Chapter 4

“Mate!” My wolf’s howl tore through my head, raw and desperate, like a cry I couldn’t choke back. I froze, jaw slack, staring at the man in the doorway. His face twisted, nose flaring, and his gray eyes blazed with hatred so sharp it felt like a blade against my throat.

The air was thick with my cigar smoke and the bite of vodka, but his sandalwood scent hit harder, soothing and addictive as if he wasn’t a raging storm about to break down on me. His scent tangled with mine, pulling tight, and my gut twisted.

The moon goddess was screwing me up, creating a mate bond with my enemy. With the same man destroying my people.

He cocked his gun, the click sharp in the quiet, sending a shiver down my spine, cold as the slums’ mud.

“What the hell,” he muttered in frustration, wiping his nose with the back of his hand, like my scent was something rotten.

I stayed silent, staring up at his six-foot-two height, his broad shoulders straining his black singlet, tattoos curling over his tanned arms and neck like secrets inked in shadow.

His black hair fell in messy waves, framing a jaw that could cut stone, but those eyes, stormy gray and piercing, pinned me like a prey animal. They weren’t cruel, not exactly, but they burned intensely like he could see through me.

He held the pistol steady, aimed at my head, his grip unshaking.

The air crackled, not just with danger but with something heavier, something that made my skin itch and my wolf whine. He felt the mate bond too, twisting like a rope between us, undeniable. His jaw clenched, like he’d rather spit it out than own it.

“Why are you here, Rogue Queen?” he said, voice low, dripping with scorn, but his eyes never left mine. “Shouldn’t you be out there, bleeding with your rats?”

I squared my shoulders, forcing my voice to hold, though my heart slammed against my ribs. “Was on my way out till you showed up,” I shot back, venom lacing my words. “You should be ashamed you and your packs couldn’t fight fair, jumping on us in the dark. Two packs on one? That’s not a fight, it’s an ambush.”

He tilted his head, a smirk curling his lips, sharp as a blade. “Rogues don’t deserve clean fights from me,” he said, stepping closer, boots thudding on the creaky floor. “You’re a stain on our world, and I’m here to wipe it clean. Most of you will die. A few…” His eyes raked over me, lingering on my scars, my black-painted lips, the tattoos hiding my past. “A few might live. Slaves, maybe.”

My wolf growled, low and fierce. “Slave? He’s our mate! How can he hate us like this?” Her voice was a wail, full of longing I didn’t share. “His wolf feels it too, but he looks at us like we’re nothing.”

“He’s a killer,” I shot back at her in my head, my breath hitching. “He wants us dead, mate or not. I’d rather rip his throat out than beg.” My hands clenched, nails biting my palms, as our eyes locked again. The mate bond flared, hot and heavy, and I saw him flinch, jaw tight, like it burned him too.

“This makes me sick,” he growled, looking away, teeth gritted. “You, my mate? A fucking rogue?”

“Trust me, I’m not thrilled either,” I spat, my voice sharp, though my heart bled with the screams outside—my people, dying, their cries cutting through the night like knives. “I’d rather kill you than feel this… this shit the moon goddess stuck us with," I hissed and he scoffed.

“Tell me. Why are you doing this to us?” I added, rage burning in my chest, hot as the blood on my hands years ago. “We didn’t touch your packs. We just wanted to live.”

He laughed, a dark, bitter sound, stepping closer, his scent overwhelming me. “Live? You rogues don’t live, you prey. You wanna play innocent, Rogue Queen?” His voice dropped, thunder-deep, his eyes glowing amber as his wolf pushed forward. “Your people raped and killed my sister. Thought you’d get away with it?”

I froze, my breath catching. “What?” My voice was small, the room spinning. I’d fought to keep the Rogue Clan in line, set rules to keep peace, but this? I hadn’t known.

He must be lying.

“You’re full of shit, liar. Cooking that up to excuse your evil on us? That’s stupidity.” I snapped.

“No lies,” he snarled, his face inches from mine, his breath hot. “I couldn’t find the ones who did it, so I’ll take you all down. Every last one.”

My pulse raced, fear and anger twisting together. I held his gaze, refusing to break. “We can find them,” I said, desperate, my voice shaking. “I’ll make them pay, I swear—”

“Too late,” he cut me off, his voice cold as ice. He was close now, the heat of him pressing against me, his scent choking my senses.

“You’re a coward,” I snapped, fists clenching, my voice raw. “You knew your weak-ass warriors couldn’t take us alone, so you ganged up, hit us in the dark. Pathetic.”

His smirk returned, sharp and dangerous. “You’ve got fire,” he said, voice low, almost amused. “Let’s see if it saves you.” He dropped the gun, letting it clatter to the floor, and cracked his knuckles, the sound sharp in the smoky air. “No weapons or inner wolf. Just fists. You win, I accept you as my mate, stop the killing. You lose, you die.”

My wolf howled, a mix of anguish and longing. “Run to him, Mia! He’s our mate, our other half!” But I ignored her, my heart a stone. I had killed for survival and lost any want for love. This mate bond was a curse, and I would fight it like I fought everything else.

I lunged, swinging at his chest, pouring my rage into the hit. He dodged, smooth as water, his movements a blur of power. I struck again, each punch fueled by the screams outside, by the blood I’d spilled to get here. But he was always ahead, his smirk calm and infuriating.

Desperate, I dove for the gun, fingers brushing the cold metal, triumph flaring but then he shifted, a flash of brown fur and muscle, too fast to track.

Pain exploded in my arm, his claws tearing through flesh, hot and wet. A kick to my stomach sent me crashing down, the floorboards hard against my back.

The gun skidded away, my vision blurring as blood dripped, warm and sticky, pooling beneath me. My arm burned, my gut ached, but I forced myself to breathe, to focus. The screams outside were louder now, a chorus of death reminding me that my people were falling.

He shifted back, boots heavy as he stalked closer. A swift kick to my side forced me to my knees, pain shooting through me, but I bit back a cry, teeth grinding. Blood soaked my shirt, the smell sharp, metallic. I looked up, meeting his gray eyes, refusing to break.

“So, you’ll kill me now?” I rasped, voice steady despite the pain, my breath ragged.

He crouched, his eyes locking onto mine, close enough I could feel his heat, his scent wrapping around me like a chain.

“Kill you?” His voice was low, a deep husky voice that sent a shiver I hated through me. “No. I won’t kill you or reject you. That’s too quick, Rogue Queen. You’re too… interesting.”

His fingers brushed my chin, tilting my face up, his touch firm, possessive. His eyes flickered with hunger, maybe, or something darker. “You’re my mate, and I have so many ways to break you without rejection. I’ll make you kneel and bend for me.”

I jerked my head away, glaring, my blood hot despite the pain. “I bend for no one,” I spat, voice raw, my wolf whining but ignored.

He laughed, low and dangerous, his eyes gleaming. “I’m Lucas, Alpha King of Dark Moon Pack. We’ll see how long the defiance will last, mate.” The ‘mate’ a mockery. He grabbed my hair, yanking hard, and dragged me from the room, the pain sharp in my scalp.