STUCK IN THIS NIGHTMARE

​JAXON'S POV

"The search is over!" I said to the crowd. "Ava Thorne is your Luna!"

I suddenly began to hear whispers explode all over the room.

"Ava? The one who ran away?"

"The weakling? She’s the Luna?"

"Look at her... she doesn't even have a pack mark." 

​Ava didn't scream. She didn't cry. She just looked at me with a hatred so pure it was beautiful. Then, before I could react, she lunged forward, grabbed my tie, and hauled me toward the side office.

​"Move," she hissed.

​I followed her, my wolf purring at her aggression. The second the door slammed shut, she exploded.

​"Are you mad?!" she screamed, her voice cracking the heavy silence of the room. "Are you absolutely, out of your mind, insane, Jaxson?"

​I didn't answer. I couldn't. Up close, without the pack watching, she was devastating. Her chest heaved with every breath, the silk of that dress straining against her breasts, dipping so low I could see the rapid pulse in her throat.

​"I had a life!" she yelled. The slit in her dress flashed her thigh with every step revealing more skin. "I had a flight! I have a job! You don't get to just stand up there and announce me like I’m a new piece of furniture for your Pack House!"

​I stepped toward her, my shadow falling over her. She stopped pacing and lifted her head.

​She was so small compared to me, but she stood her ground. My eyes betrayed me, wandering down the curve of her throat to her huge breasts, then down to tits showing slightly. She had changed a whole lot since high school.

​

​"Did you hear a word I said?" she said, snapping her fingers in front of my face. "I am leaving, Jaxson. I don't care about the bond. I don't care about your crown. I hate you. Do you understand? I. Hate. You."

​"You’re shouting, Ava," I said, my voice coming out as a low as possible.

​"I'll do more than shout! I'll—"

​I moved faster than she could blink. I slammed my hands onto the door on either side of her head, trapping her. I leaned in until our noses were almost touching, until I could feel the heat radiating off her skin.

​"You can hate me all you want," I growled, my gaze dropping to her lips, red, pouty, and trembling with rage. "You can tell me about every human you've slept with to try and forget me. But you aren't getting on that plane. You’re the Luna of Silver Ridge. My Luna. And if I have to chain you to my bed to keep you here, I will."

​Her breath hitched. For a second, the anger in her eyes flickered into something else. Something that felt a lot like the yearning that was currently tearing me apart

I stared at the pulse jumping in her neck, the exact spot where my teeth needed to sink in. My fangs ached, pushing against my gums. One bite. That’s all it would take to seal her to this territory, to me.

​She saw my eyes drop to her shoulder and she let out a jagged breath, her hand flying up to cover her skin.

​"Don't you dare," she whispered, her voice trembling. "If you mark me while I'm angry, Jaxson, I will never forgive you. I'll spend the rest of my life making sure you regret it."

​The threat should have cooled my blood. Instead, seeing her so fierce, so defiant, only made the yearning worse. 

​"You can do whatever you want, but do not make the mistake of thinking I'd make the stay here again."

She proceeded to leave. 

"Oh, and also Jaxson." she added.

"You really need to learn how to control yourself around a woman." she said, staring at my bulging cock before leaving.

AVA'S POV

​I woke up at 11am, still feeling tired from the event earlier.

​I didn't bother with breakfast. I threw my emerald dress into the suitcase, pulled on a pair of tight leather pants and a white silk blouse, and headed down to the lobby. 

​Just get to the airport. Once you’re in the air, the pack laws don't mean shit.

​I checked out in silence, the receptionist refusing to meet my eyes. I pushed through the hotel's revolving doors, expecting to see my pre-booked taxi.

​Instead, the street was lined with blacked-out cars.

​They were parked in a perfect semicircle, blocking every exit from the hotel driveway. A dozen hefty men stood in formation, their faces grim, their eyes fixed on me. It was a military operation for a single woman.

​The door of the center SUV opened, and Jaxson stepped out.

​He was in dressed in a black suit that made him look like sin, and dark shades.

​"The taxi is five minutes late," I said, leaning casually against my suitcase, though my pulse was racing. "Move the cars, Jaxson. I have a flight to catch."

​Jaxson stopped two feet from me. The air around him was vibrating. "The taxi isn't coming, Ava. Neither is your flight."

​"What did you do?"

​"I've closed the borders," he growled, his voice a low, gravelly rasp that set my skin on fire. "No one leaves Silver Ridge. Not until my Luna is safely in the Pack House where she belongs."

​"I am not your Luna!" I stepped into his space, poking a finger into his hard chest. "I’d rather move in with a complete stranger than spend a single night in your house."

​Jaxson’s hand snapped out, catching my wrist. He didn't hurt me, but his grip was like iron. He leaned down, his eyes glowing dangerously.

​"You want to play the rebellious mate? Fine. But you’re going to do it from my bedroom."

​He signaled to the guards. Two of them stepped forward and grabbed my suitcase.

​"Get in the car, Ava," he commanded, his Alpha voice vibrating through my bones. "We can do this the easy way, or I can throw you over my shoulder in front of everyone. Either way, you're coming home."