ngers digging into her jaw with bruising force. The pack's kitchen smelled of roaste
snarled, her voice hoarse f
his golden eyes flashing with irritati
ails biting into her skin. "Just give up," she purred, her b
as young. Boris's father had taken her, slaughtered her guardians, and turned her into noth
our dam
l, Boris,"
ind her eyes as her head snapped to the side, but she barely had time to reg
angerously low, filled with a sick pleasure as
n her throat. Every muscle in her body stiffened as the
head mockingly. "How doe
somethin
a force of nature. The world around her blurred, the pain, the poi
a
yet deafening. Her heart pounded viol
dy rigid, his breathing
red, his voice la
r. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't be h
. His face twisted into rage,
ce shaking the walls. "Reject it now, or I
his grip. It was the mate bond, pulling at her, urgi
er chin, her voice unwavering desp
ke glass in her throat, but she forced them out. "I
ld never want to be with a freak." His lip curled
r, his energy ra
ver rej
ry escaped her lips as the bond snapped, leaving behind a gaping, searing wound i
s quickly as it
thing heavy. He turned on his
"No, you couldn't have been the Alpha's mate." Her chest rose and fel
m not dirty," she said, voice raw but firm. "I'm good enough to be anyone's
choed through the kitch
sent Raven sprawl
ond dre
tacks rained down. Raven wanted to fight back. She was a
, sto
r world blurred between pain and exhaustion,
ry. "You are never to look at Alpha Boris again," s
out of the kitchen, her footstep
the other wo
rt aching from the fresh rejection. Her pla
nths ago, she had discovered secret tunnels while cleaning. On
last look behind her, she slipped inside. The air was damp, the walls cold as s
I'll do the moon ceremony to reject Alpha
uld still control her, pulling h
she reached the other side and
ace and she was at
neutral ground. It was one of the only places where differ
she pulled her hood
his strong arms resting on the counter. His dark hair fell just past his shoulde
ing for an open seat. The only on
, so she walked o
cheek," the man said, his deep
"It looks wor
udied her. "I know how hard someone h
sy. It felt like he cou
Alpha," s
"You're the only wolf I've ever he
care more about physical s
ghtly, like he was bo
said. "But I wouldn't say t
rtender walked over. His express
w," he said bluntly. "I don't want a
"I'm not a slave," she sai
, but his presence alone was intimidatin
owly. Then, her
ed the air. Not just wol
the entrance, and
lked in. And they wer
they see me
hroat. Boris would lose his mind
he whispered. "Will you stand
e to the men at the door.
her from view entirely. Then, he reached into his po
u one bette
d barely taken a breath of re
around and shoved her back against
d commanding. "Why were you running
gasped. "I swear
both arms on the wall behind her, caging her in. Her p
sing her words carefully. "I'm not in a good s
bar swung open. An ol
essing closer, his body shielding hers. "Don't mov
around her. Her fingers clenched into f
passed with
sharp eyes dropped to her co
r hair aside, revealing a f
th me,"
hesi
o talk. In