Chapter 1

Captured by the Alpha

The scent of pine and wet ground filled Lena Carter’s lungs as she ran. She stepped on broken twigs, and the cold wind hurt her skin. She turned around and left. She did not need to. More and more screams could be heard.

Faster. Move.

Her wolf encouraged her to keep going, but she was too tired to follow. She had been running for hours, and her body was worn out. They found her. After years of hiding, Shadowmoor's guards had finally found her. They were now going after her like an animal.

A branch cut her cheek. She barely moved. She could hear them now—at least four wolves closing in, their paws hitting the ground in the forest. Her heart pounded. Her only chance was to reach the river. If she could get to the water, she might be able to mask her scent and throw them off.

She leapt over a fallen tree

She felt a lot of pain in her head. She was hit from behind by something that knocked the air out of her lungs. She hit the wet ground hard and rolled around a lot before stopping.

Her vision blurred, but she forced herself to move. A low growl rumbled from behind her.

“Don’t even think about it,” said a deep, dangerous, commanding male voice.

Lena froze, her breath worn out. Slowly, she turned her head.

A man stood above her, his golden eyes glowing in the moonlight. Dark hair, sharp features, broad shoulders wrapped in black. She knew who he was even when he was not in wolf form.

Alpha Damian Thorn.

Her stomach turned. He was the only one who could have caught her.

He spoke in a low, steady voice, "Lena Carter. You have been a very tricky criminal to catch."

She clenched her jaw and braced herself with her arms. “Well, I like to keep things interesting.”

His gaze darkened. “You crossed into my land.”

“I was just passing through.”

“You’re lying,” Damian said.

She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, more footsteps came up behind her. A man with dark blond hair and a cocky grin stopped beside Damian. Elliot Grey, who is his Beta.

Elliot thought, "She does not look like much of a danger." "Are you sure she is the bad guy we have been tracking?"

Lena glared. “If you let me go, I promise I won’t bother you again.”

Damian’s expression didn’t change. “Not a choice.”

Lena tensed up. “I see; I think we have a problem.”

Before they could react, she moved. With a burst of energy, she twisted and kicked out, aiming for Elliot. He stumbled back, cursing, but Damian was faster. His hand shot out, grabbing her by the throat, pinning her back down to the ground.

His grip was strong and secure, but it also showed gentleness and kindness.

He said in a cold voice, "I do not have time for this." "You are coming with me."

Lena's heart was racing. "What if I refuse?"

Damian curled his lips into the tiniest bit of a smile. "Then I will make you."

She had a wolf inside her that growled, but she forced herself to stay still. Fighting did not help. Not against an Alpha as strong as this one.

Damian studied her for a moment before releasing her throat. “Elliot, take her back to the packhouse.”

Elliot sighed. "Why is it that I constantly find myself in the position of having to keep an eye on others? It seems like I'm always responsible for watching out for those around me.?"

He grabbed Lena's arm and pulled her to her feet. She scowled. She kept her balance even though her legs were shaking because she did not want to look weak.

“Try anything,” Elliot warned, “and I’ll shift right here and drag you by your scruff.”

She rolled her eyes. “Charming.”

Damian walked forward with confidence, choosing to avoid both of them on purpose. Lena's mind was a mess; she had been trying for years to stay away from packs and him in particular. She could not stand the thought of being caught in this position. She could not let this happen at all. Nobody could make her. She had to find a way to stop it from happening, no matter how hard it was.

Then it hit her.

The scent.

His scent.

She froze in her tracks. Her body responded naturally to the strong presence that was all around her. She felt a deep awareness that turned the energy around her into a force she could feel. It was impossible to miss the smell in the air—it was so strong and earthy that only her wolf could really understand and analyze all of its many layers. It hit her like a tsunami wave and was so strong that it threw off all of her senses and made her mind spin. 

At that very moment, understanding hit her like a freight train, slamming through her feelings and thoughts with such force that she could not move. Her heart started beating so fast she could not stop it. Each beat was a frantic reminder of the strong connection she felt with the source of that enticing smell. She felt like the air around her was charged with an electric truth. It was a connection she could no longer deny or ignore. As the atmosphere got thicker, it became heavy with clarity, pushing her to see what was just below the top of her mind.

She whispered to herself, "No. No, no, no. This shouldn’t be happening."

Damian stopped walking. Slowly, he turned his head, golden eyes locking onto her with sudden intensity. She saw it in his gaze.

He had scented it, too.

His expression darkened, jaw clenching tight.

Lena barely breathed as two words left his lips, cold and sharp as steel.

“You’re mine.”

Lena worked hard to keep a calm face. She felt panicked, but she would not let it show. She really did not want to be paired up with an Alpha - this Alpha.

Elliot let out a low whistle. “Well, this just got interesting.”

“Shut up,” Damian snapped, his eyes still locked onto Lena’s.

Lena yanked her arm from Elliot’s grip. “I am not yours.”

Damian took a step closer. The mate bond pulsed between them, thick with tension. “Deny it all you want, but you felt it too.”

Lena's wolf moved, going back and forth between instinct and resistance. She had always been free and never felt like she belonged to anyone. Now she was tied to the strongest Alpha in the area by fate?

No. She wouldn’t accept it.

She forced a smile, crossing her arms. “Too bad. I don’t do mates.”

Damian’s jaw ticked. "This does not work that way."

Lena replied, “Then let me make it clear—I’d rather chew off my leg than be tied to you.”

There was silence.

Then Elliot let out a bark of laughter. “Oh, I like her.”

Damian did not even blink an eye. His wolf was hiding below the surface and was about to get out of hand. "You have no choice."

Lena stepped forward, standing toe-to-toe with him. “Neither do you.”

A challenge. A promise.

And just like that, war was declared.