Cassandra’s point of view:
My legs crumbled beneath me but I held myself up by gripping the wall closest to me before I could drop to the ground.
Ignoring the way my heart tightened, I faced Marcus and gritted out, “You are disgusting!”
The infuriating smirk on his face disappeared. “What did you say to me?”
“I said you are disgusting.” I repeated, my voice sounding more firm, loud and clear. Still, the lump that had formed in my throat overpowered me. Not even a second had passed before my throat constricted and unshed tears stung my eyes.
Pissed off, Marcus stormed at me. All I saw was his blurry figure rushing towards me.
I tried to move back when he stepped into my personal space but he seized the sides of my waist and pulled me against him.
I pushed against his chest and slapped his arms to break free but he grabbed my wrists in a tight grip.
His arm around my waist felt like a vicious snake wrapping itself around me.
I refused to cry yet, a treacherous tear slipped out from the corner of my right eye as I stared up at him, meeting his furious gaze which was pinned down on me.
“How dare you disobey me?” Marcus shouted into my face.
I flinched.
“Please -” I was about to apologize when he grabbed a fistful of my hair from behind and violently slapped me to the ground. My head ended up slamming the ground in such brutal force that I felt dizzy.
Leaning down, he yelled into my ear, “Next time, you’d think twice before disobeying me.”
Angered, Sierra surfaced and growled out defensively, “You’re fucked up.”
“You bitch, you want to see how fucked up I can be? Let me show you.” Marcus snapped as his eyes switched from black to yellow, half-shifting.
I whimpered when he seized my hair and began dragging me inside the room. I kept thrashing around, in hope that I might escape from him.
“W-What are you doing? Leave me!” I screamed in pain as he threw me on the bed.
A short gasp ripped from my throat when my back hit the mattress.
I took a long shaky breath as I met Marcus’s eyes, freezing under his suddenly confident eyes.
His smug smirk made a quick appearance, instinctively making me back away against the headboard.
I cried out when he grasped my ankle and pulled me back in the middle of the bed.
My body froze against my will as he crawled over me, trapping my body under his.
My breath hitched as the air around me started to feel thicker, making it more difficult to breathe.
“The only reason you’re here is to get yourself fucked by me and get yourself pregnant with my pups,” He paused once his face was right above mine, “You should lie down on your back whenever I want you to.”
My heart began thundering in my chest.
He looked down at me like he was waiting for an answer.
I couldn’t speak no more. I couldn’t even move. I felt paralyzed with fear.
“And that, my dear,” he leaned down, his lips now dangerously close to mine before lifting my shin up with his finger, “is why you’re here.”
Intense desire flashed behind his yellow eyes as his smirk grew enough to flash one of his fangs.
I didn’t even have time to react before he grabbed me and everything around me became a blur. He had my hands seized and pinned above my head.
Panic and fear exploded in my head at the same time as I struggled to free myself, realizing that not only were my wrists pinned, but they were being held tightly by the she-wolf whom he was fucking just minutes earlier.
This wasn’t how I imagined my arranged bond to be like. Now that this was happening, I just wanted to curl up and rot away.
‘You can’t just give up.’ My wolf, Sierra growled.
‘Do something!’ Sierra snapped at me.
Feeling Sierra’s power surging through me, I screamed, “Let go of me, please! Leave me! Help me!”
A dark snicker brought my attention back on Marcus. He was staring down at me. “Go ahead. Beg and scream all you want. They made these walls thick for a reason.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment after this, just intently looked me over as the true reality of this twisted situation sunk in.
I was terrified. The look in his eyes told me that he wouldn’t hesitate to do anything if I dared upset him this time.
He seemed amused that my body was shaking in fear.
“Please…” was all that came out, “please don’t…” I begged, knowing well that it wasn’t going to work.
Marcus barely hesitated before leaning down by my ear. His breath brushed my neck as he spoke, causing me to flinch. “Come on now, baby, stay still! We need to fulfill the Moon Howlers’ assignment.”
Tears began to flow freely down my face.
I flinched as his finger touched the inside of my lower thigh, trailing it up around my leg and under my shirt until he reached my right breast. He wasted no time in groping it.
I felt like I was about to throw up. I wasn’t ready for this.
He half-shifted, forcing his fingernails to elongate into claws.
Using his claw, he pierced a hole through my shirt.
My effort of loosening the she-wolf’s grip on my wrists turned frantic as I tried to break free. I needed to escape. Amidst my struggle, Marcus’s claw dug into my skin, right above my breasts.
A strained cry left my mouth.
“Hold her still,” he ordered the she-wolf before pushing my face to the side and baring my neck to him.
My wolf growled in response to his action. She refused to just let some asshole mark us against our will. Using the power surging through my wolf, I tried to push both of them off of me but all I ended up doing was half-shift.
A hum of pleasure radiated from Marcus as his wolf’s eyes gazed down at mine. He sounded pleased.
Within seconds, he had my clothes ripped into pieces. Tearful, I screamed. I glanced up at him through the blur of tears but he already had his face brushing against mine.
His fangs scraped against the space between my neck and shoulder. I bit down hard on my lower lip the second I felt the tip of his fang pushing into my flesh but seeing how hard I began thrashing, he pulled away a bit to look down at me.
“Relax, dear,” he spoke lowly with a hint of sarcasm, his hands pinning my legs down onto the mattress, “This ought to happen sooner or later.”
I looked at the she-wolf when she caressed my head. She grinned down at me. “You must accept your fate. I don’t think you would want to disobey our Lord, right?”
“Please, be gentle with her, Marcus. She’ll be obedient, wouldn’t you?” She waited for me to nod but I just stared at her in disbelief.
Who, in their right state of mind, would be okay with someone raping them?
Maybe this she-wolf but not me! I wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Ignoring the she-wolf, I started struggling more when Marcus managed to force my legs apart. I’ve never bared myself to a man before.
No, this can’t be happening!
Please, please, please! I prayed for someone to help me.
Suddenly, a tidal wave of noises came from outside as someone screamed, “The Alpha is back.”
Marcus cussed out loud while getting off me and off the bed. He pulled up his pants and stormed out.
The she-wolf holding me tsked in disapproval before leaving the room too.
I pulled myself up and stumbled out of that room on trembling legs. Covering myself up with my ripped clothes, I sobbed and ran away, not wanting to be in that room when Marcus comes back.
But right when I reached the pack house’s entrance, I bumped into someone and found myself losing balance.
Abruptly, a pair of large, masculine hands grabbed me by the waist to break my fall. My head pounded to the rhythm of my heartbeat, drowning the noises around me.
A few moments later, I registered someone firmly holding my head against their chest.
The skin-to-skin contact had all my blood rushed to that single point in my body that was touching them. What the hell?
My eyes widened. I immediately pushed the stranger away but only his arms slipped away from around me. He barely budged.
I glanced up and met eyes with a handsome young man. A group of warriors stood behind him. And, they were all staring at me.
Cassandra’s point of view: The handsome man looked at me, slightly tilting his head as he did so. Strands of hair gracefully fell onto his face. His cool blue eyes caught mine. His dark, long hair created a veil around his face. I stared at him, shamelessly staring at the sharpness planes of his cheek and jaw, his nose, lips… I felt my heart skipping a beat. “Are you okay?” His voice was deep and rough. But, his voice was somewhat soothing to my ears. The continuous ringing of Marcus’s voice and my cries, the she-wolf, my clothes ripping into shreds, everything gradually reduced to nothing. I unknowingly took a deep breath, breathing him in. His skin had felt like velvet against mine. I had felt the faint pounding of his heartbeat where my head was resting against his chest and had found peace in the steady rise and fall of his chest. “Are you okay?” His voice pulled me out my trance. I couldn’t find my voice to speak. His warm breath tickled my skin. Breathless, I met his eye
Cassandra’s point of view:I poked my head out of my bedroom door. It sounded as if no one was around.It’s been three days since I’d been here but I’ve never noticed the hallway this deserted.I crept down the hallway which appeared to have stretched further.Was it always this long or was it just my mind playing some tricks on me?For the past few days, I’ve been wandering around, all alone, in the Crescent Moon pack, trying my best to avoid Marcus.But I knew that I wouldn't be able to hide for long. Just the thought of Marcus catching me had my heart racing at an unbelievable speed. I shivered when a tremor traveled up my spine.I glided silently across the pack ground and slipped behind a large bush.My heart missed a beat when I heard footsteps coming nearer. I readied my body to move. I let out a sigh when the person passed by until his footsteps became one with the wind.I stealthily made my way out from behind the bush and dashed down the pathway leading to the pack house.Out
Cassandra’s point of view: Alpha Dalton marched in with his soldiers close behind him. “I approved it.” He firmly repeated, standing right in front of Marcus, facing him. Marcus was both shocked and furious. I quickly stepped away from him when he let go of me. Alpha Dalton raised an eyebrow challengingly as if daring Marcus to say otherwise now that he knew who exactly gave me permission to attend the pack run. Marcus defiantly opened his mouth to refute against the Alpha’s decision. Alpha Dalton held a hand to stop Marcus from talking but the latter still disobeyed him. “How dare you get involved in my business?” Marcus barked at him.Alpha Dalton shut his eyes and pursed his lips, waiting for Marcus to be done yelling before looking at him and replying “- your business?” He arched an inquisitive brow at Marcus. “You are out here causing a scene in front of the pack and you dare ask me this?” Alpha Dalton questioned him, and then clenched his jaw until a muscle ticked in his
Cassandra’s point of view: I watched as he ran a hand into his wet sleek hair. He appeared phenomenal. I literally stopped breathing when his nose twitched. He could sense my presence and smell my scent. Shit! For a moment, I panicked as I realized that I had been shamelessly goggling at him. Still, before he could come seek me out, I stepped out of the bushes. A frown was etched on his forehead once his eyes locked with mine. I smiled at him before mumbling quietly, “Thank you for saving me.” Even though my words sounded indistinctly to my own ears, he heard me. The creases on his forehead vanished, and understanding crossed his face. “I didn’t do that for you. I was just trying to keep my pack in line.” He said grimly, sounding indifferent, almost apathetic. Okay, that hurt! I couldn’t tell why but I was hurt by his words. It didn’t help when Sierra howled in agony from the back of my mind. ‘What’s wrong with us?’ I asked my wolf. ‘I don’t know.’ Sierra replied, shifting
Cassandra’s point of view:I unknowingly stepped back seeing the thunderous look that crossed his face. I took a deep breath before saying, “Your wish is my command.” The darkness in his eyes faded as the look on his face softened. For a split second, he appeared troubled and really puzzled before he clenched his jaw and casted his eyes elsewhere. If I wasn’t already looking at him, I would have missed it. I didn’t leave though. I wore my clothes and wandered back to the stream but further away from where he had been standing. I made sure to maintain a fair distance between us. I glanced back over my shoulders to find him walking back to the stream, his face ice cold again. I halted in my steps when he spoke, “You are Marcus's mate -" he paused before adding in a restrained tone of voice. "- and it should stay that way.”He was aware that I could hear him from here. With a gulp, I simply hummed in response, fearing that my voice would break if I said anything. At this point, I w
Cassandra’s point of view: ‘This wasn’t the time to think about that. You need to hide!’ My wolf warned me. ‘But I should take a chance to run away while I still can, right?’ I questioned Sierra. ‘You will be dead before you can even run away! You don’t know how to fight.’ Sierra chided me. She was right! Why would I even think about running away amidst an attack when I couldn’t even fight? That would be a death wish. I shivered in fright as I glanced in every direction, checking my surroundings. So far, there were only the pack members running around but the pack attacking us was rapidly charging inside the pack. The adrenaline coursing through my veins earlier was so powerful that the only thought that kept running through my mind was that I needed to get as far away from Marcus as I could. Now that I understood the density of the situation, I was terrified. ‘Hide! They are coming!’ Sierra alerted me. Not even a second later, I heard their advancing steps getting nearer, so
Cassandra’s point of view: The stench of blood evaded my senses. My stomach twisted at the metallic smell that completely engulfed me. I was rooted on the spot. Time seemed to have slowed down. The acid and metallic smell of it made me gag but there was no time to ponder over that feeling when the enemy pack was evading the pack. Yet, I was unable to move. I couldn’t hear and see what was going on around me. Every howl, growl, slashing sound and brawl faded into nothingness. My eyes were stuck on the stranger lying cold dead on the ground. I watched as his skin grew tight and ashen in color. “What are you doing? Let’s go,” Alpha Dalton’s voice pulled me out of my trance. “W-What?” I looked up at him, dumbfounded. “What, what?” He held my hand and pulled me along as he began running to the back of the pack house. “Where are we going?” I asked him as I ran along. “Not we, you are,” His response made me frown in confusion. “What do you mean?” I forced him to stop in his tracks
Cassandra’s point of view: We all held our breaths and waited as the noise got nearer and fiercer… until – - Until something or someone crashed straight into the wall. The little girl, holding onto my legs, jumped back with a bloodcurdling scream. I hastily picked her up and hid her face into the side of my neck. “Shush, don’t look!” I gently patted her back when she gripped my shirt with her hands fisted tightly. Instead of stepping back, I walked towards the wolf that had burst a hole through the wall. It was Marcus. He was badly hurt. I sat down on my knees to assess his injuries. There was a huge gash to the side of his neck. Blood was rapidly pouring out of it. “It’s okay, sweetie.” I set the little girl down on the floor beside me. “This wolf is one of us.” I told her before leaning forward to press a hand against Marcus’s wound. His condition was critical. The person who attacked him, aimed straight for his carotid artery, leaving him to gasp for breath and to plead for