CH09

Snow’s P.O.V

The car rumbled softly as it sped along the dirt road and the car windows were wound up fully to prevent us from inhaling all that dust. I sat quietly, my fingers clutching the hem of my dress as I tried to stop the trembling that refused to leave my body.

Roman was sitting beside me and his enormous frame dwarfed the space, making the vehicle feel far too small. The Lycan King…my mate. Every time I echoed this in my head, it sounded ridiculously unbelievable. I was leaving my pack for the first time in my life to start a new life with the freaking Lycan King who has shown me nothing more than kindness. Goddess, if this was a dream, just trap me in it forever.

Swallowing a lump in my throat, I stole a glance at him. I’d never seen a jawline as hard and sharp as his. And whenever he was clenching it like he was right now, it looked like it could cut diamond. My throat bobbed again as I remembered the way he’d torn through Liam’s guards at the border. I supposed that was why he was still very tense and angry.

Blood had splattered across the ground as he ripped through one man’s throat with a single swipe of his claws. Another who I recognized to be the one who usually touched me inappropriately in the halls had fallen with a sickening crunch when Roman punched their face in, breaking whatever bones held their facial structure.

All this was because Liam had challenged him to a fight. My brother…or rather, my ex-sibling was an arrogant idiot who always wanted to get back at people so he thought if he rallied up enough men, it would stop the Lycan King from taking me with him.

But clearly, that had been a flaw in reasoning, Liam had stood frozen, his face pale as Roman dragged him by the throat, claws pressing into his skin. Roman would’ve killed him too–I was sure of it.

But I couldn’t let that happen. Even though all he’d shown me was suffering, torment, and hatred, I refused to be the reason my pack was left without an Alpha.

So I’d fallen to my knees, my body shaking as I clutched Roman’s arm, begging him silently. Please. Don’t.

Roman’s gaze dropped to me and it softened just for that millisecond. Then his lips curled in disgust and he used his claw to rip a large wound into Liam’s cheek. His scream was horrific, despite  Liam being an Alpha. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t rip this motherfucker limbs by limbs right now.”

That question had been the hardest thing I’d ever had to explain in my life. Liam still shared my blood despite everything so I couldn’t let him die. 

Understanding my gesticulation, Roman gritted his teeth and he flung Liam away like he was nothing. Blood poured down Liam’s face from the cut and since that wound was impacted by a Lycan, I knew it would leave a scar that’s even if it healed at all but at least, Roman didn’t kill him.

After that, Roman completed the tie-break ritual by spilling the mixed blood of me and Liam in the vial, on the pack border. Once I was hit by a wave of pain of truly being a rogue with no pack at all, Roman encircled my waist with his arms and pulled me closer and then he pressed his lips to my neck and began pumping me full of his scent. My eyes filled with tears as his warmth chased away the cold emptiness of losing my pack. 

All my life in the midnight pack, I’ve been used and abused, and my older brother who was also my alpha, refused to scent mark me or give me the comfort an omega needs from her alpha’s scent. Suddenly, life brought an entire Lycan King to me who gave me his scent pheromones after I just become a rogue.

It had been overwhelming…

Now in the car, I glanced down at my hands, the faint scent of him still clinging to my skin. It felt…safe. No one had ever stood up for me like that before. No one had ever protected me.

But even as hope blossomed in my chest, it came with fear. What if this was a dream? What if I woke up and found myself back in that tiny room, alone with men creeping into my room to touch me against my will? Or what if all this was pretense and once I was in his pack, he would turn me into his slave? Alphas enjoy domineering over a weak omega and I supposed it had to be the same with Lycans too.

Until I could fully trust him that he wouldn’t turn against me, I decided not to tell him about my pregnancy. Hopefully by the time I couldn’t keep it a secret from him anymore, Roman wouldn’t turn out to be a monster like every other man I’ve known.

I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself as if to shield me from those horrid memories.

Just then the car slowed and then came to a stop. Roman turned his head towards me then and his golden eyes shone with affection. “We’re here,” he rumbled, the corner of his mouth twitching into something almost like a smile. “Come on, Kitten. The sea awaits us.”

I blinked, unsure of what his statement meant, but before I could even attempt to climb out of the car, Roman was already moving. He alighted and instantly appeared by my own door and opened it.

He reached in and his large hands gripped me effortlessly as he lifted me out of the backseat. My breath hitched as I clung to him, throwing my arms around his neck.  His earthly scent of soil and forest filled my nose and I took a long inhale. When he threw me a questioning look, I couldn’t help the soundless giggle that slipped from my lips as he carried me. My mate. My mate. The words hummed through my chest like a song, filling the cracks in my heart.

My eyes suddenly drifted up and I froze.

Now I understood why Roman said the sea awaits us. We were at my pack’s seaport, a place I’d only heard of but was never allowed to visit as Alpha Liam forbade me from ever leaving the pack. It was nothing like I’d ever imagined, filled with tons of yachts and boats.  What stole my breath the most was the massive gleaming boat Roman said was his. Its white surface glowed in the brightness of the afternoon. It looked like something out of a book I read while sleeping on the hard floors in my bedroom.

Just then Roman chuckled and the low, rumbling sound sent a shiver through me. “You like it?”

I nodded, my eyes wide as I took it all in.

“We’ll sail back to the main city.” He explained and brushed his hand over my face. “It’s faster than by land.”

I wiggled a tad in his arms and he laughed deeply, setting me back on my feet. He placed a hand on the small of my back and began steering me aboard. There were at least fifteen men and women on the crew, bowing to him as he walked confidently while I tried not to fall on my face 

Once we were on deck, I stood beside him, my fingers brushing the railing as I took in the view. The reflection of the sun danced on the water and the waves shimmered like liquid gold.

Roman stood very close and his presence felt like a warm wall to protect me. His white shirt stretched tight across his broad chest and the muscles beneath it shifted with every small movement. The sleeves were rolled up, exposing his strong forearms that had a tattoo of a snake wound around the limb. My cheeks heated and I quickly looked away before he caught me ogling.

The Lycan king was…intimidatingly handsome.

I soon found my eyes trailing back to him, upward to the sharp lines of his face and the faint shadow of stubble on his jaw. His eyes suddenly flicked toward me, catching me staring and I could swear my cheeks could boil water now.

He only let out a low, amused sound, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the railing. The wind caught his dark hair, and it tousled the strands.

Suddenly a yawn slipped from my lips before I could stop it and my hands shot up to cover my mouth in embarrassment. Roman caught the movement and his lips curved into the faintest smile.

“You’re tired,” his deep voice rumbled like distant thunder. “Come. You’ll sleep in my cabin for now.”

Startled, I blinked up at him and quickly shook my head. My hands flew up, and I gestured at him, trying to tell him it was still mid-afternoon. I wasn’t that tired.

He arched a brow, clearly unimpressed with my silent protests. “You just had your palm slit and your blood collected into a vial. You need to heal, Kitten.”

I pouted, letting my hands fall to my sides in defeat. I really wanted to stay on deck and watch the sun go down. It was so beautiful and peaceful. But there was no arguing with him when his tone carried an unyielding authority from his wolf.

At the thought of his wolf, a sharp pain burrowed in my chest and I bit on my bottom lip. The first and last time I ever spoke to my wolf was the day I shifted prematurely and witnessed the murder of my parents. And since then, she left me or blocked me from being able to reach her. Now that we even had a mate, she barely even stirred. What if the king’s wolf gets frustrated at its inability to meet their mate’s wolf?

As my mind grew turmoiled with the thoughts, Roman just took my hand firmly and carefully led me below deck. The boat creaked softly as it rocked on the waves, and the faint scent of salt lingered in the air. It was a pleasant surprise the motion and smell didn’t make me sick at all.

After passing through a few forks in hallways, Roman stopped us in front of a door and said it was the captain’s cabin, and pushed the door open. I hesitated in the doorway, peering inside. To my surprise, it looked…normal. The large bed was neatly made with navy blue covers, and a sturdy desk sat in the corner, slightly cluttered with some maps and tools. A single chandelier hung from the ceiling, swaying gently with the movement of the boat.

Roman gave me a slight nudge and I trudged into the room, feeling oddly small in the space. But the bed called out to me and I couldn’t even hold back from slipping under the covers. The moment I did that, warmth enveloped me and I let out a quiet sigh of relief. This was the second time in my life I would be sleeping on a large bed. It felt too good to be true… too good.

When the bed didn’t dip, I realized the King wasn’t joining me. So I glanced back at him and saw he was still standing in the doorway. His broad shoulders filled the frame and his sharp gaze was fixed on me with an intensity that sent shivers down my throat. 

My fears about his wolf came to the surface again but my eyes grew heavy and I yawned again. Maybe i’ll bring this up to him when I woke up. I was so sleepy and my body was sinking deeper into the mattress. When I looked back up again, Roman was leaving and the door shut softly behind him.

The gentle rocking of the boat and the faint sound of the ocean water sloshing against the sides of the boat lulled me into a nice pillowy darkness.

Until my eyes snapped open as I woke up abruptly. How long was it since I’d been out? A glance at the window showed me how dark it was outside.

But wait…something wasn’t right.

There was a pressure deep inside me, like movement.

My eyes darted down and panic seized my chest as every sensation became clearer. Lips were brushing against my neck, pressing kisses along my skin, and thick fingers thrust in and out of my vagina. My first thought was Roman but it felt wrong, like when the other men in my pack touched me against my will. Instinctively, I tried to scream but no one came out. My hands shoved at the weight on top of me, but it was useless.

The person was built like a tank.

A large hand clamped over my mouth just then, as if trying to muffle a scream that’ll never escape my throat.

Tears filled my eyes as terror consumed me. It wasn’t Roman. It couldn’t be Roman. Roman knew I was mute so he wouldn’t try to cover my mouth to stifle it. Besides, he wouldn’t do…whatever this was.

Roman, please. Save me.” I begged silently, willing him to feel my fear through whatever bond had been formed when he marked me. To sense my desperation. As I tried and failed to create a mind-link connection to Roman, the person pinning me down suddenly raised their head, and my body went still.

It was Roman.

Or at least, it looked like him.

Pale, golden eyes stared down at me and a wicked grin tugged at his lips. Slowly, he removed his hand from my mouth, leaning in close as he whispered. “Shh.”

My brows furrowed in confusion as my heart jackhammered against my chest. Why are you doing this? I mouthed at him.

“I just looked at you sleeping in my bed and I couldn’t stop myself from touching you.” He said in reply before dipping his head to suck on my nipple through my thin shirt. Sensation rippled through me and I arched my back in response before trying to move away from his touch. Something wasn’t right. 

The scent in the air wasn’t his. Actually, there was no smell coming from him at all.

As I came to that realization, I also saw right then that Roman was soaked too and water was dripping from his hair onto my skin. Why was he wet? I wondered, my head spinning from everything that was happening. Okay, maybe it's the ocean water that muted his scent, I thought, trying to calm the gnawing unease. Maybe he’d gone for a swim and came to his cabin to change when he saw me sleeping and couldn’t control himself.

I didn’t necessarily like it, but maybe I understand. His fingers suddenly slipped back inside me and my body betrayed me. Now that I convinced myself it was Roman, I felt the familiar mate bond between us pull me under and I stopped fighting, letting myself respond to his touch.

This unease lingered, but I pushed it aside. This was my mate who had protected me since the moment we met. He must have needs and the least I could do was fulfill them. So I shut my eyes and began touching his powerful muscular shoulders as he sucked on my lips and rub my pussy.

As he continued to finger fuck me, working me closer to the edge, a sharp, searing pain suddenly sliced through my neck.

My eyes flew back open and I froze.

Roman had sunk his fangs into my neck. Long fangs with hook ends that felt as large as fish hooks ripping into me. Wolfs have canines…not fangs. So Roman didn’t have fangs. Why was he marking me again and not even in the spot he’s supposed to do it?

I began to feel a pull immediately, the sickening sensation of my blood leaving my body. No. Roman wasn’t marking me. He was feeding from me, draining my blood.

But why?

I whimpered weakly, pushing at his chest as dizziness set in. The pain was potent and it slipped my strength away, my vision slowly blurring at the edges.

Why was he doing this?

My mind screamed for help because my limbs had turned to rubber. I couldn’t move a finger. Help me.

And then, the door splintered on its hinges, sending bits of wood flying everywhere.

My fading vision caught the figure standing in the doorway and my heart stuttered.

It was Roman.

Another Roman.

My mind reeled, confusion and terror swirling together as the world tilted on its axis.

And then everything went dark….forever.