Chapter 3

Chapter 3

SOPHIA POV

The moment I raised my head completely, my breath caught instantly. The man standing in front of me was tall.

No… Tall was an understatement.

He towered over me with a powerful body that looked dangerous even beneath his perfectly tailored black suit. Broad shoulders. Sharp jawline. Dark hair slightly pushed back. His presence alone made the entire office feel smaller.

Every single person on the floor looked tense around him. Fearful. Respectful. As if one wrong move could destroy them.

So this was Derek. The Lycan King. The monster I had hated for five years. But that was not what shocked me. It was his scent. The second it wrapped around me, my entire body froze.

It hit me hard. Warm. Dark. Intoxicating. Like rain, smoke, expensive whiskey, and something dangerously wild underneath it all. My lungs suddenly felt too tight. My heartbeat became uneven.

And before I could stop myself, I inhaled his scent again. The effect was immediate.

A strange warmth spread slowly through my body, making my skin burn lightly beneath my clothes. My stomach tightened while my legs suddenly felt weak for no reason.

What the hell… Confusion flashed through me instantly. Why did his scent affect me this much? Then suddenly, memories rushed through my head.

The warrior. Their conversations. The way they described mates. That intoxicating pull. That uncontrollable attraction. That feeling of finally finding the other half of your soul.

No. No, no, no. That was impossible. My eyes widened slightly. I was human. A human could not possibly be mated to the Lycan King.

Right?

Panic crawled slowly into my chest. I forced myself to calm down immediately. You are overthinking. That is all. But the moment of relief barely touched me. 

A deep growl suddenly filled the office. The sound was low. Animalistic. Possessive. It sent chills violently down my spine.

“Mine.”

The word came out in a rough dangerous voice that barely sounded human.

Before I could even react, strong arms suddenly wrapped around my waist and pulled me completely against a hard muscular chest. A shocked gasp escaped my lips.

The entire office went silent. My eyes widened as my body pressed fully against his. Heat exploded instantly beneath my skin.

“What the fuck!” I blurted out loudly.

Several workers around us froze in horror. But Derek… Derek only stared down at me intensely.

“So my little mate can curse,” he murmured deeply against my ear.

His voice. God. That voice alone sent dangerous shivers through my body. My breath became uneven instantly. And to my complete horror, warmth pooled embarrassingly between my thighs.

Oh no. No. This was bad. Very bad. He is your enemy. The same man who murdered your family. The same man you came here to destroy.

So why was my body reacting like this? I hated it. I hated him. I hated the way my heart refused to calm down while his scent surrounded me completely.

“Put me down,” I snapped immediately, trying to ignore the chaos happening inside me.

But he did not move. Instead, his hold around me tightened slightly as his golden eyes stared into mine with raw possessiveness. Not human eyes. Predator eyes. Dangerous. Hungry.

The office around us felt suffocating under the pressure rolling off him. Even the air felt heavier.

“Put me down now,” I demanded again firmly.

For a few seconds, he simply stared at me silently like he was trying to memorize every part of my face. Then finally… He slowly placed me back on my feet.

The second my heels touched the floor, I took a step backward immediately. Distance. I needed distance from him. My breathing was still unstable as I lifted my eyes fully toward his face again.

And for one terrifying second… Our eyes locked completely. Something snapped inside me instantly. I felt it. Like an invisible chain tightening violently around my soul.

The mate bond. My chest tightened painfully while heat rushed through my body again. No. This cannot be happening. Not with him. Not Derek. Not the man I spent five years hating.

His golden eyes darkened intensely as if he felt it too. The beast inside him was dangerously close to the surface now. I could see it clearly in his expression. In the possessiveness burning inside his gaze.

And that terrified me. But not enough to forget who he was. He killed your family.

The thought slammed into my head immediately, forcing anger through the strange attraction clouding my senses.

Good. I needed that anger. Without it, I might completely lose myself inside this bond. Thank God I was human. The bond would never affect me the way it affected full Lycan and werewolves.

At least that was what I hoped. Derek suddenly inhaled deeply. Then his brows furrowed sharply.

“You are human,” he said slowly.

The office became even quieter. His eyes narrowed slightly as if trying to understand me.

“The human that was accepted to work here.”

There was disbelief in his voice now. Confusion. Shock. Almost frustration.

“How is that possible?” he muttered more to himself than anyone else.

Then his eyes locked onto mine again with dangerous intensity.

“How could you be my mate?”

For one brief second. Pain flashed across his face. And strangely… That hurt something inside me too. I hated it immediately. 

No. I would not allow this bond to weaken me. I did not come here to become his mate. I came here for revenge. Slowly, I lifted my chin while forcing every ounce of hatred back into my heart.

Then I looked directly into the eyes of the Lycan King.

“I, Sophia Jason, reject you Derek Alpha king of the Lycan empire.”