Bought By The Beast

The champagne was expensive. The dress was borrowed. And I was about to be sold to the highest bidder.

"Lot seventeen," the auctioneer's voice boomed through the underground hall. "Rielle Morven. Twenty-three years old. Unmated. Bloodline verified."

My stomach twisted as a spotlight hit me, turning my skin to porcelain under the harsh glare. Around me, the darkness breathed with wealth and power... alphas and nobles gathered in the shadows, their eyes gleaming as they assessed the merchandise.

Me.

I forced myself to stand straighter in the ridiculously revealing black dress they'd poured me into. The fabric clung to every curve, barely covering what mattered. They wanted us to look desperate. Available. Fuckable.

And I was desperate. Just not for the reasons they thought.

"Bidding starts at fifty thousand," the auctioneer continued.

A paddle raised in the back. Then another.

I scanned the crowd, searching for the one face that mattered. The one alpha who'd promised he'd be here. Who'd sworn he'd get me out of this nightmare.

Kieran.

My boyfriend of two years. The male I'd given everything to, including my virginity on a promise of forever.

The male who'd ghosted me three weeks ago when his father arranged this auction.

"One hundred thousand," someone called.

My heart hammered. Where the fuck was he?

"One-fifty."

The bids climbed higher, and with each one, my hope died a little more. Kieran wasn't coming. He'd never planned to come.

I was alone.

"Two hundred thousand," a new voice rang out. Deep. Rough. Wrong.

The crowd went silent.

I turned toward the voice and my breath caught.

A male stood in the far corner, half-hidden in shadow. But even from here, I could see he was massive... easily six-five, shoulders that could break doors, and an aura of violence so thick it made the air taste like copper.

He stepped into the light, and my knees nearly buckled.

Not an alpha.

Something worse.

His eyes were pure silver, not the pale gray of werewolves, but molten metal that seemed to glow in the darkness. His face was all sharp angles and brutal beauty, framed by black hair that fell just past his collar. He wore a suit that probably cost more than most people's houses, tailored to perfection over a body that screamed predator.

And he was staring at me like I was already his.

"Two-fifty," another bidder countered, trying to sound confident.

The silver-eyed male's lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile.

"Five million."

The room erupted.

"Sir, I don't think..."

"Five. Million." His voice cut through the chaos like a blade.

The moment the number left his mouth, something settled in his expression. Not decision. Not interest. Finality. Like he had already made this purchase long before he entered the room. Like the auction was only a formality he was patient enough to allow.

"Final offer. Anyone else want to try?"

Silence fell like a guillotine.

The auctioneer stammered. "S-sold. Lot seventeen to... to..."

"Caspian Valdyr," the male said. "Tell her to come here. Now."

My legs moved before my brain caught up, carrying me down the platform steps toward this male who'd just bought me like I was a fucking car.

Up close, he was even more terrifying. His scent hit me first... smoke and whiskey and something primal that made my wolf whimper in my head. Not fear. Recognition.

Impossible.

"You're not a werewolf," I said, hating how my voice shook.

Something flickered across his expression, so brief I almost missed it. Like recognition. Like he had been waiting for me to say exactly that.

"No." His hand shot out, gripping my chin with surprising gentleness despite the calluses on his fingers. "I'm what werewolves fear in the dark, little wolf." His grip on my chin tightened slightly. "And I know exactly what you are," he said quietly. "More than you know yourself. And you..." His thumb traced my lower lip, and heat exploded low in my belly. "...you just became mine."

"I'm not anyone's..."

"Yes. You are." He leaned closer, his breath hot against my ear. "Every inch of you. Every breath. Every moan. Mine to do with as I please."

"You're insane..."

"Probably." He straightened, releasing my chin but keeping his hand on my lower back, possessive and burning through the thin fabric. "But I'm also the only thing standing between you and a dozen alphas who'd have you on your back before the night's over. So here's how this works, Rielle. You can fight me, scream, make a scene. But you're leaving with me either way. The only question is whether you walk out on your own feet or over my shoulder."

My mind raced. This male was dangerous. Possibly insane. Definitely not human or werewolf or anything I understood.

But he was right about one thing... without him, I'd be dragged to some alpha's bed tonight and used until I broke.

At least with him, I had a chance.

Maybe.

"Fine," I said. "But if you think I'm going to just..."

His mouth crashed down on mine.

The kiss was brutal. Claiming. His tongue swept past my lips before I could protest, tasting me with a thoroughness that made my knees weak. One hand tangled in my hair, tilting my head back to give him better access. The other gripped my hip hard enough to bruise.

And I kissed him back.

God help me, I kissed him back.

When he finally pulled away, we were both breathing hard. His eyes had gone from silver to something darker, more dangerous.

"Good girl," he murmured. "You taste like defiance and fear. I'm going to enjoy breaking you of both."

"Go to hell."

"Already there, sweetheart." He grabbed my hand and started walking, pulling me through the crowd that parted like water before him. "And now you're coming with me."

We made it halfway to the exit when someone stepped into our path.

Kieran.

My ex looked terrible... pale, sweating, his eyes wild with something between regret and panic.

"Rielle, wait..."

"Move," Caspian said quietly.

"I can explain," Kieran continued, ignoring him. "My father forced me to... I didn't want to..."

"I said move." Caspian's voice dropped to something subhuman.

"She's my girlfriend..."

"Was." I found my voice. "Was your girlfriend. Right up until you let your father sell me to pay off your gambling debts."

Kieran flinched. "I'm sorry. I'll fix this. I'll get you back..."

Caspian moved faster than thought.

One moment Kieran was standing. The next, he was against the wall with Caspian's hand around his throat, feet dangling.

"She's not yours to get back," Caspian said, his tone conversational despite the violence. "She's mine now. Bought and paid for. And if you come near her again..." He squeezed, and Kieran made a choking sound. "-...'ll tear out your spine and wear it as a fucking tie. Understood?"

He dropped Kieran, who crumpled to the floor gasping.

Then Caspian turned back to me, his expression calm. "Ready?"

I stared at him. At this male who'd just dropped five million on me and threatened to murder my ex without breaking a sweat.

"Who are you?" I breathed.

His smile was all teeth and danger. "Your new owner. Now come. We have a long night ahead of us, and I have plans for you."

He pulled me toward the exit, and I followed because what choice did I have?

But as we stepped into the cold night air, a black SUV waiting with the door already open, I felt it.

The weight of his gaze on me. The promise in his touch. The certainty that my life had just changed irrevocably.

And when he pushed me into the back seat and climbed in after me, his body caging mine against the leather, his mouth finding my neck, I realized something terrifying.

Part of me wanted this.

Wanted him.

Even though I had no idea what he was or what he planned to do with me.

The SUV pulled away from the auction house, and Caspian's hand slid up my thigh, pushing the dress higher.

"Tell me, Rielle," he murmured against my throat. "Are you a virgin?"

"That's none of your..."

His hand cupped between my legs, and I gasped.

"Answer me."

"No," I managed. "Kieran and I..."

"Good." His fingers pressed harder, finding me wet despite my fear. "Then you know what's coming. And you know how to take it."

"I'm not going to just let you..."

"Yes. You will." He bit down on my neck, hard enough to sting. "Because deep down, you want this. Want me to claim you. Own you. Fuck you until you forget that pathetic excuse for an alpha ever touched you."

God help me, he was right.

The SUV turned down a dark road, heading away from the city.

And Caspian's hand slipped inside my panties.

"Now," he said, his voice pure sin. "Let's see what I bought."

Caspian had known before the auction even began. The connection wasn't new to him. It had been a distant pull for years... fractured, unstable, impossible to locate. Every lead had gone cold until my scent appeared in the system logs tied to the illegal auction network. That was the moment certainty replaced search.

Iwasn't a possibility, I was already his. The auction wasn't where he found me. It was where he finally reached me.

This much he told me in the SUV ride that lasted thirty minutes.

Thirty minutes of Caspian's hand between my legs, fingers stroking through soaked fabric while I tried not to make a sound. Tried not to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much my body was betraying me.

"You're so wet," he murmured against my neck, his breath hot. "And you're fighting so hard not to show it. I can feel you clenching, trying not to come on my fingers. It's adorable."

"Fuck you," I gasped.

"Soon." His thumb found my clit through the fabric and pressed hard. "Very soon. But first, I want to hear you admit it."

"Admit what?"

"That you want this." He bit down on my earlobe. "That you've been wet since the moment you saw me. That some part of you is relieved I bought you instead of one of those pathetic alphas."

I wanted to deny it. Wanted to tell him he was insane.

But his fingers chose that moment to slip inside my panties, finding me bare and slick, and the moan that escaped my throat was answer enough.

"Good girl," he purred. "Now stay quiet. We're almost home."

Home.

The word sent a chill through me even as pleasure built where his fingers worked.

The SUV turned off the main road onto a private drive that seemed to go on forever. Trees pressed close on both sides, their branches creating a tunnel of darkness. No streetlights. No other houses. Just miles of nothing.

Perfect place to murder someone and dump the body.

The thought should have terrified me more than it did.

Caspian's fingers stilled as we approached massive iron gates that opened automatically. Beyond them, a sprawling estate emerged from the darkness - all stone and sharp angles, more fortress than home. Gothic architecture mixed with modern edges, lit by strategic lighting that made it look both beautiful and menacing.

"Welcome to Thornhold," Caspian said, finally withdrawing his hand. He brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked them clean, his silver eyes locked on mine. "Your new home."

The SUV stopped in front of double doors that looked like they belonged on a cathedral.

Caspian got out first, then offered his hand. I ignored it, climbing out on shaky legs.

Big mistake.

My knees buckled the moment my heels hit the gravel, the combination of fear and arousal making me unsteady.

Caspian caught me before I fell, sweeping me into his arms like I weighed nothing.

"Let me go..."

"No." He carried me toward the doors. "You can walk when you've earned it."

"Earned it? I'm not a fucking dog..."

"No. You're mine. There's a difference." The doors opened before we reached them, revealing a massive foyer with marble floors and a chandelier that probably cost more than the auction. "And you'll learn it. Starting tonight."

He didn't put me down. Instead, he carried me through the house - past rooms filled with expensive art and furniture that screamed old money, up a curved staircase that belonged in a palace, down a hallway lined with doors I didn't want to think about.

We stopped at the last door on the right.

"This is my room," Caspian said. "Our room now. You'll sleep here. Eat here when I want you to. And you'll learn to obey here."

"I'm not sleeping in your room..."

He kicked the door open and carried me inside.

The room was enormous. King-sized bed with black silk sheets. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the grounds. A fireplace already burning. And enough space to fit my entire apartment three times over.

Caspian set me down on the bed, and I immediately tried to scramble backward.

He caught my ankle and dragged me back.

"Rule one," he said, his voice dropping to something dark. "You don't run from me. Ever. Understand?"

"Let go..."

"Rule two." His hand slid up my calf to my thigh. "When I ask you a question, you answer. Clearly. Respectfully."

"I don't have to..."

"Rule three." He gripped both my thighs and yanked me to the edge of the bed, spreading my legs. "Your pleasure belongs to me now. You don't come without permission. And you definitely don't come because of anyone else. Including yourself."

Heat flooded through me despite my fear. "You can't be serious..."

"Deadly serious." He pushed my dress up to my waist, exposing my soaked panties. "These rules aren't negotiable, Rielle. Break them, and there are consequences."

"What kind of consequences?"

His smile was pure sin. "The kind you'll hate yourself for enjoying."

He hooked his fingers in my panties and tore them off in one smooth motion.

I gasped, instinctively trying to close my legs.

Caspian's hands kept them spread. "Beautiful," he murmured, his gaze fixed between my thighs. "And so ready for me. Tell me, little wolf, did you get this wet for Kieran? Or is this all for me?"

"I hate you..."

"That's not an answer." His thumb traced through my wetness, circling my entrance but not entering. "Try again. Who makes you this wet?"

I bit my lip, refusing to answer.

"Fine." He withdrew his hand completely. "Then I guess you don't need to come tonight."

"Wait..."

"Wait what?" He stood, towering over me. "You want something from me, you ask nicely. Using your words. Like a good girl."

The humiliation should have killed my arousal.

It didn't.

"Please," I heard myself say.

"Please what?"

"Please touch me."

"Why should I?" He was unbuttoning his shirt now, revealing a chest covered in muscle and scars. "You haven't answered my question. Who makes you this wet, Rielle?"

I stared at his chest, at the evidence of violence written across his skin, and felt my resolve crumbling.

"You do," I whispered.

"Louder."

"You do." My voice broke. "You make me wet. Not Kieran. You."

"Good girl." He shrugged off his shirt, and I saw more scars... claw marks across his ribs, what looked like a bullet wound near his shoulder, dozens of smaller marks that spoke of a life lived violently. "Now tell me what you want."

"I want..." I couldn't say it.

"Say it." He unbuckled his belt, the sound obscenely loud in the quiet room. "Or I'll make you watch me touch myself while you get nothing."

"I want you to fuck me," I blurted.

"Not yet." He pushed his pants down, and my breath caught.

He was huge. Thick and hard and pierced... a silver barbell through the head that caught the firelight.

"Tonight, you learn your place," he said, wrapping his hand around himself. "You watch. You beg. And if you're very good, I'll let you come. But you don't get me inside you until you've earned it."

"That's not fair..."

"Life isn't fair, sweetheart. You learned that when your boyfriend sold you." He stroked himself slowly. "Now lie back and spread your legs. Show me what's mine."

I should have refused. Should have fought.

But my body had other ideas.

I lay back on the silk sheets and spread my legs, exposing myself completely to his burning gaze.

"Wider," he commanded.

I obeyed, hating myself for how much I wanted this.

"Touch yourself," he said. "Show me how you like it."

My hand moved between my legs, fingers finding my clit and circling slowly.

"Faster." His hand sped up on his cock. "I want to see you desperate."

I increased the pressure, pleasure building fast now that I had permission.

"Stop."

My hand froze.

"I said you don't come without permission." He was breathing harder now. "Take your hand away."

I whimpered but obeyed.

"Good girl." He moved closer, positioning himself between my spread thighs. "Now open your mouth."

I opened, and he guided himself past my lips.

The taste of him exploded on my tongue - salt and musk and something darker. The piercing was cold against my tongue, foreign and obscene.

"Suck," he commanded.

I did, taking him deeper, my hands gripping his thighs for balance.

He groaned, his hand fisting in my hair. "Fuck. Your mouth was made for this."

He fucked my throat with controlled thrusts, never going deep enough to choke me but making it clear who was in control.

When he pulled out, we were both trembling.

"Please," I gasped. "Please let me come-"

"Not yet." He pushed me back on the bed and knelt between my legs. "First, you come on my tongue. Then my fingers. And only when I'm satisfied you've learned your place do you get to come on my cock. Understand?"

I nodded frantically.

"Say it."

"I understand."

"Good girl."

His mouth descended, and the first touch of his tongue against my clit made me scream.

He was merciless. Skilled. Eating me like he'd been starving for it, his tongue and teeth working in perfect combination while his hands held my thighs spread.

The pleasure built impossibly fast, spiraling toward release-

He stopped.

"No!" I cried. "Please..."

"Beg properly."

"Please, Caspian, please let me come, I need it, please..."

"Better." His fingers pushed inside me, two at once, curling to hit something that made stars explode. "Come. Now."

The orgasm crashed through me like lightning, pleasure so intense it bordered on pain. I came apart on his fingers, crying out his name, my body arching off the bed.

He didn't stop. Kept working me through it, dragging out every last tremor until I was a shaking mess beneath him.

"Beautiful," he murmured, withdrawing his fingers. "And that's just the beginning."

He stood, gripping his cock again, and my eyes went wide when I realized he was about to...

A phone rang.

Caspian's expression turned murderous. "What."

He pulled his phone from his discarded pants, glanced at the screen, and his entire demeanor shifted.

"I have to take this," he said, his voice cold. "Don't move."

He stepped into what looked like a bathroom, the door closing behind him.

I lay on the bed, still trembling, my mind racing.

What the fuck was I doing? I'd just let a stranger... a dangerous, possibly psychotic stranger... own me. Control me. Make me beg.

And I'd loved every second of it.

The bathroom door opened.

Caspian emerged, his expression grim. "Get dressed. We have a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"The kind where someone just put a fifty-million-dollar bounty on your head."

My blood turned to ice. "What?"

"Your ex's father." Caspian was pulling his clothes back on. "Apparently he's not happy I outbid everyone at the auction. He wants you back. Dead or alive."

"But I'm nobody..."

"You're mine." His eyes blazed. "That makes you worth protecting. And killing for."

He grabbed my arm and pulled me off the bed. "We're leaving. Now."

"Where are we going?"

His smile was all teeth and violence.

"To remind dear daddy why people don't fuck with what belongs to Caspian Valdyr."

The garage was a wet dream for car enthusiasts.

Ferraris. Lamborghinis. A matte black Bugatti that probably cost more than a small country. And in the center, a motorcycle that looked like it belonged in a Mad Max film, all chrome and aggression.

Caspian headed straight for it.

"No fucking way," I said. "I'm not getting on that thing in a dress."

He tossed me a leather jacket from a nearby hook. "Put this on. And these."

A pair of leather pants followed, along with boots that looked expensive and broken in.

"Whose are these?"

"Does it matter?" His tone suggested I shouldn't ask again.

I changed quickly, hyper-aware of his eyes on me the entire time. The leather fit perfectly, too perfectly. Like it had been made for me.

"Whose clothes are these, Caspian?"

"No one's. Not anymore." He swung his leg over the bike. "Now get on before I leave you here and handle this alone."

"You can't just--"

"I can do whatever I want. You'll learn that." He revved the engine. "Last chance, Rielle. Get on or stay here and wait for assassins to find you."

I got on.

His body was solid against my front as I wrapped my arms around his waist. Heat radiated through his shirt, and I caught his scent again, that smoke and whiskey and danger.

"Hold tight," he said.

Then he gunned it.

We exploded out of the garage like a bullet from a gun, the bike roaring as we tore down the drive. The iron gates opened just in time for us to blast through, and then we were on the main road, going way too fast.

"Where are we going?" I shouted over the wind.

"To visit an old friend." Caspian leaned into a turn that made my stomach drop. "One who owes me a favor."

Twenty minutes of pure terror later, we pulled up to what looked like an abandoned warehouse. The area was industrial decay, rusted metal, broken windows, the kind of place where bodies were found.

"This is your friend's place?" I asked as we dismounted.

"David doesn't believe in curb appeal." Caspian walked toward a side door, and it opened before he could knock.

A massive male emerged, even bigger than Caspian, with a shaved head, cold blue eyes, and tattoos covering every inch of visible skin. He looked at Caspian, then at me, and smiled.

"You bought a pet," he said in an accent I couldn't place. Russian? Ukrainian? "How domestic of you."

"She's not a pet." Caspian's hand found my lower back, possessive. "She's my woman. There's a difference."

"Is there?" David's eyes raked over me with clinical interest. "She looks expensive. And terrified. Not your usual type."

"My usual type didn't have a bounty placed on their head within an hour of purchase." Caspian pushed past him into the warehouse. "We need information. Fast."

Inside, the warehouse was nothing like the exterior suggested. State-of-the-art computers lined one wall, weapons lined another, and in the center was a table covered in maps, photos, and what looked like surveillance equipment.

"Who put the bounty?" David asked, moving to the computers.

"Marcus Thorne. Werewolf. Old money. His son owed him five million in gambling debts, which is why Rielle ended up at the auction in the first place."

"And you paid five million for her?" David glanced back at me. "What's so special about the girl?"

"She's mine," Caspian said, his voice dropping dangerously. "That's all the special she needs to be."

Something passed between them, a look I couldn't interpret.

"Fine." David turned back to his screens. "Marcus Thorne. Let me see what I can find."

His fingers flew across the keyboard, screens lighting up with information faster than I could process.

"Here," he said after a moment. "Marcus Thorne. CEO of Thorne Industries. Werewolf alpha of the Shadowpaw pack. Net worth approximately two billion. Known for... interesting business practices."

"Define interesting," I said, finding my voice.

"Trafficking. Drugs. The occasional murder for hire." David pulled up more files. "He runs the auction house where you were sold. Has for twenty years. Very profitable enterprise."

My stomach turned. "And Kieran knew?"

"His son is the heir apparent. Of course he knew." David clicked through more screens. "The bounty is legitimate. Fifty million for your return, dead or alive. Already has seven hunters confirmed interested."

"Seven," Caspian said quietly. "Names."

David rattled them off. Each one made Caspian's expression darker.

"They're all high-level," David observed. "Marcus really wants her back. Why? What makes one werewolf girl worth fifty million?"

"That's what we're going to find out." Caspian looked at me. "What aren't you telling me, Rielle?"

"I don't know what you're talking about--"

"Bullshit." He crossed the space between us in two strides. "Marcus doesn't throw around fifty million unless there's a reason. So what makes you special? What aren't you telling me?"

My mouth went dry. "I'm nobody. Just a werewolf from a nothing pack--"

"Lying again." His hand gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. "Try again. And this time, tell me the truth, or I'll find other ways to extract it."

I swallowed hard. "My mother."

"What about her?"

"She wasn't just any werewolf. She was--" I stopped, the words catching in my throat.

"She was what?" Caspian's grip tightened.

"Pure bloodline. Direct descendant of the First Moon. The original werewolves." I looked away. "That's why Marcus wanted me in the auction. Wanted me sold to someone he controlled. Because my blood is worth more than gold to the right buyer."

Silence fell, heavy and oppressive.

"Fuck," David breathed. "She's a First Moon descendant? Caspian, do you have any idea what that means?"

"It means she's worth killing for." Caspian released my chin. "And it means Marcus will never stop hunting her. Not for fifty million. Not for any amount. He'll want her back for breeding."

The word made me flinch.

"That's barbaric."

"That's werewolf politics." David was already typing again. "If she carries First Moon blood, she could produce heirs with abilities lost to most packs. Strength. Healing. Extended lifespans. She's a genetic jackpot."

"I'm right here," I snapped. "Stop talking about me like I'm livestock."

"You were literally sold at auction," David pointed out. "Not much difference."

I wanted to hit him.

Caspian's phone rang. He glanced at the screen and his expression went cold.

"It's him," he said. "Marcus."

"Don't answer--"

He answered. Put it on speaker.

"Mr. Valdyr." Marcus Thorne's voice was smooth, cultured, hiding venom beneath silk. "I believe you have something that belongs to me."

"I have something I paid for," Caspian corrected.

"She's not yours to keep. Return her within twenty-four hours, and I'll cancel the bounty. I'll even refund your purchase price. Consider it a business transaction that didn't work out."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then you'll understand why people don't steal from me." Marcus's tone turned sharp. "I know what you are, Valdyr. I know you're not just another rich alpha playing at power. But even lycans can bleed. And I have resources you can't imagine."

"So do I." Caspian's voice was dead calm. "And unlike you, I don't make threats I can't follow through on."

"This isn't a threat. It's a promise." Papers rustled on the other end. "Twenty-four hours. After that, I come for her myself. And you won't like what happens when I do."

The line went dead.

I stared at Caspian. "You told him no. You actually told Marcus Thorne no."

"I told him to fuck off. Most definitely." He looked at David. "I need locations. Safe houses. And weapons. Lots of weapons."

"You're going to war over a girl you met two hours ago?" David's eyebrows rose. "That's insane even for you."

"She's mine," Caspian said for the third time. "That's all that matters."

"Your funeral." David pulled up new screens. "I can give you three safe houses within a hundred miles. All off-grid, fully stocked. But Caspian," he paused. "If you're keeping her, you need to claim her. Properly. A purchase isn't enough to stop other lycans from coming after her."

"I know."

"Sure you do?" David's gaze flicked to me. "Because if you claim her and then she dies, the bond will drive you insane. You sure you want that risk?"

"I'm sure."

My heart hammered. "What does he mean, claim me?"

Both males looked at me.

"You don't know?" David sounded amused. "Your new owner didn't explain?"

"Explain what?"

Caspian's jaw clenched. "Lycans don't just fuck for pleasure. We bond. Permanently. One bite, one claim, and you're mine forever, can't be broken, can't be undone. Even death doesn't sever it completely."

The room tilted. "You're talking about a mating bond."

"Not just a mating bond. The mating bond. The kind that makes you feel what I feel. Want what I want. Crave what I crave." His eyes burned. "The kind that means if I die, you'll wish you died too."

"That's insane."

"That's lycan." He moved closer. "And it's happening tonight. Before Marcus sends his hunters. Before anyone else gets the idea they can take you from me."

"I don't consent--"

"You consented the moment you got on that bike. The moment you followed me into this warehouse. The moment you admitted you wanted me." His hand cupped my face. "And deep down, you know it's the only way you survive this. Marcus won't stop. The hunters won't stop. But if you're claimed by me--" His voice dropped. --then you're protected by lycan law. And anyone who touches you signs their own death warrant."

"This is happening too fas--"

"Life happens fast, sweetheart. You learned that when Kieran sold you." He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. "Now you get to choose. Stay unclaimed and vulnerable, or let me mark you and become untouchable. What's it going to be?"

My mind raced. This was insane. All of it.

But he was right about one thing, Marcus wouldn't stop. And I'd seen enough in the last two hours to know Caspian wasn't bluffing about protection.

"If I agree," I said slowly, "what happens to me?"

"You become mine. Completely. Body, soul, future. No take-backs. No regrets." His thumb traced my lower lip. "But in return, you get my protection. My power. Everything I am becomes yours to command."

"That's not equal."

"It's more than equal. It's everything." His eyes blazed. "So decide, Rielle. Clock's ticking. And Marcus's hunters are already on their way."

Behind us, David's computers beeped urgently.

"Speaking of which," he said. "We have company. Three vehicles approaching fast. All heavily armed."

Caspian's expression turned feral. "How far?"

"Five minutes. Maybe less."

"Then we don't have time for debate." Caspian grabbed my hand. "Choose now, Rielle. Let me claim you, or I leave you here and you take your chances with whoever gets through that door first."

I looked at the door. At the computers showing vehicles closing in. At David's weapons.

Then at Caspian.

At this male who'd paid five million for me, who'd threatened Marcus Thorne, who was offering me protection at a cost I didn't fully understand.

"Do it," I whispered.

His smile was pure predator.

"Good girl."

Then his mouth crashed down on mine, and the world exploded.