"Faster, Marcus. You are so much better than her."

The voice came from inside my step-sister's bedroom. I stopped dead in the hallway. My hand froze on the golden doorknob. My heart hammered against my ribs.

"Do you think she knows?" Marcus asked. His voice was muffled, breathless.

"Who cares if Belinda knows?" Xiana laughed loudly. "She is too weak to do anything about it. She is just a useless Omega. She has not even shifted yet. You belong to me now."

I pushed the door open.

My boyfriend was in my step-sister's bed. They did not even bother to pull the sheets up. Marcus looked at me. He did not look sorry. He looked annoyed that I had interrupted them.

"You forgot to knock, Belinda," Xiana said.

She leaned back against the headboard. She smiled at me. Her blonde hair was a mess. "But since you are here, you can fetch us some water. I am thirsty."

My chest hurt so much I thought my ribs would crack. I felt like I could not breathe. "Marcus? How could you do this to me?"

Marcus rolled his eyes. He sat up and ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, stop crying. You are boring, Belinda. You never want to have fun. You are too pure. Xiana knows how to treat a man."

"You are my chosen mate," I whispered. My voice cracked. "We promised each other."

"We never marked each other," Marcus sneered. He looked at me with pure disgust. "I am the future Beta of this pack. I need a strong, powerful woman by my side. Not a weak little maid who cleans the pack house."

Xiana stood up. She walked over to her vanity table and picked up a crystal decanter. She poured two glasses of dark red wine. She held one out to me.

"Do not be dramatic," Xiana said. Her voice dripped with fake sympathy. "You knew this was coming. The entire pack knows Marcus belongs to me. You were just keeping him warm until I was ready for him."

I slapped the glass out of her hand. The wine spilled over the expensive white rug.

Xiana's eyes flashed with anger. Her inner wolf surfaced for a second, making her eyes glow yellow. "You stupid bitch. Clean that up right now."

"I am leaving," I said. I took a step back. "I am telling the Alpha about this."

"My father will not care," Xiana laughed loudly. "You are not his real daughter. You are a stray he took in out of pity. But I have a better idea."

She poured another glass. She walked up to me and grabbed my hair. Her grip was like iron. It burned my scalp.

"Drink it," she ordered. "Drink to my new mating with Marcus. If you do not drink it, I will tell the pack guards you attacked me. They will strip you of your rank and banish you to the rogue lands tonight. You would not survive one hour out there."

I looked at Marcus. He crossed his arms and looked out the window. He did not care. No one was going to help me. No one ever helped me in this house.

I took the glass. My hands were shaking violently. I drank the wine. It tasted overly sweet and heavy on my tongue.

"Good girl," Xiana smiled cruelly. She let go of my hair and pushed me back.

Almost immediately, my legs felt heavy. The room started to spin in slow circles. The edges of my vision turned blurry and dark.

"What did you do?" I slurred. I fell to my knees. The wooden floor felt freezing cold against my skin.

Xiana crouched down next to me. She traced her perfectly manicured nail down my cheek.

"The East Coast mafia boss called," Xiana whispered in my ear. "Alpha Derek King. He demanded a bride from our pack to settle my father's border disputes. I am not marrying a ruthless, heavily tattooed monster. I belong with Marcus."

"No," I tried to say, but my tongue was numb.

"Yes," Xiana laughed again. It was the last sound I wanted to hear. "You are going to take my place in his bed. When you wake up, you will be his problem. Have fun being the mafia's breeding stock, sister."

She kicked me hard in the stomach. The pain flared hot and sharp, but the darkness pulled me under completely before I could even scream.

I woke up to the smell of old money, rain, and dark pine woods.

My stomach hurts.

My head throbbed. I opened my eyes slowly. The room was massive and painted in dark charcoal colors. It looked like a cold castle. The bed I was lying on was huge. The silk sheets were pitch black.

I tried to sit up. My body ached from the kick.

"You snore."

The voice came from the deep shadows near the large window. It was deep, rough, and completely void of emotion.

I pulled the sheets up to my chin. My hands were trembling. "Who is there?"

A man stepped into the dim light.

He was incredibly tall. His chest was bare and covered in dark, aggressive ink. Skulls, wolves, and jagged lines wrapped around his muscular arms and torso. He wore low hanging black sweatpants. His hair was dark and messy. But his eyes were the most terrifying part of him. They were a piercing, icy silver.

Alpha Derek King. The most feared mafia boss in the werewolf world.

He walked toward the bed. He held a glass of amber liquid in his large hand. He did not look at me like I was a person. He looked at me like I was a piece of trash he had stepped on.

"You look terrible," he said. His voice was a low growl. He took a sip of his drink. "Your pack sent me a pathetic little mouse."

"I am not supposed to be here," I said. My voice was raspy. "My sister drugged me. I am Belinda. Not Xiana."

Derek stopped at the foot of the bed. He looked down at me. A cruel, mocking smirk formed on his lips.

"Do you think I give a damn what your name is?" he asked. "Belinda. Xiana. It does not matter to me at all."

"But the marriage arrangement..."

"Is a business transaction," he interrupted sharply. "I asked your Alpha for a female. He sent one. I do not care if you were drugged, dragged, or thrown in a sack. You are here."

I swallowed hard. The terror was starting to set in. "I want to go home."

Derek laughed. It was a dark, humorless sound that sent chills down my spine. "Home? You do not have a home anymore. You belong to me."

He set his glass down on the nightstand with a loud clatter. He leaned over the bed. He grabbed my jaw. His fingers dug into my soft skin. He was so strong it terrified me.

"Let go of me," I cried out.

"Listen to me very carefully," he growled. His breath smelled like expensive whiskey and winter mint. "I am not your mate. I am not your boyfriend. I am your owner. You are going to stay in this house, and you are going to do exactly what I say."

"I will not be your slave," I spat. I tried to pull away from his grip, but it was useless.

He tightened his hold. His silver eyes darkened with pure malice. "You will be whatever I tell you to be. I need an heir to secure my mafia territories. You are going to give me one."

"I would rather die," I said. Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

Derek scoffed. He let go of my face and wiped his hand on his pants, like touching me made him dirty.

"You are dramatic and annoying," he said coldly. "And frankly, you are not even my type. You are too skinny. Your hair is a mess. Your scent is weak and pathetic. But a contract is a contract."

His words hurt. They stung more than the physical pain. He was breaking me down before I even stood a chance.

"Why are you so cruel?" I asked.

"Because the world is cruel, little wolf," he snapped. He crossed his tattooed arms over his broad chest. "Grow up. There is no romance here. There are no happily ever afters. There is only survival. I do not do feelings."

He walked toward the door. The muscles in his back flexed with every movement. He stopped with his hand on the heavy brass doorknob.

"Get out of that bed and wash yourself," he ordered without looking back at me. "You smell like cheap wine and fear. It is disgusting."

"And if I refuse?" I challenged him. I did not know where the sudden courage came from.

Derek slowly turned his head. His eyes met mine, and the room seemed to drop ten degrees.

"If you refuse, I will throw you in the dungeon with the rogue wolves my men captured last night," he said. His voice was completely flat. He meant every single word. "They have not seen a female in months. They would love to play with a stubborn little Omega."

My blood ran cold. I could not speak. The threat hung in the air like a blade.

"That is what I thought," Derek smirked. "Be downstairs in ten minutes. We are getting married today."

He opened the door.

"And Belinda?" he added.

I looked at him, shivering under the thin silk sheets.

"Do not wear white," he said with a look of pure disgust. "You are far too ruined for that."

He slammed the door shut.

The loud echo rattled the windows. I sat alone in the massive bed of the mafia Alpha. My sister had sold me to a monster. My boyfriend had betrayed me. And my new husband looked at me like I was nothing but dirt on his shoe.

I pulled my knees to my chest. I did not know how I was going to survive in this house.

Then, the heavy brass door handle slowly began to turn again.

I held my breath. Was Derek back? Was he going to hurt me for talking back to him?

Quinton’s POV

Derek thinks he won. He actually thinks signing a piece of paper gives him the entire East Coast pack.

I stood the end of the hallway and watched my twin brother walk out of the guest room. He looked disgusted. He adjusted his expensive watch and walked toward his study without looking back. Derek always lacked vision. He thinks like a businessman, not like a wolf.

Our father built this mafia empire with blood and fangs. He did not care about love. He cared about legacy. When the southern rogues killed him last winter, the pack elders refused to let me take the Alpha title. They said my inner wolf was too aggressive. They said I was too violent to lead the syndicate. They chose Derek because he wears a suit and knows how to lie to the human politicians.

But our father left a blood decree. The Alpha title permanently goes to the first son who sires a pureblood pup.

Derek is older by four pathetic minutes. He thinks that gives him the right to rule. He went behind my back and bought a breeder from a weak, failing pack. He thinks he can just force a pup into this random female, present his heir to the elders, and take my throne forever.

He is dead wrong.

I will put my pup in her first. I will make her carry my heir. And when her stomach swells with my bloodline, Derek will have to kneel on the floor and call me his Supreme Alpha.

I walked up to the brass door. I could smell her from the hallway. Vanilla, rain, and raw terror. It was a pathetic scent for a Luna. It made my inner wolf bare its teeth in disgust. She was weak. She was just a tool I needed to use to break my brother.

I turned the handle and pushed the door open.

She was huddled in the middle of the dark silk sheets. She pulled her knees to her chest. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. When she saw me, all the color drained from her face.

She thought I was him. They always do.

"Why are you back?" Belinda whispered. Her voice was shaking violently.

I closed the door behind me. I turned the lock. The metallic click echoed in the silent room. She jumped at the sound.

"I decided ten minutes is too long to wait," I said.

I kept my voice low and flat, mimicking Derek perfectly. I walked toward the bed. I did not take my eyes off her.

"You told me to get dressed," she said. She pressed herself against the headboard. "You said the lawyers are coming."

"I am the Alpha," I snapped. I stopped at the edge of the mattress. "I change my mind whenever I want. Do you have a problem with that, Omega?"

She flinched at the rank. Good. She needed to know her place.

I leaned over the bed. I grabbed the edge of the silk blanket and ripped it out of her hands. I tossed it onto the floor. She gasped and tried to cover herself with her arms. She was wearing a thin oversized shirt that offered no protection.

"Look at you," I scoffed. I let my eyes drag over her shaking frame. I made sure my face showed pure disgust. "Skin and bones. Your sister must have laughed out loud when she threw you in the trunk of that car. You are absolutely pathetic."

"Stop it," she cried out. A fresh tear rolled down her cheek.

"Stop crying," I growled loudly. "It makes your face blotchy and ugly. You are already a massive disappointment. Do not make it worse."

She let out a quiet sob. "You are a monster. You just said you did not want to look at me. You said you did not do feelings."

"I do not do feelings," I said. I crawled onto the bottom of the bed. The mattress dipped under my weight. "But I do need a pup. And my wolf is getting impatient. We need to test the product before I sign my name on that contract."

Her eyes widened in absolute horror. "Test the product? No. Get away from me."

She tried to scramble off the opposite side of the bed. She was slow. I lunged forward and grabbed her ankle. Her skin was freezing cold. I pulled her back roughly. She screamed and kicked, but she was a weak wolf who had not even shifted yet. She was nothing against an Alpha.

I flipped her onto her back and pinned both her wrists above her head with one hand.

"Let me go!" she shrieked. She thrashed under me.

"Stop fighting me," I commanded. I lowered my face until I was inches from hers. "You are just a womb, Belinda. That is all you are to the King pack. A vessel to carry the next Alpha.

Do you really think I give a damn about what you want?"

"I hate you," she sobbed. She glared up at me. Her chest heaved against mine.

For a split second, her scent hit the back of my throat. The vanilla was sweeter up close. It buried itself deep into my senses. My inner wolf paced inside my chest, scratching at my ribs. She smelled like prey. It made my blood run hot.

"Hate me all you want," I whispered cruelly. I used my free hand to grip her chin. I forced her to look into my silver eyes. "Your hatred means absolutely nothing to me. Your old pack threw you away. Your Alpha sold you for border security. Even your own mate let another female take your place. You are worthless."

My words hit her exactly how I wanted them to. Her body went entirely limp under me. The fight left her eyes. She looked completely shattered

.

It was too easy. Derek was playing safe with lawyers and contracts. I was going to break her mind before the wedding even started.

"Please," she whispered. Her voice was broken. "Just leave me alone."

"Not yet," I said.

I let go of her wrists. Before she could move away, I buried my hand in her messy hair. I tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck. Her pulse was beating frantically against her pale skin.

"What are you doing?" she panicked.

"Giving you a wedding gift," I replied.

I leaned down and pressed my lips hard against the sensitive skin right above her collarbone. She gasped loudly. I did not bite her. I did not give her a mating mark. I simply sank my teeth in just enough to break the delicate blood vessels under the surface. I sucked hard, leaving a dark, purple bruise right where everyone could see it.

I pulled back and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

She touched her neck. Her fingers were trembling. She looked at me with pure confusion and terror.

"I thought you said you were disgusted by me," she choked out.

I stood up from the bed. I looked down at her ruined, tear stained face. I let a dark smirk form on my lips.

"I am," I said coldly. "But you are my property now. I want every single mafia boss downstairs to see exactly who you belong to."

I turned around and walked toward the door. I unlocked it and pulled it open.

"Wear your hair up for the ceremony, Belinda," I ordered without looking back. "If you try to hide that mark, I will throw you to the dungeon guards tonight."

I stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind me.

I stood in the corridor for a moment. My heart was beating faster than normal. Her scent was completely stuck in my clothes. I hated that it affected me. I hated that her skin felt soft.

Heavy footsteps echoed from the top of the grand staircase.

I looked up. Derek was walking back toward the guest room. He was holding a stack of legal papers in his hand. He looked up and saw me standing near her door.

Derek stopped walking. His jaw clenched tightly. His silver eyes narrowed in anger.

"What are you doing on this floor, Quinton?" Derek growled.

I put my hands in my pockets. I gave my twin brother a slow, mocking smile.

"Just welcoming our new guest to the pack house, brother," I said smoothly. "You really should check on your bride. She looks a little confused."

Derek dropped the papers on a nearby table. He shoved past me and practically ripped the bedroom door open.

"Belinda," Derek barked as he walked inside. "I told you to be ready ten minutes ago."

I listened from the hallway. I heard her gasp in shock.

"But you were just..." Belinda started to say. Her voice was full of panic. "You just left."

"Are you insane?" Derek snapped at her. "I have been in my study with the lawyers. What is wrong with your neck?"

I laughed quietly to myself. I turned around and walked toward the stairs.

The game had officially started. And I was going to win.

The Binding Night

Belinda

The silk robe felt like a second skin, cold and unforgiving. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at my phone. It was 8:00 PM. In any other world, this would be the time I’d be settling in to watch a movie with Marcus. Or maybe I’d be laughing at a meme Xiana sent me.

But my screen was black. Not a single notification. No "are you okay?" No "I’m sorry."

My own father hadn't even texted to see if I made it to the King pack alive. I was twenty-one years old, a grown woman, and yet I was being handled like a piece of livestock. For years, I stayed in that pack, working as a glorified maid because I thought family meant something. I stayed an Omega, never shifting, hoping that my loyalty would eventually earn me a place at their table.

Instead, it earned me a price tag.

A sharp knock at the door made me jump. A woman with grey hair pulled into a tight, severe bun walked in. She was carrying a tray of oils and a small, silver bowl.

"I am Sarah, the Head Healer," she said. Her voice had no warmth. She didn't look me in the eye. "Stand up. We need to prepare you for the Binding Ceremony."

"I don't want a ceremony," I said, my voice cracking. "I just want to go home."

Sarah finally looked at me, and for a second, I saw a flash of pity in her eyes before it was replaced by stone.

"You are in the King manor now, girl. There is no home to go back to. The Alpha has already paid the tribute. The Binding happens tonight. We must ensure the vessel is ready for breeding."

The word "vessel" made my stomach turn. I felt sick.

She began to rub a thick, floral oil onto my wrists and neck. When she reached the bruise Quinton had left, she stopped. Her fingers lingered on the purple mark.

"Who did this?" she whispered, her brow furrowed.

"He did," I said, thinking of the man who had just been in here. "Derek."

Sarah looked confused. "The Alpha is in the grand hall. He hasn't left his guests for hours."

Before I could ask what she meant, Derek walked in.

He was dressed in a black suit that looked like it cost more than my father’s entire house. His tattoos were hidden now, but the aura of violence he carried was louder than ever. He looked at Sarah, then at me.

"Leave us," Derek commanded.

Sarah bowed her head and hurried out, leaving the tray behind. The silence that followed was heavy. Derek walked over to me, his steps slow and measured. He didn't look like the man who had pinned me to the bed twenty minutes ago. That man was teasing, dark, and playful. This man looked like he wanted to erase me from existence.

"Why aren't you ready?" he asked. His voice was a whip.

"I don't want to do this, Derek," I said, standing my ground even though my knees were shaking.

"Please. Just let me go. I won't tell anyone. I’ll just disappear."

Derek laughed, but there was no joy in it. He stepped into my personal space, towering over me. "Disappear? You think you’re that important? You’re a debt settlement, Belinda. You’re a way for me to shut the elders up. You really think I’d let a territory go just because you have a little heartache?"

"I’m a person," I whispered.

"In this house, you’re an asset," he snapped. He reached out and grabbed my chin, tilting my head back. He saw the mark. His eyes narrowed, and a low growl vibrated in his chest. "What the hell is this?"

"You did it," I said, confused by his reaction. "You were just here."

Derek’s grip tightened until I winced. "I haven't been in this room since I told you to get dressed an hour ago. Who was in here, Belinda?"

"It was you!" I yelled, trying to push him away.

"You were wearing a t-shirt and you were laughing at me. You called me an Omega."

Derek’s face went pale for a split second before a mask of pure rage settled over his features. He let go of my chin as if it burned him. He paced the room, his hands fisted at his sides.

"You’re lying," he hissed. "You’re trying to create a scandal to get out of the Binding. Who did you sneak into this house? Was it that pathetic Beta boyfriend of yours?"

"No! I would never..."

"Shut up," he roared. He turned on me, his eyes glowing a dangerous, predatory silver. "I don't care who you slept with to get that mark. But understand this. Tonight, when the moon reaches its peak, you will be bound to me. I will mark you so deeply that no other wolf will ever dare to touch you. And if I find out you’re carrying another man’s scent, I’ll kill you both."

"You’re a monster," I whispered, the tears finally falling.

"Sarah! Get in here and finish. I want her in the hall in five minutes. If she resists, leash her."

He walked away immediately.

Sarah rushed back in, her hands trembling as she tried to fix my hair. I sat there, a hollow shell of a woman. My family didn't want me. My boyfriend didn't want me. And the man I was about to be bound to hated the very sight of me.

Sarah’s fingers were cold as she pinned a heavy, silver heirloom into my hair. She was working fast, her breath coming in short, nervous hitches. I caught my reflection in the vanity mirror. At twenty-one, I should have been looking at a bride who was glowing. Instead, I saw a ghost. My skin was too pale, and the dark circles under my eyes told the story of a woman who had been discarded by everyone she ever loved.

"There," Sarah whispered, stepping back.

"You look... like a King bride."

"I look like a sacrifice," I corrected her. My voice felt like it belonged to someone else. "Does my father know I’m here? Did he even ask if I was okay after Xiana drugged me?"

Sarah looked down at the floor, refusing to meet my gaze.

"The Alpha of the Crescent Pack was satisfied with the border agreement, Belinda. He said your service to the pack would be remembered."

Service. That was a funny word for being sold. I was twenty-one years old, an Omega who had spent her entire life cleaning up after her step-sister and trying to earn a crumb of affection from a father who only saw me as a burden. Marcus was supposed to be my escape. We had plans. We had talked about leaving the pack and starting over in the city. But he didn't want a life with me. He wanted the power that came with Xiana.

"It is time," Sarah said, gesturing toward the door. "The Alpha is waiting in the Great Hall. Please, do not make this difficult. For your own sake."

I stood up, the heavy silk of the black dress rustling against the floor. I didn't have a bouquet. I didn't have a father to walk me down the aisle. I walked out of that room alone, flanked by two massive guards who looked at me with more pity than respect.

The Great Hall was cold. The stone walls were lined with the high-ranking members of the King Pack, their eyes trailing over me like I was a prize horse being led to the auction block. At the end of the hall stood Derek.

He looked magnificent in a dark suit, his jaw set in a hard, unforgiving line. But the moment our eyes met, any hope I had for a flicker of kindness died. His silver eyes were like ice. He looked at me with a loathing so deep it made my lungs seize.

"You're late," he said when I finally reached him. He didn't take my hand. He didn't even lean in to acknowledge me.

"I had a lot to process," I whispered, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

Derek leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear. The scent of winter forest and expensive bourbon wrapped around me, making my head spin. For a second, I thought he might say something soft.

"Process this," he hissed, his voice a low, lethal vibration.

"You are here because your family thinks you are worthless, and I need a womb. Do not mistake this ceremony for a wedding. It is a closing of a deal. Try to act like you have some dignity left, even if we both know you don't."

I felt the tears sting my eyes, but I blinked them back. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

The ceremony was a blur of ancient wolf terms and blood oaths. We didn't exchange rings. Instead, the pack healer cut our palms with a ceremonial blade and pressed them together. The blood was warm and sticky, a physical reminder of the life I was now tethered to.

"The Binding is sealed," the healer announced.

A few people cheered, but the atmosphere remained heavy. Derek pulled his hand away immediately, wiping the blood onto a white silk handkerchief as if touching me had contaminated him.

"Take her to the master wing," Derek commanded the guards. He didn't even look at me as he turned to speak to one of his lieutenants. "I have business to finish in the study. I’ll be there when I’m ready."

I sat on the edge of the massive bed in the master suite for what felt like hours. The room was beautiful, filled with dark velvet and gold accents, but it felt like a cage. My heart was a frantic bird in my chest. I thought about Xiana and Marcus. I wondered if they were in her bed right now, laughing at me. The thought made me want to scream, but I was too tired for that.

The door clicked open.

Derek walked in, loosening his tie. He had shed his jacket, and his white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing the dark ink of his tattoos. He looked exhausted and angry.

"Still in that dress?" he asked, walking over to the decanter on the sideboard. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and downed it in one go. "Take it off. You’re making the room feel crowded."

"Derek, please," I said, standing up. My legs felt like jelly. "Can we just talk? I know you didn't want this, but I didn't either. We could find a way to make this work without... without the cruelty."

Derek set the glass down with a loud thud. He walked toward me, his movements fluid and dangerous. He didn't stop until he was inches away. He was so tall I had to crane my neck to look at him.

"You want to talk?" he mocked, his voice dripping with arrogance. "What should we talk about, Belinda? Your failed mating with a Beta? The fact that your own father traded you for a few miles of forest? Or should we talk about how you’re going to look when you’re carrying my heir?"

"I am a human being," I snapped, my anger finally bubbling over. "I have feelings. I have a soul. You can't just treat me like a piece of property."

Derek laughed, a dark, jagged sound. He reached out and grabbed a lock of my hair, winding it around his finger. He pulled just enough to make me gasp.

"I am the law," he whispered. "You are exactly what I say you are. And right now, you are the woman who is going to ensure the King bloodline continues. Don't act like you’re too good for this. You’ve been an Omega your whole life. You’re used to taking orders."

He leaned in, his face so close to mine that I could feel the heat radiating from his skin. My heart hammered. For a split second, the air between us changed. The anger was still there, but it was being pushed aside by a raw, overwhelming tension. His eyes dropped to my lips, and for one heartbeat, I thought he was going to kiss me. I wanted him to. I wanted something, anything, to dull the pain of the betrayal I felt.

But then, he pulled back. A smirk of pure malice crossed his face.

"Don't look at me like that," he said, his voice cold again. "I’m not Marcus. I don't want your love, Belinda. I don't even want your company. I just want what’s inside you."

He turned me around, his hands rough as they reached for the zipper of my dress. I felt the cool air hit my back as the silk fell away. I shivered, clutching the fabric to my chest.

"Get in the bed," he ordered.

I did as I was told, crawling under the heavy black duvet. I felt small and insignificant. Derek stripped off his shirt and climbed in beside me. The bed dipped under his weight. He didn't pull me close. He didn't touch me with any gentleness.

He rolled over, pinning me down with the sheer weight of his body. His eyes were dark, devoid of any warmth.

"This is the only reason you’re here," he whispered, his hand gripping my hip. "Once you give me what I need, I won't ever have to look at your pathetic face again. Do you understand?"

"I hate you," I whispered, the tears finally overflowing.

"Good," Derek said, his voice a low growl against my neck. "Hatred is much more honest than the lies you were living before."

The night was long and filled with a cold, clinical intensity that left me feeling more alone than I ever had in my life. Derek was rough, his movements driven by a sense of duty rather than desire. Every time I tried to meet his eyes, he looked away. It was as if he couldn't stand the sight of my pain.

When it was over, he didn't hold me. He didn't say a word. He simply got out of bed, walked to the bathroom, and shut the door.

I lay there in the dark, the scent of him still clinging to my skin. My heart was broken, and my spirit was fractured.