Prologue

DELLA

Hunt stepped closer and I stopped breathing for a second.

"What did you say?" His voice dripped with anger.

I swallowed hard but stood my ground. He wasn't going to intimidate me and make me feel inferior to him anyone. I was done playing by his rules. I was his Luna and he was going to have to earn my respect. "You're vile and disgusting. You don't know how to control your pack because all you've ever known is violence and anger."

His nostrils flared as he grabbed me by my throat and backed me into the cool wall behind. "I hate you, Della. I wish you could've been erased from my life, but that's not possible."

He brought his palm up to my chin and caressed my bottom lip with his warm thumb. "I've rejected you and yet you're still here."

Hot tears misted in my eyes as I dropped my gaze to the floor. My heart pounded wildly in my ears. He wanted to hurt me in every way he could and was going to remind me every single time that I am the rejection and that I will never be accepted. Not by him or his pack.

"You want to know why I think you're still around?" he asked, his breath fanning across my face.

I shook my head but he continued anyway. He wanted to make sure that got hurt. Hunt dropped his voice to a cruel whisper as he brought his warm lips against my cheek. "Because I think you're in still love with me even though you try to deny it. You forget that we're bonded."

My heart thudded in my chest as his next words broke everything in me.

"But here's the thing," he continued. "I'm never going to love you, Della. You can try as much as you want. Fuck what anyone says, you and I will never happen. I'm not your mate and you'll never be mine. That's how it will always be."