2
“I’ll have you all arrested,” I shouted as they carried me toward the car. My legs kicked but their grip never loosened. “You can’t just kidnap people off the street. I’ll call the police. Do you hear me?”
The men ignored me. The door slammed, and the world tilted. Everything went dark.
When I opened my eyes again, the light nearly blinded me. I pushed up fast, heart pounding, and looked around. The room was massive, all white marble floors and gold trim. Velvet curtains spilled to the ground, a chandelier glittered above me. My throat tightened. This was no hospital.
Muffled voices drifted from the hallway. I pressed my ear to the door.
“It makes no sense,” one of the men said. “She’s human. How can she be carrying your pup?”
My stomach dropped. Pup. The word echoed in my skull. Why the fuck were they calling my baby a pup.
I stepped back, gripping the knob, twisting it hard. Locked. I yanked again, my hands sweating. “Come on, come on.” My voice shook as I whispered to myself.
I pulled at the lock until my fingers ached. When I threw my weight against the door, it suddenly swung open. My balance gave out, and I lurched forward.
Strong arms caught me before I hit the ground.
I froze, staring up into the face I recognized instantly. The man from the clinic. The man who had lifted me like I was weightless, who had touched my stomach like it already belonged to him.
He steadied me easily, one hand gripping my waist. My breath came shallow, trapped in my chest.
“Let me go,” I said, shoving at his chest.
His hand didn’t move. “If I let you go, you’ll fall.”
“I don’t care,” I snapped. “You can’t keep me here.”
His eyes swept over me, grey and unblinking. “You’re carrying my pup. You’re not leaving.”
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to meet his stare. “That’s insane. I don’t even know you. And I sure as hell didn’t agree to this.”
“I never introduced myself,” he said, voice steady. “My name is Damien Kane.”
My eyes darted over him, his broad frame filling the room, and then his gaze dropped.
He didn’t hide it. His eyes raked over me until heat burned across my skin.
Confused, I looked down at myself and my breath caught.
The gown I wore was thin, sheer, and stopped at mid-thigh.
My nipples pushed against the fabric, obvious, and my stomach twisted in humiliation.
My arms flew up instinctively, trying to cover myself, crossing tight over my chest.
“What is this,” I snapped, voice shaking. “Why am I dressed like this?”
He didn’t flinch. His face was cold. “Because you’re mine now. You’re going to live with me in the pack.”
My head jerked up, my brows furrowed. “Lunatic. What do you mean pack?”
“You might be confused,” he said, his voice lower, slower, like he was trying to rein me in. “You’re human and you don’t know the truth yet but there’s no time for explanations, you need to be ready to meet the pack tonight.”
I let out a laugh that sounded more like disbelief. “Are you kidding me? If this is some kind of joke, you better stop right now. Pack? What are you talking about? You kidnapped me, stripped me, and now you’re saying I’m supposed to play along with this fantasy?”
His jaw tightened. He didn’t argue. Instead, he lifted his hand.
I froze as his fingernails lengthened, darkened, and sharpened into claws right before my eyes. The sound was subtle, like glass cracking, but the sight locked me in place. My chest squeezed as fear slammed through me.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “That’s not real, that’s not possible.”
His claws flexed once, sharp tips catching the light.
I stumbled back, nearly tripping over the edge of the rug.
My heart hammered in my chest, “this isn’t happening,” I said, my words rushing out. “This is a dream. It has to be a dream.”
“It’s not a dream,” he said flatly.
I shook my head harder, hair falling into my face. “Stay away from me.”
He didn’t move, but his eyes followed me as I backed toward the far side of the room. My hands scrambled along the wall, searching for another exit. The door was behind him, but I didn’t care. I needed space, distance, air.
“Don’t come near me,” I warned. My voice cracked. “I mean it.”
“You can’t run,” he said.
I spun and bolted. My bare feet slapped against the polished floor, my gown brushing against my thighs as I sprinted toward the corner.
I didn’t know where I was going, only that I needed to get away from him, from this room, from whatever nightmare I’d been dragged into.
Behind me, I heard him move. Heavy steps, controlled but fast, closing in.
“Stop,” he ordered.
“Stay away!” I screamed, throwing my weight into the next turn, my hand smacking against the wall to steady myself. My lungs burned already, panic shortening every breath.
The hallway stretched ahead and I tore at the thin gown, ripping it down the middle so my legs could move faster.
Fabric clung to my skin, catching at my thighs, but I kept pulling until the cool air hit me. My bare feet slapped the marble floor as I ran.
Shouts echoed behind me, guards rushed in from both ends, their footsteps closing in.
“Do not touch her.” His voice cut through everything and his command made them halt instantly.
I spun, chest heaving, and froze when I saw him step forward.
He closed the distance with steady strides. My pulse hammered. I tried to back away, but in a blur he lifted me, carrying me bridal style despite how I twisted and shoved at his chest.
“Put me down!” I screamed, pulling at his suit, but his hold didn’t falter. He carried me back, slammed the door shut with his heel, and the lock clicked behind us.
“I don’t have time for this,” he said flatly, laying me on my back.
“What are you going to do to me?” I stuttered, panic rushing.
“I am going to scent mark you.”
“What?!” I would never have believed whatever nightmare this was when I left my house this morning.
His face lowered close to mine. His voice came low, commanding, dark enough to make me shiver.
“Strip.”
