Chapter 3 Paired With The Gang's Boss.

Dora's POV

I 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, bowing subserviently. "The Alpha King approaches! Clear a path for our exalted leader!" The warnings came from all sides. 

Another jab had me shooting to my feet, not wanting to attract negative attention by remaining seated.

As the procession passed my table, hushed whispers broke out among the other girls. 

"The Alpha King remains mateless...he must be here to choose his Luna!" 

"Imagine, being mate to the most powerful wolf in the city..." The girls sounded eager, rather than afraid. I suppressed a shudder.

So this imposing figure was the true leader of the Silver Fangs? The one I had heard terrifying rumors about? No wonder he exuded such dominance - he was likely used to absolute obedience from his gang. 

The Alpha King and his entourage ascended to a raised platform holding a carved wooden throne and arranged themselves lazily on sumptuous cushions and chairs. The Alpha's black wolf mask surveyed the room imperiously before he nodded to an attendant carrying an elaborate staff. 

At an unheard signal, the young women around me sprang into action. Forming a line, they presented themselves for inspection to the newly arrived gang leaders. I froze, unsure what to do, until the chatty girl from beside me grabbed my hand and tugged me into place. 

"Hurry up! This is our chance to be chosen!" she urged. I focused on keeping my breathing steady and not bolting for the exit. Every nerve was screaming at me that nothing good could come from catching the eye of these dangerous men.

Yet I couldn't stop myself from sneaking glances at the imposing figure on the throne. The Alpha King seemed tense, his fists clenching. I had the uncanny sense of his eyes following me, even though his mask hid them from view. 

A strange, shimmering light filled the hall, mesmerizing in its beauty. It swirled languidly around certain girls, who gasped in delight. My table mate gave a small shriek as the light caressed her skin. 

Immediately, several of the gang members leapt to their feet and approached the illuminated women with long strides. With grand gestures, they dropped to one knee before their chosen lady.

"Stella, the mating bond flares bright between us. I pledge myself as your mate - do you accept this union?" The question was delivered in a deep rumble, but the awe in the man's voice was clear. So Stella was her name.

"Yes, Vincent, I accept you as my mate!" Stella cried joyously. My stomach turned. Were these women so eager to chain themselves to criminals? But they all seemed overjoyed at being selected, except one. As I mauled over the strangeness of the situation, a certain commotion got my attention.

"No! I reject you, Noah!" 

A pretty blonde yelled, shoving away the man reaching for her. "I refuse!" Anxious murmurs broke out at this defiance. I prayed I would not be forced into a similar choice tonight. 

"So we're allowed to refuse?" That's a relief.

The whispering rose to a crescendo when the shimmering light danced before me. 

"No, no, no! This could not be happening."

I took an instinctive step back, only to be brought up short by an iron grip on my arm. One of the lieutenants, a dangerous-looking man with a fang tattoo curling up his neck, yanked me forward. 

"Where do you think you're going, little lamb. You cannot resist what is meant to be," he purred. Revulsion rose in my throat.

Before I could react, an enraged snarl cut through the room, sending chills down my spine. In a blur of movement, the Alpha King bounded from his throne and tore me from the lieutenant's grasp.  

"Mine!" The Alpha's guttural claim rang out clearly in the silence as he wrapped me in his embrace. I froze, overwhelmed. His burning heat surrounded me, chasing away the chill from my rain-drenched body. This close, his earthy, masculine scent made my head spin. 

"What was happening to me?"

The Alpha moved with sudden determination, pulling off his mask to reveal chiseled features and intense blue eyes that drank me in. My lips parted in surprise. He was young, and dangerously attractive. The intricate fang chain around his strong neck marked him as a man of power and violence, but I could not make myself afraid. Something foreign stirred inside me, wanting more of his touch.

Gently, he grasped my chin and tilted my face up, breath mingling with mine. "No other shall have you, little mate. You are destined for me alone," he murmured before capturing my lips in a searing kiss.  

My eyes fluttered shut and I unconsciously leaned into his hard chest. My hands came up to grip his leather jacket as desire coursed through me. His firm lips moved over mine expertly, teasing a reaction I did not know I was capable of. 

Too soon, he raised his head, eyes glowing with satisfaction at my dazed expression. "The mating bond has called us together, as I knew it would from the moment I saw you," his deep voice wrapped around me. "Accept our union, little Luna. Take your place by my side."

The spell his touch had cast over me shattered at his words. 

'No, I could not let this criminal bind me to him, no matter the confusing longing his nearness created.' This was some twisted ritual that would strip me of my freedom and identity, I was certain. 

"I...I cannot accept you," I forced out through a tight throat, avoiding his intense gaze. Gasps echoed my defiant words. An ominous rumbling came from the man holding me.

"You dare refuse our bond?" Alpha's voice had gone cold and razor sharp. "You are mine. That cannot be changed." 

His grip tightened to the point of pain. Terror gave me the strength to shove away from him. Before he could seize me again, I did the only thing that came to mind - I slapped him hard across his arrogant face. 

"I reject you!" My scream rang out clear over the shocked murmurs. Without waiting to see his response, I whirled and bolted for the exit. Angry snarls followed my retreat, but I did not stop running until I had put multiple blocks between myself and that dangerous hall. 

Leaning against a damp wall to catch my breath, I scrubbed a hand over my still-tingling lips. What insanity had I stumbled into tonight? And why did part of me wish I was back in the Alpha King's embrace?