The days after Lucian’s confession passed in a blur for Scarlett. She couldn’t escape the haunting weight of his words: You’ve been marked. You belong to me now.
Each night, she felt his presence before she saw him. Lucian was never far, lurking in the shadows, watching. His possessive gaze, the barely-contained wolf inside him, and the electric heat of his touch filled her thoughts. She knew he was protecting her from something far worse than his own darkness, but that didn’t make it easier to accept.
On the surface, Scarlett tried to return to some semblance of normalcy. She’d go to the market, talk to the locals, and pretend she wasn’t constantly looking over her shoulder for the man who owned her heart—whether she wanted him to or not.
One evening, as the sun dipped behind the towering pines, Scarlett decided to leave the safety of her cabin for a walk. The trees, once foreboding, now felt like a barrier between her and the world Lucian had introduced her to. She hoped the fresh air would clear her mind, allow her to think without the weight of his claim pressing down on her chest.
But as she ventured deeper into the woods, the sound of twigs snapping behind her sent a chill down her spine. She stopped, glancing over her shoulder, but saw nothing. The forest was quiet, too quiet. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as a feeling of unease settled in.
Before she could turn back toward her cabin, a voice sliced through the silence. “Going for a stroll without your protector, little lamb?”
Scarlett’s heart pounded in her chest as a figure emerged from the shadows. He was tall, with wild, dark hair and eyes that gleamed with amusement. His grin was feral, predatory, and it sent a wave of dread washing over her.
“Who are you?” Scarlett demanded, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to sound brave.
The man chuckled, stepping closer. “I’m someone you should have met a long time ago.” He stopped just a few feet from her, his eyes roaming over her as though she were prey. “Lucian’s kept you hidden for too long.”
Scarlett took a step back, her heart racing. “What do you want?”
His grin widened. “To see what all the fuss is about. It’s not every day the Alpha takes a human as his mate.”
Mate. The word made Scarlett’s stomach drop. She hadn’t agreed to be anyone’s mate, but the way this man spoke, as if it were already decided, made it clear she had no say in the matter.
“I’m not his mate,” she whispered, more to herself than to him.
The man’s eyes gleamed. “Not yet. But you will be. He’s marked you, whether you realize it or not. That’s why I can smell him on you, why the rest of the pack can feel it.” He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “But some of us think the Alpha’s gone soft, choosing a weak human instead of a strong wolf.”
Scarlett’s pulse quickened. “I don’t care about your pack’s rules. Just leave me alone.”
The man’s grin twisted into something darker. “You don’t get it, do you? You’re part of this now, whether you want to be or not.” He leaned in, his breath hot against her skin. “But if Lucian doesn’t step up, maybe I’ll take you instead.”
Scarlett recoiled, but before she could scream or run, a low growl rumbled through the forest, vibrating through the ground beneath her feet.
The man straightened, his grin faltering as his eyes darted behind Scarlett. She didn’t need to turn to know who it was. The air around them shifted, charged with power and fury.
Lucian.
He emerged from the darkness like a shadow made flesh, his eyes glowing with the wolf inside him. He moved with the deadly grace of a predator, his every step calculated, his gaze fixed on the man who had dared to touch what was his.
“Step away from her,” Lucian growled, his voice low and dangerous.
The man smirked, though Scarlett could see the fear creeping into his eyes. “Easy, Alpha. We were just talking.”
Lucian’s lips curled into a snarl. “You don’t talk to her. You don’t touch her. You don’t even look at her. Do you understand?”
The man raised his hands in mock surrender, but his grin didn’t fade completely. “Relax. I’m just making sure the pack knows what’s going on. People are starting to ask questions, Lucian. They think you’ve gotten too... attached to her.”
Before Scarlett could process what was happening, Lucian closed the distance between them in a heartbeat, grabbing the man by the throat and slamming him into a nearby tree. The sound of the impact echoed through the forest, the force of it making the branches tremble.
“She’s mine,” Lucian hissed, his voice a deadly whisper. “And if anyone questions that again, I’ll rip their throat out.”
The man gasped for air, his face paling as Lucian’s grip tightened. “Alright... alright! Message received.”
Lucian released him, letting him drop to the ground in a heap. The man scrambled to his feet, casting one last glance at Scarlett before disappearing into the shadows.
For a moment, there was only silence, broken only by the sound of Scarlett’s ragged breathing. Lucian stood still, his back to her, his shoulders tense with barely-contained rage.
Scarlett’s heart pounded in her chest, fear and adrenaline coursing through her veins. “Lucian... what—what was that?”
He turned to face her, his eyes still glowing with the feral intensity of the wolf inside him. But when he looked at her, some of the darkness faded, replaced by something softer—something possessive, but protective.
“I warned you,” Lucian said quietly, stepping closer. “The pack isn’t safe for you. That’s why I’ve kept you away. But now, they know. They’ll come for you.”
Scarlett swallowed hard, her throat dry. “Why? Why am I so important to them?”
Lucian’s hand moved to her face, his touch surprisingly gentle despite the violence she had just witnessed. “Because you’re mine,” he said, his voice low, his gaze locked on hers. “And the moment they sensed that, you became a target. They’ll test me, test my strength, to see if I’m worthy of keeping you.”
Scarlett’s mind raced. “What do you mean? Keeping me? I’m not some prize—”
“You are to me,” Lucian interrupted, his voice rough with emotion. “I can’t explain it, but from the moment I saw you, I knew. You belong to me, Scarlett. And now that the pack knows, I have to claim you, fully. Or they’ll never stop coming for you.”
Scarlett’s breath caught in her throat as the weight of his words settled over her. “Claim me?”
Lucian’s eyes darkened with desire, and when he spoke, his voice was a low, dangerous growl. “Yes. As my mate. My mark will protect you. No one will dare touch you again.”
Her pulse raced, her mind a whirlwind of fear, confusion, and something far more dangerous—desire. She knew what he was asking, what he needed from her. But was she ready to give herself to him, knowing the darkness that came with it?
Before she could answer, Lucian leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. “I won’t force you,” he whispered, his voice a seductive growl. “But make no mistake, Scarlett. You will be mine. One way or another.”
