Chapter 24 Fucked In The Woods (3)

Chapter 24 Fucked In The Woods (3)
—•LUCIA•—

My head spun as my heart slammed against my ribs.

Mate?

Did the Rogue King just call me his mate?

No. That had to be a mistake. I couldn’t be his—

“Mate! Mate!”

Skylar wailed inside me, a surge of pure, blinding joy that made my eyes widen in shock.

The truth hit me hard. 

The Rogue King was truly my mate.

“No.” My throat closed around the word. I shook my head, air scraping in and out of my lungs as if I’d forgotten how to breathe.

I couldn’t accept him. 

I couldn’t be bound to a man as ruthless as he was.

Skylar stirred inside me, thrilled by the bond, but cold dread coiled deep in my chest.

I looked up at the Rogue King, my voice trembling even as I forced it steady.

“I reject—”

He cut me off, clamping his hand over my mouth, his palm hard and warm against my lips.

His dark eyes flashed, piercing into my soul.

“Don’t you even dare,” he growled. “Don’t you dare reject me.”

I grabbed his wrist, my fingers digging in as I tried to wrench his hand away. 

I had to reject him. 

I couldn’t accept him, not in this life or any other.

He leaned closer, his breath hot against my ear.

“If you dare reject me,” he murmured, “I will have your father killed. I will slaughter every member of your pack and I will burn the Blood Fang pack to the ground.”

His words made my blood run cold, and a violent shiver course through my body.

He pulled his hand from my mouth and trailed his fingers through my hair, the touch deceptively gentle.

“This isn’t a threat,” he murmured. “It’s a promise.”

I swallowed hard, my body shaking, but I forced myself to stay composed. 

I didn’t want to appear weak in front of him.

His hand slid down, fingers curling around my throat. He didn’t squeeze, but the hold was firm and possessive.

He drew me close, his nose brushing my jaw as he inhaled deeply.

“Mine,” he rumbled against my skin.

Then he leaned back just enough to lock his dark eyes on mine, piercing straight through me.

My body trembled uncontrollably.

He released my throat, and I stumbled back, coughing. 

A slow, cruel smile curved his lips as he stood and returned to his throne. 

He sank into the obsidian seat, the moonlight swallowed by its dark expanse.

“I hope,” he said, his voice echoing through the vast room, “that we bond well.”

“I hope not,” I muttered under my breath.



~A WEEK LATER~

I lay on a king-sized bed, staring up at the ceiling of an enormous, grand bedroom. 

The Rogue King had ordered me kept here. 

He came every day without fail, making sure I was fed and that fresh clothes were brought to me, which I refused each time.

He was always polite, no matter how rude I was to him or to his staff, and that unsettled me more than his threats ever had. 

I hadn’t expected him to be this calm, and it unsettled me.

Was it because I was his mate? 

No. I doubted it. 

A man like him wouldn’t care about a mate bond.

Needing to use the bathroom, I sat up and swung my legs off the bed. 

The heavy chain around my ankle clanked against the floor as I stood. 

I made my way to the bathroom, the chain dragging behind me. 

When I finished, I crossed toward the window, but the chain snapped taut, yanking me to a stop.

“Shit,” I hissed, glaring down at the stupid chain. 

I stayed where I was and stared out at the dark woods beyond the palace walls.

“Do you want to visit the woods?” the Rogue King’s voice came from behind me.

I startled and spun around.

He stood by the door, smiling at me.

I stared at him for a long moment before saying, “No, I don’t want to.” 

Turning my back to him, I walked back to the bed and sank onto it.

He let out a sigh. His footsteps echoed, and then he was there, crouching in front of me. 

His scent, spice and cold night air, washed over me. 

I tried not to breathe it in, but with him so close, it was impossible.

“Skylar,” his voice echoed directly in my mind, making me jolt. “Do you want to visit the woods?”

What the hell? 

Why was he talking to Skylar?

“Yes! Yes!” Skylar yelped inside me, betraying me instantly. 

She was always a sucker for the outdoors, for runs.

“Skylar wants to go for a run,” he said aloud, a knowing smile on his lips. “Then let’s go.”

I opened my mouth to refuse, but Skylar mind-linked me. “We can escape when we get to the woods!”

She was right. 

This was our chance. A big one.

“Okay,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Let’s go to the woods.”

His smile widened. “Let’s go. Now.”

“Now?” I asked.

“Yes.”

In one swift motion, his hand closed around the chain at my ankle. 

With a sharp crack, the metal links shattered. 

Before I could react, he scooped me up into his arms.

“Hold on,” he murmured.

I wrapped my hand around his neck.

Then he moved. In a blur, he lunged for the open window and jumped. 

The wind roared in my ears as we fell, and before I could register it, he landed on the ground with a flex of his knees, still in human form, and sprinted toward the woods. 

I stared, stunned by his power and speed. 

He was faster than any wolf I had ever seen.

In less than two minutes, we were deep in the forest. 

He slowed, stopping by the river, the exact spot where I’d been attacked by the rogues. 

My heart clenched.

He carried me to a large, flat stone by the water and set me down. 

He crouched in front of me, hands braced on the stone on either side of my hips, and reached up to gently brush my hair back from my face.

We just stared at each other. 

The moonlight caught the amber in his eyes. 

The pull in my chest was a physical ache, like a wire drawn taut.

His pheromones hit me, clouding my senses

. I had purposely avoided coming near him all week; his scent alone nearly made me lose all my resolve.

“You are so pretty,” he said.

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I blushed. 

What the hell is wrong with me? 

Why am I blushing? 

I mentally slapped myself for reacting like this.

He moved, closing the distance between us, and crashed his lips against mine.

It wasn’t gentle. It was a claim, hot and hard, his mouth pressing against mine. 

I gasped, and he took advantage, sweeping his tongue inside. 

The taste of him flooded my senses.

“Mmh,” he moaned against my lips, the sound vibrating deep in his chest.

I tried to pull back, but one of his hands came up to cup the back of my head, holding me in place. 

His other arm wrapped around my waist, pressing me flush against him. 

The kiss deepened, messy and wet, our teeth clashing briefly.

“So sweet,” he growled between kisses, his breath hot against my lips. “Mine.”

I made a sound, a weak protest that was swallowed by his mouth. 

His tongue traced mine, tangling with mine, while the rough scrape of his stubble grazed my skin.

He broke the kiss, his lips trailing down my jaw to my throat. 

His tongue brushed a stripe up my neck before he nipped at the sensitive spot where my shoulder met my neck.

“No! Stop!” I cried, a sharp mix of shock and unwanted pleasure.

“I can smell your fear,” he whispered, his lips brushing against my pulse. “And your arousal. Don’t fight it, Lucia.”

He captured my mouth again, swallowing my whimpers. 

His hands were everywhere, one sliding down to grip my thigh, lifting the hem of my dress. 

The cool night air hit my skin, replaced instantly by the scorching heat of his palm.

My mind was a riot, filled with fear, anger, and that traitorous, undeniable pull. 

Skylar purred inside me, urging me to give in. 

His low, hungry moans filled the space between us.

“Say it,” he breathed, pulling back just enough to look at me. His lips were slick, his eyes dark with desire. “Say you feel it.”

I shook my head, panting. “I don’t… I can’t…”