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
CLAUDEEvery part of me was on fire. I was trapped between a wall and a hard place—literally—because Nikolai’s frim body pressed tightly against mine, his hips grinding into me like he had something to prove. And goddammit, it felt so fucking good. A moan slipped past my lips, swallowed by the press of his mouth against mine. His kiss was raw and hard, his tongue demanding entry I couldn’t deny. My hands clutched at his biceps, the hard muscles flexing beneath my fingers as I fought to keep my balance.“Fuck,” Nikolai growled, pulling back just enough for his dark, burning gaze to meet mine. His breath came in heavy pants, his lips brushing against my skin as he whispered, “Do you have any idea what you do to me?” I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My voice had been stolen by the heat pooling low in my stomach, by the way his teeth grazed my neck, biting and teasing like he couldn’t get enough of me. The sharp sting made me gasp, and the sound only seemed to fuel him further. “Shit—Ni
CLAUDEI COULDN’T THINK. Couldn’t breathe—all that mattered was Nikolai. His hands, his mouth, his body—slamming into me, over and over and over, like nothing existed but the two of us. The heat inside me was like fire, burning me up from the inside out. It consumed me, devoured me, and the only thing that could quench it was him. Only him.His hands were tight on my thighs, forcing me harder against the wall, his thrusts so deep, so punishing, that I gasped—no, gasped wasn’t right—my breath shattered every time he pushed inside, his cock filling me to the point of breaking, of splitting. It felt like fire, every inch of him. A fire I couldn’t put out, a drug I couldn’t quit.His grip was tight on my hips, pulling me back against him with each stroke, driving me harder, deeper, like he was determined to claim every part of me. And I wanted it. Needed it.I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t hear anything over the pounding of my heart, the sound of skin on skin, the heat betwee
NIKOLAIHE WAS SHAKING.Not from pleasure. Not from the come-down.I stayed deep inside him, hands locked on his hips, my body tense as steel. Something wasn’t right. I could feel it in the way his pulse hammered beneath my fingers, in the way his body kept clenching around me, like he was trying to pull me in deeper. But he was too hot—way too fucking hot.I didn’t move. Not yet. I had to figure out what was happening. But the instinct to move was clawing at me.“Claude,” I bit out, my voice low, brows pulled tightly. I brushed the damp strands of hair from his neck. “You’re burning up.”He gasped, pushing back into me, his hips grinding against mine like he needed this to breathe. His fingers dug into the sheets, shaking like his body wasn’t his own anymore. Like I was the only thing keeping him from falling apart.“Talk to me.”There was a beat—just ragged breaths, broken and shallow. And then the words hit like a bullet.“I… I think I’m in heat.”The world stilled.Iknew what that
CLAUDETHE SUN HAD dipped behind the sky when we got to the hotel. It was big—absolutely gorgeous and luxurious—and his hand never left my back as we were escorted to the elevator.The doors opened directly into the suite. No hallway. No detour. Just the quiet click behind us as we stepped inside.Nikolai didn’t say a word. He took off his jacket, dropped it over a chair then looked over his shoulder at me, one brow raised.“You must be hungry,” he said.I rubbed the back of my neck, exhaled through my nose. “I’m not.”He didn’t push. Just nodded once, already moving past me toward the bar. “Shower, then. Take your time.”The bathroom was as beautiful as the rest of it—sleek, gold-trimmed, expensive. I locked the door, and stepped in. Water hit tile, steam rising almost instantly. I stood under the spray longer than I should’ve, eyes closed, hands braced on the wall, as a deep sigh slide past my lips.When I stepped out, the scent of food filled the air—rich and warm, but it wasn’t hu
CLAUDEMY LEGS WOULDN’T stop moving, twitching against the floor like they wanted to be anywhere but inside this car. I pushed out a breath, slowly and leaned my head back against the seat.The AC was on, but I couldn’t breathe.Before I could think, my hand was on the door, pushing it open, and I stepped out. The air slapped me first, a cold bite to my skin, but there was something else—something different that wrapped around it, choking out the relief. A scent. A wolf’s scent.My spine snapped straight and I didn’t even realize I was moving until my feet carried me around the corner, down the path, feet crunching on gravel.Then I saw them.Pressed up against the wall. A guard—tall, broad—gripping the front of someone’s shirt, like he owned him. Their mouths were fused together, sloppy and hungry and completely oblivious.The wolf under him was young. Small. Soft, with flushed skin and a trembling throat that looked too exposed, too breakable. But it wasn’t that.It was when he open
NIKOLAISHE LOOKED LIKE hell.Dress torn, smeared with dirt, lip still split from the slap I gave her two nights ago that still hasn’t heal. She should’ve been ashamed. She should’ve known better. But there she was, with her hand on him—like she had any right.I stood by the car, arms folded, fingers twitching near the grip of the gun holstered under my coat. Claude wasn’t moving. Just standing there like a statue, like if he stared hard enough past her shoulder, this whole fucking moment would vanish. That’s how he coped—with silence, with absence.Then her hand found his.Gentle. Softly.She slid it to her stomach like it meant something, like she hadn’t pinned him down and stolen something that was never hers to take.A child.My jaw locked. Pain bloomed down the side of my face, but I didn’t blink. Didn’t breathe.She turned her head and met my eyes. That goddamn smile—thin, cracked, and smug—like she thought carrying his baby made her immortal.Claude jerked his hand back like she
CLAUDEI COULDN’T EVEN look at the food in front of me. My stomach roared from hunger—but I couldn’t stomach it. Not when my mind felt like it was suffocating me.Too much.Everything was too much.I yanked at the collar of my shirt, but it didn’t help. Nothing helped. It was like I was drowning in air—my chest so tight, it felt like I couldn’t even breathe.“Claude?”I snapped my head toward Nikolai, his gaze locked on me, eyes narrowed, like he could see right through me. But I couldn’t look at him.I did the right thing but I felt guilty. Guilty that I’d lied.But I felt like I had.“Claude, you need to eat.”I couldn’t even bring myself to move. My fingers tightened around the fork in my hand, the metal cold under my touch, but I stayed silent. My lips pressed into a thin, stubborn line, and I just… stared at the food, trying to ignore the growing ache in my gut, trying to ignore how everything felt like it was spiraling out of control.The scrape of a chair against marble made me
NIKOLAII TOOK A sharp breath, the kind that burned in my chest.Claude’s body was stretched out underneath me, all lean muscle and bruised beauty. I rolled to the side, pulling the sheets over us, and his eyes followed me—hand landing on my chest like he thought I would run.I wasn’t.I would never.“Can I mark you?” he asked again, voice rough, voice so fucking soft.He asked it like a man offering forever. Like he didn’t know I’d already sold my soul to make sure no one ever touched him again—he was mine, and mine alone.I swallowed the lump in my throat and reached for his hand on my chest, lacing our fingers together and kissing the back of his knuckles.“You sure?” I murmured, my voice heavier than I meant it to be.“Yes.”No hesitation.Fuck.I closed my eyes for a second. He deserved to know. Even if I didn’t want him to. Even if he left this bed and I spent the rest of my fucking life chasing him down, begging for his forgiveness—I couldn’t keep this from him.So I said it.“
CLAUDEMY HEART WAS pounding so hard against my chest that it felt like I might actually suffocate under the weight of it. Every breath was a struggle, each inhale shaky as I continued to stare at him, the words he’d just said echoing in my head.I love you. I love you. I couldn’t make sense of it. I couldn’t understand how something so simple could make my entire world feel like it was cracking apart and coming together all at once.“What?” I choked out, my voice barely a whisper, my hands trembling as I reached for him, pressing my palm against his chest, needing to feel something—anything—that was real, that would make this feel real.Nikolai’s smile softened. It wasn’t sharp, it wasn’t cocky. It was raw. It was breathless. There was a quiet desperation in it, something so different. I felt my breath catch. His fingers slipped through my hair, gently pushing it back from my face as he leaned in, his lips brushing over mine—so soft it hurt, like he was afraid of breaking me.“I’m f
CLAUDEI WOKE UP gasping.My lungs were on fire, chest heaving too fast, too erratically. My fingers dug into the sheets—no, not sheets. Not his. Not that ground. I sucked in a breath, pushing myself up, my back slamming against the headboard.I wasn’t there.I wasn’t there.I dragged a shaky hand across my face. My skin was slick and my hair hair, wet. My chest felt tight, like I couldn’t get enough air, and my throat was sore, dry.Then I turned my head.The space next to me was empty. The sheets were cold. I swallowed, but it didn’t help. The room was dark, with only the faint light outside spilling in. I listened, hoping to hear the sound of him—his breath, his movements, anything that would tell me he was still here, that everything was still… okay.But there was nothing.I told myself not to care. Told myself he was just out there somewhere, doing whatever it was he did when he left. That he’d come back. But the fear was already there. Growing.I shoved the covers off, my legs