THE ALPHA'S CLAIM

Chapter 4 – The Alpha’s Claim

Jenna’s POV

The SUV jolted down the dirt road, tires crunching against gravel, but I barely noticed. My entire body trembled. The bite on my neck throbbed with every heartbeat, hot and raw, like it was still burning me from the inside.

I pressed my hand against it, but it didn’t stop the warmth. Sparks pulsed under my skin, racing down my arms, making me feel like I was on fire. The mate bond. That cursed bond.

I forced myself to meet his gaze. He sat across from me, massive frame taking up half the car, arms crossed like he owned the world. Gold eyes glowed faintly even in the dim interior. He hadn’t looked away from me once.

“You can’t do this,” I whispered, my throat dry. “You can’t just take me.”

Brock’s lips curved into a cold smile. “I just did.”

Anger flared through my fear. “I’m not your possession! I’m not some… some pet you can drag home.”

His hand moved so fast I barely saw it. Fingers curled under my chin, forcing me to look at him. “You’re not a pet,” he murmured, voice dark silk. “You’re my mate. My queen. There’s a difference.”

His words sank into me, heavy and suffocating. My queen. That should have sounded powerful, but from him it was a death sentence.

“Why me?” I whispered. “You could have anyone.”

His eyes burned brighter. “That’s not how the bond works. Fate chose you. And I don’t fight fate.”

The SUV slowed as we approached the forest. Through the tinted window, the human world slipped away — the streets, the people, my mother’s face flashing in my mind one last time — replaced by towering black pines and endless shadows.

I pressed my forehead to the glass, trying to breathe, trying not to cry again. “I don’t want this,” I whispered.

“You will,” Brock said simply.

---

The SUV finally pulled through massive iron gates etched with the crescent moon symbol. Guards bowed as the car entered. My stomach twisted. This wasn’t just a house. It was a fortress. A prison.

When the door opened, cold night air rushed in. Brock didn’t wait — he hauled me out, his grip iron around my wrist. The mansion loomed before me, gothic stone walls and black spires stabbing into the sky. Wolves paced along the perimeter, glowing eyes watching me.

Inside, the mansion was worse. Marble floors, velvet drapes, chandeliers glittering with blood-red light. Everything screamed wealth and power, but underneath it all lingered the sharp, metallic tang of blood.

He dragged me upstairs, past servants who lowered their heads, avoiding my gaze. Not one of them dared meet my eyes. Not one dared to help.

At the end of a long corridor, he kicked open a door. The room inside was massive — dark wood, a fire crackling in the hearth, a bed big enough for three people. My skin crawled.

He released my wrist, finally, and I stumbled back.

“This is your room,” he said, his voice clipped, controlled. “You don’t leave without my permission. Ever.”

I glared at him, clutching my neck. “I’ll find a way out.”

He smirked, a flash of teeth far too sharp. “You’ll try. They always do.”

My heart lurched. “They? How many have you—”

“Enough.” His eyes flickered with something darker. He stepped closer, towering over me again. “Don’t compare yourself to them. You’re mine. The bond won’t let you run.”

I backed into the wall, every nerve screaming. “Stay away from me.”

For a moment, his expression shifted — not softer, exactly, but hungrier. The kind of hunger that made me shiver.

“I’ll give you time,” he said finally, voice low. “But not much.”

He turned to leave, his presence filling the room until the last second. At the door, he paused, looking back at me with those glowing eyes.

“Sleep, mate. Tomorrow, your real life begins.”

The door slammed shut, locking me in.

I sank to the floor, wrapping my arms around myself. The fire crackled, shadows danced on the walls, and my neck burned with his mark.

I wasn’t his queen. I wasn’t his anything.

I was his prisoner.