Chapter 4 - The Alpha's Claim
Trisha's POV
The roar of engines outside yanked me out of a restless sleep.
My heart jumped. The world was still dark, but the sound was sharp—commanding.
Boots. Doors. Voices.
I sat up, hair messy, pulse thundering. The memory of yesterday crashed over me like a wave—his voice, his touch, his anger. Lucian Draven.
A knock rattled my door before I could breathe.
"Pack your things."
The deep rumble of that voice made every nerve in my body snap awake.
I froze. "What?"
"You heard me."
He opened the door without waiting for permission.
Tall, broad, in dark clothes that clung to his frame. His presence filled the room, stealing the air from my lungs.
"I don't remember agreeing to anything," I said, trying to sound brave even as my legs trembled.
He stepped closer, eyes cold, but his tone dangerously calm.
"You don't need to agree. You belong to me now."
Anger shot through me. "I'm not some prize to be collected!"
His lips curved—not a smile, a warning. "Then stop acting like one."
Before I could reply, he took the suitcase from my closet and tossed it on the bed. "You'll come peacefully, or I'll carry you out myself. Your choice, little Luna."
Every word dripped with control, and damn it, the sound of little Luna made my stomach twist with something I refused to name.
I glared at him. "You think you can scare me?"
"No," he murmured, stepping so close I could feel the heat of him, "I don't need to."
For a heartbeat, neither of us moved. My pulse was deafening. His scent—smoke and something wild—wrapped around me until I forgot to breathe.
He reached past me, brushed a strand of hair from my face, his knuckles grazing my skin. My breath hitched despite myself.
"Pack. Now."
I wanted to defy him. Goddess, I did. But my body disobeyed my mind, moving to fold clothes with shaking hands. He watched silently, every glance heavy, unreadable.
When I finished, he grabbed the suitcase, then caught my wrist—firm, not cruel. "Stay close. Don't look back."
Outside, soldiers waited beside a black SUV. My parents stood at the porch, worry etched across their faces.
"Mom, Dad—"
Lucian's grip tightened. "No goodbyes."
I turned, my voice trembling. "You can't just—"
He cut me off. "I can. I am."
He opened the SUV door and motioned for me to enter. I climbed in, heart hammering, anger boiling under my skin. He slid in beside me, his knee brushing mine. Electricity.
Minutes passed in silence, tension thick enough to choke on. I could feel his gaze on me even when I looked out the window.
Finally, he spoke. "You'll learn my rules soon enough."
I met his eyes. "And if I don't?"
He smirked—dark, dangerous. "Then you'll learn the hard way."
I hated the way my pulse jumped at that.
The SUV rolled through the forest toward his territory, trees blurring past. My thoughts tangled—fear, defiance, something hotter and far more confusing.
Somewhere deep down, beneath the anger and the dread, a single thought burned through me:
I didn't know if I wanted to escape him… or understand the fire he'd just lit inside me.
TO BE CONTINUED