Trail of obsession

ANYA'S POV

The cold of the metal against my throat left me frozen, but the adrenaline that ran through me burned the fear before I could be paralyzed. The man had me cornered against the railing, pushing me with all his might, and his hot breath—which smelled of alcohol and raw meat—was pounding my ear.

"One cut, little wolf," he hissed in the darkness, resting the blade just above my wrist. If Alpha or pure bloodline blood comes out, I'll apologize to Gideon. But if you bleed like any ordinary human... I'll slit your throat right here before your male finds out.

All the survival nonsense I had practiced alone for weeks came to mind. A wolf expected a human to stiffen or beg; a submissive wolf would submit. I couldn't do either.

Instead of leaning back, I did just the opposite: I nailed the heel of my shoe with all my strength to the attacker's instep.

He let out a muffled groan, and his grip faltered for a second: it was all I needed. I nudged her hard in the ribs and turned suddenly, taking advantage of the flight of the dress to hit her hand. The knife shot out, hit the stone and fell into the void into the forest.

"Damn bitch!" he roared. His eyes glowed wild yellow and his claws came out in the blink of an eye, ready to smash my face.

He lunged at me faster than you can follow with your eyes. I backed away until my back hit the railing, with nowhere else to go. The blow left me breathless, but I clenched my fists, ready to fight until the end.

But the shadow did not touch me.

A terrible roar filled the balcony. The air seemed to burst around, cold and heavy, making the windows of the corridor creak.

Azkarion did not walk: he appeared.

It was like lightning. In the blink of an eye, his hand closed around the attacker's neck with the force of a steel trap, stopping him in mid-air and drowning his roar in a pathetic screech.

"You touched what you shouldn't," he said, and it wasn't a scream: it was a whisper from deep within, charged with an ancient, terrifying power.

His gray eyes were gone: they were now shining gold, wild in the gloom. Without even giving him time to breathe, he lifted it with one hand and held it suspended over the void of fifty meters, just above the rocks.

"Wait, Alpha!" The man pleaded, kicking uselessly. Gideon... Gideon promised me...!

"Gideon is not here to save you," Azkarion cut in.

There was a sharp crack, and the man stopped struggling. A second later, Azkarion opened his hand and the body fell into the void, disappearing into the trees without making a sound.

The silence returned, thick and heavy. The icy wind shook his coat and his dark hair. My heart was pounding so hard that I thought it would come out of my mouth, and the sweat and exertion were causing the odor blocker to fade very quickly.

He didn't turn around right away. He stared at the forest, his shoulders tense, and that golden light around him looked like a storm about to burst.

"Are you okay?" I asked, trying not to let my voice tremble, although my legs were failing me.

He turned slowly. The coldness with which he had spoken at the banquet had vanished: now his golden eyes looked at me with a hungry, possessive intensity that made my blood run cold.

He walked towards me step by step, as if he were going to hunt me, until I had to lean against the wall.

"Azkarion?" I whispered.

He did not answer. He stopped millimeters away from me, filling me with his shadow. He raised his hand and gently brushed my neck, right where the knife had made a tiny, almost invisible wound.

He looked at the red drop on his fingertip, then brought it to his nose.

His pupils dilated completely. I watched as his whole body tensed: the sunscreen had completely failed, and the actual smell of my human blood filled the space between us.

"You smell of fear," he said, his voice hoarse and changed. You smell of sweet cherry blossom and deadly meat. Your trail is a damn temptation, Anya.

He rested his hands on the wall on the sides of my head, trapping me between the stone and his warm body. His cold, strong breath brushed my lips.

"The sunscreen doesn't work anymore," he went on, burying his face in my neck and taking a deep breath, possessiveness that gave me goosebumps. If someone comes in within a few minutes, the whole fortress will know who you are.

"Then let me go inside," I said in a broken voice, putting my hands on his chest to push him away, although all I felt was the hardness of his muscles and an electric current that ran through me. I have more doses in the room.

He didn't move. On the contrary: he grabbed me by the waist and stuck to him until there was no gap between the two of us.

"No," he growled against my skin, and there was no longer any trace of the formal relationship we had had. I no longer care about the blockade or the Council. If Gideon or anyone else approaches you to smell your truth... I'll rip his head off in front of everyone.

I ran out of breath. I looked in his eyes for any trace of the serious, calculating Alpha, but saw only one wolf who had just claimed me as his own.

Suddenly, the door to the hallway burst open with a bang.

"Alpha!" Gideon shouted from the doorway, accompanied by four guards. The sensors marked something odd here. What the hell is going on?

Azkarion didn't let go of me. He held me close to his chest and turned only his head towards the Beta, covering me with his body, while a dark and cruel smile was drawn on his lips.

"You're late, Gideon," he snapped. I just killed your envoy. And if you take one more step towards my Luna... You'll be next.