chapter 2

“Who do you think you are?” The guard spat, a cruel chuckle cutting through the dark. “We’re supposed to just leave her? You’ve got a lot of nerve, stranger. Let me teach you a lesson.”

He raised his sword and lunged into the gloom. A heavy *thwack* sliced through the quiet, and his head rolled onto the dirt before his body even hit the ground.

The second guard gasped, reaching for his weapon to charge, but a flash of silver cut through the night. His head severed from his shoulders in a single breath, collapsing beside his comrade.

My entire body trembled violently as the towering figure stepped out of the shadows. The pitch-black darkness swallowed his features, leaving only the fierce glow of his crimson eyes.

“Please...” I stammered, shrinking back against the dirt, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Don’t kill me.”

He dropped to one knee, leaning in until his heavy, warm breath fanned across my cheek. “How could I kill you,” he whispered, his voice a deep baritone that vibrated straight through my chest, “when you were the one who summoned me?”

I blinked back the darkness, unable to look away.

“I was restless all night,” he murmured, stepping closer. “You were calling out to me. You’re my mate.”

At his words, something deep within me snapped awake—a sudden, intoxicating surge that flooded every vein in my body. It was as if a invisible bridge had instantly forged between our minds. The paralyzing terror vanished, replaced by a sudden, electric heat that pulled me toward him with terrifying strength. An uncontrollable urge to touch him, to sink into him, took over.

He reached out, his calloused fingers gently cupping my face as he wiped away the dried tears on my cheek. “You feel it, don't you?” His voice was a low growl of satisfaction. “That hunger awakening inside you. Don't fight it, little one. I feel it too... the power of the mate bond.”

His lips trailed down to the sensitive skin of my neck, sending a shudder of pleasure straight down my spine. A soft moan escaped my lips before I could stop it.

“I don’t even know you,” I whispered weakly, my head falling back against his shoulder. “I’ve never seen your face. I only know your voice...”

He placed another fiery kiss beneath my jawline, his grip tightening gently on my waist. “You’ll have a lifetime to learn everything about me tomorrow... once you come with me. I will take you as mine and love you forever. Don't fight the desire. You can't control it anyway.”

Drowning in the overwhelming wave of heat, my rational mind scattered. Hours ago, I was condemned to die, supposed to be drowning in grief—yet here I was, melting against a stranger in the dark.

He pulled me flush against his chest, his mouth capturing mine in a deep, possessive kiss. My breath hitched as his hands slid down my sides, stripping away the ruined fabric of my dress. His fingers traced a burning path downward, touching me softly, sliding in and out with a agonizingly slow rhythm that drove every shred of sanity from my head.

I moaned loudly into the silent woods, gripping his shoulders for leverage.

He shifted, turning me gently until I was arched over the cool grass. The metallic sound of his belt echoed in the quiet, followed by the firm press of his length against me. He stroked himself along my skin, teasing the ache he had created until I was trembling beneath him.

“You’re so wet for me,” he rasped near my ear, his fingers tightening on my hip. “Driven completely by pleasure. I’m going to make you cum for me.”

With a heavy thrust, he filled me completely, stretching me to my absolute limit. I gasped out loud, burying my face in the grass as he began to move. His rhythm was relentless—deep, punishing thrusts mixed with slow, torturous glides that made my whole body ache with pleasure.

He drove into me over and over until a harsh shudder wracked his broad frame, spilling his heat deep inside me as we both panted for air in the quiet dark.

Before the heat could cool, I felt the sharp press of his fangs against my shoulder. A hot sting pierced my skin, and the undeniable weight of his mark settled deep into my soul.

“From this moment on, you are mine,” he growled, sinking his teeth deeper before pulling back to lick the drop of blood away. “Wherever you go, I will find you. I will protect you with the last drop of my blood. And whenever you think of me or my scent... touch yourself and come for me.”

He smoothed my messy hair back, his crimson eyes locking onto mine with fierce intensity. “Come with me to my pack. Be my Luna. Be mine. I won't have you anywhere else.”

I swallowed hard, trying to catch my breath amidst the lingering haze of the bond. “I’ll come with you... but there’s something I have to do first.”

He searched my face for a quiet moment before nodding. “Fine. By noon tomorrow, I will be waiting right here. Don’t be late. I will take you home to officially make you my Luna. Even if you don't show, I will hunt you down—this mark will lead me straight to you.”

He pulled my dress back up and wrapped his heavy, warm coat around my bare shoulders. But before I could even murmur a thank you, he melted back into the shadows, vanishing as if he had been a ghost all along.

Once the woods fell silent, I scrambled to my feet and darted beneath the canopy of a low-hanging tree, pulling my knees to my chest. Regret instantly washed over me. *Why did I say I had to do something first?* I didn't have anywhere to go, no mission to complete—I was just terrified of stepping into the unknown with a man I barely knew.

Tracing the smooth skin of my legs, I realized the bloody scrapes from being dragged had completely healed. Tired, cold, and exhausted, I curled myself into a tight ball on the damp earth and let sleep take me.

A faint rustling sound slowly pulled me from my slumber.

I blinked against the harsh morning sunlight filtering through the leaves, my body stiff. I tried to stretch my arms, but a sharp, heavy tension yanked my wrists back down. Cold metal bit painfully into my skin.

I froze. *Chains.*

My head snapped up, my pulse spiking in instant terror. Surrounded by a wall of armed men, at least twenty guards stood in a tight circle around my tree, their weapons drawn and ready.

Standing right at the center of them was my step-sister.

Angela stood with her arms crossed, a sickening, triumphant smile plastered across her face as she looked down at me.

Rage exploded in my chest. I tried to leap to my feet and hurl myself at her, but the heavy iron chains slammed me back down onto the dirt, rattling loudly against the floor.

Angela leaned in slightly, her eyes glittering with cold amusement.

“Good morning, sunshine,” she purred, her voice dripping with venomous fake sweetness. “Look at you, still breathing. It seems you're just too stubborn die like you were supposed to.”