- CHAPTER ONE -

Sloane.

Three weeks in the werewolf realm, and I still felt like an alley cat stranded in a cage of tigers.

The club was called The Black Crest, an exclusive den in the heart of the capital city where pack elders, high ranking enforcers, and wealthy purebloods gathered under the guise of an annual solstice gala. The heavy bass of the music vibrated through the floorboards, thick with the heavy scents of cedar, damp earth and raw dominance emitting from the men.

As a half breed - half human, half wolf - my inner animal was quiet, buried under human blood. Most purebloods treated me like a stray dog or an exotic pet.

Case in point: Elder Vane. A grey haired bloated pack elder who had been concerning me by the bar for twenty minutes, smelling like cheap cigars and stale brandy.

"You don't belong on the outer fringes, girl," Vane rasped, his thick fingers brushing my bare forearm. "A half human girl needs protection in a city like this. You can't even cross the palace threshold. My estate has plenty of room for a pretty thing like you."

"I'm good, thanks," I muttered, yanking my arm back. "I prefer sleeping without a leash."

Before he could grab me again, I turned on my heel and slipped past a heavy curtain into the quiet VIP corridor.

The hallway was dimly lit by red wall sconces. I leaned against the cold brick wall, taking a deep breath of the air, trying to shake the disgust coating my skin.

Then the air in the corridor changed.

The ambient noise of the club seemed to drop off a cliff. A sudden, crushing weight of authority flooded the hallway, hitting me like a wall. My quiet dormant wolf suddenly bristled under my skin, whining in submission and desire all at once.

That's strange. I thought to myself. This had never happened before.

Footsteps sound against the tile. He stepped out from the shadows near the private elevators. Tall, broad shouldered, clad in a dark tailored suit. A matte steel half mask covered the upper half of his face, hiding his eyes, leaving only a sharp, stubbled jawline and full, firm lips visible.

He stopped five feet from me. Even behind the mask, I felt his gaze burning straight through my black dress.

"You're in the wrong wing, little bird," his voice rolled out, it was a deep gravelly baritone that vibrated right through my ribs.

"I was avoiding a creep," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, though my pulse was racing in my throat. "Didn't realize I needed a hall pass."

He took two slow, deliberate steps toward me. The scent of him hit my lungs - crushed pine needles, cold rain, and dark whiskey. It was addicting, intoxicating enough to make my head spin.

"You smell human," he growled low, his gaze dropping to my lips. "And yet your pulse is racing like a wolf in heat."

"Fuck off." I breathed, but I didn't step back. My heels were glued to the floor.

He reached out, his long calloused fingers closing around my waist, dragging me flush against his hard chest. The heat coming off him was insane. "Watch your tongue." He murmured against my ear, his stubble scraping my sensitive skin.

He kicked open the heavy door to a private suite behind us and hauled me inside. The lock engaged with a loud click.

The room was dark, lit only by the city lights filtering through the floor to ceiling glass. He shoved me against the closed door, his large hands sliding up my thighs, his thumb digging into my hips with a possessive grip that made me gasp.

'Sloane. Stop.' My inner voice barked but my wolf's whines and surrender was stronger.

"I don't even know your name or who you are," I panted, my hands reaching up to grip his broad shoulders.

"Even better. Then you won't regret it tomorrow,"he growled.

My fingers reached for the edge of his mask, wanting to strip it away, but his hand caught my wrist, pinning it above my head.

"Don't look at my face," he murmured, his mouth dropping to the crook of my neck, his sharp teeth grazing my pulse point until a sharp shiver shot down my spine. "Just tell me you want this."

"God, yes," I whimpered.

He didn't waste another second. His mouth moved to mine and slammed down into a brutal, starving kiss that swallowed my breath. His tongue pushed past my lips, tasting of dark liquor. He unzipped my dress with one swift tug, letting the fabric pool at my waist, his hands flew up to cup my bare breasts, rolling his thumbs over my nipples until my knees nearly buckled.

"Are you sure?" He asked, now staring deep into my eyes.

"Hmm," I nodded.

"I need words."

"God, yes!" I snapped out of frustration and pent up desire. He lifted me effortlessly, my legs wrapping around his waist. I didn't know when he had unbuckled his belt, all I felt within the next few seconds was him aligning himself and driving deep inside me in one heavy thrust.

A sharp, loud cry ripped from my throat. He filled me completely, stretching my core with a thick, searing heat that made my vision blur. He set a brutal, relentless pace against the wooden door, every deep drive pushing me higher into a wild, frantic rhythm I'd never felt in my life.

His teeth sank into my neck, it wasn't a full mate mark, but a sharp possessive bite that sent a shockwave of pleasure straight to my core. My inner walls clamped down hard around him, a violent orgasm shattering my control as I screamed into his neck.

He let out a low, guttural roar, driving into me three more times before coming deep inside me, his whole frame shuddering against mine.

"That was insane." I breathed, causing him to laugh. He said and just held me steady in his arms.

I don't know how long I slept, or what happened next. But when I woke up, the suite was dead silent. I laid on a leather sofa, wrapped in a dark sheet. The space beside me was cold.

He was gone.

Leaving behind only his scent on my skin and a dull, throbbing ache between my thighs.

I slowly sat up, my hands shaking as I reached for my dress on the floor.

On the table sat a glass of water and my phone, which was vibrating violently against the surface.

I picked it up, my chest tightening when I saw the caller ID: MOM.

I slid the screen to answer, pressing the phone to my ear. "Mom? It's three in the morning. Is everything okay?"

"Sweetheart!" Her voice came through the speaker, shaky, breathless and filled with a strange, frantic energy. "I've been trying to reach you for more than four hours!"

"I was out," I muttered, pulling my dress over my shoulders. "What happened?"

"I need you to come to the Capital Estate right now," she stammered, her voice dropping to a loud, excited whisper. "Something happened while you were gone. I....I did something crazy!"

"Mom," I let out a loud sigh. "I've only been away from home for a week. What did you do?"

"Before you came to the werewolf realm, I've been seeing someone," she admitted, her voice now sounding like a college girl.

I arched a brow in amusement and curiosity. "Okay? That's surprising. You never told me."

"That's because....." She hesitated, then continued. "To be honest, Sloane. I married the Alpha right now. We just finished the ceremony."