Chapter 2

'Mate.'

Magnus clenched his jaw, muscles tightening as Demetrius snarled inside him. After 110 years of iron control, his wolf had never challenged him like this. Never been so... insistent.

'Down,' Magnus growled under his breath. But Demetrius only pushed harder, desperate to claim the human female mere feet away. The wolf was practically vibrating with need.

Cathy. Her name echoed in his mind, stoking a primal hunger he'd never experienced. His penis strained painfully against his pants. He wanted her in every sense of the word. Which was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Magnus gripped the arms of his chair, claws threatening to emerge. He was Alpha - how could a mere human affect him this way? It made no sense.

Slowly, he turned his head. Cathy sat primly in the chair to his right, her hazelnut hair cascading over slim shoulders. As if sensing his gaze, she met his eyes.

A visible shudder ran through her body. Her breath caught, chest rising and falling rapidly. Fast. Too fast.

The scent hit him like a freight train - sweet, musky arousal. His nostrils flared, drinking it in. By the moon, she wanted him. And he could just easily command everybody out and fuck her until she screamed his name, over and over. The thought was almost overwhelming.

"Alpha?" Cathy's voice was breathy. "Is everything alright?"

Magnus swallowed hard. "Yes. Fine." The words came out as a growl. Definitely not fine.

She shifted in her seat, thighs pressing together. Another wave of her scent washed over him as her arousal called to him. Dammit. This was not happening.

Demetrius howled. 'Mate. Take her. Now.'

"Excuse me," Magnus bit out, abruptly standing, he knocked his chair back in his haste. He needed air, needed to escape her intoxicating presence before he did something unforgivable. Before anyone noticed just how erect his penis was. Embarrassing. Completely embarrassing.

As he strode from the room, one thought consumed him - was she as wet as she smelled? The urge to find out was nearly overwhelming as he almost lost his balance. Smooth, Magnus. Really smooth.

For the first time in over a century, Magnus feared losing control.

Magnus stalked down the hallway, Demetrius snarling within him. 'She's mine. Go back. Claim her.'

"No," Magnus growled under his breath. He leaned against the cool stone wall, trying to regain his composure. The wall was nice. Cold. Grounding.

Cathy was human. Young. Vulnerable. She'd come to them seeking refuge, not to be claimed by an ancient werewolf. The memory of her arrival flashed through his mind - wide-eyed, bruised, desperate to escape her father's cruelty. She deserved better than this. Better than him.

"Alpha?" Cathy's soft voice came from behind him. "Did I... did I do something wrong?"

Magnus turned, his breath catching at the sight of her. She stood nervously twisting her hands, biting her lower lip in a way that made his cock throb painfully. That lip-biting thing should be illegal.

"No!" He said curtly, as he fought to keep his voice steady.

She took a step closer. "Then why did you leave so suddenly? Everyone looked... scared." Another step. Why was she getting closer?

'Because I want to bend you over and fuck you until you scream my name,' Demetrius snarled in his mind.

There was a war within him, he knew his eyes were probably yellow now, his wolf's eyes and he didn't want to scare his little mate away. He couldn't claim her, but he didn't want to scare her away either. The contradiction was maddening. Magnus knew he had a lot of enemies and if he claimed her, his enemies would be hers by default. She was too innocent for his dark, twisted world. Too pure.

Magnus closed his eyes, willing his erection to subside. "It's complicated, little mate. Pack politics."

"Oh." She sounded disappointed. "I thought maybe... never mind. It's silly."

He opened his eyes to find her mere inches away. The urge to pull her close, to claim those soft lips, was almost unbearable. He clenched his fist and felt his claws digging into his palm. He could smell his own blood and a wave of disgust rolled through him as he lost complete control as he partially shifted. This human couldn't handle him, he'd kill her, fuck her too rough and she'd be dead. He couldn't risk it. Wouldn't risk it.

"Cathy," he said, his voice rough. "You should return to the dining hall."

She looked up at him, confusion, and desire warring in her eyes. "But I..."

Magnus growled low in his throat. "Now, Cathy. Before I do something, I'll regret."

Magnus watched as Cathy's eyes widened at his growl. She opened her mouth to speak again, but no words came out. Instead, a soft whimper escaped her lips, sending a jolt of electricity through his body. He smelt her disappointment and sadness even though she kept her face composed. The scent was almost worse than her arousal.

"I wonder if you'd scream like that," he muttered under his breath, unable to stop the thought from forming.

"What?" Cathy asked, her brow furrowing.

Magnus shook his head, trying to clear the fog of desire. He strode back to the dining hall, determined to focus on anything but the intoxicating scent of her arousal. As he reached for a plate at the end of the table, intending to dish up some food, his control slipped. The ceramic shattered in his grip, shards scattering across the polished wood.

"Shit," he growled, frustration evident in his voice. Great. Just great.

Cathy sighed and moved towards him. "Here, let me clean that up."

Before she could reach the mess, several omegas rushed forward, eager to assist their Alpha.

"No, no," Cathy insisted, waving them off. "I've got this. Please, go back to your seats." Her voice was firm. Determined. Territorial?

The omegas hesitated, looking between Cathy and Magnus with uncertainty. When they didn't immediately retreat, Cathy's face flushed with anger.

"I said I'll do it!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the suddenly silent room. "Just... just leave it alone!"

Magnus watched the scene unfold, a mix of amusement and concern washing over him. He knew what was happening - Cathy's subconscious was recognizing him as her mate, driving her to assert herself and care for him. It was both thrilling and heartbreaking. Mostly heartbreaking.

"Cathy," he said softly, reaching out to touch her arm. "It's alright. Let them help."

She turned to him; confusion evident in her eyes. "I don't... I don't know why I got so angry. I'm sorry, I just felt like I needed to..." She trailed off, looking lost.

"I know," Magnus replied, his voice gentle. "You're probably feeling very confused right now. It's okay." Though it wasn't really okay. Nothing about this was okay.

Magnus stiffened as Cathy began piling food onto a fresh plate. Her slender fingers wrapped around the crystal decanter, pouring him a generous glass of amber liquid. As she leaned close to drape a napkin across his lap, her scent enveloped him - a heady mixture of vanilla, jasmine, and the unmistakable musk of arousal.

His cock twitched traitorously, and he inhaled deeply, savoring her intoxicating aroma. "Lilacs," he murmured, almost to himself. "You smell like lilacs after a summer rain."

Demetrius howled within him, clawing for control. 'Take her,' the beast demanded. 'Claim what's ours.'

Magnus growled low in his throat, fighting against his primal urges. "No," he hissed through clenched teeth.

Cathy paused, cutlery hovering above his plate. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

He forced a tight smile. "Nothing important. Thank you for your assistance." Polite. He could be polite.

As she turned to sit, Magnus noticed the shift in the room. Pack members shrank back in their seats, eyes averted. But Cathy... Cathy was different. A soft moan escaped her lips as she lowered herself, thighs pressing together. The scent of her desire hit him like a tsunami.

Cathy nodded, a light sheen of sweat on her brow. "Yes. Just... warm in here, isn't it?"

Magnus gripped the arms of his chair, wood creaking beneath his fingers. "Indeed," he managed, fighting the urge to throw her onto the table and satisfy both their cravings. Which would be completely inappropriate. And probably illegal.

Magnus yanked at his tie, loosening the constricting fabric as he reached for his fork. The metal bent under his grip, and he cursed under his breath. Another utensil destroyed. Perfect.

"So, as I was saying about the new security protocols," Cathy prattled on, her voice breathy and higher than usual. "I think we should consider—"

He tried to focus on her words, but his attention kept drifting to the beads of sweat forming at her temples, the rapid pulse visible at her throat. She paused, reaching for her water glass with trembling fingers.

Cathy gulped down half the glass. "Just thirsty," she said with a weak smile. "Must be all this talking." Talking. Right. That's what was making her thirsty.

'She's parched for you,' Demetrius taunted. 'Mark her. Claim her. Make her ours.'

He nodded, acutely aware of how she crossed and uncrossed her legs beneath the table, seeking friction. The only thing that would truly satisfy either of them was for him to sink his teeth into her flesh, to bond them for eternity. But he couldn't. She was human, vulnerable. He had to protect her, even from himself. Especially from himself.

'Coward,' Demetrius snarled. 'You deny us both.'

The tattoo on Magnus's chest, a representation of his wolf, seemed to burn and writhe beneath his skin. He pressed a hand to it, willing Demetrius to be silent.

'You think ignoring me will make this go away?' the wolf continued. 'She's, our mate. Our everything. And you're too afraid to claim what's rightfully ours.'

"Shut up," Magnus growled, forgetting himself for a moment.

The dining table rippled with fear and silence descended at once. Everyone froze. Completely froze.

Cathy blinked at him, startled. "I... I'm sorry." She looked hurt. Why did she look hurt?

He shook his head, forcing a reassuring smile. If he kept this up, he was going to run her off. "No, continue."

He wanted to say please continue and to apologize for interrupting her, but he realized he was in a room full of werewolves who had never heard him apologize to anyone for anything. If he started now, everyone would know what she was to him and he knew that not everyone liked him being in power, he was sure if some of these creatures knew he now had a weakness, that they'd conspire to take him down. Politics. Always politics.

As Cathy resumed speaking, Magnus closed his eyes briefly, silently warring with the relentless voice in his head. How long could he resist the pull of his mate? And more importantly, should he even try? The questions had no good answers.

Magnus opened his eyes, desperately seeking a distraction from the intoxicating scent of Cathy's arousal. His gaze swept across the room, taking in the tense postures and averted eyes of his pack members. A bitter chuckle rose in his throat as he realized their misinterpretation of the situation.

"Is something amusing, Alpha?" Gamma Samuel asked cautiously from further down the table.

Magnus shook his head slightly. "Just an observation," he replied, his voice low and controlled. "It seems our guests are... uneasy." Uneasy was putting it mildly.

Cathy glanced around, her brow furrowing. "Why? Did I do something wrong by sitting here?"

"They think I want to kill you," Magnus said dryly, meeting her wide-eyed stare. Her heart skipped a beat and her fear of him was like a punch in the gut for him. Brutal. Absolutely brutal.

She let out a nervous laugh. "Do you?"

'If only she knew,' Demetrius purred in his mind. 'We don't want to kill her. We want to fuck her until she can't walk straight.'

Magnus gritted his teeth. 'I said no.'

A young wolf at the far end of the table whispered to his neighbor, "I've never seen the Alpha so tense around a human before. She must really be pissing him off."

"Idiots," Magnus muttered under his breath.

Cathy leaned in, her warm breath tickling his ear. "What did you say?"

The proximity sent a jolt through his body, his cock twitching eagerly. He shifted in his chair, trying to alleviate the pressure. "Nothing of consequence," he said, his voice rougher than intended.

She jumped away from him. And he sighed. Why didn't she get it? He was angry with himself for wanting her so irrationally that coherent thought seized, angry with the Gods for pairing him with someone he could never have and angry with her for being so perfect. So completely, utterly perfect.

'Tell her the truth,' Demetrius urged. 'Tell her how we ache for her.'

"You know," Magnus said, speaking to both Cathy and his wolf, "appearances can be deceiving."