Chapter 4—Intoxicating yet infuriating!

Damien's POV

The air grew heavy with her scent—a sweet, intoxicating scent that drifted through the air like it mattered—marking her presence undeniably and unapologetically.

What the hell was she even doing here? I drove a sharp punch right into the heavy leather bag, and it swung lazily away from me—evidence of weak punches sent to the bag.

I could vent my anger on it all day, but it was useless; every breath I took was already saturated with her scent, making my focus impossible and messed up. I shouldn't have been surprised. Humans had always disrupted, weakened, and contaminated everything they touched.

My wolf growled fiercely deep inside me, and a name I'd rather lose the whole fortune to the Remington bloodline and die than let it exist as it reverberated through my skull—uninvited, dangerous.

This was it. Wherever the hell she had existed before tonight, she was better off there because I never wanted her here. She was human after all. A fckig human.

No better than the rest of them.

F***ng weak. Invaders. Parasites. Trespassers who had no place around the Darkclaw territory—except inside the ancestral prison built long ago for them.

As alpha of the Darkclaw pack, it was my sworn mission to make sure any human who was bold and reckless enough to cross my threshold never gets away with it.

F**k the girl!

I'd make sure she's no different from the lowlife intruders she had met on her way in.

"F*****g intruders!" I spat a curse of raw fury, fist slamming relentlessly into the leather bag, teeth clenched, sweat streaming down effortlessly like the frustration coiled tight in my guts.

The scent grew closer.

Stronger.

My anger boiled. Hotter. Reckless, until the heavy mahogany door creaked open, and there she was, launched inside like garbage, almost tumbling into the room with her hands tied behind her and a tiny piece blindfolding her.

Blonde hair sat in a messy bun, with stray strands all over her face. The small piece of cloth used to blindfold her fitted her so well; I wanted it to remain there for a few seconds.

Her hands were tied to the back, of course, and she casually sported a wooly pullover that looked more like she had personally decided it would keep her warm throughout winter.

Her cheeks were stained crimson, lips plum and pink, a cute contrast to her pale skin, slightly parted as she gasped uncontrollably. Pretty.

I kept up with a few more furious yet impactless strikes, the damn leather thudding back at me reluctantly as I tried to steady the rage twisting deep inside of me.

But I only made it to a few more punches that rattled the stillness of the room before halting for good, wrenching my pugilist's gloves free, jaw clenched like it personally wronged me. My gaze fell on her trembling hourglass figure reveling subtly against her winter clothes.

Curvy and trembling

And here face...

Too stunning.

Fragile. Terrified. Stunning.

Exactly how she should look when she's around me. And that pretty face...pissed me the fuck off. Her beauty alone was unforgivable. She didn't have to try... to exist. Her presence was a promised havoc wrapped in a slender body and pale skin. Her scent—sweet jasmine tangled with a subtle, intoxicating hint of roses—with an undeniable heat radiating from her skin that rolled off even on a winter night like this and stubbornly heightened my senses.

I hated her for that. Made my wolf growl restlessly as he lunged against my spine, rumbling.

Mine.

That disgusted me.

But she wasn't going to leave. I'd do her a favor. Keep alive and under my watch. My cage, prisoner. My prisoner.

I'm stronger and better without her, and I despise her for daring to exit—as a human.

I had conquered men, conquered the world, and made humans and wolves bow to me, and then she walked in, threatening to undo it all.

If she looked this pretty with that scared look on her face, her eyes tied shut and her hands cuffed behind her, then it only meant she was fit for this; it doesn't even save her from being a captive of the Darkclaw, it gives her better survivor instincts to continue.

I watched her shiver near the door where she stood with wobbly feet and wondered why she took such stupid yet audacious steps. In the first place, leaving the safety of her human-dominated territory to dare the borders of Darkclaws.

I could have decided that she remained at the gate—seized and forced to face the consequences—or allowed her to turn around and f******g go home.

But I couldn't let her scent slip away and the bound.

But her scent.

The bound.

The f*****g bound.

Had to let her feel lucky enough to not have been caught from the very beginning. A snare that would pull her closer until escape was no longer possible.

The fear etched on her face now didn't match the kind of nerves it took for her to step into this mansion and move until up close.

I expected the same fearless facade, but the girl by the door was shivering, uncertain about where she even was. Then I guess I wasn't wrong about humans—all f*****g cunts. Act bold, act reckless, commit a sin against Damien Remington, and f****g shiver with fear afterwards.

I had never seen a man with his bravery intact, especially when bound in chains. Just a bunch of them like sheep and hens in chains. Meek as hell. Scared to death.

It takes courage to walk into hell willingly. She should have one.

And I'd take it from her. Break her slow. Make her shatter repeatedly, fill her with dread, and still... kiss those cute, pouty lips... that f****g draw me in.

And I swear she'd regret every step that ever brought her to a man like Damien Remington.

She should have known better. What the hell made her think walking into my threshold was a good idea? Think Damien wasn't doing enough to intruders.

I closed up the space between us in just a few strides, looming over her, close enough to feel her react instantly—her body shuddering as my huge frame pressed down on her. I let her feel the heat rolling off me and the rage beneath the heat. Her fear spiked. I smirked.

She was barely over 5'3"; her height only made it to my chest as hot, panicked breaths grazed me. She had an hourglass frame that fought vehemently not to get too covered by the winter outfit she donned.

I watched her lips quiver and part one more time, making it unbearable as curiosity tugged at me, wondering what her eyes could look like.

What do I care anyway? She should see the man who's about to dismantle her in ways she never ever imagined and me, the girl I'm about to dismantle and have her beg me still.

I tore the blindfold away with brutal force.

She reeled like a winter caught in winter wind, blinking as her eyes wandered the room.

Killer eyes.

Her eyes were round, wide, and blue, like bright summer skies she might never be able to gaze at. Ever!

Those eyes could manipulate, make you go wild, and tame you all at once. That was why I was never planning on giving her a freaking chance—she won't dare meet my gaze next time. Maybe have her head buried in the pillow and leave her trembling under me.

Her huge eyes flickered to me like she hadn't expected to be standing right where she was, taking in my features with a nervous gasp.

I stood patiently, and I'm freaking sure I'm never letting it last any longer than 60 seconds, letting her take in the features of the room before her eyes flickered to my abs.

Whatever she was doing—checking me out, doing whatever—I let her.

She won't stop anytime soon; she'd never be done checking me out. One silly girl whose body and face are just a breath away from me with so much audacity—she needs all the time in the damn world to check me.

"I'm sure that took a lot of nerves." I said, my voice deep and rumbling, fury etching into every syllable as I watched her flinch too much at the sound of my voice.

"I—" She fumbled for words. Up until now she didn't have a reasonable thing to say as to why she had herself here. Crazy.

"You?" I cut her off coldly, letting her silly garbage talk fade away and get lost in the air before getting a taste of her. No hesitating.

The moment her scent hit me, I knew my doom had come and she was standing right in front of me.