LOGINCIARAHis mouth slammed onto mine in a brutal, possessive kiss, his tongue tearing past my teeth to claim me completely while his wolf howled in victory inside my head. The raw, feral dominance of the bond flared with a violent heat that set my entire bloodline on fire.I couldn't move. My wrists were trapped, and his massive body crushed me down into the cushions, his heavy chest pressing so hard into my bare collarbones that the heavy silver Blackthorn crest bit sharply into my skin.“He is marking our scent over theirs,” my wolf whispered frantically behind my ribs, her paws pacing my veins as she surrendered to his weight. “The Alpha is claiming his territory.”Hayes groaned roughly into my mouth, his grip on my waist tightening until it was bruising, pulling me so close that our heartbeats thudded against each other in a frantic, wild rhythm."You are mine, Ciara," he growled against my lips, his breath burning hot. "No one else looks at you. No one else touches you.""Hayes, you
CIARAThe tension in the ballroom was so thick it felt like sand in my throat. Every eye followed us as Hayes steered me toward the long banquet table at the center of the hall. His hand remained wrapped securely around my waist, his fingers digging into my hip bone through the velvet green fabric, a constant, bruising reminder of who held the leash tonight.Marcus had stepped back, but the rest of the alliance wasn’t backing down so easily. High-ranking alphas from four different territories sat along the perimeter, their scents clashing in a suffocating mix of burnt gunpowder, stale alcohol, and raw dominance."Alpha Hayes," a smooth, calculating voice called from the head of the table.It was Alpha Raymond of the Bloodmoon pack—our host for the evening. He sat back in his heavy leather chair, swirling a glass of dark liquor, his eyes sharp and completely predatory as they tracked the heavy silver Blackthorn crest resting against my bare collarbones."Raymond," Hayes responded, his
CIARAThe velvet emerald dress clung tightly to my waist, leaving my collarbones completely bare. As I stood in front of the full-length mirror, my knuckles were white against the edge of the wood. The door didn’t just unlock—it swung open with a violent, heavy thud that made the glass panels rattle.Hayes stood in the frame. He wore a sharp, pitch-black formal suit, the top two buttons of his shirt undone to expose the thick, scarred muscles of his neck. His dark eyes locked onto mine, dragging slowly down the low-cut velvet before snapping back up to meet my gaze. The sheer animal hunger in his pupils made them dilate until they looked completely black.He closed the distance between us in three heavy steps, his massive frame completely blocking out the room. The dark heat rolling off his body pushed back the chill of the open window, trapping me tightly against the wooden dresser."Turn around," he commanded, his voice a low, gravelly vibration that made my inner wolf stretch lazil
CIARAThe training grounds were entirely empty, the morning air was cold, but my palms were sweating as Hayes finally released my wrist. The sudden loss of his body heat made my skin shiver.He turned around, his broad shoulders blocking out the view of the pack house behind him. "Get into a stance," Hayes ordered, his voice flat and hard.I stood there, blinking at him. "A stance? Hayes, I've never fought anyone in my life. In Riverstone, omegas aren't allowed near the training fields. We are only taught to submit."A dark, dangerous flash crossed his eyes at the mention of my old pack. His jaw clenched tightly. "This isn't Riverstone, Ciara. And I don't need you to submit to anyone but me. If a northern warrior gets past my guards again and shatters that car glass, submission will get you killed. Now, put your hands up."I swallowed hard and lifted my hands, framing my face with my fists the way I had seen the guards do. My elbows were wide, my feet planted close together.Hayes
CIARAI hadn’t slept a single wink. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt the heavy weight of Hayes’s hands pressing into my waist and the rough scrape of his stubble against my neck. My skin still felt completely hot where he had touched me on the floor, the memory of his hard body against mine keeping me wide awake.“Alpha,” my wolf whispered in the back of my mind. She was restless, pacing around my thoughts, practically begging for his scent to fill the room again."Stop it," I muttered, rubbing my face with my hands. I hated how easily she had surrendered to him. I hated how my own body had melted against his chest when he was holding me.The sharp turn of the key in the lock made me snap my head toward the door. It pushed open, and Hayes walked in.He looked entirely different than he had last night. The raw desire and dark hunger were completely gone, replaced by a cold, unreadable mask.He didn't step close to me this time. He stopped a few feet away, his arms crossed over his c
HAYES"Please, Alpha Hayes, don't banish us to the lower halls," Tanya begged, tears streaming down her face as she scrambled up from the floor, clutching her silk wrap to her chest. "We can fix it. Let us stay and try again. Please—I'll do anything—I'll get on my knees and beg—""Move faster!" I growled, taking a predatory step toward them. My cock was still hard, still leaking, still straining against my jeans, and the sight of them cowering made me want to destroy something. "Get out of my sight before I lose my temper and rip your throats out! I don't want your mouths. I don't want your cunts. I don't want ANYTHING from you. GET OUT!"They scrambled in pure panic, grabbing their silk wraps from the floor, tears streaming down their faces as they fought to unlock the bolt. Elena's hands were shaking so hard she dropped the key twice. Tanya was sobbing, naked and exposed, trying to cover herself while she crawled toward the door."Get out!" I bellowed one last time.The door flew o
~HAYES~ Ciara nodded slowly, but I saw the defiance in her eyes. Most people lowered their heads when I threatened them. Most people trembled or obeyed or submitted because they literally had no choice. But not her.Even now, standing with her back pressed against the railing while my hand held h
~CIARA~The maid’s face drained of color so fast, it almost made me regret asking. Her lips parted slowly, but no words came out. She looked like my request had triggered a trauma she was yet to recover from. She pulled her hand away from mine. “I..I can’t.”I should have dropped it. She looked un
~CIARA~The ride to Alpha Graham’s house was quiet to the point of suffocation. He wasn’t saying anything, and my mind was stupidly replaying the moment he said ‘you belong to me now’ like I was just property to be owned. Fidgeting with my fingers, I stole a quick glance at him, and he seemed rath
My breath caught in my throat.Husband?The word shouldn’t have affected me, but it did anyway. I forced myself to look away from Alpha Graham, but it felt impossible. There was something about his eyes—the way they effortlessly held me in place, like I needed his permission to move my own body.“C







