003

Chapter 3

Jennifer's POV  

The air inside the luxury Maybach felt heavy with tension as we drove through the moonlit streets of Shadowcrest. Lyra, usually talkative and bold, sat stiffly in her seat, not daring to speak a word in the presence of her Alpha. Even though she belonged to his pack structure, the gulf in power between them was unmistakable—she clearly held deep respect for the Alpha king.  

My gaze drifted to Gregory’s wrist, where an old, worn wolf-fang bracelet hung against his otherwise flawless appearance. Something about it felt strangely familiar, tugging at the edges of my memory, but the pleasant haze from the whiskey made it hard to place.  

My thoughts drifted back to the first time I had seen Gregory Donovan years ago. The memory remained sharp despite the alcohol—his commanding presence, the way other Alphas deferred to him, how my teenage heart had hammered embarrassingly in my chest. That flutter had never truly faded; it had only grown stronger under the sharpened intensity of his presence now. Years later, he was still just as devastating, his beauty almost cruel in its perfection.  

We dropped Lyra off first, her house being closer. She shot me a meaningful look before hurrying inside, leaving me alone with the most powerful Alpha in America.  

“Planning to stay in Shadowcrest?” Gregory’s deep voice broke the silence, his tone deliberately casual as he pulled away from the curb.  

Although Shadowcrest was Nightshade territory, it ultimately fell under his jurisdiction as Supreme Alpha. His question about my return was reasonable.  

“Yes,” I answered simply, my fingers twisting nervously in my lap as I fought not to shift under the weight of his unspoken questions.  

I waited for him to press further, to ask about my intentions or my mother’s plans, but he remained silent. The strong air conditioning and the steady rhythm of the car lulled me into a drowsy state. The silence stretched thick enough to taste, amplifying the erratic thud of my heartbeat, and before I realized it, I had drifted off.  

“Jennifer, wake up.”  

The low rumble of Gregory’s voice pulled me from sleep. I opened my eyes to find him leaning into the car, the door already open. His face was only inches from mine, those penetrating eyes studying me intently. Moonlight cast sharp shadows across his aristocratic features, every line of his face burning itself into my still-hazy mind.  

“…Gregory?” My voice came out husky with sleep and lingering alcohol, my breath catching at the proximity.  

He had opened my door and was half-leaning into the car, his broad shoulders blocking the exit. The crisp scent of pine needles rolled off him, surrounding me completely. My wolf responded with immediate, overwhelming hunger—a primal reaction I could not suppress, even as my rational mind screamed how dangerous this was.  

The price of pretending to be an omega for three years had been high. I had suppressed my wolf so thoroughly that I had been incapable of forming a complete bond, a sacrifice that now left me uncertain whether what remained between us could ever be whole. Yet fate had other plans, bringing us together again. But that glance just now—maybe it was only a trick of the light. And would Gregory even truly recognize me after years of hiding who I really was, of smothering the very part of me that would call to his?  

“You’re beautiful,” I murmured, a smile playing on my lips. The whiskey emboldened me. A reckless impulse surged through me to close the distance, consequences be damned. I reached up and hooked my arm around his neck, pulling him closer.  

“Want to fuck me?” I asked, drawing out the words with deliberate provocation.  

Gregory seemed momentarily stunned. He brushed a strand of hair from my face, his voice carefully controlled. “You’re drunk.”  

“Not that drunk,” I countered.  

I was intoxicated enough to be honest but sober enough to know what I wanted. Memories of the past three years flashed through my mind—pretending to be something I wasn’t for Stefan, the lost wager that would now bind me to Nightshade Pack leadership, the arranged mating that would surely follow.  

This might be my last chance at true freedom before duty consumed me. “Gregory,” I said, leaning closer until my red hair brushed against his face, “don’t you want me?”  

The tension between us built like an approaching storm. Then, without warning, his cool lips pressed against mine. His strong hands gripped my waist as our breaths mingled.  

“Don’t regret this later, Jennifer,” he growled against my mouth, gently biting my tongue in a gesture of dominance that sent electricity racing down my spine.  

The heat between us intensified rapidly. I caught my own reflection in his dark eyes—flushed, wanting, surrendering.  

Our kiss deepened, grew hungrier. The car suddenly felt too small, too confining for what we both clearly needed.  

We barely made it into my hotel room before Gregory pinned me against the wall, his mouth devouring mine. My wolf howled with triumph as his hands explored my body, claiming every inch. The bond between us—the True Mate bond I had never expected to find—flared to life, magnifying every sensation.  

“I’ve waited years for this,” he growled, his voice rough with desire as he tore my dress away like tissue paper.  

My nails raked down his back, drawing blood as he lifted me, wrapping my legs around his waist. The feeling of his hard body against mine was intoxicating, perfect.  

“Gregory,” I gasped as his mouth found my neck, teeth grazing the sensitive spot where a mating bite would go.  

When his fingers slid between my thighs, I nearly came undone immediately. The mate bond amplified everything—every touch, every sensation was magnified tenfold. I was soaked for him, my body recognizing what my mind had denied for so long.  

“You’re mine,” he growled possessively. “You’ve always been mine.”  

We tumbled onto the bed, a tangle of limbs and desperate need. Gregory’s skills as a lover were as legendary as his power—deliberate, commanding, attentive to every response. When he finally entered me, the pleasure was so intense I cried out, digging my fingers into his shoulders.  

“Look at me,” he demanded, and I obeyed, meeting his intense gaze.  

The connection between us was electric, primal. My wolf surrendered completely to him—not out of weakness, but recognition. This was what I had never found with Stefan, what I had never even known to look for. With each powerful thrust, Gregory drove me higher, the mate bond between us singing with completion.  

Wave after wave of pleasure crashed through me, more intense than anything I had ever experienced. My body convulsed around him, drawing him deeper. Gregory’s eyes flashed with his wolf as he claimed me completely, his release triggering another explosive climax of my own.  

As we lay tangled in the sheets afterward, his arms wrapped possessively around me, I realized with startling clarity—I had spent three years chasing the wrong wolf. My True Mate had been watching, waiting all along.  

“How long have you known?” I asked, tracing the lines of his chest with my fingertips.  

Gregory’s hand stroked my hair, a possessiveness in his touch that my wolf adored. “Since the first moment I saw you at your father’s funeral. You were seventeen, fierce and beautiful, challenging everyone with your eyes.” His voice deepened. “But you were too young then. I decided to wait.”  

“And then I went after Stefan,” I murmured, understanding dawning.  

His arms tightened around me. “I’ve never wanted to kill another Alpha so badly in my life,” he admitted, a dangerous edge to his voice. “But I respected your choice. I thought you’d eventually realize he wasn’t your mate.”  

I looked up at him, seeing both man and wolf in those predatory eyes. “And if I hadn’t?”  

“I would have waited forever,” he said simply. “But now you’re mine, Jennifer

Louise.” His hands slid down my back possessively. “And I don’t share what’s mine.”