“You should have stayed in the shadows,” the Alpha snarls, his grip tightening on her wrist.

She spits at his feet. “You think you’re untouchable? The Blood Moon Pack isn’t invincible.”

His expression hardens. “You made a mistake coming here. One you won’t live to regret.”

Before he can make good on his threat, she twists in his grip, her other hand producing a dagger from her sleeve. It’s aimed directly at his throat, but he’s faster, catching her wrist mid-strike.

I should stay out of it. It’d be suspicious if I interfered.

Without thinking, I grab the blade she dropped and rush forward, holding it out in front of me. “Let her go.”

Both of them freeze, their gazes snapping to me.

The Alpha’s eyes darken, his gaze calculative. “Put that down.”

“She’s here for a reason,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “We should hear her out.”

He stares at me, his jaw clenched. His eyes dart back and forth between the two of us, his expression unreadable, but I can feel the weight of his gaze on every nerve in my body. Fuck.

Layla takes the moment of distraction to lock eyes with me, her lips moving soundlessly: Run.

And then, chaos.

She bolts toward the nearest exit. The Alpha lunges for her, but she’s quick, evading his grasp. “Stop her!” he roars, but I act on instinct, throwing myself into his path. It’s only a second’s hesitation, but it’s enough. Layla disappears into the shadows, and I take off in the opposite direction.

The air rushes around me as my boots hit the ground in rapid succession. My heart pounds like a drum, adrenaline surging as I weave through the unfamiliar hallways of the packhouse. I can hear the Alpha’s enraged shouts echo behind me, but I don’t dare look back.

I don’t make it far.

A sharp blow to the back of my head sends me sprawling to the ground. The last thing I see is the polished wood of the floor blurring into darkness.

When I wake, the first thing I notice is the softness beneath me. The second is the ache pulsing at the back of my skull.

Blinking my eyes open, I’m met with a ceiling painted in intricate swirls of gold and ivory. I try to move, but my hands are restrained, the cold bite of metal digging into my wrists.

I’m chained to the bed, the links clinking faintly as I tug against them.

“Don’t bother,” comes a low, smug voice from across the room.

My head snaps toward the source. The Alpha sits in a chair by the window, one leg crossed over the other, his piercing eyes fixed on me. The moonlight streaming through the curtains illuminates his sharp features, giving him a predatory air.

“Where is Layla?” My voice is hoarse but firm.

He smirks. “In one of the dungeons below. Don’t worry, she’s still breathing.” He shrugs, “for now.”

“You have to let her go,” I say, struggling against the chains. “She didn’t do anything. She was here for me.”

His expression hardens, the playful glint in his eyes vanishing. “We don’t do mercy here.” He tilts his head to the side, a thought passing through his mind. “What pack are you from? You’re not one of mine.”

I say nothing, meeting his gaze with defiance.

He rises, stalking toward the bed like a wolf circling its prey. When he’s close enough, I instinctively turn my face away, but it doesn’t stop him. His fingers trail along my jaw, the touch deceptively gentle.

“You won’t talk?” he murmurs, almost to himself.

Then, in an instant, his hand wraps around my throat, cutting off my air. “I have other ways to make you talk,” he growls, his face inches from mine. His grip is firm, but he doesn’t tighten it enough to cause real damage, just enough to remind me who’s in control.

I writhe in pain, panic bubbling in my chest, but he releases me abruptly. I gasp for air as he straightens, looking up at him with hatred.

The faint sound of a car engine pulling up outside drawing his attention.

“That’ll be my Beta,” he says casually, stepping away. “We’ll continue this later.”

The door clicks shut behind him, and I’m left alone in the lavish room, my mind racing.

I don’t know how long I wait, but the moment I’m sure he’s gone, I start working the chains. They’re sturdy, but desperation is my strength.

Finally, with a grunt of effort, I manage to break free, but the exertion leaves me trembling.

I stagger to my feet, my head spinning as I walk out of the room. Whatever he used on me is still in my system, dulling my senses and making every step feel like wading through quicksand.

Voices drift up from the hallway below, the Alpha and his Beta, deep in conversation.

He doesn’t mention that he has me chained up upstairs nor does he mention the previous brawl here, and that boggles my mind but I can’t waste time pondering why. I need to find Layla.

I creep away from the door, thanking my stars that this mansion has the grand staircase that branches into two sweeping curves extending to opposite sides of the vast room below.

So while both men are deep in conversation, turned away from me, I tentatively walk down the stairs careful not to make a sound.

I’m at the bottom of the steps and I see the Alpha tilt his head in my direction. I quickly scurry into the first room I see down the hallway.

It’s the kitchen, I was here a few hours ago making breakfast. I expect to see said breakfast in the trash but there’s nothing in the trash can. It’s the same way I’d left it this morning. Does that mean he actually ate it?

I decide not to be sidetracked and focus on finding Layla but as I step into the hallway, the wooden floor creaks beneath me. The sound is deafening in the silence, and I freeze.

I hear a whoosh behind me and I’m immediately immersed in the presence of a predatory being. “Trying to run, are we?”

I whirl around to see the Beta smirking at me, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

“You can’t leave until the Alpha says so,” he says, his tone mockingly sweet.

He steps closer, backing me against the wall. “He’s had his fun with you, hasn’t he? Maybe it’s my turn.” His hand reaches for me, his fingers brushing the neckline of my shirt.

“Don’t touch her.”

The Alpha’s voice is like thunder, and the Beta freezes.

The next moment, the Alpha’s fist connects with the Beta’s jaw, sending him sprawling to the floor. “I said, don’t touch her,” he snarls, standing over him with barely restrained fury.

Jesus, the man barely touched me.

The Beta tries to offer an apology, but the Alpha ignores him, his attention shifting to me.

He grabs my arm, pulling me roughly toward another room. This one is smaller, darker, the scent of leather and wood filling the air.

“I told you to stay put, didn’t I?” he says, his tone low and steady. “What am I supposed to do with you now?”

I glare at him, yanking my arm out of his grip. “You can start by letting Layla and I go.”

His lips curl into a humorless smile. “That’s not going to happen.”

He pulls a pair of cuffs from a drawer and snaps them onto my wrists, securing them to the arms of the chair in front of his desk. “You’re going to wait for me here,” he says, kneeling so he’s staring directly into my eyes.

“Nobody’s going to touch you like that again,” he says, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You’re mine. Only mine.”

“I don’t belong to you,” I say, my voice sharp despite the cuffs digging into my wrists. “I don’t belong to anybody.”

The Alpha stares at me for a long moment, and then he laughs, a deep, amused sound that sends a shiver through me. He rises from his crouch, towering over me, his presence overwhelming.

His fingers are on my jaw before I can turn away, gripping just hard enough to make me wince. “Have you forgotten?” he murmurs, “just a few hours ago, you were begging me to let you stay.” His thumb brushes the corner of my mouth, his gaze unreadable. “And now you’re acting like you don’t want this.”

I jerk my face away, my breath sharp. “I never begged you for anything.”

He chuckles, low and knowing. “You can lie to yourself all you want.” He steps back, dragging his fingers along the side of my throat before letting them fall away.

I force myself to hold his gaze, even as my pulse pounds. He’s testing me, playing a game I don’t fully understand—but I refuse to lose.

He studies me for another second, then smirks. “I’ll be back for you.”