Sia Bennett thought meeting the ruthless Summit Alpha was just a formality. Until she smelled him. Cedar, gunpowder, and pure, unadulterated sin.

Kaelen Voss is her Fated Mate. He is also her mother's fiancé.

By day, Kaelen plays the role of the cold, distant stepfather. But by night, he invades her personal space, his dark whispers and stolen touches pushing her to the madness.

"Be a good girl, Sia," he warns, his hand sliding dangerously high up her thigh under the family dinner table. "And don't let Mommy hear you scream."

Caught between loyalty to her mother and a mate bond that demands mate's love, Sia is fighting a losing battle. Because in this house, the Alpha always eats first.

[Kaelen's POV]

I almost fucked my mate. And she is my fiancée's daughter.

The Moon Goddess is a bitch. She loves to dangle exactly what you want right in front of you, then smash it while you watch.

I'm thirty-five. I waited ten years after rejecting my first cheating mate. I thought my heart was dead. Until tonight.

Now, I have my second chance mate trapped in my arms.

She feels impossibly soft. She smells like vanilla and wild berries. It's driving me insane.

My wolf is roaring inside my chest. He wants me to bite her neck. He wants to mark her so deep that her only purpose is to scream my name while I take her.

She is my Fated Mate. The only light in my dark life.

But right now, she is shaking, looking at me with tears in her eyes, and shouting the one title that sends me straight to hell.

Five minutes ago, I didn't know this girl, the one who makes me rock hard, is the daughter of the woman I'm supposed to marry.

5 Minutes Earlier - Flashback

The private suite at the "Black Velvet" Club smelled like expensive cologne and fake luxury.

I loosened my tie, irritated. I stared at the whiskey in my hand. My mother's threat rang in my ears, "Meet Dr. Vivian Bennett, Alpha Kaelen Voss. For the future of the Pack."

Fuck the future.

I didn't want a Luna forced on me for politics. I didn't care how good this doctor was. To me, she was just a business deal.

I gave her five minutes. If she didn't show, I was leaving.

Just then, the door opened.

I expected heavy perfume. Instead, I smelled... damn. What was that?

Vanilla. Wild berries. Sweet. Potent.

The scent hit me like a physical blow. It filled my nose and woke up my desire instantly.

Crack. The glass in my hand shattered.

MATE.

My wolf went crazy. He screamed one command, Catch her. Rip her clothes. Own her.

I snapped my head toward the door.

[Sia's POV]

Yesterday, rogues attacked the Valley Pack. The hospital where Mom works is overcrowded. She was too busy, so she asked me to apologize to her arranged mate, Kaelen Voss.

Rumor said he was ruthless. He rejected his first Luna and turned her into a rogue.

I pushed the door open. I knew instantly I had walked into a lion's den.

The suite was dim. I saw the Alpha sitting in the shadows.

Moon Goddess... he was deadly handsome.

He had eyes like molten gold. But his aura was terrifying. It was the crushing pressure of a dominant Alpha, mixed with cedar, gunpowder, and whiskey.

That scent squeezed my heart. My knees went weak.

"Come here."

It wasn't a request. It was a growl.

Before I could speak, he moved. He was too fast. Just a blur of heat.

The next second, the world spun.

"Mmhp!"

My back hit the door. A hot, hard body pressed against mine.

I was trapped. His hands caged my face. He was huge. The size difference scared me, but my body... my body cheered for it.

He didn't give me a second to breathe.

His mouth crashed down on mine.

His tongue forced my lips apart, sweeping into my mouth with the taste of strong whiskey and pure dominance.

He kissed me like a starving man, his tongue tangling with mine, deep and wet, sucking the air right out of my lungs.

I froze, my hands hovering uselessly over his chest. I didn't know how to kiss back. I just stood there, trembling, letting him devour me whole.

He bit my lower lip, hard enough to sting, before finally pulling back slightly. A strand of silver saliva connected our lips.

"You act like a virgin, mate. Are you really 36?" His voice was rough, dangerous, and sexy.

I was a virgin. I was saving myself for my mate. Now, he just took my first kiss.

My legs shook. I felt wet between my legs. My wolf whimpered, lowering her head to this powerful Alpha, begging to submit.

"You smell... fucking incredible."

He buried his face in my neck. His nose dragged along my skin. It felt like an electric shock.

"Ah..." A broken moan escaped my lips.

That sound was a trigger.

His large hand slid down my waist. Through my thin dress, he grabbed my small breast, squeezing it possessively. Then his hand went lower, gripping my hip.

His palm was hot. He wanted to crush me into him.

His knee forced my legs apart. The friction snapped the last thread of my sanity.

He was telling me, He is the King. I am the prey.

"Screw it. You're already here. No escaping now, Doctor."

I wanted to speak. But his lips grazed my ear. His hot breath made me shiver.

I felt his sharp teeth lengthening. They scraped against the sensitive spot on my neck.

He wanted to mark me. Right here.

Pleasure and fear crashed into me. My fingers clawed at his expensive suit.

I was going to be his.

But a split second before I lost my mind, my mother's tired face flashed in my head. "Sia, be polite. He is your future stepfather."

Stepfather.

The word was like thunder. It cleared the fog in my brain.

"No... no..." I shook my head, crying, trying to push him away.

Just as his teeth touched my skin, I screamed,

"Alpha Kaelen! Stop! I'm your fiancée's daughter!"

The air froze.

The man went rigid. The beast stopped.

Slowly, he lifted his head. Those golden eyes, once full of lust, now flashed with shock. He stared at me like he wanted to eat me alive, but he didn't move.

"...What did you say?" His voice was ice cold.

I shrank back, sobbing.

"I am Dr. Vivian Bennett's daughter... I'm Sia... Mom couldn't make it... You are my stepfather..."

[Kaelen's POV]

Vivian's daughter. Stepfather.

Those words were like rusty knives stabbing my heart.

I looked at the girl.

She was too young. She looked like a college student. Her blue eyes were red from crying. Her messy blonde hair stuck to her sweaty cheeks.

She looked delicious.

She was my Mate. The only woman who could drive me mad.

But she was the damn daughter.

I looked at the red marks on her white neck, my marks. I wanted her. But I couldn't have her.

My wolf howled in mourning. He didn't want to give up. I bit my tongue until I tasted blood, using the pain to force myself back.

One second later. If she spoke one second later, I would have been burying myself inside her.

I stared at her. My voice sounded like a demon.

"Get out."

If she didn't leave right now, I would ignore every rule. I would chain her to my bed and fuck her until she forgot the word "Stepfather."

[Sia's POV]

My body betrayed me.

The taxi hit every pothole in the Valley district, but I didn't care. I was burning up.

It wasn't a fever. It was desire.

I clutched my dress, gasping. Every breath smelled like him, cedar and gunpowder. It was stuck in my hair, my skin.

He is your stepfather.

I repeated it again and again. But the image of Kaelen's golden eyes only made the ache between my legs worse.

I could still feel his hand on my hip. His tongue on my neck.

"Miss? You okay?" the driver asked.

"Just... drive faster."

When I got home, the smell of antiseptic hit me. Mom was there.

She was slumped on the sofa in her scrubs. She looked gray and exhausted. The hospital work was killing her.

Seeing her like that felt like a slap.

She worked herself to death for me. To pay my tuition. And what did I do? I went to apologize to her fiancé and almost let him claim me on the floor.

"Sia?" Mom sat up. "You're back. Was Alpha Kaelen angry?"

Guilt choked me.

I couldn't tell her. I couldn't ruin her chance at safety and status.

"I..." I swallowed the lie. "He was... scary, Mom. I apologized and left."

Mom smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, honey. He has a cold reputation. But he's powerful. Neither I nor Alpha Jacob can refuse him." She sighed. "Maybe he will protect us."

Protect us. I shivered. That man didn't want to protect me. He wanted to own me.

"I'm tired, Mom. Goodnight."

I ran to my room and locked the door.

I curled up under my duvet, trembling.

My hand slipped inside my shirt, touching my breasts. They weren't big like Mom's. But when he touched them, my nipples got so hard.

I wasn't safe. My body craved the monster. But I couldn't have him.

[Kaelen's POV]

The water was freezing.

I stood in the shower, head down. My knuckles were white.

"Fuck!"

I punched the wall. The black stone cracked.

It wasn't enough. My cock was painfully hard. It throbbed, demanding release.

But I couldn't touch it. My wolf snarled. He refused any relief that wasn't her.

Sia.

I closed my eyes. I saw her trembling body. I heard her broken whimper. I tasted her fear and sweetness.

She was mine.

But she was forbidden.

I turned off the shower and walked out naked, dripping wet. On the table lay the file my Beta compiled.

I opened it. The photo on top was a family portrait.

Vivian Bennett. Elegant. Suitable. The perfect trophy Luna.

And next to her... Sia.

In the photo, she smiled like an angel. But I knew the truth. She was a siren, dragging me to hell.

I couldn't mark her. She was 18. A fresh college student. I was the Summit Alpha, her future "father." The scandal would destroy her and humiliate her mother.

'Let her go,' my conscience whispered. 'Never', my beast roared.

If I couldn't eat the prey, I would cage it. I needed her close. I needed to ensure no other male looked at her.

If I left her in the Valley Pack, some stupid pup might try to court her.

The thought made my vision red. I would kill any male who breathed near her.

I grabbed my phone. 3,00 AM. I didn't care.

"Prepare the cars," I commanded my Beta. "We're moving Dr. Bennett and her daughter to the Estate. Today."

"Why?" Theo sounded sleepy.

"Security," I lied. But the hunger in my voice was obvious. "The Valley isn't safe. I want my... family... where I can see them."

[Sia's POV]

The next morning, loud engines woke the neighborhood.

I dragged myself out of bed and looked out the window.

My breath stopped. The street was blocked by a line of black, armored SUVs.

And leaning against the lead car was him.

Kaelen.

He wore a suit that cost more than my building. He wore sunglasses, but I felt his gaze snap to my window instantly.

He knew where I was.

"Sia! Get dressed! Alpha Kaelen is here!" Mom yelled excitedly.

[Sia's POV]

Panic choked me. I threw on a hoodie and jeans to hide my skin. To hide the scent of my arousal.

When I walked into the living room, Kaelen filled the doorway. He sucked all the air out of the room.

He took off his sunglasses. Those golden eyes pinned me down.

"Alpha Kaelen insists we move to the Summit Estate," Mom said nervously. "Because of the attacks... he wants us safe. Isn't that generous?"

No. It was a capture.

"Sia," Mom waved at me. "Come say hello. This is Alpha Kaelen Voss. We will be part of his family."

I forced my legs to move. I stared at his tie knot. I couldn't look at his face.

"Hello... Alpha Kaelen," I whispered.

"Please," his voice vibrated through the floor. "We're going to be living together. No formalities."

He extended a large hand.

I hesitated. Mom was watching. I had no choice. I put my small hand in his.

Zap.

A spark of static electricity snapped between us. Sharp. Painful.

His fingers tightened instantly. It wasn't a handshake; it was a grip. His thumb pressed against my wrist, feeling my racing pulse.

He pulled me closer, invading my space.

"It's a pleasure to officially meet you, Sia," he said smoothly.

Then, he leaned down. Only I could see the dark hunger in his eyes. A cruel, sexy smirk played on his lips.

"Although," he murmured, his thumb stroking my wrist, sending fire up my arm. "We met yesterday, didn't we?"

I froze, trapped in the wolf's grip.

***

The Summit Pack's Estate was a fortress carved out of obsidian and glass, perched on the edge of a cliff.

"Dr. Bennett, you will be in the East Wing guest suite," Theo, Kaelen's Beta, announced efficiently as we stood in the cavernous foyer. He was polite, but his eyes held no warmth. "And Miss Sia..."

He checked his tablet. "Alpha Kaelen requested you in the Master Wing. The room next to his. For... maximum security."

My stomach dropped. It sounded like maximum surveillance.

"That's very thoughtful!" Mom chirped.

Suddenly, Mom's pager beeped. "Emergency surgery. Pile-up on the interstate. I have to go."

"Go," I said quickly, though panic was already icing my veins. "I'll be fine."

"Sorry sweetie, I'll be back tomorrow." Mom hugged me hastily and rushed out. The heavy front door clicked shut.

The house fell into a suffocating silence.

The Omega servants moved like ghosts, eyes lowered, terrified to make a sound. Dinner was lonely. Kaelen never appeared.

But his presence was everywhere. The smell of cedar and gunpowder seeped into the walls.

By midnight, my throat felt like sandpaper.

I couldn't sleep. The silence was loud. I needed water.

I crept out of my room. The hallway was dark. I got lost in the massive house.

I took a wrong turn, then another, ending up in a wing I didn't recognize.

The air here was hotter. The Alpha scent was thick, smelling like storm clouds and musk. It made my belly ache.

I saw a light from a door at the end of the hall. An office.

The door was cracked open.

I raised my hand to knock, but a sound stopped me dead.

"Sia..."

It was Kaelen. He groaned my name. Low, painful, and full of need.

I froze. I should have run. Every instinct screamed at me to run. But I pressed my eye to the crack in the door.

The office was dark. He sat in a leather chair, back to the door, facing the window, looking out at the moonlit forest.

His suit jacket was gone. His white dress shirt was unbuttoned, hanging off his broad shoulders.

And he was moving.

His right arm was moving in a steady, rhythmic motion near his lap.

I couldn't see what he was holding, the high back of the chair blocked my view, but I could see the muscles in his back bunching and flexing with every jerk of his arm.

Slick. Wet. Heavy. The sound of friction filled the silence.

My breath hitched in my throat. I knew that sound. I knew what he was doing.

Heat flooded my face, my chest, my thighs.

I watched the way his head fell back, exposing the thick column of his throat. His hand moved faster, harder, as if he was trying to punish himself.

Then, he spoke again.

"Fuck... Sia... you little torment..."

The sound of my name on his lips, mixed with the wet, rhythmic sound of his pleasure, shattered my world.