Chapter 5

Emeryville's standpoint.

“No… No," I shook my head, not wanting to believe a word from him, but I can feel my blood humming.

That's why he seemed familiar to me. The mate bond.

“You have a week to decide…” His cold voice reached my ears though it sounded distant now.

The ultimatum crushed my heart. I refused to betray Damien, no matter how much he hurt me. But the thought of being claimed by Sawyer and his brother made my skin crawl. I was trapped in a nightmare with no way out.

“I… can't,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Please, just let me go. I won't cause any trouble, I swear.”

He laughed, a cold, mirthless sound that sent chills racing down my spine. “Let you go? Oh, little wolf, you have no idea how valuable you are.” He reached out, running a finger along my jawline. I flinched away from his touch, but he gripped my chin firmly, forcing me to look at him. “You're special. I can sense it, and I'm not about to let something so precious slip through my fingers.”

I tried to jerk my head away, but his gripe was like iron. “I'm not special,” I insisted. “I'm just a nobody. A reject. You're wasting your time.”

His eyes flashed with something I couldn't quite read—anger? Curiosity? Desire? “We'll see about that,” he murmured. “One way or another, I'll uncover your secrets.”

“You can't keep me here forever!” I shouted, my voice echoing off the cold stone walls.

Silence was my only reply. My wrists ached from the rope that bound them, and my head throbbed with each beat of my racing heart. Sawyer’s ultimatum still rang in my ears, a cruel choice that wasn't really a choice at all.

I closed my eyes, trying to calm my ragged breathing. How did I end up here? Just days ago, I was in my own pack, surrounded by familiar faces and the comforting smell of home. Now, I was trailed in this dank cell, at the mercy of a rogue Alpha who seemed determined to claim me as his own.

The image of Damien flashed through my mind, his handsome face twisted with disgust as he rejected our mate bond. The pain of that moment was still raw, a deep ache in my chest that refused to fade. But even now, even after everything he'd done, I couldn't bring myself to betray him to Sawyer.

Just then, the door burst open, and another man strode in. He was slightly taller than Sawyer, with a calmer but equally intimidating aura. His dark hair fell over his brow, and his eyes gleamed with a feral light as they landed on me.

“Brother,” Sawyer said, not taking his eyes off me. “Perfect timing. Our guest here is being uncooperative.”

A sudden, overwhelming sensation crashed into me, the undeniable pull of a mate bond. My breath hitched, and my pulse quickened. I tried to suppress the feeling, but my body betrayed me, reacting to this new presence.

No. No. This can't be happening. How was this even possible?

The man — Sawyer's Beta, I realized with a jolt —took a step closer, his eyes never leaving mine. I could see the confusion in his furrowed brow, the way his body tensed as he sensed the bond too. But he didn't speak, not yet. Instead, his gaze flickered to the door where Sawyer now stood, watching the scene with curiosity and jealousy.

“So, do you believe me now? You feel it too, don't you, Dax?” Sawyer's voice was low, almost a growl, as he addressed his Beta. His eyes flickered between us, his jaw clenching.

Dax. The name echoed in my mind, stirring something deep within me that I desperately tried to ignore. I forced myself to look away from him, to push down the pull I felt. I refuse to betray my heart, even if it stops aching for someone who had abandoned me.

“I don't know what you're talking about,” I said, my voice hoarse but defiant. “Whatever game you're playing, I want no part of it.”

Sawyer’s laugh, cold and mirthless, echoed in my ears.

“Oh, little wolf, this is no game. Can't you feel it? The bond that's forming?” He stepped closer, his eyes burning with a possessive fire. “Looks like you've got two choices now. You can choose me and my brother, or we'll make the choice for you.”

My chest tightened as the gravity of the situation sank in. Sawyer’s obsession was becoming more evident with each passing moment. His gaze burned into me, wild and hungry. He wanted me —whether it was because of the mate bond or because he knew I had been rejected by someone powerful. But I couldn't ignore the dark edge to his desire, the dangerous line he was walking between wanting me for himself and wanting me as a tool for power.

“I choose neither,” I spat, summoning every ounce of defiance I could muster. “I don't want you, or your brother, or anyone else in this moon forsaken pack.”

Sawyer’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in their depths. “You don't have a choice, little wolf. One way or another, you'll be ours.”

As he spoke, I felt a surge of determination. I may have been trapped, bound, and at their mercy, but I refused to be broken. I would find a way out of this nightmare, regardless of what it took.

I met Sawyer's gaze, my own burning with defiance. “I'll never be yours,” I vowed, my voice low but firm. “You can keep me here, you can threaten me all you want, but you'll never own me. I'll fight you every step of the way.”

A slow, predatory smile spread across his face. “Oh, little wolf,” he purred, “I do love a challenge.”