Seraya's POV
"Fix her." My stranger growled, dropping me on the apothecary's table.
"I'm fine." I argued, sitting up but his hand landed on my shoulder and when I looked into his eyes, the furious storm in them had me swallowing the rest of my argument.
"Not yet but you will be." Old Rheylorn, our pack healer said, bustling forward. He peeled off my now tattered shirt to expose my back and I bit my lip to contain my cry of pain.
The stranger's presence was a dark storm cloud behind me as Rheylorn worked on the bloody gashes with gentle fingers. I bit my lio to stemm my stream of questions. I snuck a look behind me to find him staring right at me with folded arms and I startled. Gosh, I hated this.
It was different when we were just strangers, now it was worse. I was now a pitiful creature and he saw me at my lowest, unwanted and cast out by my own pack.
"That's enough!" I snapped, shrugging Rheylorn's hands off me and throwing my legs off the table. My back screamed in protest but I didn't care, I preferred to lick my wounds in private, far away from those coal black eyes that saw too much. "Thank you I guess. That heroic rescue couldn't have been at a better time. See you never."
With quick strides, I closed in on the door but his arm suddenly shot out and blocked my path.
"Rheylorn, excuse us." He said.
"Of course." The old wolf said and shuffled his way through the back.
Alone with him, memories of our last time together invaded my brain and heated my cheeks. I remembered all too well how my body sizzled when he grazed his tongue over my nipple, that peculiar wantonness that I'd never experi before. I pushed the rest of the memory out and focused on him.
"What? Was the thanks not enough? Shall I get on my knees and show proper appreciation?" I sneered, my words loaded with innuendo.
His brows tilted. He made that single move both elegant and condescending, making me feel even more pitiful.
"I have a proposition for you." He said and I frowned. I was intrigued despite myself but I couldn't stand this version of myself that I was in front of his eyes.
"No." I said. "I don't need your help and I don't need your pity."
"You have no idea what my offer is." He said, frowning.
"Take a hint, I couldn't be more uninterested." I told him and turned to leave.
"I heard you are a Forsaken." He said when I was at the door threshold and a finger of foreboding traced down my spine.
"Excuse me?!" I hissed, spinning around.
He casually walked in and propped a hip on the apothecary's table, watching me coolly.
"You cannot trigger your shift. Chances that you ever will after that display are slim to none and dwindling by the day." Said the stranger. "You are practically a Forsaken."
Acrid fear dried my mouth and my heart pounded like a hummingbird's. Was my inevitable end to become a Forsaken? A broken werewolf, my bond with my wolf shorn forever, a fate worse than death?
"I am not a Forsaken!" I hissed, my hands tightening into fists.
"Then you would be wise to take my offer." He replied.
"I'd rather suck a donkey's teats. You know where to shove your offer." I snarled and turned away.
"I'll trigger your shift." He said, making me pause. "In a month's time, you'll bear my mark on your shoulder and you'll have your wolf."
That was a very irregular way of offering to be- my lips twitched and I burst out laughing. He stared at me like I was mad and I laughed harder.
"Are you- are you offering yourself as my mate?" I snickered. "What on earth makes you think we would be compatible? Last time, you couldn't get me out of your bed fast enough."
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Even if I wanted a mate, you are the last candidate I would consider. From what I've seen so far, you are foolish, rash, overly emotional and unfortunate but you'll do." Each word struck me like bullets and I cursed the day I set my eyes on him. I was so sick of being pushed around.
"Fuck you. Find yourself a mate that is not rash, foolish or emotional."
I walked to the door and was about to step out when I saw the warriors waiting outside, at least five of them. My nape tingled uneasily and my feet faltered. Did Alyssa send them for me? Perhaps I could escape through the back or a window- but the stranger's gaze burned into my back. I didn't want to prove him right about how unfortunate I was. I took a deep breath and prepared to brave them-
"Once you step out that door, they will take you." His voice came from right behind me and I startled and spun around. He was standing too damn close, stealing all of my comfort. "Do you think you'll ever see the light of day again if they take you?"
"Did you call them here?" I hissed.
"Take my offer."
"Hell no." I ground out.
"Don't tell me... you still think that your lover will come for you, don't you?" His lips twitched with amusement and I glared at him mutely.
"Hmm." His fingers lightly brushed my hair from my eyes and I sucked in a sharp breath, shaken by that falsely gentle caress. He peered at me as if I was a puzzle he was finding difficult to solve. "You are even more foolish than I thought. He claimed another as his mate, will you beg for his scraps?"
I shook his hand off me. "That is my business, not yours."
"It is by business now because you are mine." He growled and a dark shiver rocked my core.
"What?! In what mad universe will I ever be yours?"
"What I propose may be a temporary arrangement but for the duration of the month, you are mine and you will be mine alone. Your mind, your thoughts, your time, your body, I don't share."
"Did you hear me the first time when I turned down your ridiculous offer?" I sneered.
"Then you will never find a mate." He replied, staring me down. "I will have your name blacklisted and make sure they know that anyone who takes you as theirs will be ruined."
Did he have that much power? Something told me he did and more.
"Why are you doing this?!" I cried and shoved his chest but he didn't budge. "Why me?" I whispered. "You could have any woman you want so why are you here?" He didn't want me, that embarrassing evening made that clear enough.
He finally paced back into the room and I released a shaky breath. "For a month, you and I will put on an act. To anybody watching, we are madly in love and preparing for our mating ceremony. I don't exactly have the most charming of personalities, you're in love with another male which all makes it unlikely that you will actually fall in love with me and that makes you perfect for the job. You are also desperate enough to pull it off. In a month, I will mark you, trigger your shift and once you are stable, I will break our bond and we'll go our separate ways."
"You will what?!" I gaped. "Break the bond and make me run mad? Exactly how am I supposed to enjoy the newfound freedom you so generously offer when I'm out of my mind because of a broken bond?"
"Trust me." He replied and I scoffed.
"I don't."
"I will not let you run mad."
"Seeing how you care so much about my well-being, I will hereby lay all my concerns to rest." I snarked sarcastically.
He shrugged. "Your worries are not my concern. Take a seat and let Rhyelorn finish on your back."
I hesitated but seeing as I didn't have much of a choice, I went back in and perched at the edge of the slab. Rheylorn shuffled back in a moment later and I pulled my knees up, wrapping my arms around my legs as he worked.
"Do you wish to get back at the people that did this to you?" My stranger asked and I turned my head to meet his eyes.
"Can you do that?" I asked and his lips twitched.
"Yes." He said simply and I believed him.
This unusual alliance was not my plan at all but it felt like this was a pivotal moment. I could accept the hand he offered and he would welcome me into his world but there was no turning back.
"Then we'll make them pay." I said and he looked me over with something resembling approval. A few moments later, Rheylorn stepped back. He was truly gifted, the pain was all but gone and I stretched my muscles experimentally.
"Mmm, you're good at this." I said.
"Don't make a habit of it." The old man said and I smirked.
"I'll try." Once I could shift, I wouldn't need anyone to patch me up. My wolf would do that.
My stranger gave Rheylorn a nod and the old man shuffled away.
"I'm not agreeing to this because I like you, or because I can even tolerate you in the least." I told him and he folded his arms, watching me.
"Likewise." He replied and I ignored the subtle sting.
"I think you are overbearing, insufferable, arrogant and unlikable."
He smiled. "Glowing remarks, I've been called worse. Come along, we have a contract to fine-tune." He said and left me behind.
I stared at his retreating back, feeling like I just entered into a deal with the devil.