were present. We were savages derived from Viking bloodlines.
“Strip,” Saint ordered, forcing my head to whip in his direction.
“You want me to sit at your feet too? You best be offering me some treats if you expect me to do tricks.” His eyes sparkled as he moved toward me, his body pulsing, still bathed in the blood of my father and Carlson. I was covered in it, too, my mouth caked in the blood from my father’s heart.
Saint didn’t take the bait. Instead, he leaned against my dresser, studying me like cornered prey. I stood awkwardly, noting every single contour of his chest on display. He hadn’t been this brazen before I’d banished him. He’d hardly ever gone shirtless, and if this was a new habit, I could get behind it.
Looking at Saint, I noticed the same darkness in his eyes that his men now had. It made me curious to know where they’d been, what they’d done while I’d been stuck on this mountain, picking up the slack from my deadbeat father. He’d never lifted a finger to help the pack, forcing me to do it through members of the pack loyal to me. I pretended to be a dutiful daughter, but I secretly ran the pack since before my tits
had even blossomed.
My entire life went to shit when my father murdered my mother for birthing only female offspring. On her second pregnancy, the midwife announced she carried yet another female. My father caught her off guard, murdering her while I’d stood in the room, watching. The problem for him was that I held the pack through my ancient, powerful bloodline, traced back to the first wolves created by our god, Fenrir.
If it hadn’t been for Fenrir’s blood running through my veins, I had no disillusion that my father would have murdered me on that floor right beside my loving mother. I hadn’t made a single noise when he killed her, bashing her head into nothing more than an unrecognizable mess. She’d taught me to hide my fear and to protect and control how I reacted to it. It was just an emotion, after all. A useless one that enemies would exploit the moment they scented it.
“I don’t think you’re grasping the situation here, Braelyn. Your status has been reduced to nothing unless I decide otherwise. If I want you to sit at my feet, you will. I just murdered your father and spared your life. You were supposed to die alongside him, but I decided I didn’t want you dead. I want you to suffer as we did. You allowed your father to hurt us for fun, and now it’s your turn.”
“Excuse me?” I asked, backing up the moment he stepped forward.
Saint prowled closer, and I darted away before he could pin me in. His hand shot out, slamming me back against the wall before his body hit mine. My teeth clashed together, causing me to bite my tongue. Blood pooled in my mouth as he smirked, glaring at me through darkening eyes.
I shifted, lifting my hands to push his massive body away so that coherent thoughts would enter my brain, but the motion didn’t end well. His large hand grabbed my wrists, wrapping around both easily before he slammed them against the wall above my head.
Those eyes I once wished to drown within turned cold, and before I could guess his thoughts, he released my hands and ripped my shirt open. A startled scream tore from my throat, echoing through the room as he reached down, shredding my shorts. My body shuddered, and then my hands darted forward, trailing my nails down his massive chest as anger shot through me.
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