SIENNA
I used my good arm—the one that wasn't shattered—and shoved Theron. Of course, I stood no chance, but I made it damn clear what I didn't want: him getting any closer!
"You're insolent and reckless."
"And I've got a smart mouth," I shot back, cursing my inability to shut up. The guy was a mountain, a beast who could snap my neck in half a second.
He narrowed his eyes, and I caught a flicker of red deep in those bright green irises. This wasn't the time, and I knew it—but how was he so stupidly attractive? I'd never seen him before, but I recognized him by his wolf. When people talked about the "big bad Alpha," they painted him as a monster, something terrifying. And sure, he was all that… but ugly? Hell no. He was disgustingly gorgeous.
"Want a picture?" he mocked. "Or a napkin? You're drooling."
And an asshole. A total asshole.
I pressed my lips into a thin line and shoved him again.
"You're on top of me. You expect me not to look?"
He looked ready to snap back but stopped mid-breath, like he'd thought better of it. Then I felt his fingers around my throat—light at first, then tightening just enough to make breathing harder. As if my busted arm wasn't pain enough.
"You're not leaving this pack until I know what's really going on. You'll stay where I can watch you. And trust me, I'll be watching. Understood?" His voice dropped to a lethal whisper. "Try to run, and I swear, what those Hunters would've done to you won't even compare."
He wasn't joking. I didn't know him well, but I knew that much.
"You're… wasting… your time," I choked out, but his grip didn't loosen. If anything, it tightened. Bastard. "Let me go!"
For a second, hesitation flashed in his eyes. That red glow returned, like his wolf was pushing forward. Yeah, this Alpha had a hair-trigger temper, and testing my luck was a really bad idea. If he lost control, I was screwed.
He leaned closer, and—maybe it was the lack of oxygen—but I could've sworn he sniffed me. His breath hitched—like he'd caught a scent that didn't match a wolf-less one. Shit. My blood probably smelled different and even without a wolf yet… He was strong. Not just any Alpha could tell the difference. But then he released me all at once, stepping back like I'd burned him.
"Enjoy your hospital stay. After that, we'll see how you can make yourself useful."
"Useful?" I croaked.
"Unless you think this is a vacation? You stay, you work."
"Newsflash: I'm not staying because I want to. I'm being held hostage under your generous offer of 'shelter.'"
A smirk tugged at his lips.
"I never said free shelter. I said you're forbidden to leave."
Wait—was he implying…?
He walked to the door.
Was he seriously saying I'd be homeless in his pack? That if I wanted a roof, I'd have to work for it—while he forced me to stay? What was this, slavery?
"I want a salary!" I yelled before the door slammed. The last thing I saw was that eerie flash in his eyes. "Jerk!"
The door swung back open.
"Said something?"
I wanted to repeat it. He deserved it. But I didn't deserve the beating that'd come with it.
"Nothing to you."
He glared but didn't argue, just left. I exhaled in relief. Total bastard.
Alone—and not being hunted—I could finally think straight.
I'd barely escaped the Nightveil Pack alive. Did Adrian hate me that much? If he wanted to punish me for shoving his precious mate, why'd he say he wouldn't, 'out of respect' for what I'd done for him? Not that he was actually respectful. If he were, he wouldn't have played me for years. I sighed.
I wished I could undo my own stupidity—falling for the wrong guy. When I told my dad I wanted to marry a werewolf, even an Alpha, he'd lost it. Called me naive. But I did listen to one thing he said: Don't reveal what you are. Not until you're twenty-one. If he's worthy, he'll treat you right—even if he thinks you're wolf-less.
Best advice I ever got. And the best decision I ever made—aside from signing those divorce papers and leaving.
So what now? I'd planned to start over in the human world, prove to my dad I wasn't useless, that being a failed housewife didn't define me. But now? Trapped in this pack, wolf-less, no match for the Feral Alpha.
Speaking of, the werewolf didn't show his face again until my hospital discharge—two months later. While the receptionist was giving me my release papers, I was lost in thought when I heard my name.
"Miss Sienna!" No last name—they thought I was a rogue, and most rogues didn't have family names.
I turned to see a giant of a man with dark eyes and chestnut hair, his tan skin stark against a white shirt.
"Miss Sienna?" he repeated, as if confirming who I was.
"Yeah, that's me." I glanced around. "And you are?"
"Corbin Holt. Beta of this pack. The Alpha sent me to collect you."
Of course. I'd thought I was off the bastard's radar since he'd ignored me, but nope. He hadn't forgotten—just couldn't be bothered to visit. Now that I was healed, he'd make good on his threat.
The Beta jerked his chin for me to walk ahead, then reached for my bag.
"Let me carry that."
"No, thanks."
He raised his hands and nodded. "Fine. Move."
I took a deep breath. What the hell would the Alpha do with me?