Seraphina's POV
The audacity of this man made my blood boil.
"You arrogant—" I bit back the curse, acutely aware of the guards still patrolling nearby. Instead, I channeled my fury into action, driving my knee toward his shin with every ounce of strength I possessed.
But of course, the bastard was faster. He caught my leg like it was nothing and spun me around, pinning me face-first against the rough bark of the oak tree, my arms pinned behind me.
The mate bond chose this moment to surge through our connection, sending unwanted heat and electricity through my body. Everywhere we touched felt good.
Some primitive part of me wanted to lean into his strength, to give in to whatever cosmic joke this was supposed to be.
Traitor, I thought bitterly, fighting against my body's instinctive response to his proximity.
"Tsk, tsk," he clicked his tongue like he was disappointed in a naughty child. "You're so predictable, Seraphina."
Hearing my name from his lips made my heart skip a beat. It sounded... beautiful. No one had ever said my name like that, as if it were something reverent. I wanted to hear it more from his lips, but then, I shook my head, pushing down those emotions hard.
I wouldn't let myself be controlled by some twisted mate bond tying me to my worst enemy. I wouldn't let it control my actions or my emotions.
"LET. ME. GO!" I hissed, struggling against his grip, but he only chuckled.
"And let you run straight into another patrol? I think not." His grip loosened slightly—not enough to escape, but enough that I wasn't completely helpless. "The rogues aren't the only danger in these woods tonight."
"I'd rather take my chances with them than spend another second as your prisoner," I spat.
The laugh that escaped him was hollow, devoid of any real humor. "Does marrying me scare you? That's good!"
I twisted to meet his gaze over my shoulder, putting every ounce of venom I could muster into my voice. "I would rather be torn apart by rogues and scattered to the winds than be your bride. If you think you can drag me to that altar willingly, you're more delusional than I thought. You'll have to drag me there in chains, because I am not marrying you."
"Perhaps, that's what I am planning to do," he muttered softly, and something in his tone made my stomach drop. Before I could figure out what he meant, I heard it—a soft metallic click and something cold touching my wrist.
I looked down, and my heart stopped.
Handcuffs?
He had actually handcuffed me. This psychotic, control-freak son of a— My eyes snapped back to his, wide with horror. "You didn't."
"I just did," he replied with that smug smile like this was normal.
Without giving me to protest, he scooped me up in his arms. The sheer audacity of this man! "Put me down!" I twisted and squirmed, trying to break free from his iron grip. "I said put me down, you overgrown caveman!"
He didn't even flinch. If anything, he seemed amused by my struggles, like I was some entertaining little kitten throwing a tantrum. I opened my mouth to scream bloody murder, but his voice cut through the night air, cold and threatening.
"If you don't want those guards to catch you and face punishment again, go ahead and scream."
My mouth snapped shut so fast I nearly bit my tongue. The memory of my last punishment of being whipped flashed through my mind, making my body tremble.
No matter how much I hated being in his arms, I didn't want to alert the guards and go through that same punishment again. Still, being in his arms made me mad. So freaking mad!
So, I chose to glare at him with every ounce of hatred I could muster, but he stayed silent. He didn't even react to my death stare. He just walked quietly under the moonlight like he was taking a casual midnight stroll instead of kidnapping his future bride.
Psychopath. Complete and utter psychopath.
As we moved through the shadows, I mentally cursed him with every creative insult I could think of.
Arrogant bastard.
Control freak.
Delusional tyrant.
Self-important asshole.
Egomaniacal dickhead.
Son of a rabid she-wolf.
Each curse made me feel slightly better, even if I couldn't say them out loud. But then I realized something that made my blood run cold. We weren't heading toward the Alpha house.
We were going in the completely wrong direction, toward the guest quarters. My eyes widened in horror. "Where are you taking me?"
He glanced down at me, that infuriating smirk still playing on his lips. "My room. You're staying with me tonight."
"What?!" I hissed, trying to keep my voice low. "My room is back there! I'm not staying anywhere near you!"
"I don't want my bride running away again," he said casually, like he was discussing the weather. "Can't have that."
"I'm your enemy!" I seethed. "Why the hell do you even want to marry me?"
He laughed, and the sound sent chills down my spine. "Because it's fun."
Fun? FUN?! This lunatic thinks ruining my life is entertainment. Argh!!!!! I was so mad that I wanted to bite his handsome head off....
Before I could voice any more protests, we reached his room. He pushed the door open and unceremoniously dropped me onto the bed like a sack of potatoes.
The second my feet hit the ground, I bolted for the door. I made it exactly three steps before his hand wrapped around my waist and yanked me back. I crashed onto the bed, and suddenly he was there, trapping me beneath him, his hands braced on either side of my head.
Those dark eyes bored into mine, and when he spoke, his voice was deadly serious. "Stay here quietly for the night, Seraphina. Otherwise, I have other ways of keeping you here."
My heart hammered against my ribs, but I'd be damned if I'd cower in front of him. I lifted my chin defiantly and glared, "I dare you to try!"