2

My wolf only howled in response, refusing to yield. Derek ground his erection against my stomach again. "A wolf like you shouldn't be out in these woods alone," he continued, his slate-gray eyes gleaming with a manic possessiveness. "It seems Walter made a mistake. You don't throw gold into the trash; you claim it."

A cynical smirk pulled at his lips. For some terrifying reason, my body was beginning to respond to him, even as my mind fought a desperate battle for control.

"Let me go! I am not an object for you to claim!" I shrieked, clawing at his face.

It was useless. Derek let out a dark, booming laugh and spun me around with brutal strength. He slammed my chest against the rough bark of the tree, pinning both of my wrists behind my back with just one of his massive hands.

Damn it. In seconds, he had me completely at his mercy, exposed, trembling, and utterly dominated.

He grabbed the back of my neck, forcing my head up. He made me look toward the border, where Michael and his warriors stood watching, paralyzed with impotence.

Derek let out a roar so powerful the trees seemed to shiver and the birds fled in terror.

"Listen well, Walter's dogs!" Derek bellowed toward the frontier. "Tell your master that what he threw into the abyss now has a new owner!"

I felt his teeth graze the sensitive skin of my nape, the exact spot where a mate's mark should go.

Shit, shit! I had fled one prison only to fall straight into hell. Terror and a traitorous spark of anticipation made me gasp for air.

The warriors across the border fell into a deathly silence as Derek’s fury radiated through the clearing.

"Let the world know this little pup is no longer an exile," Derek declared, his voice vibrating against my skin. "From this moment on, she is my war property!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Had this man just... claimed me?

The pressure of his hand on my neck wasn't just physical; it was a declaration of total dominance that made my blood boil and freeze at the same time.

Walter had treated me like expensive porcelain, avoiding marks at all costs to preserve my beauty. But the man holding me now treated me like a captured wild animal.

A wave of fury surged through me. "Let me go, you animal! I am not yours! Let go!" I hissed, digging my claws into his forearms.

Even as I drew blood, Derek remained motionless, as if he couldn't even feel the sting of the wounds. He let out a sharp huff, and Michael’s warriors scattered in a panic. Derek turned back to me, finally releasing my neck and letting me collapse to the ground.

I coughed, trying to regain my senses and find a way to run. But before I could even formulate a plan, Derek moved with supernatural speed, appearing right in front of me.

"Please! Just let me go!" I screamed again.

Derek let out a soft chuckle. Without warning, he grabbed my waist and, with zero effort, hoisted me over his shoulder like a bale of silk.

"No! What are you doing? Put me down!" I screamed, thumping his back and scratching at him with everything I had.

Derek ignored my cries. He brought a heavy hand down on my backside, the sharp sting of the smack making me gasp in shock.

God, this man's strength is abysmal. I continued to kick and scream, fighting for my freedom.

Derek began to walk, cutting through a whirlwind of shadows and mud. The Eclipse forest was the most dangerous place in the shifter world.

Ancient trees with black bark seemed to watch us pass, and a thick mist swirled around my dangling legs. The scent of wet earth mixed with his intoxicating, masculine aroma.

No one entered these woods and came out alive. Yet here was Derek, walking with powerful strides, ignoring my insults and blows.

After nearly thirty minutes of struggling, I finally went still. I turned my head slightly, catching a glimpse of his face.

Damn it. Seeing him in profile, I was momentarily stunned. He had the face of a warrior god carved from stone: a sharp jawline, a straight nose, and those gray eyes that promised a storm. He was insultingly attractive, a dangerous beauty that made me want to get closer even though I knew he would burn me.

What the hell is wrong with me? This man kidnapped me, and I’m admiring him?

I shook the thoughts away and resumed pounding on his back. A low growl from Derek stopped me cold.

"God, you’re noisy, little pup!"

His voice boomed against my stomach, sending a literal jolt of electricity straight to my core. I froze, lost in the sensation, and didn't even notice when he moved. I only felt a sharp prick in my thigh.

"What... what did you do?" my voice came out thick and slurred.

"Just something to stop the fight," he whispered, his hand squeezing my hip with a firmness that made me pant.

In an instant, my arms and legs stopped obeying. My body went limp over his shoulder. The world began to bleed into black as the shadows of the forest blurred before my failing vision.

"Sleep, little pup. When you wake up, you’ll be in my world."

Those were the last words I heard before the darkness finally consumed me.

***

DEREK’S POV

The weight of the woman on my shoulder was pure torture. Not because of her size, but because of what her proximity was doing to my self-control.

I had only gone into the woods this morning for my usual run, until the intoxicating scent of this female slammed into my senses. At first, I tried to ignore it, but my wolf became restless, clawing at my mind and forcing me to the bottom of the abyss.

The moment I saw her there, sprawled on the ground with labored breath and covered in wounds, I was stunned. God. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life.

Now, her limp body pressed against me, and that scent, wildflowers, honey, and something so pure it actually hurt my senses, made me grit my teeth until they ached.

"She is ours! Mark her now, before we even reach the pack!" my wolf snarled, sounding like a lecherous hound.

"Shut up. She is not our mate," I commanded the beast within. "She’s just one of Walter’s bitches. We’ll use her as a tool."

Despite her delicious aroma, my wolf didn't recognize her as our fated Mate. Yet, the beast responded to her with a ferocity I had never experienced. It was as if my instincts knew she was the missing piece in my puzzle of shadows.

Pushing the thought aside, I sprinted through the darkened forest until my castle finally loomed ahead. I stormed through the obsidian gates while the guards bowed their heads in silent reverence.

"Alpha... everything is ready as you ordered," my Beta, Dimitri, said, his eyes flickering with curiosity at the female on my shoulder.

"Good. No one is to enter my quarters. And find a maid you can trust. No one is to know I’ve brought an exile here," I barked.

Dimitri nodded, and I made my way up the grand staircase to the final door, my private study. It was a sanctuary of leather, ancient books, and dark secrets.

With a heavy exhale, I deposited her onto the velvet sofa and paused to look. Damn it. Even drugged, her beauty was beyond anything I could have imagined.

Her blonde hair was spread across the dark fabric like threads of spun gold. Her tunic was so badly shredded it revealed the generous curve of her breasts, flushed pink, with the small peaks of her nipples strangely erect.

The marks of my claws were still visible on her wide hips, a sight that tempted my hands to squeeze her again until she bled.

I forced my expression back into a mask of ice. Grabbing a pitcher of cold water from the shelf, I doused her face.

With a violent gasp, she bolted upright, coughing and panting, her amber eyes flashing with pure, unadulterated hatred. A faint, cynical smirk pulled at my lips. She looked devastatingly beautiful with her hair and skin soaked.

"Where... where am I?" she managed to ask, her voice barely a whisper.

"Welcome to captivity, little pup," I said, leaning back against the edge of my desk, keeping myself dangerously close to her.

She looked at me with those glassy eyes and snarled. "Walter will come for me," she spat, wiping the water away with her small, trembling hands.

Her words pulled a mocking laugh from my chest. Slowly, I leaned forward, invading her personal space until our knees brushed. I watched as her pupils dilated at my proximity. Even the scent of her fear seemed to shift, ripening into the faint, sweet aroma of arousal.

By instinct, my hand shot out, cupping her jaw and forcing her to meet my gaze. God. The feeling of her skin, so impossibly soft, made my cock jerk with a violent throb.

"Sweetheart... Walter isn't coming for you," I whispered, my thumb tracing the swell of her lower lip. "Walter traded you for a ten-year truce. To him, you’re just meat. But to me..."

I let the sentence hang, a heavy pause between us.

Slowly, my fingers slid down her throat, tracing the line of her collarbone with my sharp claws. My wolf clawed at my ribs, demanding I sink my teeth into that golden skin and claim every single inch of her.

Damn it! The internal conflict was tearing me apart; I loathed her for where she came from, for being my enemy’s trophy, but my body was screaming at me to take her right here on this desk until she forgot her own name.