Dora's POV
I stood frozen as King loomed over me, one large hand still gripping my wrist. His stormy eyes bored into mine intensely, seeking answers to some unasked question. "What are you really afraid of here with me, little one?" he murmured. His free hand came to rest on my hip, fingers splaying over the curve there and tracing idle patterns that raised goosebumps along my skin. I shivered involuntarily at his proximity and the dangerous note lurking beneath his soft tone.How could I even begin to articulate the riotous feelings this controlling yet captivating man stirred within me? I hardly understood them myself - this jumble of wariness, reluctant attraction, and near painful awareness whenever we were close. My mouth went dry and I simply stared up at him wordlessly. King's eyes darkened, reading deeper meanings in my silence. His grip on my wrist tightened almost imperceptibly as he backed me against the wall, caging me between hDora's POV Eventually the hypnotic in and out of his breathing lulled me into dozing off still half seated on the mattress edge. I jolted awake some time later, disoriented to find myself slumped over with one arm pillowing my head. The cause of my startled awakening soon became apparent - raised voices filtered under the door from the adjoining study. I could make out King's distinctive baritone and an older man's sharper tenor tone. Their conversation sounded heated, though I could not decipher the exact words.I bit my lip anxiously, debating whether to creep closer to eavesdrop. But just then the pup stirred and whimpered beside me. All thoughts of the argument vanished as I turned my focus on comforting the distressed child. "Shh, you're safe now, little one, I promise," I soothed, smoothing the tangled red curls from his brow. Unfocused amber eyes blinked up at me dazedly before drifting closed again. Still, my voice and gentle pets seemed to calm him. His breaths evened out
Dora's POV A week had passed since the harrowing incident in the woods. Both my own scrapes and the pup's leg wound had healed nicely in that time. I was grateful for the peaceful recovery, spending the days reading in the sunshine streaming through King's study window as he worked at his desk nearby. The relationship between us seemed to have shifted after weathering that shared trauma. King no longer pressed me for physical affection, seemingly content just to provide quiet company as I rested. In turn, I found myself seeking him out more often, drawn by his solid presence. We would share meals in easy silence or sit gazing at the stars in the evening. I treasured those unguarded moments between us.But this morning, the week of convalescence had come to an end. It was time for me to resume training with the pack. I dressed in the simple exercise clothes left folded at the end of the bed and made my way down to the dormitory wing. Knocking lightly before entering, I found Stella
Sera's POVI paced my bedroom agitatedly, mind churning through increasingly desperate schemes. But nothing tempered the helplessness churning in my gut. I had never been so utterly thwarted and powerless before. Each day cemented Dora's position and eroded my own standing in the pack. Much longer, and King might formally name her his mate and Luna, sealing my fate. "Why are you so worked up over King? He's not even our mate!" My wolf whined mournfully, sensing our mate in name only was lost to us forever. But I stubbornly silenced her weak pleas, refusing to relinquish this fight so easily. King belonged with me. "Once I rid him of the parasite clouding his mind, he would come to his senses. I only needed to act decisively."A timid knock interrupted my frenetic thoughts. One of the maid servants hovered in the doorway, dipping into a low bow. "A thousand apologies for disturbing you, my Luna. But your guest has arrived - a Miss Brittany Woods from the NightShade pack."I hurriedly
Dora's POVI dragged my feet up the steps to my apartment, exhausted after another failed day of job hunting. "Come on, Dora, you need to find a job quickly or you won't be able to afford groceries or pay rent," I scolded myself. "Get out there and keep applying - something will turn up soon if you stay persistent."With no job on the horizon, I worried about how I would pay for necessities like food and housing if my unemployment stretched on much longer.It had been a month since I was let go from my job at the diner, and my savings were completely dried up. Being an orphan, I had no family to turn to for help. And since moving to this town right after high school, I hadn't made many close friends either. As I unlocked my apartment door and stepped inside, my stomach let out a loud growl."Gosh, I'm so hungry," I said aloud to myself. "It feels like it's been forever since I've had a good meal."I walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge, frowning when I saw how barren it was.
Dora's POV"Shit, I'm fucked." I blurted as I rounded the corner, coming face to face with a hulking bouncer. He had to be over six and a half feet tall, with bulging muscles straining against his black t-shirt. But it wasn't his size that made my heart skip a beat - it was the large silver fang dangling from a heavy chain around his neck. I had heard whispers about the notorious Silver Fang gang that controlled this part of the city. They were a secretive bunch, identifiable only by the fang accessories and tattoos that marked their allegiance. I had never laid eyes on one before tonight. Just my luck to stumble across one now."I...I was just..." I stammered, taking a few steps back. The instinct to flee was overpowering my craving for warmth and a hot meal. Nothing good could come from engaging with a gang member. I pivoted to hurry away, but collided with a solid wall of muscle. "Oww," I groaned, looking up, I saw another hulking figure, this one with a gleaming silver fang ea
Dora's POVI was focused on clearing my plate of food, not paying much attention to my surroundings, when a bone-chilling howl suddenly echoed through the hall. The music and idle chatter ceased immediately. My heart hammered as I took in the group entering with domineering strides. "What the hell?"At the front were five powerfully built men, taller and broader than anyone else in the room. Black leather ensembles and ornate wolf masks obscured their features, but their commanding presence left no doubt - these were the gang's leaders. Silver fangs glinted menacingly at throats and earlobes. My eyes were drawn to the central figure, clearly the top boss. Though I couldn't see his face, there was an air of lethal grace surrounding him that appealed to my baser instincts."Stop staring unless you want to die!" A girl beside me whispered, elbowing me to the guts not so gently.I tore my gaze away and kept my mouth shut.The rest of the crowd instantly parted for the new arrivals, bowi
Dora's POVI bolted from the hall, the deafening howl ringing in my ears. I didn't dare look back, certain I'd see men chasing after me. But as I ran headlong into the night, the only sound was my frantic footsteps. Finally I had to stop, gasping for breath."Hopefully he won't look for me."I pressed myself into a shadowed doorway, praying I had put enough distance between myself and that strange hall of thugs. But I knew staying in the city was impossible now. As my heartbeat slowed, I became aware of the chill rain still falling. The storm seemed reluctant to release the city from its dreary grasp. Shivering, I hunched deeper into the scant shelter of the doorway. "Where could I go now?"The streets were mostly empty in the late hour. I began walking again, aimless but unable to bear remaining still. At every corner, I glanced over my shoulder nervously. The city was unfamiliar to me, but I had to keep moving. At a street crossing I bumped into a man, mumbling an apology. When
Dora's POV I awoke slowly, aware first of dull soreness in my neck. Blinking up at an unfamiliar ceiling, it took me a moment to get my bearings. I was in a luxurious bedroom filled with morning sunlight. "For a brief, confused moment I wondered if I had died and somehow ended up in heaven."Gingerly I sat up, pressing a hand to my tender neck. Flashes of memory returned - the fangs, the chase through the rainy city streets, and King's handsome but terrifying face as he pinned me down, his teeth at my throat..."Blast!"I bolted from the bed and rushed to the bathroom, afraid of what I would see in the mirror. Bandages were taped to the side of my neck over two small mm puncture marks - bite marks. King's bite. It all came rushing back. How he had bitten me in some bizarre possessive gesture before I mercifully passed out in the SUV. Revulsion and anger churned in my gut. I had been kidnapped by that gang leader who insisted I was his "mate". I was halfway to the door, ready to f