chapter 3

: MINE

"Put me down! Or I swear to God I will make you regret this!" I yelled, blood rushing to my head.

The man didn’t answer. He didn’t even flinch. Reaching a sleek black car, he popped the passenger door open. With one swift motion, he dumped me onto the leather seat and slammed the door shut before I could get my bearings.

The window cracked with the frantic impact of my fists. "Open this door! Now!" I screamed, hammering against the glass.

"Not yet," the guard said, resting one heavy hand on the window frame from the outside, effectively blocking my escape route. "My boss will see you soon."

Click. The automatic locks engaged. I yanked the handle on the driver's side, but it wouldn't budge.

Turning around, I sent him a deadly, blazing glare."Just stop resisting," he said, his tone as calm as a priest giving absolution. "My Lord will be here shortly. There's no need to be frightened."

I rolled my eyes so hard it physically hurt. "Says the guy kidnapping me in broad daylight. Real reassuring, pal."

After a few grueling minutes, the rear door clicked open.

Mr. Leonhart stepped into view, his personal guard trailing a step behind. Without a word, Leonhart slid into the seat right beside me. He didn’t say a word. He just turned his head and stared.

"What is the meaning of this, Mr. Leonhart?" My voice came out steadier than I actually felt, though my hands were trembling.

He remained silent. His dark gaze held mine, unblinking and heavy. Every self-preservation instinct I had screamed at me to break contact, but pride forced me to hold his stare.

A low chuckle escaped him. He reached out, his fingers brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear with slow, deliberate precision. "Be calm, kitten," he whispered.

Instantly my breath hitched, turning shallow and uneven. “What is wrong with me?” My heart hammered against my ribs like it knew something my brain didn't. Like it recognized him.

The engine roared to life, sealing my fate as the car accelerated. "Where are you taking me?" The words broke past my lips before I could stop them.

Tears finally spilled down my cheeks, but I refused to look away. He didn’t answer, instead he leaned in, crowding my space until his forehead pressed firmly against mine.The entire world narrowed down to the intoxicating heat radiating from his skin.

His voice was a low, rough rasp, meant only for my ears.

"Sleep.”

My eyelids grew impossibly heavy against my will. I fought the sudden wave of exhaustion, glaring up at him through the gathering haze until I saw it. His eyes bled into a deep crimson, burning like molten gold in the shadows of the car.

A sound tore from his throat a low, guttural vibration that was more beast than man. It should have terrified me. Instead, it sent a traitorous, electric shiver straight down my spine. He dipped his head, his lips brushing the sensitive curve of my neck. His breath was scorching against my skin. “MINE," he murmured.

The word felt less like a threat and more like an ancient promise. And then, everything went black.

I don’t know how long I was out cold, but when I cracked my eyes open, the harsh morning light pierced my vision.

“I just had the weirdest, most vivid dream,” I thought, rubbing my aching forehead as I sat up and stretched my stiff limbs. I instinctively reached toward the nightstand for my phone and that’s when the bedroom door swung open.

My head snapped toward the sound, eyes widening in instant panic. A sharp scream tore from my throat.

"Who the hell are you? And what are you doing in my room?" I scrambled backward, standing flat on the mattress as if the height could protect me.

The woman standing in the doorway merely tilted her head, completely unfazed by my shouting. "Oh, you're awake. The Alpha will be happy to hear this," she said simply, before bolting back down the hallway.

Yesterday's chaotic events crashed back into my mind, sharp and jagged. It hadn't been a dream. “He….he was a..how is that even possible?” The words tangled on my tongue, refusing to form a coherent thought.

"You're awake." His voice cut through the silence from the doorway, low, dark, and instantly possessive.

I turned slowly, and there he was, looking like he owned the very air in the room. He wore a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, a slim black tie, and high-waisted trousers. His hands were casually tucked into his pockets, acting as if he had all the time in the world.

Fuck! He looks like a sin desperately waiting to be committed.

Without asking for permission, he crossed the room and sat directly on the edge of my bed, claiming the space as if he belonged there. His gaze pinned me to the spot.

“Did I imagine it? Did I hallucinate because I was knocked out? No. I knew what I saw. The glowing red eyes. The bare teeth. It was a terrifying truth I didn't want to name.”

"Why did you bring me here?" My voice came out softer than I intended, a weak attempt at regaining control.

"Because you belong by my side." His eyes didn’t blink. "Where you've always belonged by my side." My heart stuttered, then began beating too fast, too loud. In the quiet room, I could have sworn he heard it.

"Mr. Leonhart, this isn’t funny. I want to go home."

He stood up. Slow. Deliberate. Then began circling the bed like an apex predator closing in on its prey. My body moved before my brain could process the danger, backing up until the cold, solid wall met my spine. There was nowhere left to run. He caged me in, planting his arms on either side of my head, close enough that I could feel the intense heat radiating off his chest.

He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. My eyes fluttered shut, my chest tightening as I braced myself for a kiss. Instead, he dipped his head to my neck, took a slow, deep inhale against my skin, as if he were memorizing my very essence.

"Mmm," he hummed against my pulse point, his voice thick with restraint. "You smell like mine." He stayed right there, his lips a mere breath away from my pounding jugular.

Every logical instinct screamed at me to run. Yet, a traitorous, buried part of me wanted to lean closer into his warmth.

"What are you..." My words ran short as he trailed his nose along my neck, groaning softly.

"Hmm. Say it," he murmured, his voice rough and demanding against my skin. "Say you know what you are to me. Say you're mine."

I swallowed hard, my throat completely dry. "I'm not yours."

A low chuckle vibrated through his chest, and I felt the physical rumble against my own. His fingers flexed against the wallpaper beside my head, dominating my space without even touching me. "Not yet," he countered smoothly, stating it as an absolute fact I simply hadn't accepted yet.

His thumb brushed my jawline, tilting my face upward until I had no choice but to meet his eyes. Deep red, glowing faintly in the dim light of the room. Those eyes were entirely non-human and yet, I couldn't look away.

"You keep saying you want to go home," he whispered, his breath teasing my lips. "But you're already home, kitten. You're in my arms. Where you've been for years, even if you didn't know it."

My breath hitched. "That's insane. You’re insane!”

"Insane is letting you walk out that door." His forehead came to rest against mine again, narrowing the entire universe down to the friction between us. "I won't. I can't. Not now. Not ever.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words died when his nose traced the sharp line of my jaw, agonizingly slow and possessive."Tell me to stop," he challenged, his voice a dark, tempting promise. "And I will. But you won't. Because a part of you wants this just as much as I do."

He chuckled softly, a wicked sound. "Do you know why your body submits to mine?" I slowly shook my head, mesmerized. "It's because you're my mate, kitten.

My fingers curled tightly into the fabric of his shirt, fisting the material just to keep myself upright. My legs felt like they were about to give out completely. I hated how right he felt. I hated how much I didn't want him to step away.

"Stop playing with me, Leonhart," I whispered softly, my voice trembling. His lips curved into a dark, satisfied smile against my skin. "I'm not playing, kitten.”

“You're my mate.”