Sophia didn't see it coming.
She didn't realize today was the day she was going to get kidnapped. Fear overwhelmed her as she realized what was happening.
"Wh…who are you?" she had asked the ruthless werewolf, as he never told her his name.
"Ronan Ashbourne at your service." He had grinned.
Holy crap! she was being kidnapped by an evil hybrid who was her father's enemy. And to make the matter much, much worse, he was her mate.
Her damn mate. The Moon Goddess had a sick sense of humor.
Father was right, after all. These hybrids were not like them. She hadn't met the rest of his siblings yet, but he was bad enough as it was.
"You can't just take me. My father is the Alpha. He will hunt you down and kill you!" Sophia had threatened him, which made him laugh. He was not taking her seriously at all! "I'm being serious!" she had warned him, but his eyes were still smiling.
"Your father, the Alpha? He ran off with his tail tucked behind him when he heard me coming," the beast smiled arrogantly.
"You are lying," she had protested. Her father couldn't just forget about her and her sister, could he? He was supposed to protect them!
"I'm not going to stand here and argue with you. Come on, little runt. You belong to me now," Ronan said, wrapping his muscular arms around her so she couldn't escape.
"No, I don't. And stop calling me a runt," Sophia had snapped, but his embrace was calming her down. She had felt like she could melt in his arms. An unwanted thought had flashed in her mind before she could've stopped it.
She belonged in his arms.
She had cringed at her own crazy thoughts. No, no way. She shouldn't give in so easily. She needed to reject him as soon as possible. So what if he was supposed to be her fated mate?
"Don't even think about rejecting me, runt," he barked before she could've said another word.
Sophia gasped. "How did you know what I was thinking?"
"I can read your thoughts like a damn podcast. I'm part Faerie, in case you didn't know. Besides, it's kind of predictable to attempt that in a situation like this." He had smirked.
Sophia had heard Faeries had all kinds of power, and one was to read people's minds and control them. It was one of the reasons why they were told to hate the Ashbournes. They were rumored to control other creatures and make them do things for them. It was wrong and invasive, but they didn't care.
"Then you must already know that I hate you! I don't care if you are my mate. You should go to hell because that's where you belong," Sophia had cried.
"Would you look at that? I didn't expect the little wolf to stand up for herself." Ronan leaned over and grabbed her jaw, his green eyes bored into mine. "Let's get one thing straight, girl. I don't care about what you want. You're lucky I hadn't burned you to ashes. You want to stay alive? You listen to everything I say."
Sophia had held back her tears. She wished she had learned how to fight better like Liz. But not that it mattered. This wolf was massive. She could feel his powers vibrating through his skin, so she knew she didn't stand a chance even if she became a warrior.
"I'll go with you. Just know I'll never accept you as my mate," Sophia mumbled. Where was her father? Why wasn't he coming to rescue her? Where was Liz? She hoped she was okay!
Ronan snuggled her closer to him. "It doesn't matter to me because all I want is to make you my plaything," he whispered into her hair. "Now hold on to me tight, or you'd get dizzy."
"Dizzy with what…" Sophia stopped as she watched a glowing circle appear in front of him with the wave of his hands. She subconsciously followed his order and held him tighter.
She had closed her eyes when he started moving. It felt like he was running really fast.
"You can open your eyes now. We are here," he said.
Sophia opened her eyes and gasped. "Where am I? How did you get here so fast?" She was amazed.
They were in a room she wasn't familiar with. It was simplistic, with only a bed and a nightstand. She shivered as a realization hit her like a shockwave.
She was all alone with this guy in a strange place, in his bedroom.
But how did she get here? Was this one of his magic tricks she heard so much about?
"Answer me, how did you bring me here so fast?" Sophia insisted.
"I used a portal and teleported here," he said.
She looked at him with confusion. "What's a portal?"
He gave her an amusing glance as if she had said something funny.
Sophia trembled as Ronan's voice cut through the silence. "You've got a lot to learn, little girl. Portals open the door to other worlds, or anywhere I want to be. I have that power, and it helps me transport from one place to another pretty quickly."
A sinking feeling settled in Sophia's chest. No one had seen him take her.
Ronan's sinister smile deepened. "You guessed it. No one saw me take you. They'll know if I tell them. I dare anyone to try and take you away from me," he growled.
"But why?" Sophia's voice quivered as she tried to make sense of the situation. "You said you didn't care about our mate bond. So just let me go," she pleaded, but deep down, she knew it was useless. His piercing green eyes locked onto hers, sending chills down her spine.
She could see the determination in them, the refusal to let her go. Fear twisted in her gut, but a strange thrill accompanied it, leaving her confused.
Ronan moved towards her in a flash, his speed catching her off guard. She stumbled backward and fell onto his bed. Before she could react, his hand shot out, grabbing her throat with a vice-like grip. "I've had enough of your mouth. You will obey me if you want to live," he hissed, his fingers squeezing tighter.
"I won't," Sophia croaked, the pressure on her throat growing unbearable. Tears streamed down her face, betraying the strength she tried to muster. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction, but the fear was overwhelming.
Just as suddenly, his grip loosened slightly, and to her shock, his lips crashed down on hers. He was kissing her.
"Open your mouth," he growled against her lips. "Stop resisting."
Sophia's wolf whined within her, [Let him in. You want to taste him too, don't you?] Heat spread through her body, and she hated the way her body responded to him, betraying her mind.
[No, I must resist. I don't want him, and I don't want this,] she scolded her wolf. Everything about this felt wrong, and she desperately wished for it to stop.
[Who are you kidding? He is your mate whether you want it or not.]
Ronan's hands roamed her back and then her stomach as his kiss grew harder, more demanding. Sophia felt a wave of nausea. She didn't want this fate. She wanted to kiss someone she truly loved, not this vile beast!
Ronan pulled back slightly, licking the tears off her cheek. "Listen to your wolf. She is wise," he said, his voice low and menacing. His gaze bore into hers.
"I don't want you. You're disgusting, just like Father said," Sophia sobbed, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
Something flickered in Ronan's eyes—something dark and dangerous. He released her and stepped back, his green eyes darkening to almost black. "You won't accept me? Fine. Then I'll spend every waking moment making you miserable. You'll regret insulting me."
Sophia remained silent, fearing that speaking might provoke him further. She resolved to try harder, to block him from reading her thoughts. Without warning, Ronan opened another portal and dragged her through it.
She found herself standing in the middle of a dark, cold room with nothing but a mattress on the floor.
"Get comfortable. This is going to be your room until you learn how to behave," he snarled before disappearing.
Sophia collapsed onto the mattress, tears streaming down her face. "I will find a way out of this, Liz," she whispered to herself, breaking down into sobs once more.