Alpha's Forced Mate

*Arealla*I never imagined my eighteenth birthday party to end with so much violence.The police were here before the night was even over.Someone that had been stalking me for a few months had finally acted, and had set my stepfather's car on fire. And though the fire had been put out, he looked at me now with a vengeance.I had managed to run away into the forest before he could get to me. But it was just a temporary escape. I would have to go home, sooner or later.Beside me, Jason stood as he held my hand. I had just told him everything that had happened, but there was nothing more that could be done.Jason was my boyfriend of three short months."The police are saying that they can't do anything right now," I complained to him. "They can put a police car outside for maybe a few days, but that's it."Jason growled, and I could see his canines had lengthened just a little, and he took a single step forward.But before he could do anything, I put my hand on his ches

*Arealla*I was shown to a room almost immediately. The wolf that took me introduced herself, but I forgot her name almost as soon as she said it.The only thing I could think about was Marcus. And his burning red eyes.He had been controlling Jason. That was the only answer. He had forced Jason to say all of those things.'But why would he?' a part of me questioned.It was true, he had no reason to do that. Why would Marcus want me, a human girl? Why would he force me away from Jason? It had to be the truth. And a part of me knew that it was, deep down inside.But I didn't want to accept what had happened. I didn't want to accept that this was my life now, and what I had to deal with.The wolf left me alone in the room, and it was clear that I was taken to a room that already belonged to someone.Before I even had a chance to look around, or look at the room properly, the door opened again.And Marcus strode through it."Tomorrow is the mating ceremony," Marcus sai

*Arealla*"I would have to hunt you," he said. "My wolf would demand it and allow absolutely nothing less. I would lose myself as a human, I would become the wolf completely. And I would hunt you until I found you. And I would have no control over myself then. Make no mistake," he warned me clearly, "I will do it. My life will not end because of you. I won't allow it."I swallowed hard. His words bore into my mind. I was sure that I would remember this forever.I had no idea what he was going to do next, and I was sure that there was nothing that he couldn't do at that moment."So," Marcus said again, straightening up, he looked like he had more control of himself. "You will sleep on the bed. And for tonight, I will sleep on the floor. But only for tonight. We are mated, and I won't force more than this on you, but this much I will demand."I wasn't sure what to say. I wasn't sure what he would do tonight. So I simply nodded. It was as good as I was going to get tonight, and

"You don't need to be able to defend yourself," Marcus answered simply. "I will protect you."I wasn't happy with that answer at all. And it had nothing to do with the fact that he had said something that I just didn't want to hear. It was because I wasn't happy with his statement.I had the feeling that even if I was a wolf, even if I felt the true mate bond, then I still wouldn't have wanted him defending or protecting me.I might have resented his words even more if I had been a wolf."I don't want you protecting me," I huffed, folding my arms across my chest."Then I suggest you learn to fight!" Marcus snapped at me, baring his teeth, elongated just a little.He was trying to prove a point. He was showing off his strength just so–strength that I didn't have. But if he thought that it was going to get me to just shut up and behave, then he had another thing coming.He couldn't kill me. He couldn't even hurt me. And the thought made me braver."You'll do anything befo

The next morning, after I awoke to an empty bed and breakfast already beside me, I knew that I couldn't let this continue.I had to speak to Marcus. There had to be a way that this could work for all of us. I didn't want to be a prisoner here any longer. But at the same time, I didn't want to be the cause of death for hundreds–maybe thousands–of wolves.So, without waiting for anything, I went and found him.He was in his private study, not too far from the bedroom that we slept in. And as soon as I reached the door, I hesitated. This was the time that I made my effort.But I waited at the door for a full minute. It was only after that, that I realized that he probably already knew that I was there the entire time. So, I took a deep breath and knocked on the door."Come in," Marcus' voice came from the other side clearly and immediately. He definitely knew that I had been there this entire time.I didn't wait for anything else; I opened the door and stepped across the archw