(Elena's POV)
His grip on my neck was iron as he pressed me against the bed. The Alpha power rolling off him was overwhelming, primal. This wasn't the calculated Damien from before – this was pure wolf instinct, dangerous and untamed.
We have to do something! Gina urged desperately. Use the mate bond!
It was a risky gamble, but I was out of options. If Damien was lost to his violent state, maybe his wolf would respond to its mate's call instead of seeing us as a threat. Slowly, carefully, I relaxed my body and let my guard down, allowing my own wolf's scent to reach out to his.
The effect was immediate. His grip loosened fractionally, the murderous intent in his red eyes flickering with confusion. Taking my chance, I turned in his hold and pressed my lips to his.
For one terrifying moment, he went completely still. Then something snapped. His hand tangled in my hair, pulling me closer as instinct took over. The kiss was totally raw, primal need. The slight sting of his teeth against my lip sent shivers down my spine, but I didn't pull away. The mate bond hummed between us, turning his aggressive energy into something else entirely.
His scent – pine and winter wind and pure Alpha – wrapped around me like a physical caress. Gina whined with need, recognizing her true mate in a way she never had with Leo. My body responded without conscious thought, arching closer to his heat.
A low growl rumbled through his chest as he moved with impossible speed for someone supposedly paralyzed, pinning me to the mattress. His kiss turned demanding, claiming, and I couldn't hold back a soft moan that seemed to shatter the last of his control.
The next moments were a blur of sensation – the cool air on my skin, the heat of his touch, the overwhelming force of the mate bond singing between us.
My moans aroused him even more. He raised his hands and ripped away at my clothes like they were made of paper - buttons flying through the air as he revealed more and more skin. My thin top tore easily under his strong grip as if it never stood a chance against him.
He paused for a moment to take me all in - naked and exposed before him like a feast for his hungry eyes. The intensity of his gaze made me quiver with anticipation, my body aching for his touch.
His rough hands kneaded my breasts, squeezing them hard enough to leave marks. My nip**es stood erect, begging for attention as he pinched and twisted them between his fingers. Each tug sent a jolt of pleasure straight to my core, making me drip with desire.
His rough fingers found my nip**es, pinching and twisting them roughly. The pain was sharp but quickly transformed into a deep, throbbing desire. I moaned, my head falling back to rest against his shoulder. His grip tightened, his nails digging into my flesh as he kneaded my breasts, squeezing and pulling at them until I thought I might scream.
I clung to him, my arms wrapped tightly around his neck as I surrendered myself completely. Every touch, every kiss pushed me closer to the edge of sanity. I was lost in a sea of sensation, drowning in the overwhelming need that consumed me.
"Please," I begged, my voice cracking.
His response was immediate. He spun me around, his eyes glowing with an intense, predatory hunger. His red Alpha eyes bored into mine, making me tremble. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. My body was trapped in his gaze, my mind reeling with need.
With one swift motion, he spun me around and pressed my back against his chest. I could feel the length of his c**k pressing against me, hard and ready to claim what it desired. A surge of adrenaline shot through me as I braced myself for what was about to come.
He pushed me face-down onto the bed. My legs spread wide, my ass lifted in the air, presenting myself to him. I could feel the weight of his body pressing down on me, his heat searing into my skin.
He positioned himself at my entrance, his c**k nudging against my tight, aching hole. I held my breath, bracing myself for the inevitable pain. But then, with one swift thrust, he was inside me, tearing through my virginity with brutal efficiency.
The pain was blinding at first, a sharp stabbing sensation that made me cry out. But just as quickly, it was replaced by a deep, pulsing desire. I moaned, my body adapting to his size, my walls clenching around him hungrily.
"You feel so damn good." he roared, his voice vibrating through my core.
He began to move, his thrusts harsh and unrelenting. Each push drove me further into the mattress, my br**sts squishing against the sheets. My nip**es ground into the fabric, becoming even harder and more sensitive. My hands clenched the pillow beneath me, my knuckles white with effort.
"Harder," I whimpered, my voice muffled by the pillow. "Please, harder."
He obliged, grabbing my hips and pounding into me with renewed vigor. The sound of our flesh slapping together filled the room, accompanied by my desperate cries and his guttural growls. The pleasure built rapidly, waves of ecstasy crashing over me with each thrust.
"Oh god," I gasped, my body trembling with need. "I'm close."
He leaned over me, his chest pressed against my back, his mouth hovering near my ear. "Come for me," he demanded. "Let go."
His words were a catalyst, pushing me over the edge. With a scream of release, I cli**xed, my body convulsing around his c**k. He followed soon after, roaring his own gratification as he spilled inside me, filling me completely.
But he was far more from finish yet. Before I could take a rest, he turned me over gain and let me lay on the bed. He folded my legs at an incredible angle and put them on his shoulders. My nails scratched his back as he moved quickly again and set my body on fire.
Each thrust brought him deeper inside me, hitting all the right spots and sending shockwaves of pleasure coursing through my veins.
My moans grew louder with every stroke as he f**ked me with an intensity that bordered on primal. He took complete control over my body, reducing it to nothing but a vessel for his unbridled lust.
Waves of cl***x came one after another, and I couldn't remember how many times I cl***xed before I completely passed out.
Damien's POV
Consciousness returned slowly, bringing with it a familiar dread. The taste of lost control still lingered in my mouth, that terrifying blank space in my memory where the poison took over.
Last night... The memories crashed back. I'd been alone with Elena, she'd been trying to heal me, and then... I didn't remember anything. In these episodes, anything could happen. Even... I might have killed her.
My heart clenched painfully. The first time I lost control, at eight years old, I'd nearly killed three of our strongest guards. Their broken bodies, the blood on my hands... Since then, I'd learned to lock myself away when I felt the poison taking hold. But last night...
My eyes snapped open, scanning the room frantically until I found her. Elena's small form was curled up at the far edge of the bed, unnaturally still. Panic – an emotion I hadn't felt in years – surged through me.
She's breathing, Zoe reassured me quickly. We didn't hurt her. We would never hurt our mate.
Relief flooded through me before I could question why I cared so much. She was alive, her chest rising and falling steadily. Dried tears tracked down her cheeks, but she seemed peaceful in sleep.
Then I noticed the rest.
The room looked like a battlefield. Torn clothes littered the floor, sheets were ripped and tangled, and Elena... My breath caught. Her bare skin was marked with evidence of passion rather than violence, small bruises that spoke of desperate need rather than rage.
What did we do?
Fragments of memory flashed through my mind – her soft cries, the taste of her skin, the way she'd arched beneath me... My body responded instantly to the images, and I had to force down a growl of want.
Focus, I commanded myself harshly. Something wasn't adding up. The timing was wrong. After years of living with this poison, I'd learned its patterns perfectly. The violent episodes came monthly, as predictable as the moon phases. I shouldn't have lost control for at least two more weeks.
What had triggered it?
My mind returned to that moment before the darkness – Elena's small hands on my chest, her healing power seeping into my blood. For the first time in eighteen years, I'd felt the poison's hold weaken. Just slightly, just for a moment, but it had been real.
It worked, Zoe insisted. She can heal us.
I wanted to dismiss the hope rising in my chest. Since discovering my father's betrayal, since finding my mother's broken body and realizing the depth of his schemes, I'd learned not to trust in miracles. The Moon Goddess had abandoned me long ago.
And yet...
What were the odds that my grandmother would arrange a marriage to the one wolf who could affect my poison? That this girl – Leo's former mate no less – would have exactly the power I'd spent years searching for?
It was too convenient. Too perfect.
But years of survival had taught me that nothing was perfect.
No. I couldn't afford to hope. Not until I knew exactly what game was being played.
I reached out through the Shadow pack bond, connecting to the one wolf I trusted completely. Louis.
My beta's response was immediate. Alpha.
I need everything you can find on Elena Rivers. I cast another glance at her sleeping form, memorizing every detail. Her connection to Leo, her healing abilities, her entire history. Leave nothing unchecked.
It will be done. Louis paused. The Shadow Pack stands ready. Should we move against Stone Pack?
Not yet. My eyes lingered on the marks I'd left on Elena's skin. Something's changed. We need more information.
I broke the connection, my mind racing with possibilities. If Elena truly had the power to heal this poison... but no. First, I needed to know if she was another of my father's pawns. Another weapon aimed at my throat.
And if she was. My gaze hardened as I watched her sleep. I'd do what I'd always done – eliminate the threat.
A sudden knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. Moving with swift precision, I pulled the quilt over Elena exposed form. Then I quickly settled back against the pillows, arranging my legs in the helpless position. I don't want to alert my father.
"Come in," I called, letting just the right amount of weakness seep into my voice.
Rae burst through the door, her face flushed with panic. "My Lord! It's terrible! Lord Leo heard about your awakening and... he says he's worried you'll have another violent episode. He's bringing three doctors and five guards to sedate you!"