Chapter Three

Sable

I shoved the heavy door open. The pack's old tavern had been completely abandoned since the owner was banished a few days ago. It smelled like dust and stale beer.

I stumbled behind the wooden counter. My chest felt like it had been ripped open. The rejection was a physical agony burning through my veins. Rhett chose Celeste. He humiliated me in front of everyone.

My hands shook as I rummaged through the lower cabinets. My fingers brushed against cold glass. A forgotten bottle of scotch liquid. I didn't bother checking the label. I popped the cork with my teeth and downed a huge gulp in one go.

The liquid burned a trail of fire down my throat. I coughed, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. It didn't numb the pain. Nothing could numb the feeling of a shattered mate bond.

My vision blurred. The tears I had been fighting back all night finally spilled over. My eyes were starting to sting as I slid down the front of the bar cabinets, pulling my knees to my chest.

I let out a broken sob.

Then I caught a movement by the far end of the room.

The shadows shifted. I froze, my breath hitching in my throat. I scrambled to my feet, gripping the bottle like a weapon. The alcohol was already hitting my bloodstream, making the room spin slightly.

A figure stepped out of the darkness.

Even in the dim moonlight filtering through the broken windows, I could tell he was massive. Broad shoulders, towering height, and an aura so strong it made the air in the room different.

"Who are you?"

The stranger stopped a few feet away. A slow, arrogant smirk played on his lips.

Goodness, he was even more handsome up close. His features were sharp, with piercing dark eyes that seemed to see right through my soul. He radiated pure, unfiltered danger.

"I'd take that as an insult," his voice rumbled. It was deep, dark, and sent a strange shiver down my spine. "You really don't know your superior alpha?"

I blinked, my alcohol-addled brain trying to process his words. The Superior Alpha? The Alpha of all Alphas? The ruthless king who ruled over the entire region? What was he doing here in our pathetic little pack territory?

I didn't seem to know what was happening to me. The heavy grief of rejection was suddenly being drowned out by something else. A sudden, reckless heat. Perhaps it was the alcohol, or perhaps my broken wolf was desperately clinging to the sheer power radiating from him.

I suddenly felt bold.

I set the bottle down on the counter. My legs moved on their own. I walked closer to him, closing the distance between us until I had to tilt my head entirely back to look at his face.

I leaned in close.

Goodness, he smelled so nice. Like fresh rain, dark cedar, and raw, intoxicating power. It was a scent that made my toes curl.

I could feel him tense up suddenly as my chest brushed lightly against his solid chest. His dark eyes flared with a dangerous light.

"Well, I guess I'm not of this world then," I whispered, holding his intense gaze.

His jaw clenched. His massive hand suddenly shot out, grabbing my waist in one firm grasp. He drew me flush against his hard body.

I gasped, the air completely leaving my lungs. The heat radiating off his skin was scorching.

"You're playing a very dangerous game, sweetheart," he whispered darkly, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear.

A wild thrill shot straight to my core. The old me would have cowered. The old me would have submitted. But I had nothing left to lose tonight.

"You're making it so difficult," he added, his voice dropping an octave, rough with restrained desire.

I tilted my chin up, refusing to back down. My heart hammered wildly against my ribs.

"What is so difficult?" I asked softly. I traced a finger lightly over the lapel of his expensive dark coat. "Is the superior Alp scared?"

His eyes darkened to pure pitch black. The smirk returned, but this time it was lethal. A predatory promise.

"You're going to regret saying that," he growled.

He didn't give me a second to process the warning. He leaned in close and kissed me.

The kiss was explosive. It wasn't gentle or sweet. It was raw, consuming, and desperate. His mouth moved over mine with absolute authority, demanding total surrender. I melted against him instantly, my hands tangling in his dark, thick hair.

He groaned, a deep, animalistic sound that vibrated through my chest. His tongue slipped past my lips, tasting of expensive whiskey and dark power. The chemistry between us ignited like a match to gasoline. It was a blazing inferno that erased Rhett, erased the pack, and erased all my pain.

His large hands mapped the curves of my body, possessive and urgent. He gripped my thigh, lifting my leg and wrapping it around his waist. I whimpered into his mouth as he pressed me back against the solid wooden counter of the bar.

The edge of the wood bit into my lower back, but I didn't care. I wanted him closer. I wanted him to consume me entirely.

He tore his mouth away from mine, trailing hot, wet kisses down my jaw and to the sensitive skin of my neck. I arched my back, a shameless moan escaping my throat.

"You belong to me now," he murmured against my collarbone, his teeth grazing my pulse point. "I am going to take every single piece of you tonight. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I breathed out, completely lost in the intoxicating haze of his touch.

He reached down, his fingers gripping the hem of my thin dress. With one swift, effortless motion, he bunched the fabric in his hands and pulled it up over my hips, exposing my bare skin to the cool night air.

I gasped at the sudden exposure, but he quickly covered me with his large, warm hands. His touch was electric. Everywhere his fingers trailed, my skin burned with intense need. He traced the line of my inner thigh, sending a jolt of pure fire straight to my center.

"So beautiful," he rasped, his eyes locked on mine as his fingers brushed against the delicate lace of my underwear. "And entirely mine to ruin."

My breathing turned into heavy pants. The tension coiling in my lower belly was unbearable. I needed him. I needed the pain to vanish completely, and he was the only cure.

He leaned back in again, claiming my mouth in another punishing, intoxicating kiss. At the same time, his fingers expertly bypassed the lace barrier, finding my wet, aching center.

I cried out into his mouth, my nails digging into his broad shoulders. He knew exactly what he was doing. His movements were slow, agonizing, and perfectly calculated to drive me completely out of my mind.

The world outside the abandoned tavern ceased to exist. There was only the smell of cedar, the taste of his mouth, and the wicked, demanding rhythm of his fingers. He was taking my innocence, stripping away every defense I had left, and I was giving it to him willingly.

"Look at me," he commanded softly, pulling his lips away just enough to speak.

I forced my heavy eyelids open, meeting his burning gaze.

"I am going to claim what is mine," he whispered.

He reached down to unbuckle his belt. The metallic clink echoed loudly in the quiet room. My heart stopped. This was actually happening. The Superior Alpha was about to take me right here on the dusty counter of a forgotten bar.

He stepped right between my parted thighs, his dominant presence completely overwhelming my senses. He reached up, his thumb brushing over my swollen lower lip.

"Brace yourself, sweetheart," he warned softly.

His hands gripped my hips firmly. He pulled me to the absolute edge of the wooden counter. There was no hesitation in his movements. He knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted me.

"Tell me who you belong to," he demanded, his voice a rough whisper against my lips.

"I belong to you," I answered instantly.

"Say my name."

"I don't even know it," I whimpered.

He paused, a dark smirk playing on his lips. "It is Kael. Alpha Kael. Say it."

"Kael," I gasped as his fingers traced a scorching path down my inner thigh. "Alpha Kael."

"Perfect," he murmured. "Now, hold onto me."

He tore the delicate lace away completely. I gasped at the sudden cool air, but his heat immediately covered me. He stepped intimately between my parted legs. The sheer size of him was intimidating, but my wolf howled with absolute approval. This was our true mate. The bond was pulling us together like two magnets.

"Are you scared?" he asked. His thumb gently wiped a stray tear from my cheek.

"No," I lied.

"You should be," he whispered darkly. "Because once I am inside you, there is no going back.”

"Make me forget everything that happened tonight. Make me forget him."

His jaw clenched tight. "I am going to do far more than make you forget him. I am going to rewrite every single nerve in your body so they only respond to me."

He leaned down and captured my lips in a bruising, possessive kiss. At the exact same moment, he pushed forward, claiming me completely in one powerful thrust.

I cried out, my nails digging deep into the hard muscles of his back. The sharp sting of pain was instantly swallowed by a tidal wave of pure, absolute fire. It was too much. It was everything.

He froze, burying his face in the crook of my neck. He was breathing heavily, his entire massive frame shaking with restraint.

"Look at me," he commanded softly.

I opened my eyes, my vision blurry with tears of pleasure.

"You gave me your innocence," he rasped. His eyes were wide, filled with a primal awe I had never seen before. "You saved yourself for me."

"I am yours," I whispered back.

"Always," he growled.

He began to move. Slow at first, setting a punishing, agonizing pace that drew helpless moans from my throat. The wooden counter creaked under our weight. The dusty tavern was filled only with the sound of our heavy breathing and whispered praises.

"You feel so incredibly perfect," he praised, his hands tangling in my hair.

"Faster, Kael," I begged, arching my back to meet his thrusts. "Please."

"Say you are my Luna," he demanded, his pace quickening into a brutal, relentless rhythm.

"I am your Luna," I cried out. "Only yours."

"Yes," he roared, his control finally snapping completely.

He drove into me with terrifying power. The pleasure coiled tighter and tighter in my lower belly until it finally shattered. A blinding light exploded behind my eyelids. I screamed his name, my body trembling uncontrollably around him. He gave one final, powerful thrust and groaned deeply, pouring his absolute essence into me.

We stayed like that for a long time. My head rested against his broad chest, listening to his racing heartbeat. His large hands gently stroked my bare back. The broken pieces of my soul were somehow stitching themselves back together.

"I need to make this permanent," he finally whispered, pulling back just enough to look at my face. "I need everyone to smell me on you. I need them to know you are claimed."

My heart skipped a beat. "You want to mark me?"

"I have to," he stated, his eyes glowing a bright, mesmerizing gold. "My wolf will not settle until his teeth are in your skin. Do you accept me, my Queen?"

"I accept you, Alpha Kael."

He smiled, a genuinely beautiful sight that completely transformed his terrifying features. He leaned in, his lips brushing softly against my neck. I tilted my head to the side, baring my pulse point to him completely.

His fangs elongated, scraping lightly against my flesh.

"This will hurt for a second," he warned.

"Do it," I whispered.

He bit down hard.

I screamed as his teeth broke my skin. It felt like liquid fire was being injected directly into my veins.  It was terrifying and beautiful. I could suddenly feel his emotions. I felt his fierce protectiveness, his overwhelming desire, and his dark, undeniable power flowing right into my soul.

He retracted his fangs and gently licked the fresh mark to seal it. The pain instantly faded into a warm, heavy thrum.

"Done," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to the claiming mark. "You are completely mine now."