FIVE

LYRA

I wake at the first crow of the rooster, as I always do. But today, it feels like it crowed too late. Maybe because I barely slept after leaving my new Alpha’s chambers. My mind is too tangled in thoughts to rest. I don’t know what to feel.

I just turned eighteen. I’m officially an adult now. In the werewolf world, eighteen is when they find their mates and begin to rut. The only reason Alpha Lucian hadn’t dragged me to court to entertain his high-ranking wolves before was because I was still considered a child. But what happens now? Now that I’m of age, now that my body can make good money for my master?

The thought alone makes my stomach churn. I shove it away as I climb out of my ratty mattress, shaking off the cold dread. Routine takes over. I move to the bathroom, brush my teeth, and wash up. The water is freezing, but it jolts me awake. I throw on a shapeless dress. An ugly, patched-up mess of stitches draping loosely over my frame. Tying my hair up as usual, I push past my room and head straight for the chores. It’s only after I finish scrubbing floors, dusting furniture, and doing everything else I’ve been conditioned to do that I remember I have a new master now and is not supposed to still work for my old master. Old habits die hard.

The sun is just beginning to peek over the horizon by the time I finish. My body aches, my fingers are raw, but I don’t pause. I hurry back to my tiny room to gather the little things I can call mine. I should report to my new master, see if he needs anything. But as I rummage through my belongings, the door creaks open, and that familiar scent floods my senses. I don’t need to turn around to know who it is. I freeze as every muscle in my body locks up.

“So, he finally had his fill of you?” Nathan’s voice oozes with mockery, but beneath it, there’s something else. Fury. He scoffs before I can react. “I can’t believe you were right under my nose, and I wasn’t the first man to claim you. I waited for you, bitch.”

I turn slowly to face him and lower my head in a bow, ignoring the venom in his words. I don’t need to respond. I don’t need to argue. He doesn’t need to know that my new master never laid a hand on me last night. I keep my mouth shut and continue packing. But Nathan, being the insufferable, power-drunk wolf that he is, has no concept of personal space.

Before I can sidestep him, he moves, blocking my path. My eyes flick up, catching the twisted smirk curling his lips. My pulse quickens. He steps forward. I instinctively step back. Again, he advances. Again, I retreat. He doesn’t stop until my back hits the wall. My breath hitches as he crowds me. His towering frame casts a shadow over mine. He leans in, so close that his breath fans my face. My heart pounds against my ribs. I turn my head away, desperate to escape his scent, his presence, him. But he grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him.

“What’s the rush?” His voice is thick with amusement and his smirk drips with arrogance. “Shouldn’t I get a taste before you go?”

I grit my teeth. “Get away from me,” I warn.

His eyes darken with lust. Then, without warning, his hand grabs onto my right breast, squeezing hard. Pain shoots through me, and I yelp. Instinct kicks in and I lift my hand to slap him. But he catches my wrist mid-air. His expression shifts in an instant, morphing from mockery to unhinged rage.

SLAP!

Pain explodes across my face, bright and stinging. The force of his hit makes me see stars. My ears ring, my skin burns, but before I can recover, he is on me again.

“You don’t raise your filthy hands on me, bitch.” His voice is a low growl, venomous and filled with authority. “I’m the heir to this pack.”

He spins me around and shoves me against the wall. I gasp as the breath is knocked from my lungs. My cheek presses against the cold, rough surface, my arms pinned behind me. I struggle, but it’s useless, his strength is ten times my own. His body presses against mine, his arousal digging into my lower back. Disgust churns in my stomach. I want to scream, to claw at him, but my hands are trapped. His breath is hot against my ear, thick with entitlement. His grip shifts, his fingers trail over the metal collar fastened around my throat, the one his father used to brand me as a slave. Fear spikes through me like a dagger. My breathing turns ragged. He is going to press the shock button. I know he is. The device embedded in my collar is designed to make me convulse, to punish me into obedience.

“I owned you first,” he growls as his fingers tighten around my throat. “I should get a taste of you. You’re my fucking slave.”

With a vicious tug, Nathan rips my dress away from my body, leaving me completely naked. Cold air rushes over my bare skin, but it’s nothing compared to the icy terror flooding my veins. His rough hands grab my breasts, squeezing hard, his breathing is ragged with anticipation as he grinds me. But he makes a mistake, he is no longer caging my hands. I don’t hesitate. I lash out, grabbing his wrist and sinking my teeth into his flesh as hard as I can. Nathan yelps. A furious snarl rips from his throat as he jerks his hand away. The moment his grip loosens, I bolt. My feet barely touch the ground as I sprint toward the door, my heart pounding so hard it drowns out all other sounds. I almost make it.

Almost.

But almost means nothing when dealing with a werewolf.

Nathan moves faster than I can blink, his strength is brutal as he catches me by the arm and whips me around.

SLAP!

The first strike sends my head snapping to the side.

SLAP!

The second makes the room tilt. Stars explode behind my eyes, my balance staggers. Before I can regain my footing, he grabs me and hurls me against the wall. My skull cracks against the hard surface, and a sharp bolt of pain shoots through my head. The world spins, my vision blurs. I barely register Nathan’s presence before he is on me again.

Another slap. Then another. The blows rain down on me. The sting, the burning ache, the humiliation are all unbearable. My struggles slow. What’s the point? No matter how much I fight, I am no match for his strength. Nathan flips me, pressing my front against the wall, his body pinning me in place. I feel his hand on my hip. His fingers dig into my skin, parting my thighs.

A low, triumphant grunt rumbles from his throat as he leans into me. "Finally, bitch. I can have a taste of you. I’ve never had this much trouble getting sex before."

I feel his hardness against my back, and my entire body locks up, every muscle in me tense in pure horror. I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing myself for the inevitable. But then, just as suddenly as he was on me, he is gone. A loud crash echoes through the room, followed by a choked grunt of pain. I spin around and my breath catches in my throat. Nathan is no longer on me. Instead, he is pinned against the wall with his feet barely touching the ground. My new Alpha stands in front of him with his hand wrapped tightly around Nathan’s throat, strangling him with terrifying ease.

Nathan claws at his captor’s fingers, his face turning red, his eyes wide with shock and rage. He thrashes, kicks, but it’s useless. My new Alpha doesn’t even flinch. He just stares. His expression is cold, and his grip gets tighter.

I am too stunned to move. My clothes lie in a crumpled heap, too far from my reach. So, I do the only thing I can do. I slowly crouch down, curling into myself, my arms wrapping tightly around my body as I watch in silent shock. My new Alpha’s voice is calm, almost casual as he speaks.

"I am going to let you go this one time because of your father," he says smoothly. His grip is still crushing Nathan’s throat. "But listen to me carefully, Nathan—" His voice lowers into something darker, something dangerous. "You do not have the right to touch what belongs to me. She. Is. Mine. I do not appreciate people touching my property," my new Alpha finishes with finality. His grip tightens for a split second before he finally lets go.

Nathan drops to the ground, coughing violently, clutching his throat as he struggles for breath.