C2

"You have five seconds to take that silver off my throat before I break your wrist," Leonidas growls, his voice a low, vibrating rumble that rattles the glass windows of the car.

My hand shakes violently as the heat of the fire potion surges through my veins, making my wet core throb with a sudden, agonizing ache.

"I said drive," I gasp out, leaning closer until my bare shoulder brushes his solid chest. "If they find me here, I will tell the whole pack you did this to me."

"Drive," Leonidas commands the rider, his dark eyes never leaving my face as the car suddenly screeches forward into the dark night.

He shifts his massive body, his hand moving like lightning to grip my wrist, squeezing until my fingers go numb and the silver blade clatters uselessly to the floor.

"Let me go!" I cry out, my inner wolf whining at the overwhelming, possessive scent of cedar and raw male power filling the tight space.

"You break into my car, bleed me, and now you want me to let you go?" he murmurs, his face inches from mine, his hot breath fanning over my trembling lips.

"I did not know it was your car," I say, trying to pull away, but he pulls me flat against his chest, his free hand wrapping around my waist to hold me still.

"You smell like cheap heat-potion and desperation, Gorgo," he snarls, his eyes flashing wolf-gold in the dim light of the dashboard. "What did your sister put you up to this time?"

"She did this to me!" I scream, the sheer unfairness of my past life making my voice crack with real emotion. "She poisoned me to make me look like a whore in front of the whole council!"

Leonidas freezes, his grip on my waist tightening until it almost hurts, his eyes searching my face for any sign of a lie.

"Artemisia would not dare," he says, but his voice carries a sudden, sharp edge of doubt.

"She wanted you, Leonidas," I spit out, my heart hammering against my ribs as his thumb accidentally brushes the bare skin of my waist. "She wanted the supreme alpha's bed, and she was willing to ruin my life to get it."

"Is that why you ran?" he asks, his gaze dropping to my painted face, then down to the deep cuts of my dress.

"I ran because I would rather die in the woods than let her ruin me again," I say, my voice dropping to a whisper.

The car suddenly swerves, and the territory rider looks back through the glass divider with a pale face.

"Alpha, we have a problem," the rider says over the intercom. "Your father, the old Alpha King, just called. He says the Lykaon pack is claiming the Luna candidate has been kidnapped by a rogue."

Leonidas narrows his eyes, his hand sliding slowly up my side, his warm palm sending a devastating jolt of arousal straight to my core.

"Tell my father we have the girl," Leonidas says into the receiver, his voice dark and final. "And tell him the mating ceremony is happening tonight at the Argyros Citadel, exactly as planned."

"No!" I gasp, trying to squirm out of his lap, but his grip is like iron. "I am not mating with you! I demand a blood release!"

"You do not demand anything from me," he growls, his face dipping down to the crook of my neck, his fangs grazing my sensitive skin until I let out a soft, embarrassing whimper. "You wanted to play with silver, little wolf. Now you get to play by my rules."

He pulls a leather-bound folder from the side pocket of the car and drops it onto my lap.

"Open it," he commands.

My hands shake as I open the folder, my eyes widening as I read the bold print at the top of the parchment.

"This is an emergency pack custody decree," I whisper, my throat going completely dry.

"Signed by the high elders this morning," Leonidas says, a dark, victorious smirk playing on his lips. "If you do not bind with me tonight, your family's pack lands are forfeited to my citadel, and you will be declared a rogue without a home."