Seraya's POV
After washing the filth off me, I tied my hair up and pulled a robe on, feeling like myself for the first time in what felt like ages. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a top from the wardrobe, marveling at the fit. It fit like it was made with my specifications. My blonde hair looked alive once again and I scraped it into my signature ponytail before heading downstairs where my stranger waited in the sitting room.
"Do you have a name?" I asked, sliding into the seat opposite him. "Or do I continue referring to you as My Stranger in my head?"
"My Stranger?" He asked, that darn eyebrow quirking again and I realized I'd personalized his name. Heat climbed into my cheeks but I held his stare and dared him to say another word.
Clearing my throat, I settled on my seat. "Your name?"
"Drazien." He replied.
"Drazien." I tasted the name, it sounded very familiar for some reason... "Drazien Thorne?!"
"I take it you're familiar with the name." He replied.
"You're Fenrir's heir?" I gaped.
The infamous leader of the Lycans, it would be harder to find someone who didn't know of his ruthless reputation. I'd never seen a Lycan before today, and tales of them sounded more myth than truth. There were five of them, each ruthless, merciless and powerful and at the top was Drazien. He was known for his brutality, it is said that he lived for chaos, he was at the pinnacle of the worst massacres, he once left an entire village dead in his wake, not even the animals were spared.
I subconsciously scanned the room, marking the various exits.
"If I wanted you dead, you would have drawn your last breath ages ago." He said softly and I startled and met his coal black eyes, my cheeks flaming hotter. He fucking saw me calculating making a dash for the door. Was he offended?
"Uhmm- I'd like to use the restroom." I lied and stood up, about to hurry back upstairs and plan my escape route but in a flash, he moved and blocked my path. I reared back, my mind boggled. How did he move that fast? He reached for me and my body kicked into fright or flight mode. Acting purely on instinct, I yanked his arm. I'd done this a hundred times so it was all muscle memory as I used his own weight against him and flipped him over my head. If anything, the surprise factor should have stunned him long enough to give me a chance but Drazien landed on his feet, sleek as a cat.
"Stop." He ordered but all I knew was that I was in danger and my body reacted. I swept his legs from under him and he seemed more surprised than anything as he crashed to his knee. Dirty, I know but I didn't care about anything but survival. I took off towards the door like all hell was at my heels but in a flash, he was in front of me again.
"Stop for fuck's sake!" He growled.
I spun around mid-run and took off for the stairs instead. I didn't really care where I was going as long as it was away from him but the air moved again and he was in front of me. He grabbed by my throat and slammed me into the wall.
"You're going to hurt yourself." He snarled and I choked.
"Get the fuck away from me!" I hissed and brought my knee up, connecting with his balls. He released me with a pained groan and I didn't waste the opportunity. I broke free and made a dash for the door again but suddenly, a huge force knocked into me from behind. I went down hard but hell if I would give up. I screeched and fought with every bit of strength in my body but he easily pinned my arms over my head and pinned my body to the ground with his body.
"Just stop for a second will you?!" He snarled. I panted as I glared at him.
"I know you. I have heard of you, everything you touch dies." I hissed.
"You are alive, are you not? Though I'm seriously considering the wisdom in keeping you that way."
I gaped, my heart throbbing in my throat.
"You said you wouldn't let any harm come to me." I reminded him.
"And I meant it. I never said anything about killing you myself." He growled.
I didn't wait to hear more, I wrestled beneath him, bucking and trying to throw him off.
"Just let me go for fuck's sake!" I yelled. "I'll pretend today never happened."
"I already told you." He growled. "You're mine and I'm not letting you get away."
No matter how much I flailed, I couldn't get out from under him.
"Be still, woman!" He commanded harshly and I stilled, watching him with wide eyes. He was still staring at me with brooding brows but something had changed. My eyes widened more when I felt it, the thick rod of arousal between us.
"Are you serious right now?!" I hissed.
"Don't move a muscle!" He growled and I didn't dare, my heartbeat hammering in my ears.
Is this what it was like to be a Lycan? Their wolf urges were always on the surface but weren't they rumored to have perfect control? I snorted, perfect control my ass.
A second passed and then another. To my horror, my body responded to his need, becoming pliant and arching to his. My nipples ached and I just resisted the urge to brush them over his chest. I bit my lip hard, willing the pain to bring me to my senses but my eyes lowered to his full lips and I couldn't help but remember how good they felt roaming my body. What madness had come over me?
"Your body betrays you, Veyraen." His voice had taken a deeper tone, nearly guttural AnE sending shivers all the way down my body. He lowered his head to my neck, taking a long breath and I whimpered, my hips writhing before I forced myself to stop. "I could smell your desire from a mile away." His lips lightly grazed my neck and I shuddered violently.
I must have gone mad. This beast of a man terrified me and yet I'd never wanted anything like I wanted him to trace that path to my lips. That realization was terrifying.
"Sorry about the delay." The new voice was like a bucket of cold water dumped on me. I shoved him off with all my strength and he let me. I scurried up from under him to find an older werewolf bearing a tray with food and I forced a tight smile, adjusting my clothes discreetly. The man saw us and didn't miss a beat as he spun around. "Pardon the intrusion, I'll come back later."
"Hutch." Drazien called, rising to his feet. "It's fine."
"Well, who is the pretty ma'am?" Hutch asked, setting the tray on a decorated stool.
"Meet Seraya Vale." Drazien said and I looked at him sharply. If he found out about my name, what else did he know? Likely everything, how I was an abandoned little wolf that the Moirant family looked after and how that ended. "My mate."
Hutch glanced at me sharply and then back at Drazien disbelievingly.
"Oh my, I had no idea. Welcome!"
Before I knew it, I was enveloped in a warm encompassing hug and I froze. My chest tightened as I realized this was what my father's hug would have been like. It felt safe, warm and so welcoming.
"Thank you." I said, glancing at Drazien who watched me closely.
"You have no idea how long we have waited for you, prayed for you." Hutch gushed, clutching my hands in his grip. "Drazien was lost but now that you are here, he can be found again."
"That's enough Hutch." Drazien growled but there was no malice in his tone. "Leave us, my mate must rest."
"Of course." Said Hutch. "If you need anything, anything at all, just let me know."
I watched him leave with conflicted emotions. I didn't like lying to the old man, I realized.
"If you try to escape again, I will bind your ankles with heavy chains." Drazien growled.
No, trying to escape was futility.
"Down, Tiger. I'm not going anywhere." I flipped my ponytail behind my back and slid back into my seat. "But make no mistakes, I will abandon ship and run the minute I feel like there is any danger to myself."
"I would expect nothing less." He said as he sat back down and handed me a file.
I took it and scanned through the contract.
"You will find all the information you need in that. Take your time and go through it. It's no different from everything I already said." He said, relaxing back into his seat. "For the duration of this month, you and I must convince everyone that we are in love. You'll be free to walk away at the end of the month after our bond has been broken."
"This." I said, confused. "There is no one that can live a good life with a broken bond so how do you intend to go about that?"
"Don't worry about that. You will walk away free, I give you my word." He said.
I eyed him, still skeptical but I was already one leg in, I might as well take the leap. I signed the contract and passed it to him.
"Okay, let's do this." I said, taking a bite of the sandwich to replace the energy I just wasted. "If we're to convince everyone that we're in love, then there are things about you I must know, and likewise. We have an entire story to create."