CHAPTER 5: CAUGHT, CLAIMED… AND RUNNING

Samantha’s POV

“My mate,” the Alpha whispered, his voice smooth as silk and just as dangerous.

I couldn’t see his full face behind the mask, but his scent—wild mint and lemons—and that husky voice were enough to pull me toward him like a damn magnet.

No. Nope. Absolutely not.

Every instinct in me flared. Enemy territory. I was trespassing, exposed, and bonded.

And hell no—I wasn’t about to die this young. I was too beautiful for that. And yes, my virgin hymen was still very much intact. Thank you very much.

This was not the time to start a romance arc.

Cue life hack #102 on what NOT to do when caught red-handed, aroused, and emotionally compromised by your dangerously hot assassin mate holding a gun to your chest while your best friend is off having a tree-trunk make-out session nearby:

RUN.

So I did.

Like the professional idiot I am, I whipped my ninja rope around the Alpha’s legs, yanked hard, and sent him crashing to the ground. With his Beta rushing to help him, I bolted.

Of course, it wasn’t that easy.

Turns out this Alpha didn’t just smell delicious—he was also a security genius. The entire pack was wired with killer darts, lasers, mines, snipers, and probably a self-destruct button somewhere.

Good thing I’m not just an assassin—I’m the assassin.

Vampire invisibility? Activated.

Ninjutsu training since I was five under the deadliest martial arts masters in existence? You bet.

As I sprinted across enemy lines, I dodged every laser, knock-out dart, and hidden tripwire like I was born for it—because I was.

"STOP!" the Alpha's voice boomed behind me, low and lethal.

Yeah, no thanks.

"I SWEAR TO THE MOON, I’LL SHOOT YOUR BETA!” he roared.

I became visible just long enough to flip him off and shout, “GO AHEAD! LET’S SEE YOU TRY, ASSHAT!”

Then I launched myself up and over the Blue Moon Pack’s high border wall like a flipping ninja goddess.

I chanced a look over my shoulder—and there he was. Standing tall. Mask off now. His emerald green eyes met mine, glowing with power, possession… and a dangerous promise.

“I will find you, mate,” he called. “And we’ll see who ends up sorrier.”

Cocky bastard. But I felt the smirk in his voice.

“Oh, you’re ON, sucker!” I yelled back.

And then I took off toward my dad’s waiting backup.

Whew.

That was way too close.

* * * * *

Samantha’s POV

“Princess!” Dad Zarek scooped me into his arms the second I hit the safe zone, spinning me like I weighed nothing.

“Daddy, I’m not a baby anymore!” I pouted, though I was already giggling like a maniac. I may be an assassin, but I’m a daddy’s girl first. Sue me.

“YOU’RE DEAD, SAMANTHA!” a familiar voice bellowed behind me.

Ah. Right on cue.

“Put me down, Dad!” I said, jumping to the ground and immediately taking off.

Running was my full-time solution these days.

“YOU TRAITOR!” Dre shrieked, storming after me like an unhinged goose with asthma.

“YOU WHORE!” I yelled back, scaling the walls and gliding across rooftops like the graceful ninja queen I am. Dre, meanwhile, tripped over flower pots, cursed a lot, and dodged random household objects I lovingly hurled his way.

“I SWEAR I’M GONNA KILL YOU, YOU TWAT!” he hollered.

“Oh yeah? Come at me!”

I twisted mid-run, aimed, and fired.

One bullet. Straight to his toe.

“FUCK!” he howled.

A ninja star whizzed through the air and embedded itself in my shoulder.

“SHIT!” I growled, yanking it out and glaring at him.

We were about to escalate when—

“One more weapon out, and I’ll bury ten more in both your asses,” Dad Talon warned calmly, already holding an ointment bottle.

I froze. Dre froze. Dad mode: activated.

“DADDY!” I squealed, launching into his arms. He caught me like always.

I swear I’m emotionally stuck at age two when it comes to my dads.

“Are you okay, Princess?” he asked, inspecting my wounds. “Dre said the mission had some… hiccups.”

Of course he ratted me out. Snake.

“Hiccups?” Dre scoffed. “Alpha Talon, she left me to die! She told the enemy they could shoot me!”

I sighed dramatically. “Dad, Dre had a full-on forest-floor mating session.”

“That was my mate, you drama queen!” Dre snapped.

“And I was dodging missiles while your ass was playing Tarzan with your hormones!”

“You found your mate too!” he retorted. “You could’ve stayed!”

“He’s the Alpha of the pack we were infiltrating, you walnut!”

Dad Talon blinked. “Wait—you found your mate?”

“That’s not the point!” I insisted, pointing accusingly at Dre. “He lost focus. He deserves scolding!”

“And she ran from her mate like a coward!” Dre shot back. “Like, who even does that?”

“If you don’t shut up, I’ll give your number to every toddler in the pack and tell them it’s Santa’s hotline.”

Dad Talon raised an eyebrow. “Is that what you did to my number on Easter when the humans started calling it to speak to Jesus Christ?”

Hell yeah, I did.

“Nope,” I lied.

“Liar,” Dre said smugly.

“You unicorn fart—!”

That’s when it happened.

World War III: The Beta Chronicles.

And yes, I still hate my Beta.

Nghhhhhhh!