SCARLETT
Darius filled the narrow passageway like a storm given flesh.
Broad, tall, with dark eyes glowing the lethal amber of his wolf, he was every bit the Alpha I had sworn myself to. His presence was suffocating, pressing against my skin more heavily than Kael's touch had only moments ago.
But I didn't flinch.
I didn't cower, didn't try to hide my torn dress or swollen lips.
No—I stood proudly in my wickedness, my chin tilted like a queen daring her king to strike.
"Scarlett."
His voice cracked the silence like a whip.
Kael stepped forward, half-shielding me with his body, his golden eyes burning with defiance. "She's mine tonight, Darius."
My lips curled. Ah, the arrogance of men. They thought they were claiming me, when in truth it was I who claimed them.
Darius's gaze slid past Kael to land on me, and what I saw there made my thighs press together in aching heat. Rage. Betrayal. And beneath it, the raw hunger of a man who could not bear to lose what he thought was his.
"Is this true?" His voice dropped low, a growl threaded through each word. "Scarlett… did you let him touch what belongs to me?"
My heart thudded—not from guilt, never guilt—but from anticipation. This was the moment I had been waiting for. The spark that would ignite the war I craved.
Slowly, deliberately, I stepped out from behind Kael's protective stance. My heels clicked against stone, echoing in the tense silence as I approached Darius with feline grace.
I stopped just shy of touching him, close enough that the heat of his body seeped into mine. My green eyes glittered, my red lips parted in a coy, sinful smile.
"What if I did?" I whispered.
The words were gasoline poured over fire.
Darius's jaw clenched, a growl tearing from his throat as his hands shot out, seizing my arms in an iron grip. He dragged me flush against him, his breath hot and furious against my face.
"You dare betray me?" His voice was thunder, trembling with restrained violence.
I only laughed softly, a husky sound meant to unbalance him further. "Betrayal? Oh no, Alpha. I'm giving you exactly what you desire."
His eyes narrowed. "And what is that?"
My lips brushed the shell of his ear as I purred, "A reason to fight."
Kael snarled from behind us, stepping forward. "Let her go, Darius."
But Darius wasn't listening. His grip tightened, his chest heaving as though torn between killing me and devouring me. His hand slid down my back to my waist, pulling me closer until I could feel the hard evidence of his desire pressed against my stomach.
I gasped softly, the sound only stoking his fury.
"You're mine," he growled. "Mine to punish. Mine to ruin if I choose."
I arched against him, my lips brushing his jaw. "Then ruin me, Alpha."
Kael growled low in his throat, his fists clenching. "Darius, if you lay a hand on her—"
My eyes flicked between the two men, satisfaction curling through me like warm honey. This was what I wanted: two Alphas, one trembling with rage, the other with lust, both ready to tear the world apart for me.
I leaned up and kissed Darius, hard, biting his lip until I tasted blood. He growled into my mouth, his hands roaming down my curves with brutal possession, as though he could erase Kael's touch with his own.
But Kael didn't move.
No—he watched. His golden eyes burned hotter with every gasp, every shudder that escaped my lips.
And that, more than anything, thrilled me.
Two Alphas.
One watching.
One consuming.
And me, the fire at the center of their storm.
Darius tore his mouth from mine, his teeth dragging across my throat. "You'll regret what you've done," he snarled against my skin.
I moaned, my nails digging into his shoulders. "Oh, Alpha… I already do."
My words sent a shiver down him that had nothing to do with regret. His teeth grazed my throat, dangerously close to sinking in, to marking me again with his claim.
Kael stepped forward, growling. "If you mark her, I'll tear your throat out."
Darius's head snapped up, fury blazing. "She's mine, Kael. She carries my mark."
I laughed breathlessly, my body still trembling in Darius's hold. "And yet, here I am, dripping for another Alpha."
The silence that followed was deadly.
Kael's nostrils flared, scenting my arousal, his control snapping like brittle twigs. His golden eyes bled into black as his wolf surged forward.
"Enough," he snarled. "If you won't let her go, I'll take her from you."
Darius shoved me behind him, his wolf flaring, claws lengthening. "Try, and you'll die here."
I stumbled back a step, my breath coming fast, my body aching with need and power alike. My lips curved in wicked satisfaction as I pressed myself against the wall, watching, waiting.
Because this was exactly what I wanted.
Two Alphas.
One prize.
And blood ready to spill in my name.
I dragged my torn dress lower, baring my shoulder, my breasts almost spilling free, my voice husky as I whispered, "Then fight for me."
Both Alphas turned their glowing eyes on me.
And the corridor trembled with the promise of violence and lust intertwined.
The passage vibrated with the sound of claws unsheathing, low growls rumbling from two chests that had faced countless battles—but never for the same woman.
I leaned back against the stone wall, my lips curling as I dragged one hand slowly down my chest, deliberately catching both of their eyes.
"Fight for me," I purred, my voice a silk rope binding them tighter.
Darius lunged first, his body shifting, his hands clawed and ready to tear Kael apart. Kael met him head-on, the force of our collision cracking against the stone walls. Dust showered from the ceiling, the torches flickering wildly as the two Alphas clashed like beasts of legend.
Fists slammed. Claws raked.
The air filled with snarls and the metallic scent of blood.
My eyes glittered as I watched them fight. Every strike, every growl, every drop of blood spilled for me made my pulse race harder. I pressed my thighs together, biting my lip as Kael slammed Darius against the wall, his fist connecting with a sickening crack.
Darius roared, shoving Kael back, blood dripping from his nose. His amber eyes burned as he snarled, "You think she wants you, Kael? She carries my mark!"
Kael's lips curled in a savage grin. "Then why does she smell like me?"
My body clenched at his words. Gods, I wanted them both—and more than that, I wanted them broken, undone, ruined by their desire for me.
"Enough talk," I whispered huskily, my hand sliding between my thighs beneath the torn fabric of my dress. I let out a soft moan, loud enough for both Alphas to hear over the sounds of their clash.
They froze.
Both turned toward me at once, their eyes dark, their chests heaving.
I smirked, licking my fingers slowly as I purred, "If you want me, you'll have to show me who deserves me."
The growls that followed shook me to my core.
Kael lunged again, this time with his wolf nearly breaking free, claws flashing as he pinned Darius to the wall by the throat. "I'll take her in front of you," he snarled. "I'll make her scream my name until you can't bear to hear it."
Darius's claws sank into Kael's side, tearing flesh, but Kael didn't move, didn't falter.
My breath quickened, my eyes wide, my body trembling with hunger as I whispered, "Do it."
Kael's head snapped toward me, his golden eyes blazing with feral lust.
Darius roared, slamming his knee into Kael's gut, breaking free. He spun, seizing me by the wrist and yanking me against him. I gasped, my body colliding with his as he growled in my ear, "You'll watch him die before I ever let him touch you again."
I shivered, my lips curling into a wicked smile as I tilted my head back against Darius's shoulder. "Then kill him, Alpha. Claim me in his blood."
Kael's eyes darkened, his wolf fully at the surface now, his voice distorted with fury. "She's mine, Darius. Even if I have to take her while you bleed out at my feet."
The heat between us was unbearable, a storm of violence and lust that had no ending but fire.
I slid my free hand along Darius's arm, my nails scraping his skin as I whispered, "Prove it. Both of you."
The Alphas bared their teeth at each other, but neither released me. One gripped my wrist, the other my gaze, both unwilling to let go.
And I laughed softly, a wicked queen reveling in her throne of chaos.
Because whether they fought or fucked, the truth remained the same.
I owned them.