His hand was iron over my mouth, his body heat radiating against my back like the promise of fire and the threat of a blade.
"Easy, little wolf," the man whispered, his breath fanning against my ear. "You wouldn't want to call the guards. They're mine tonight."
The words were wrong, but the calm certainty in his tone made my stomach clench.
"I know who you are," I forced out once he loosened his grip just enough for me to speak.
He smiled against my temple. "Do you, Selene?"
The way he said my name—like a caress and a curse in one—sent an involuntary shiver down my spine.
"Shadow Alpha," I said.
His laughter was low, dangerous. "Titles are for men who care about thrones. I care about you."
I twisted in his grasp, finally seeing his face under the flickering rune-light. Dark hair, darker eyes—eyes that glowed faintly red like embers waiting to ignite. Handsome, in the way predators were—beautiful until they bit.
"What do you want from me?" I demanded.
"Only what's mine."
Before I could respond, his free hand lifted to my neck, his fingers tracing the skin just above my collarbone. My wolf snarled within me, claws scratching against the inside of my chest.
The air thickened.
A sharp sting bloomed under his touch—a searing heat, spreading fast, burning and cold all at once. I gasped, but he held me still.
When he pulled back, a faint, silver mark was etched into my skin. Not Kael's mark. Different. Wrong.
"What did you do to me?" I whispered.
"I claimed my half." His eyes glittered. "Let him have the rest, if he dares."
The chamber door slammed open, the force shaking the rune-lit walls.
Kael filled the doorway, his eyes glowing gold, claws unsheathed.
"Step away from her," he growled, voice low and lethal.
The Shadow Alpha didn't flinch. "Careful, Kael. You might scare her."
"She's mine," Kael snarled.
For the first time, the Shadow Alpha's smile faltered. Just slightly. "We'll see."
And then—like smoke caught in wind—he was gone.
Kael was across the room in a heartbeat, his hands on my shoulders, scanning me like he needed proof I was still whole. His gaze froze on my neck.
His breathing changed—slower, heavier. "What is that?"
I touched the mark, still throbbing faintly under my fingers. "He said… he claimed his half."
Kael's jaw tightened, his eyes darkening. "That's not possible. No one touches my mate."
"Apparently," I said bitterly, "he can."
For a moment, Kael looked like he might destroy the entire room just to erase the memory. Then he leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper.
"This changes everything."
And I realized from the steel in his gaze that it wasn't just anger in his voice—it was fear.