Se connecterHAYESThe drive to the northern border took twenty minutes. Nobody spoke inside the SUV. Killan drove fast over the rough dirt, throwing up loose gravel behind us. I sat stiffly, keeping my eyes on the girl sitting next to me, but she refused to look back at me.Ciara pressed herself flat against the far door, her knees pulled up to her chest. Every time the car hit a bump and my shoulder accidentally brushed hers, she flinched and trembled under her oversized sweater. The sweet scent of her omega wolf was completely twisted with the sharp smell of terror.Kyle was scratching aggressively at my mind. “She thinks we are the enemy,” he growled inside my head. “We killed the beast that threatened her at the banquet last night. Why does she look at us like we are the ones who want to rip her apart?”"Because she doesn't know any better yet, Kyle," I thought back. "To her, violence is just violence. She spent her whole life dealing with her father's cruelty in Riverstone. She doesn't under
HAYESThe morning sun came through the big windows of my study. I hadn't slept more than an hour. Every time I closed my eyes, Kyle would shake my mind, demanding to check on Ciara.I stood up from my chair and adjusted my shirt. My hand still had small dried cuts from the wine glass last night, but I ignored it. I walked out of the study and went straight down the hall toward the kitchen. The pack house was already busy with maids cleaning up the mess from the banquet, and they quickly moved out of my way when they saw the look on my face.When I pushed the kitchen doors open, the staff froze. Hazel, one of the cooks was standing by the stove, holding a tray with a bowl of warm porridge, fresh bread, and fruit."Alpha," Hazel said quickly, bowing her head. "I was just about to bring this up to Mistress Ciara's room, just like you ordered."I walked over and took the heavy silver tray right out of her hands. "I'll take it myself."Hazel looked surprised, but she lowered her eyes. "Yes
HAYESThe glass in my hand shattered. Red wine and sharp pieces of crystal dripped from my fist onto the floor. I didn't care about the cuts.Kyle was roaring inside my head.“Kill him. Tear his throat out right now. Nobody touches what belongs to us!”I walked across the room. The pack members moved out of my way quickly. The young Alpha from the northern territory froze. His hand dropped from the wall beside Ciara. He looked at me, and his face went completely white.Ciara looked up at me. Her brown eyes were wide and she was shaking in her red dress. She looked terrified. She thought I was going to hurt her. I hated that she was scared of me, but I was focused on the idiot standing in front of her."Alpha Hayes," the boy stammered, stepping back. "I—I was just welcoming your breeder. No disrespect intended. I didn't mean anything by it.""She is my wife," I growled.The sound came from deep in my chest. It was an Alpha command. Half the lower-ranking wolves in the room lowered thei
~HAYES~ Ciara nodded slowly, but I saw the defiance in her eyes. Most people lowered their heads when I threatened them. Most people trembled or obeyed or submitted because they literally had no choice. But not her.Even now, standing with her back pressed against the railing while my hand held her jaw in place, there was still fire buried deep inside her.And my wolf loved it.“Mine.” Kyle growled in my head. His possessiveness was on another level. I released her abruptly before I did something reckless like drag her upstairs and claim every inch of her skin until the whole pack understood she belonged to me.Ciara sucked in a shaky breath. She was afraid of me. And strangely, I hated it. I let my gaze drop to the sexy curve of her lips again before saying: “Let’s go, the pack members are waiting.”~~~~Pack members and guests bowed their heads in respect and fear the moment I stepped into the banquet hall. It was exactly how it should be. My father, before he died, told me you c
~CIARA~The maid’s face drained of color so fast, it almost made me regret asking. Her lips parted slowly, but no words came out. She looked like my request had triggered a trauma she was yet to recover from. She pulled her hand away from mine. “I..I can’t.”I should have dropped it. She looked uncomfortable enough. But that fueled my desire to get the hell out of here. I reached out for her palm again. “You have to help me. I can’t stay here if everyone keeps looking at me like I’m walking into my own grave.” She shook her head again. “You don’t understand. If Alpha Graham finds out I helped you escape, he’ll punish me.”The fear in her eyes broke me. She was terrified of this man. What kind of mess had I gotten myself into? What kind of man had I married? “Are you that scared of him?” I asked softly. “Everyone is.” She sighed. “You should go downstairs now. The Alpha really hates waiting.” I swallowed hard. Even after hearing her talk about being punished, I still wanted t
~CIARA~The ride to Alpha Graham’s house was quiet to the point of suffocation. He wasn’t saying anything, and my mind was stupidly replaying the moment he said ‘you belong to me now’ like I was just property to be owned. Fidgeting with my fingers, I stole a quick glance at him, and he seemed rather relaxed. Like he’d done this a million times. Like this was just another chore he wanted to get over with. He’s used to this, but I just had my whole life flipped over like a damn bus. I was no longer Ciara Norman.I was now Ciara Graham. And the thought of that made my whole body tense. After driving for what I’d call hours from my pack, the car finally slowed to a stop before a massive, black gate. My eyes widened when the gates opened to reveal a pack house that screamed order and power and every other thing Alpha Graham represented. It looked completely different from where I came from. More structured. More furnished. I stole another glance at him. How much money does this man h
My breath caught in my throat.Husband?The word shouldn’t have affected me, but it did anyway. I forced myself to look away from Alpha Graham, but it felt impossible. There was something about his eyes—the way they effortlessly held me in place, like I needed his permission to move my own body.“C
~CIARA~No. No. No.My fingers trembled around the contract as my eyes scanned it again.Graham Hayes.The same Alpha from earlier.The same man whose touch still burned against my skin.I’d heard rumors about his ruthlessness. Cruelty. Unhinged personality. He didn’t seem like the polite man that
~CIARA~Tomorrow was the day my life would end. And the text on my screen did a great job reminding of it. “Miss, your coffee’s getting cold.”My head snapped up to meet a brunette’s warm gaze. She pushed the cup forward until it touched my palm. “You’ve been standing here for several minutes. Ar







