Chapter 1

Adelia’s Point of View

There was a dark figure peering at me from the foot of my bed. A six-foot-something hulk of a man.

With every inch he walked closer my heart involuntarily sped up.

My home was full of people. My family.

The male beside me inhaled. Scented the air.

Holy hell, his chest expanded past what I thought possible. Made him even larger than he appeared at first.

But the closer he came, the more stifling the air seemed to get. An undercurrent seemed to spread out from him. Drew me in.

Inhaling deeply, I steadied myself.

He reached for me then. Intended to grab me. Or stab me. Strangle me. Fuck.

I was up and going before he could fully realize what was happening. He moved with me. Seemed to anticipate what I was about to do before I did it. Was hot on my heels in seconds.

He reached me with a yelp of my lungs. Forced me to the floor with a thump of my skull against the tiles.

A scream lodged in my throat.

“Get off of me!” I screamed at him, spinning onto my back. Clawed at anything I could get my hands on.

The faint feeling of sparks barely crossed my mind. I growled and scratched at him. But his face was covered with a black mask.

“Stop resisting!” A deep male voice growled back at me.

Twisting my legs beneath him, I kicked up. His balls shriveled beneath me, granting me enough time to scurry out from under him.

Cursing beneath my breath, I grabbed the door and threw it open. Even worse darkness enveloped this space. With zero windows in the hall, the full moon couldn’t reach it. 

I rushed toward the right of the hallway. Headed right for the hidden stairwell at the end of it. The ones I used when I wanted to escape a tedious party.

No one knew about them. They were my escape route in times I needed them most. Had bulletproof sheets lining the doors on either end.

When I reached the door, I slid my thumb over the small pad on the left side disguised as a mirror.

The intruder cleared my bedroom door just as the door to the stairwell went shut. Fluorescent lights blinked on when they detected me.

I moved down the steps with a furious pace, fearing the worst when it came to my family.

The door slid open at the end of the tunnel as my thumb rested on the small pad, identical to the one on the outside. Luckily for me, no one was in the kitchen.

My eyes scanned the familiar countertops. A single pan sat on the stove that Alvara had used to make French toast for the kids.

Thanking the goddess, I hunched over and scuttled to the stove. But the sound of heavy footfalls stopped me halfway to the thing.

Not the same as the man from the top. Heavier.

So, there was more than one intruder. Why were they even here? The man at the top hadn’t hurt me. Actually tried to subdue me. But that didn’t mean this one would do the same. 

I moved. Heard the man move around the large island in the kitchen. Closer to me. Between the only weapon I had and my position.

“Have you found her?” A hiss came from somewhere along the dining room.

Female. Distinct and high-pitched with an accent I couldn’t place.

The man grunted and moved back the way he had come.

“Remember, Phaedra wants Adelia alive. Anyone else is fair game. Felix won’t give us the uranium if she is dead. Leave no other witnesses.” The woman said again and a chill ran down my spine.

He receded into the dining room area. And I leaped from my place and grabbed the pan. Swung it out in front of me and twisted to see where the intruders were.

Both people cursed as I bounded up and ran right for them. Pan swinging in the air, ready to hit whoever approached first.

Another figure strode into my view. The same electrifying feeling from earlier settled over me. Skin prickled as he turned to look me up and down.

He stumbled back half a step. 

I hit his accomplice right across the head, feeling the impact vibrate through my hands.

Unfazed by my blow. Or rather, unharmed and extremely pissed. The man lunged for me again. Growled menacingly.

Letting the pan fall to the floor with a clang, I sprinted. Legs heaved.

Every footfall was met by three others chasing me.

I dashed out of the kitchen and toward the east wing. Finally, my hand grabbed for the doorknob between the main house and the wing. Twisted it open with seconds to spare.

The man from my room came barreling into the door. Jammed his foot between the door and the wall before I could fully close it. A large hand grabbed for me. Tried to push me away from the door.

His skin made contact with mine. Slithered across my bare arm. And sparks erupted from the touch. Simmered just beneath the surface.

His arm retracted from the slit he had made in the door with a menacing hiss.

This gave me another second to spare.

I slammed the door shut in front of me. Threw the flimsy lock into place.

Dashing through the living area, I headed right for the bedroom door. Tried twisting it. Only for the fucking thing to be locked. No sound would enter that room.

But it was another flimsy lock. The very same one that was now giving way behind me.

The two other assailants finally broke through. Barely felt the restraint the lock had to offer.

Fear stabbed into me. 

These men were going to kidnap me and kill my family.

I heaved against the door in front of me with every ounce of my strength. The lock broke on the second impact.

And there I saw them. Asleep. Undisturbed.

I got in three more steps before all of them sat up at the same time.

Coming to an abrupt stop in front of my family made my legs scream at me. Had my knees wobbling.

“There!” I uttered and pointed at the door.

All four males moved with one mind. Jumped toward the door and the two people who chased me, leaving Alvara in bed.

“Where is Aurelia?” Alvara asked, panic lacing her voice. A mother’s voice.

“Still in her bedroom. No one can get to her there.” I explained through pants of air.

This didn’t seem to settle my friend’s nerves. Her eyes darted to the door. To the growls echoing in from the living room.

Slowly, she dropped her feet to the floor.

I wanted to stop her from going but I couldn’t find enough energy to do it.

Alvara crept to the open door. Peered beyond into the dimness.

But a large figure had slipped past her mates. Now stood before her.

I was up and off of the bed before he could attack. Grabbed Alvara’s hand in mine. Flung her to the bed. Charged forward with no care.

Quick on my feet, I dodged the man’s attack. Slipped beneath his swinging arm and came up behind him. My arms wrapped around his coiled bicep and I pulled with all of my might. Made him stumble backward from the force.

And from sheer surprise.

Electricity swarmed my flesh wherever we touched. Danced between the two of us. For two stifling seconds the world slowed.

His face snapped towards me. A shudder ran down the length of his honed body.

But he shoved me away from him the next second. Growled, deep and primal, in his throat. His face turned to Alvara. Noticed her on the bed, wide-eyed and trembling, and ran for the door to the kitchen.

“No you fucking won’t,” I ground out and fell into a sprint.

He banked left, following the trail back through the kitchen and toward the foyer. Veered hard when the wall came up too quickly.

I had no idea what I would do with him when I caught up. Or how I would even get him to the ground. Still, I chased.

Until the cock of a gun sounded and the man in front of me froze, millimeters away from turning the corner into the foyer.

Dargan came into full view when I slowed down. Skidded to a stop a meter away from the intruder.

Dargan’s index was softly curved on the trigger.

“Another move and I will plant a bullet in your skull,” Dargan growled.

The man seemed to weigh his options for a second. Let his attention drift to me.

He inched one foot forward and I saw determination flash through Dargan.

I moved before either could react. “Dargan, don’t-“ The shot rang out and I hissed. The word mate curled on my lips. Died in my mouth without being uttered.

But the shot had hit true. Pierced me right in my chest.

And the world dipped into blackness.

With the masked man standing above me, screaming my name furiously. And the word mate echoing off of his lips.