CLAUDE
I FLEXED MY shoulders as I approached my fathers office. He had called for me about twenty minutes ago. I placed my balled fist on the door to his office, ready to knock but before I did, he muttered a “Come in.” I pushed the door open and my father was seated behind his desk, a smile playing on his lips. “Son, take a seat.” He said and I did. “You called.” I said curtly and his smile wilden. “Ahh, yes. I will just get straight to the point.” My father cleared his throat and placed his intertwined fingers on the desk. “There is a very important meeting that would be going on in Green Hill Pack—after the war and them helping us reclaim our pack, we have been offered a chance to —- and now that’s you’re no longer a kid, I want you to go to the meeting in place of me.” I swallowed harshly at the mention of the war, the same war that I had been rape by that—I pressed my eyes closed and puffed out a shaky breath. No, I couldn’t think of it. It has been five years since it happened and I am healing. “Claude?” I snapped my eyes open, cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. Right. I forced a smile and nodded “Of course I would love to go.When is the meeting?” “In two days time but it would be best you leave tomorrow.” I waited for him to continue talking then stifled a sigh when I realized he wouldn’t be giving me a reason as to why I should be leaving tomorrow when the meeting is in two days period. “Alright. Would that be all?” I asked and he wave his hand and without any more words said, I left his office. —— I arrived at Green Hill Pack and I was given an en-suite along with the few others that arrived earlier from other packs. I quickly took a shower and changed into fresh clothes. My eyes darted to the clock on the wall and since the meeting would be taking place tomorrow, I decided to take a stroll around the pack. I jogged over to a random stranger and cleared my throat. The man turned around and he looked to be around the same age as me. “Sorry for bothering you, but do you know any bar that’s close by?” I asked and his stiffness reduced as he eyed the building behind me and took in my scent. “You must be one of Alpha’s guest. If you’re driving you just need to go straight and then take a sharp turn to the left. It isn’t hard to miss since today is Sunday it’s going to be packed.” He grinned at me and my lips tugged at the side. “Thanks.” I muttered and walked towards the car I had brought to Green Hill Pack. Soon, my car was parked outside the bar and true to the strangers words, it was parked. As I entered, pretty much everyone moved away from me and I knew my scent was putting them off since I didn’t smell like I belonged here. I almost regretted making the decision to find a bar but since I was already here then fuck it. I ordered a quick drink and not up to five minutes, I had a female pressing her body into my side. “You aren’t from around here, are you?” She asked and I turned my head, my eyes raking over her figure before I shook my head. “No.” I answered curtly and she brought her face closer to mine and ran her tongue over her bottom lip. Her smile wilden and she leaned even closer and whispered in my ear. “Hmm, want to have some fun?” It it was any other time—preferably three years ago, I would have taken the opportunity any women threw at me and stick my cock in every single female I could but now, I just couldn’t. I wasn’t attracted to any of them. I wasn’t attracted to women. My drink was finally ready and I brought the cold glass to my lips and looked at her over the rim of the glass. “Sorry, love. I would have to decline your offer.” She huffed and threw her brown hair over her shoulder and I knew my rejection hurt her more than she was letting on. About five drinks later, my nose began to pick on a very very delicious scent that had me whipping my head so fast that I thought I would get whiplash. I tried to find where the scent was coming from and as soon as my eyes met with her, my whole body tensed and my eyes wilden. The females lips stretched in a wild grin and she began to walk towards me. My heart began to beat fast against my chest and I quickly scrambled out of my seat and dashed for the door. My hands were shaking as I reached for the handle of my car and spread down the road. I found my mate. I found my mate. Ifoundmymate. The thought was suppose to make me happy, finally my mate was suppose to be the most happiest moment in my life but I couldn’t bring myself to be happy. I knew what was wrong with me deep down. I knew why I wasn’t happy and that was because I was broken. He broke me. ———- I was late. I was fucking late to a very important meeting and if my father ever finds out, he would kill me. “Shit. Shit. Shit.” I muttered as I fixed my tie and rushed down the stairs to the hall we were using for the meeting. The door were already shut and I cleared my throat as I stood in front of it and the two guards eyed me then pulled the door open. All eyes were fixed on me as I walked into the room and I pushed the nervousness that creeped up my spine and made my way to the empty seat that was reserved for The Rising Moon Pack. “Sorry I’m late.” I said and a few of the Alphas and other ranking members sneered at me before Alpha Landon cleared his throat, taking the attention away from me. “Let’s continue,” Alpha Landon said and even with that, I couldn’t focus on what he was saying. The only thing that filled my senses was that scent again and even from where I was seated, I could feel her eyes on me. My mate was in the room with me and this time there was no chance at running away.CLAUDE TO BE HONEST, I couldn’t concentrate on what was being said throughout the conference meeting. A set of eyes lingered on my body, and I tried my hardest to ignore her. As soon as the meeting ended, I jumped out of my seat, avoiding mingling with the other ranking members, and made my way to the double doors. At the top of the stairs, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I forced myself not to curse. I turned around and sucked in a breath. The woman, gripping her knees and breathing heavily, looked up at me. She stood to her full height, glaring at me while dangling her nude heels between us. “I had to embarrass myself in front of everyone downstairs to catch up to you. Why are you running away from me, my mate?” I could only stare at her. When she reached out and touched my arm, I jumped back as if burned. The tingle where she touched me made it all too real. “I’m not ready,” I blurted out. She frowned, looking at me like I was mad—maybe I was. “W-what?” she choked, stepping clo
CLAUDE THE COOL AIR against my warm skin was a blissful invitation. I tucked my hands into the pocket of my jeans as I walked down a silent path. I noticed a stone chair in front of me and quickly made my way towards it. From a distance, a couple was approaching my way. He had his nose pressed into the woman’s neck, scent-marking her. I frowned watching them and my heart clenched for what I knew I couldn’t have. My phone dinged, and I had half expected a message from my father, but was surprised when it was from an unknown number. “Dear Tate Frank, your application has been well received and we are glad to let you know that you have been selected to join the Luxemar Yatch as a pet. Click the button below to confirm and the time and location for your pickup will be shown. Link expires in fourty eight hours.” I blinked in confusion, reread the message, and looked at the button to see that the timer was counting down. Clearly, the message wasn’t meant for me since my name wasn’t Tate
CLAUDEI sat across from my father, the room thick with the silence of the lies I was about to spin. He leaned forward, eyes narrowing as he studied me.“So, you’re saying Alpha Landon wants you at this meeting with the Federal werewolves… government officials?” His voice carried doubt, his fingers tapping the edge of the table.“Yes,” I replied, gripping my phone a little tighter.“And he didn’t think to tell me first?” His brow furrowed deeply.I met his gaze without flinching. “No.”He rubbed his beard—a beard I couldn’t seem to grow no matter how hard I tried. “It sounds suspicious.”“We’ve grown closer since our last meeting at his pack. He said he sees great potential in me as a future Alpha.” I spread my hands across the table, forcing myself to relax, or at least appear relaxed. “Don’t you think I have potential?”My father cleared his throat, a faint smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “Of course, son. This could be a big opportunity for our pack.” His tone was clipped,
CLAUDEThe yacht jolted to life the moment the clock hit six, and I felt it in my bones. Turning to my side, I caught Amelia’s gaze already locked on me.“Come on, Tate, get that chain around your neck,” she grinned, slipping out of the short black dress she’d been wearing, leaving only the barest pair of matching black underwear.“What the hell are you doing?” I asked, my eyes widening, glancing around. Everyone else? Half-naked.Amelia laughed softly, pulling my attention back to her. “Oh, you didn’t know what you were getting into?” She gave me a light pat on the arm, her gaze turning almost sympathetic. “Relax, it’s just for show. No one’s asking you to strip completely. Just the shirt.” I exhaled hard, fingers gripping the cool metal chain in my hand. There was no reason to panic. No one here knew me, and if something went south, I could easily take any one of these humans. I was stronger. Better.“Oh, God, you’re like a lost puppy,” Amelia’s voice pulled me back, her hands on my
NIKOLIAThere was something about this boy—something that kept me from walking away. I hadn’t come here to take someone. My only objective was finding information about my missing cargo—twelve containers, worth over a billion dollars. Yet here I was, tugging at my tie, my eyes trained on him—Tate.Or at least, that’s what he wanted to be called.“Before we start anything, I think it’s best we get to know each other first.” My voice was calm, controlled, as I slipped my hands into my pockets and leveled my gaze on him. He was watching me with wary eyes, like he wasn’t sure if he should trust me. Smart.“How about we start with your name?” I added, keeping my tone neutral, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—hesitation, uncertainty.“But you—”“Your real name,” I cut him off, watching the way his breath hitched, the way his chest rose and fell a little quicker now.“How did you—”“I didn’t,” I said with a small shrug. “You just don’t look
CLAUDE“CLAUDE. WAKE UP.”The command cut through my hazy dreams, and I opened my eyes, instantly aware of Nikolia’s gaze boring into me. That look alone was enough to sharpen my senses.“Christ, that was fucking weird,” he muttered, his eyes flicking over my face.I blinked, sitting up slowly and raking a hand through my hair. “What?”“Your eyes.” He gave a frustrated sigh, one hand lifting as if to explain, then letting it drop. “Forget it. Afternoon now. Figured I’d wake you for—” He looked at the clock. “Lunch,” he corrected, sinking onto the bed’s edge with a smirk.I froze as Nikolia’s hand found the back of my neck, his touch warm, possessive. He pulled me in, close enough that our breaths mingled, and he watched me like he was cataloging every flicker of my expression.“When I came out of the bathroom last night, you were already out cold,” he murmured, low and gruff, his voice tickling my ear. “It was that good, huh?”I felt a surge of hea
NiKOLAI HE WAS FINALLY HERE. Pressing against the wall, I watched Jonny Hernandez stride down the hall, flanked by two thick-necked goons. The prick had the audacity to steal from me, and now he was holed up on this swanky, heavily-guarded yacht, probably thinking he was untouchable. I usually had my men handle these sorts of personal errands, but this time... hell, I wanted to look him in the eyes myself before I made him pay. I peeked around the corner. The two guards had parked themselves outside a door, just under one lazy surveillance camera hanging in the corner. Perfect. I let my fingers tap against the wall, a small sound, just enough to get their attention. Predictably, both heads swiveled in my direction. Like clockwork. "Evening, gentlemen," I said, sliding my hands into my pockets as they stepped toward me. "Is Jonny allowing visitors?" The bigger of the two grunted, "No visitors." I shrugged, my lips curling
CLAUDE I DIDN’T HAVE the damn key to our room, which was why I’d been standing here for Gods knew how long, feeling more pissed off with every second. “You’re alone,” a voice cut through my thoughts. “I’m surprised.” I whipped my head toward the sound. Amelia was standing there, in a short, pleated skirt, black bra barely covering anything, a gold leash around her neck. She held the end of it in her hand and started walking toward me like she owned the damn place. “Amelia,” I muttered, shifting my weight to the other foot, my body tense as she got closer. “You didn’t look so thrilled to be here the first night,” she said, a sly smirk curving her lips. I chuckled. No shit. I’d been questioning my decisions—whether I was making a mistake, whether this was what I really wanted. But I had made up my mind now. “Yeah, well…” I shrugged. Her eyes flicked to the door I was leaning against, and I could feel her getting closer, measuring me u
CLAUDE I COULD TELL something was wrong the moment they told me to step out of the car. The way they moved, the way they avoided my gaze—it was all wrong.You’re being detained. Shit.So here I was, pacing in a small, dimly lit room, waiting for something to happen, and I knew exactly what that something would be—my father.My jaw clenched as I turned to the two men standing guard. "Why are you holding me here when I should be on my way back to my pack?" My voice came out sharp, a growl filled with frustration.They exchanged a glance before one of them finally spoke. "You’ve been reported missing—"My heart dropped."By the Alpha of Rising Moon Pack."Of course.I dragged a hand over my face, trying to keep calm. With what had happened the last time, of course he would be worried, but I didn’t think he would actually report me missing. Not when he was the kind of man who preferred handling things alone.I didn’t know how long I sat there, pacing, waiting, feeling the minutes stretc
CLAUDE“YOU CAN LEAVE.”The words didn’t make sense.I blinked at Nikolai from where I sat on the bed, my head still hazy, heavy, like I’d been drowning in a dream for too long. My body felt sluggish, my limbs heavy by sleep that shouldn’t have lasted this long. Even when I looked out the window, the sky was dark. A full day—I’d slept for a full day.But that wasn’t what made my chest go tight.It wasn’t the exhaustion, the disorientation.It was him.Standing there, hands shoved into his pockets, looking around his own bedroom like he was seeing it for the first time. Like he didn’t recognize it. Like he didn’t recognize me.“Nikolai…” My voice was hoarse, my throat tight. “Why?”I shouldn’t have asked. I should have just taken my chance, grabbed my things, and gone. I’d been telling him that I needed to leave. That I had to leave. Go back to my pack, to my family.But I never thought he’d let me go.Not like this.Not when just last night, he had held me so tight, his breath warm ag
NIKOLAIMY FINGERS CURLED around the gun before I was even fully awake, instincts kicking in before reason as I forced myself through the last haze of sleep. Something was off. Someone was too close. Watching.I sat up fast, muscles tight, gun already aimed, my finger poised over the trigger—ready to put a bullet between their eyes—until I saw who it was.Boris. My grip tightened, jaw locking as I breathed through the sharp rush of adrenaline. I didn’t lower the gun. I could still pull the trigger. I wanted to. “Now, now, Nikolai.” His voice was too smooth, too fucking amused for someone who had just walked into my bedroom uninvited. “Don’t tell me you plan on shooting your own Batya.”The light flicked on, too bright, too harsh, and I swore under my breath, dragging a hand over my face as I adjusted to it. He was smiling. That slow, knowing smirk that made my skin crawl.I reached for the sheets without looking, pulling them up over Claude’s back, covering him before he could wake
NIKOLAI HE WANTED TO to leave.The thought circled in my head over and fucking over until it sank into my bones, twisting through me like a sickness, a goddamn obsession. All I could think about was tying him down, chaining him to the fucking bedpost if that’s what it took to keep him here.I yanked at my tie, pulling the damn thing loose until it slipped from my fingers, landing somewhere on the floor.He wasn’t leaving. I wouldn’t fucking let him. Not when I had finally accepted—finally fucking accepted—that I wanted him.My hand twitched at my cheek, my jaw tight, my chest aching with the need to own him, to make him mine, to fucking possess him. The thought had me exhaling sharply, shaking my head, because for the first time, I wasn’t sure who the real animal was between us.“Pakhan?”Andrei’s voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I hadn’t even noticed when he walked in.I lifted my gaze to him, my expression sharp. “What the fuck happened to your face?”His hand twitched, like h
CLAUDEHe didn’t even tell me when he left.I had still been in bed when a knock sounded at the door. The sound dragged me from sleep, and when I reached across the mattress, my hand met nothing but cold sheets.The space next to me was empty.I should have known then.When I opened the door, a man dressed in all black stood there, his posture rigid, his gaze fixed anywhere but on me.“Boss said I should tell you he won’t be back soon.”Soon. That was four days ago.My stomach twisted, a slow, twisting ache forming in the pit of my gut because the last time he left, he came back with two bullet wounds.I didn’t want to see that again.I didn’t want to sit here, waiting, suffocating in this house while my mind ran in circles, wondering if this was the time he wouldn’t make it back.The house was full of people, but it still felt empty. Hollow. Cold in a way that had nothing to do with temperature. And I knew—I knew—it was because I wasn’t really part of this world.I didn’t try to tal
CLAUDEIT STILL FELT weird, being able to walk around the house so freely. But now… now I knew where the dining room was. Hell, I could smell it—the rich, savory aroma filling the air, making my stomach clench.But that wasn’t what had my chest squeezing.No, it was him. He had seen me—had looked at what I was—and instead of disgust, he had laughed. Had reached out, tapped my head, stroked my fur. And gods, it made my heart stuttered because it mattered.I stepped into the dining room, and Nikolai was already there, dressed in a fitted white T-shirt and dark suit trousers. Simple, effortless, but somehow he still looked like he belonged on a throne. His eyes found mine as I moved closer, the corner of his lips tugging up like he was amused by something.Then, his gaze dragged over me. Slow. Thorough.A low hum vibrated in his throat before he reached for the chair beside him, pulling it out for me.And gods—something inside me burst at that.I sat, my eyes flicking to the six men sta
NIKOLAITHE SOUND OF birds chirping was what woke me up. Soft. Unassuming. Completely out of place in my fucking world.A low groan rumbled from my throat as I shifted, only to realize something heavy was pressed against me—someone. Their head rested in the crook of my neck, the weight familiar and welcoming.Claude.I exhaled through my nose, my eyes locking onto his face. Even now, even in sleep, he looked like something I shouldn’t fucking touch. Something sharp and fragile at the same time, something that could cut me open if I wasn’t careful.Not that it mattered. I wasn’t careful. Never had been.And no matter how many times I thought about it, no matter how I turned it over in my head, I still couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that werewolves were real. That he was real. That every goddamn thing I had ever believed about this world had been a lie.It fucked with me. Made me question everything. Made me run from him when I should have just accepted what was in front of me.H
CLAUDE NO ONE STOPPED me when I left the room.No one questioned me when I wandered through the massive house, and no one tried to keep me from moving freely. If anything, they moved when they saw me, their dark eyes flicking away, their shoulders stiffening.Those men dressed in black, all carrying weapons.It only made one thing clearer—I had been wrong about Nikolai. Again.It had been three days.Three days of roaming through endless hallways, searching for him in every corner, following my nose, trying to scent him out. But it was impossible.He was hiding from me. Deliberately ignoring me.And for the past three days, I’d been fed like a starved man. The maid bringing in meals three times a day, plates stacked with enough food to feed four men, but I barely touched any of it.Not when my mind was consumed with him.The door creaked and my ears twitched at the sound, my body tensing, instinct bracing for an attack—until his scent hit me.I didn’t move. Didn’t turn. Didn’t want t
CLAUDETHE CHAINS RATTLED as I jerked up, my heart slamming against my ribs so hard it hurt. My breath caught in my throat, my eyes locking on the figure standing in the doorway.Nikolai.His name slipped from my lips before I could stop it, shaky and desperate.He was standing, but barely. His shoulders slumped slightly, exhaustion clinging to him like a second skin. Bandages wrapped tight around his torso and shoulder, stark against the paleness of his skin, and a pair of sweatpants hung low on his hips. His hair was a mess, damp and tousled, and a faint sheen of sweat glistened along his brow. He looked like hell.But he was here.A sharp breath wrenched itself from my lungs, relief and something dangerously close to panic twisting inside me. I moved before I could think, stepping forward, but the moment I did, metal clanked loudly against the floor.I froze.Nikolai’s gaze flickered downward.For a second, he didn’t move. Didn’t speak.His eyes stayed on the silver shackles wrappe