The Last Of Her Pack

Rachael POVHunger beat through my stomach so hard it felt like something alive was clawing at me from the inside. I grabbed my small bag with shaky fingers, the strap rough against my jaw. It had been too long since I’d eaten anything real, and every breath felt lighter than the one before, like my body was giving up little by little. If I didn’t find something soon, I knew I’d pass out. Maybe for hours. Maybe forever.I shifted into my human form quickly, just enough to get what I needed. The cold rushed straight into my naked skin, raising goosebumps across my arms, but I ignored it. I dug into my bag until my fingers closed around the small clay jar buried at the bottom. My heart thumped painfully in my chest as I opened it. Shifting into a human was always dangerous out here. Even one minute like this left me too exposed, too soft and too easy to kill. But it was the only way to mask my scent properly.The smell of crushed leaves and bitter herbs drifted up from the jar, sharp en

Eryx POVI wrapped up the meeting with one final nod, not listening to anything the elders were still mumbling. Their voices were nothing but noise in my ears. I needed something—no, someone, to pull my mind away from the anger boiling in my chest. And the rogue locked down in my dungeon was the perfect target. A stupid wolf who dared to enter my territory like he owned the place.I rose from my chair, and the room fell silent. Every guard, every warrior, even the servants who walked past the doorway, bowed immediately. No one could meet my eyes. No one ever did. They feared me, and honestly, I liked that. Fear kept everyone quiet. Fear kept my pack under control.I walked through the main hallway, and the sound of my boots filled the whole corridor. Guards stiffened as I passed. Some held their breath. I only walked faster, eager to put my hands on the idiot waiting inside the dungeon cell.When I reached the stairs that led down to the lower floor, the air turned cold and damp. The

Rachael POVHis teeth sank into my neck before I could even move.A sharp, burning pain shot through me, and I screamed, my hands pushing against his chest. But the Alpha held me still, his grip iron, his breath hot against my skin as he bit down harder, sealing his mark on me.When he finally pulled away, my knees nearly gave out.“Now you know who you belong to,” he growled, voice rough and full of possession.“You bastard!” I screamed, fury and fear twisting inside me.But he didn’t even flinch. Instead, he stood and grabbed my arm, yanking me up like I weighed nothing. My body slammed into his, and his eyes, cold, dark, dangerous locked on mine.“I am your Alpha,” he said, voice low and dominant. “And you will show me the respect I deserve.”That voice… it crawled down my spine and forced a reaction out of me, a reaction I hated. My anger raged even hotter, burning through the fear but the way he looked at me like he owned me made me want to tear his eyes out.Before I could speak

Rachael POVThe bedroom door opened, and I looked up fast. My heart kicked hard when I saw the alpha walk in, carrying a tray. A warm, rich aroma filled the room—steak. Real steak. My mouth watered immediately and I hated that he noticed.I watched him carefully, suspicious of every step he took.“Here. Have it,” he said, lowering the tray onto the table beside the bed with slow, careful movements as if I was some frightened animal he didn’t want to spook.The second he stepped back, I jumped to my feet. I rushed straight to the table, grabbed the tray and sat on the bed. The first bite didn’t even touch the plate for more than a second, I devoured the steak like I hadn’t eaten in days. Well because I hadn’t eaten anything this nice for a long time.I didn’t care that he was watching me with that intense, unreadable expression. Let him watch. I was starving.“Easy, female,” he murmured.I shot him a sharp look but kept eating, gulping down the water as if it could disappear any moment

Eryx POVMy body jerked upright before I was even fully awake. A scent slammed into me so violently my vision blurred for a second. Heat. A female’s heat. The female’s scent flooded the room like a punch to the chest, sharp and sweet, so powerful my wolf went feral instantly.Realization hit raw and hard.She was in heat. My female was in heat. I was on my feet before I had time to think. This—this was why I’d ordered the guards off the upper floors, why I’d kept them stationed below. I had known it would happen eventually but I hadn’t expected it tonight. I hadn’t expected the scent to be this strong. Or to hit me this badly.My wolf lunged inside me, claws scraping, desperate to get out but I shoved it back with everything I had. My body reacted anyway, my pulse quickening, my blood heating, every instinct demanding I go to her. Claim her. End her pain. End mine.I stormed out of my room, barely aware of myself, walking like a man possessed. My feet carried me straight to her door.