4
His mouth was on my breast and I couldn’t stop the sound that broke out of me.
A moan slipped past my lips before I even realized, soft and shaky, and my fingers curled tighter around his neck like I was pulling him closer.
When he sucked harder, I whimpered. Actually whimpered.
I wanted to bite my tongue off. My body was betraying me, melting under him, and I hated it. I hated how good it felt.
He pulled back, lips wet, my skin tingling everywhere he’d touched.
My chest heaved as his hand slid down over my stomach, across my hips, slow and claiming, like he was memorizing me inch by inch.
My thighs pressed together hard but it didn’t matter.
I could feel the wetness there, hot and slick, sliding between them.
I dropped my gaze, shame burning through me, but he didn’t give me time to hide.
“Stay in this room.” His voice was rough, clipped. “Someone will come to get you dressed.”
I pushed up on my elbows, breathless, hair falling in my face. “That’s it?”
“For now.”
He said it like a warning, then turned and walked out as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn’t just had his mouth on me while I lost control. The lock clicked behind him.
I sat there on the bed, naked, trembling, my chest still rising too fast.
My hands twisted in the sheets, trying to hold onto something solid. What the fuck was that?
Two women came into the room carrying folded clothes. They didn’t ask me what I liked or if I was comfortable. They just moved around me quickly, slipping a silk dress over my head, pulling it down my body while I stood stiff, clutching at the fabric. One of them pinned my hair up and twisted the strands into something elegant. The other brushed powder over my cheeks, quiet as if she’d been told not to talk.
“I don’t understand why you’re doing this,” I whispered, staring at them in the mirror. Neither of them answered.
My stomach sank.
The door opened again. Damien stood there, eyes sweeping over me once before he gave a sharp nod. “Come.”
His hand curled around my wrist, firm, leaving me no choice but to follow him down the endless hall. My legs trembled with each step.
The sound of voices hit before the doors opened low murmurs, shuffling, too many bodies waiting. The moment Damien stepped us into the wide hall, everything fell silent.
Hundreds of eyes turned on me.
I froze under their stares. My skin burned hot as I tried to pull my arm back, but Damien’s grip only tightened.
“This is my Luna,” he said, his voice carrying over the room. “She comes from the Crescent Valley pack. A proper event will be held later. Tonight you only need to know she is mine.”
I looked at the crowd, men in dark suits, women with sharp gazes, people standing tall like they were soldiers instead of neighbors. Their stares pierced straight through me.
I couldn’t breathe. I lowered my head, wishing the floor would swallow me.
Damien didn’t wait for anyone to respond. He tugged me back, leading me out of the hall before I could catch another breath. The doors shut behind us, muffling the noise.
I looked up at him, ready to speak, but his face was unreadable. He let go of my wrist, already turning away.
“Damien. ” I started, but he didn’t look back. He disappeared into the shadows of the hallway, leaving me standing there alone, dressed like a stranger in a world I didn’t understand.
Linda met me just outside the hall. She slipped her arm around mine, her smile calm in a way that steadied me a little. “You did so good,” she said softly, guiding me down the corridor.
I barely breathed. My legs felt like lead.
She stopped at a tall carved door and pushed it open. The room inside looked like something out of a magazine, velvet curtains, a bed the size of a small island, polished furniture glowing under low lamps.
“If you ever need anything, come find me,” Linda said. “I’m the beta of this pack. That means I stand second to Damien, but I also stand for you.”
I nodded quickly, words lodged in my throat.
She gave my arm a squeeze before leaving.
The silence after the door shut pressed heavy around me. I stood in the middle of the room, hugging myself, my mind spinning.
What the hell was this? A pack? An Alpha? Claws, titles, talk of war and pups? It had to be a dream. Some twisted nightmare my brain had made up.
I pressed my palms over my face, then dragged them down. “It can’t be real,” I whispered to myself.
My mouth was dry. I remembered the kitchen Linda had shown me earlier, so I slipped out, poured myself a glass of water, and drank it fast. The coolness steadied me for a moment.
When I came back, I shut the door and turned the lock. The click was barely done when I heard it. A low, rough sound that didn’t belong to me. Groaning.
I froze, my hand still on the knob. The sound came again, louder, thicker, and my heart pounded so hard I felt it in my ears.
Someone was in here.
My breath caught as I turned slowly.
That’s when I saw him.
Damien was on my bed. Naked, his skin shining with sweat, muscles flexing as he leaned back against the headboard. His head was tilted, eyes half-closed, mouth parted as another groan slipped out of him. His hand stroked his cock in long, slow pulls, each movement sure and heavy.
