Chapter 5

Exhaustion clung to me like a second skin, draining every last ounce of strength I had left. I could barely stand, barely think—completely at his mercy.

“I’ll take care of you after that ugly excuse of an alpha rejects you,” he murmured, his voice thick with cruel amusement. “You’ll be a good girl then… and warm my bed. Won’t you?”

My breath hitched as his hand rose, fingers brushing the neckline of my dress with deliberate slowness. The touch felt like poison crawling beneath my skin.

“Maybe I should make things easier,” he went on, his lips curling into something vile. “If I mark your body just enough, that beast will smell me on you and reject you instantly.”

A low chuckle escaped him. “No one wants something that’s already been used.”

My hands curled into fists, nails digging into my palms until they stung, but the pain barely grounded me.

Carter and I… we had shared something once. Something real. But after he unmarked me, it was as though it had all been erased—as though I had been given a clean slate. Untouched.

But if this man followed through with his threat… there would be no hiding it. Anyone would be able to smell him on me.

Before I could react, his hands gripped my sleeves and tore through the fabric.

I shoved at him with everything I had left. “Get off me!” I struggled, my voice breaking, but it was useless. He didn’t even budge. I was nothing compared to him now.

“No! Stop it!” I swung at him, aiming for his face.

He caught my wrist mid-air.

Pain shot through my arm as he twisted it mercilessly, pressing down on the already bruised spot. A cry tore from my throat, sharp and helpless.

My body was weaker now—ever since I lost my wolf, I didn’t heal the way I used to. And he knew it. He used it.

With a rough shove, he sent me stumbling backward.

I crashed onto the floor, the impact knocking the air from my lungs. A whimper escaped me before I could stop it.

Then I looked up at him.

And my blood ran cold.

I'm totally exhausted 

For just a second… I saw it.

His wolf flashed in his eyes.

“You are mine to ruin… so you might as well accept it.”

His voice was low, almost amused, and it made my stomach twist. The smile on his lips was cruel—like he was enjoying every second of my fear.

Before I could move, his foot came down hard on mine.

Pain shot through me instantly.

A scream tore from my throat as black spots flooded my vision, the room spinning violently around me. My knees buckled, and I swayed, barely able to stay upright.

Everything felt distant… fading.

Was this it?

Was there really no escape for me?

My lips trembled, heavy and numb, as tears slipped freely down my cheeks.

“It’s okay…” I whispered to myself, my voice fragile, barely there. “luana… just relax… it will be quick…”

The words felt like surrender.

Like I was already giving up.

Then—

The door burst open with a deafening bang.

The sound shattered the moment.

A figure stormed in like a force of nature, his presence swallowing the room whole. Before I could even process what was happening, he grabbed the man and slammed him against the wall with brutal force.

“Get the hell away from her, you piece of shit!”

My heart lurched violently in my chest.

Through my blurred vision, I tried to focus on him—on the stranger who had just stepped in like a storm.

And then I saw his face.

Kyle.

Relief hit me so suddenly it almost hurt.

My body trembled as I struggled to stay conscious, my gaze locked on him. Even in my weakened state, I could feel it—the raw, suffocating power rolling off him in waves.

The air grew thick, heavy with dominance.

Terrifying.

Overwhelming.

Any other werewolf would have dropped to their knees without hesitation.

My fingers curled weakly against the floor as a thought forced its way through the fog in my mind.

My mate…?

My lips parted, and before I could stop myself, the words slipped out in a broken whisper—

“Is he… my mate?”

The room fell into a strange, heavy silence.

For a brief moment, something shifted in Kyle’s expression—something dark, something unreadable.

And suddenly… I wasn’t sure if I should feel safe.