chapter 5

Alpha Marcus Pov

The iron gate creaked open, groaning like it had secrets to spill. I stepped inside, humming a soft, offbeat tune that echoed in the narrow corridor. The air felt damp with years upon years of decay. The space carried a chill, the kind that seeped into your bones and left a lasting imprint.

With a snap of my fingers, the lights flickered to life, revealing the room in all its grim glory. Chains hung from the walls like grotesque ornaments, and in the center sat Nate, bound to a chair, blood trailing down his face and staining his shirt. He looked up with wide eyes that found mine, and gasped. The sound was delicious.

"Professor Marcus?" he stammered with a voice that quivered like a reed in the wind. "What is this? What... what do you want?"

I allowed myself a smile. "Ah, Nate. Always the one with questions." My eyes moved to the guard standing beside him. The man bowed slightly, awaiting my command.

Nate started to breathe faster. He struggled against the ropes, making the chair quiver under him. "What is this madness? What the fuck is going on?"

Slowly I stepped closer, enjoying the fear in his eyes. "You touched something that isn’t yours, Nate," I murmured into his face. "You dared to lay your hands on Cassandra."

"She's my girlfriend, you psychopath!" he spat the words at me. "You're a professor! How would the school react if they knew you're living some twisted double life? Are you going to kill me because I talked to my girlfriend? You’re insane!"

His accusation only rolled off me like water off a duck’s back. "Girlfriend," I shrugged and chuckled. "You misunderstand the situation. Cassandra belongs to me, Nate. And I don’t share what belongs to me. Especially not with scrawns like you."

His face twisted into confusion. "What... what are you saying? Are you out of your mind?"

"Perhaps." I crouched before him, my eyes locking onto his. "But that's not your concern. Your concern is where you are. You’re in my way, and that’s an issue I intend to resolve."

Nate’s breathing turned erratic. He shifted in the chair, testing the restraints. "You think you can just... just make me disappear? People will come looking for me, and you will be the first suspect. Let's see how clean your record is after that!"

I straightened and turned to the guard. "Release him."

The guard obeyed immediately, unfastening the ropes. Immediately he was set free, Nate shot up from the chair, swaying slightly but attempting to stand tall. His false courage almost made me laugh.

"What now, huh?" he challenged, stepping toward me and flexing his muscles. He pushed against my chest as he went on. "You think you can intimidate me? You think you can—"

I moved faster than he could process. My hand pierced his chest with precision and ease, digging into his flesh. The warmth of his blood coated my skin as I clenched his beating heart, pulling it free from his body in one fluid motion.

Nate’s eyes widened. Slowly he looked down at the hole in his chest, then back up at me. Then his mouth opened in a silent scream as he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

I stared at the heart in my hand for a moment, then dropped it onto the cold, stained floor. The metallic scent of blood filled the room as I wiped my hand with a crisp white napkin.

"Clean this up," I ordered the guard. "Leave no trace."

"Yes, Alpha Marcus," the man replied, bowing slightly before setting to work.

I turned and exited the room, the door closing behind me with a satisfying thud. My thoughts, however, were elsewhere. On her.

Cassandra.

********

When I arrived at her dormitory, the entire area was silent. I entered her room silently, the door creaking slightly as I closed it behind me. She lay on her bed in a transparent nightie, her chest rising and falling in the rhythm of sleep. For a moment, I stood there, just watching her. The moonlight kissed her skin and illuminated her in a way that was almost angelic.

She was perfection. My perfection.

I moved closer to her until I stood beside her. My wolf stirred as I stared down at this tiny human woman, demanding to be unleashed. I fought it back, focusing instead on the serenity of her face.

Slowly I reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. My fingers grazed her skin, and my breath hitched. This—this was what I wanted, what I needed. She was mine, and nothing would change that.

Leaning down, I pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, my lips lingering for a heartbeat longer than they should have.

"You have no idea what you've done," I murmured against her skin. "The contract you signed isn’t just for months, Cassandra. It’s forever. You walked into my world, my den, and I won’t let you go."

My wolf growled in agreement as I spoke.

I pulled the covers back and lay down beside her, careful not to disturb her slumber. For a moment, I allowed myself to be lost in the fantasy, in the idea that she could be mine without resistance. My eyes shut, her scent surrounding me, intoxicating and grounding me all at once.

Cassandra was mine, and no one—not Nate, nor anyone else—would stand in my way.