The hall emptied fast after his words. No one dared to look at me again. Not when the Alpha had declared me his mate.
The handler shoved the chain into his hand and vanished. One moment I was tethered to a stranger, the next I was bound to the most dangerous wolf in the Bloodfang Pack.
Kane's grip tightened, forcing me onto my feet. "Walk."
I stumbled to keep up as he pulled me through the double doors. Wolves lined the corridor, silent, watching. Some bowed their heads. Others sneered at me, their eyes full of disgust. I was the outsider, the weak link, the human they would never accept.
My jaw ached from clenching it, but I refused to drop my gaze.
Kane didn't speak again until the doors shut behind us and we were swallowed by the night. The moonlight cut across his sharp features, throwing his eyes into a brighter glow.
"You're trembling."
"I'm not," I spat.
He turned, chain still locked in his hand, pulling me flush against him. The heat from his body radiated through the thin fabric of the ragged dress they'd forced on me. His lips brushed my ear, his voice low enough to sink into my skin.
"Your pulse says otherwise."
I jerked back, but his grip was unbreakable. "Let me go."
He smirked, head tilting as if I were some strange creature he hadn't decided whether to kill or keep. "No."
Rage bubbled up, snapping through my chest. "You think you own me because you said one word in front of a pack of dogs?"
The smirk vanished. His free hand shot to my throat, not squeezing, but enough to remind me that he could. His eyes darkened, a flash of wolf breaking through the man.
"I don't think, little mate," he said softly, dangerously. "I know."
The bond burned at his words, hot and suffocating. My stomach twisted, my legs weakening though I hated myself for it.
He released me suddenly, and I stumbled back. His expression didn't soften. "Defiance will keep you breathing," he said, stepping closer, "but submission will keep you alive."
The words sank like ice in my veins.
He tugged the chain and I followed, because I had no choice. The night air was sharp against my skin as he led me down the mountain path. Wolves lurked in the trees, shadows with glowing eyes, watching.
I whispered, more to myself than him, "You're a monster."
"I am," he said without hesitation. "And now, so are you."
The pack's fortress loomed ahead, stone walls rising against the moon. Two guards opened the gate without question as Kane strode inside, dragging me with him. Torches lined the courtyard, illuminating dozens of wolves in human form. Every pair of eyes turned to us.
Some growled low, their hatred clear. Others bent their heads in submission. Whispers carried through the air.
"She's weak."
"She doesn't belong."
"She'll ruin him."
Kane's voice cut through like a blade. "She is mine. Any wolf who touches her dies."
Silence. Even the fire seemed to shrink back.
He pulled me into the fortress, up the stone stairs, until we reached a heavy door. He shoved it open, revealing his chambers. The room was vast, carved from dark stone, draped in black furs. The scent of pine and smoke clung to the walls.
The door slammed shut behind us. The chain clattered to the floor.
Finally free, I rubbed at the red marks around my wrists and throat. My voice was hoarse. "I'm not your mate. I don't care what lies you told them."
He stalked closer, every step slow, deliberate. My back hit the wall before I realized I had moved.
"You think I chose this?" he asked. His hand pressed flat to the stone beside my head, caging me in. His other hand grazed my collarbone, stopping just before the pounding pulse in my throat. His touch seared, sending sparks through me I wanted to hate.
"The bond is written in blood," he whispered. "In the moon. I didn't claim you because I wanted to. I claimed you because fate left me no choice."
I swallowed hard, chest heaving. "Then break it."
He chuckled, dark and humorless. "If I could, you would already be dead."
Silence fell heavy between us. His eyes searched mine, silver fire in the dim room. For a moment, something raw flickered there—need, hunger, something I couldn't name.
Then it was gone, replaced by steel.
"You'll sleep here," he said, pulling away. "At my side."
"I'd rather rot on the floor."
His smirk returned, sharp and cruel. "Then rot close enough for me to hear your heart."
I moved toward the furs spread across the bed, intending to curl at the edge, as far from him as possible. But before I could, his hand wrapped around my wrist again, dragging me back into his chest.
His breath ghosted over my lips, close enough to taste the wildness in him.
"You belong to me, Lena," he murmured, using my name for the first time. "From this night on, I'll remind you every time you forget."
His mouth hovered over mine, heat sparking between us, unbearable.
The door burst open.
A guard dropped to one knee, voice shaking. "Alpha. Rogues at the border. They demand blood."
Kane's grip on me tightened once, possessive, before he shoved me toward the bed. His eyes blazed as he turned toward the door.
"Stay here," he ordered. "If you run, I'll drag you back bleeding."
And then he was gone, leaving me alone in the dark room, my skin still burning from his touch and my heart screaming with something I didn't want to name.