Chapter nine

ALPHA BRAN'S POV

Rumors traveled fast in the werewolf world.

Pack members have been murmuring along the streets. Alphas from different countries have already called to confirm whatever they heard.

“Alpha Bran, is it true you brought back a human slave?”

“Bran, I heard you purchased a human girl at an auction. You? The one who loathes humans?”

“What business does a human have in your packhouse?”

I dismissed them all with one reply. “It’s none of your concern.”

No one knew the fragile human girl I brought back was my mate. I plan on keeping it like that till I find a perfect time to reject her.

I couldn't believe the moon goddess actually mated me to a human.

I scoffed, considering it a cruel joke of fate.

That human would never be my mate. I would reject her. But not until I punish her for attempting an escape at the forest. No one defies me and goes scot-free.

I ordered Bane, my first Gamma, to fix her in the kitchen. I trusted Ember, the head chef, to do justice to the human. And to my satisfaction, she didn’t hold back. Ember hated humans as much as me. 

My wolf, however, had other plans. He quarreled me for hurting his mate.

‘You’re hurting her. She’s our mate. You are to protect—’

‘No.’ I silenced him every time he brought her case to my heart.

He stopped nagging me, and aroused in me an urge to want to see her. I slapped him with my refusal constantly, but at some point, I couldn't resist anymore and found myself walking into her room.

Her scent hit me, soft and sweet like warm honey. My pulse raced. My wolf surged upward, clawing out to the surface.

Only when her sweet scent got tainted with fear, and her trembling voice came, “Who's there?” did I realize I was standing in front of her bathroom. And only a thin curtain separated us. 

I growled, hating the fear that spoiled her sweet scent. I was comfortable with other people fearing me. But not her. 

Whilst my wolf filled my mind with dirty thoughts of me ripping out the curtain and finding out what she looked like without clothes, she said a lot of words out of fear that made my chest tighten. 

My hands fisted. I turned and walked away as if I was running from a fight I wasn't sure I would win.

Ryker’s voice tore through my mind the second I left. ‘You should have spoken to her.’

“Shut up,” I snapped aloud and strode straight to my office.

I needed a distraction. Something strong enough to drown the idiot part of me that wanted to return to her room and assure her that she was safe. So I called for Saskia.

She arrived moments later, looking sexy in a clingy red gown and bold red lipstick. She slid onto my lap without waiting for permission, pressing her lips greedily against mine.

Her perfume scent hit me. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it smothered my wolf’s instincts for a moment. Her hands moved over my shoulders, her breath warmed against my neck.

“Missed me?” she purred.

“Mm,” I muttered, cupping her hips to pull her closer and keep my mind far from the human girl whose scent haunted me. 

My wolf snarled, furious. I tried to force him down, but he was playing strong-headed. He retracted only when Saskia’s arousal filled the room.

And just as I slid my claw into her wet p***y, my beta, Aric, knocked. 

Saskia growled in irritation as my claw slipped out of her. She straightened her gown. “This better be important.”

Aric stepped in, wrinkling his nose and ignoring the sex scent in the air. “Alpha, we need to go over the pack rules with the human slave.”

Right. I’d said I would lay out the rules to her today.

I mindlinked Bane to bring her. He told me she refused to eat dinner.

I wasn't surprised she didn't eat. Humans don't eat fresh, raw meat. But we werewolves, it was our best meal. Aric, my Gammas, and I went hunting that evening and caught some good meat. That was what Ember prepared for dinner. 

“Find her something she can eat,” I ordered. “Bring her after.”

Saskia rolled her eyes. “Why are we wasting time on a human?”

I ignored her.

Minutes later, Bane entered with the human girl.

The moment she stepped in, the air seemed to shift. Her scent washed over me again, sweeter than I remembered.

My wolf clawed out, roaring.

I forced my grip to tighten around Saskia’s waist, keeping her seated on my thighs.

That was enough to make my wolf howl with fury.

The girl's moss green eyes met mine briefly.

She quickly looked away.

Aric read out the pack rules to her. And she dared to disobey me again. I punished her by ordering her to clean my apartment while I took Saskia to my bedroom and f****d her. 

I wanted the human girl to understand that she meant nothing.

Saskia, after our wild sex session, drifted into a deep sleep, exhausted. But I couldn’t sleep.

Couldn’t stop thinking about the human girl.

Eventually, I gave up resisting and slipped out of bed to go find her. Just as I opened the door, I found her asleep by my doorstep. 

My chest tightened again. She was a tiny, fragile thing in a pack of predators.

I stood there for hours. Watching her. Listening to her soft breaths. Fighting my wolf, who wanted more with her.

When I realised it was dawn, I went back into my room and met Saskia, still deep asleep. I kissed her forehead before going to wash and dressed up for the day's work. I returned to the hallway and found the human still asleep on the cold floor.

I stood there until it was morning proper, and her eyelids finally fluttered open. She gasped at the sight of me.

I made her run around the packhouse fifty times as an additional punishment for sleeping on duty.

I wanted her to break. To beg for my mercy. But she didn't. 

She completed the rounds with her head held high, refusing to break.

I left her, but barely made it a mile before my wolf jerked violently.

‘Kitchen. NOW.’

I burst into the kitchen, burning in rage as I saw Saskia’s brother, Javier, pin my girl against the wall, standing just an inch away from her.  

My vision darkened.

“TAKE. YOUR. HANDS. OFF. HER.” 

He turned to me. Shocked. Surprised. Scared. 

“A—Alpha,” he stammered, and let her go. 

But I couldn't forgive him. Couldn't let it pass. In a blink, my hand wrapped around his throat, lifting him off the ground.

His eyes bulged in terror. “A-Alpha—!”

I squeezed tighter, fury pounding through me like wildfire. 

I was going to snap his neck. Kill him for touching what was mine.