(Elena's POV)
The room was pitch black, the heavy curtains drawn against the moonlight. The scent that hit me was different, but the champagne buzzing in my head and the hatred burning in my chest dulled my senses. All I could think about was Ethan's smirking face, his threats, my father's blood...
I heard movement in the darkness, footsteps approaching. Before I could speak, strong arms wrapped around me from behind. My skin prickled at the contact, but I pushed the sensation aside. This was what he wanted, wasn't it? To humiliate me further?
Ethan's threatening words echoed in my mind: "Those wounds from the last interrogation looked quite painful..." Rage and despair twisted together in my chest, choking me.
"Ethan, is this what you want?" I spun in his arms, my voice bitter and sharp. Without waiting for an answer, I grabbed his collar and kissed him hard, biting his lower lip vindictively. I tasted blood, felt him stiffen in surprise.
Instead of pushing me away, he growled – a deep, primal sound that should have warned me something was wrong. But I was too far gone in my anger, my pain, my need to hurt him the way he'd hurt me. His scent was overwhelming, different from what I remembered, but I blamed it on the alcohol and my muddled emotions.
He lifted me suddenly, carrying me to the bed with a strength that seemed greater than before. His touches weren't cruel like I expected, but reverent, almost desperate. It confused me, but the strange sweetness on his lips when he kissed me made everything hazy, dreamlike.
My wolf, silent for so long, stirred within me. Something about his scent, his touch, called to her. But I pushed her awareness away, not wanting to feel anything but the anger that kept me safe from pain.
Time blurred. The darkness made everything feel unreal. His hands roamed my body with a reverence I'd never known, each touch igniting sparks under my skin. I clung to my hatred even as my body betrayed me, responding to his surprisingly gentle touches with an intensity that frightened me.
Not once did he speak, and in my alcohol and emotion-clouded mind, I never questioned why.
When he thrust himself into me and took my virginity, I felt a sharp pain and a tear fell from my eye. He seemed to sense something, paused for a moment, and kissed my eyes gently.
But then tenderness gave way to primal need, and I lost myself in the storm of it all. I don't remember how many times I clied last night, nor do I remember when I fell asleep. When I woke up the next morning, I felt like my whole body was falling apart.
Dawn's first light crept through a gap in the curtains, painting golden streaks across the sleeping face beside me. My head throbbing, I turned to look at the man I'd thought was Ethan – and my heart stopped.
High cheekbones cast shadows across skin like carved marble. A strong jaw, sensual lips, and thick dark lashes that any woman would envy. His face held a raw masculine beauty that made Ethan look common in comparison. Dark hair fell across his forehead, and even in sleep, power radiated from his form.
This was not Ethan!
Horror and panic clawed at my throat. I slipped from the bed as quietly as possible, gathering my scattered clothes with trembling hands. Every muscle in my body ached, reminding me of what had happened. What I had done.
A low groan from the bed froze me in place. But he didn't wake, only shifted slightly, the sheet sliding lower to reveal a muscled chest marked with healing wounds. In daylight, I could see what I'd missed in the darkness – evidence of a serious fight. Claw marks. Bite wounds. What had happened to him?
No time to wonder. I fled the room, my bare feet silent on the carpeted floor. Behind me, I heard him stir again, but I didn't look back. Couldn't look back.
In my panic, I finally noticed the room number – 302. I'd been in the wrong room entirely. Ethan would be waiting in 306, growing angrier by the minute.
I barely made it to the end of the corridor before strong hands grabbed me, slamming me against the wall. Ethan's face, twisted with rage, filled my vision.
"Where were you?" he snarled.
The lingering sensation of those other kisses still burned on my lips. "I... I got lost."
His hand wrapped around my throat. "Lost? Do you think I'm stupid?" His eyes narrowed, nostrils flaring. "Why do you smell different?"
Terror froze my blood. "I don't—"
"Shut up!" His grip tightened. "I gave you simple instructions. Come to my room, let me remind you of your place. But you couldn't even do that right, could you?"
"My place?" Something snapped inside me. Maybe it was the lingering effect of those passionate kisses, or maybe I'd simply reached my breaking point. "My place is not beneath you, Ethan. You rejected me, remember? You have no right—"
The slap echoed through the corridor. "I have every right. I am your Alpha, and your father's life is in my hands." His smile turned cruel. "Speaking of which, I think it's time he learned what happens when his daughter disobeys."
"No!" The word tore from my throat. "Please, I'm sorry. I'll do whatever you want."
"Too late." He released me, letting me slide down the wall. "Guards will be increasing security on his cell. No more healing visits. Let's see how long he lasts without treatment."
Alexander's POV
Consciousness returned slowly, bringing with it a pounding headache and memories that cut like shattered glass. Thirty of them. Thirty rogue wolves who'd dared to ambush the Alpha King. Their bodies would be found eventually, but that wasn't what concerned me.
The drug. They'd had a drug specifically engineered to affect my bloodline. My vision sharpened as I recalled the bitter taste of it, forced down my throat during the fight. No ordinary pack could create such a thing. This had been planned, coordinated.
My eyes scanned the unfamiliar guest room, taking in the chaos – scattered clothes, tangled sheets, scratches on the headboard. But what caught my attention was the scent. Sweet, intoxicating, with an underlying hint of power that made my wolf stir restlessly.
Who was she?
I touched my lip where she'd bitten me, feeling the already-healed mark. My wolf rumbled with satisfaction at the memory. But there was something else, something that made my inner beast pace with agitation. The way she'd felt in my arms, her scent, the instant connection...
The memory of her small form in my arms sent heat through my body. So delicate, yet she'd approached me with such anger, such passion. She'd called me a name – Ethan. My sister's fiancé, the new Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack.
A low growl rumbled in my chest. The girl had obviously been expecting someone else last night.
Rising from the bed, I noticed small bloodstains on the sheets. Understanding dawned, along with a possessive rage that surprised me with its intensity.
Find her, my wolf demanded. But the rational part of my mind was already piecing things together. Rogue wolves with advanced drugs. A mysterious girl who was expecting my sister's fiancé in the dark.
The Silver Moon Pack was hiding something. I will find it out, starting with finding the girl who'd fled my bed.