Chapter 5:
Claimed
Enzo
I leaned against the doorway, watching Dean slouch onto the leather couch in the living room. He pulled a cigarette from his pack and lit it, the flame briefly casting a dull red glow on his face. Smoke curled lazily around him as he squinted at me, exhaling slow.
"What?" he asked, already sounding tired.
I stepped closer, crossing my arms tight to keep my hands from shaking. The bond burned in my chest again, that strange pull toward him—toward Ethan. Our mate.
"What about Ethan?" I asked, my voice low, the growl sitting just beneath it.
Dean leaned back with one arm stretched over the couch, the cigarette dangling between his fingers. He didn't look away. "Ethan's fine. Terrified, but fine. You really think he's going to roll over and accept us just like that? Two strangers who kidnapped him?"
My fists clenched until my nails dug into my palms. The growl slipped out before I could stop it. "He has to accept us. He's our mate, Dean. Ours. Body and soul. He doesn't get to walk away from that. He belongs to us."
Dean's lips twitched like he was fighting a smile. He took another drag, exhaling smoke toward the ceiling. "Don't tell me you're already going soft. What's that look? Planning to charm him with flowers and sweet talk?"
I glared at him. "The fuck does that mean?"
Dean pushed off the couch and walked closer, his smirk sharp enough to draw blood. "It means I know you, Enzo. You'll do anything to make him stop flinching every time he sees you. But right now, we're monsters to him. Strangers with guns and bad tempers. Give him space. Let him breathe."
I scoffed, brushing past him toward the bar. I grabbed a whiskey bottle, poured a shot, and downed it in one gulp. The burn didn't help. "Space? Screw that. He's our mate. One way or another, he'll learn to love us. I'll make him."
Dean arched a brow, crushing his cigarette in the ashtray. "Good luck with that. You go barging in there, he'll scream the place down. The kid's already half-broken."
I turned on my heel, my boots scuffing against the polished floor, and headed for the hall. "I'm not waiting for him to come around. He's here. He's ours. That's all that matters."
"Enzo—" Dean called after me, but I didn't look back.
I stopped outside Ethan's door, my hand hovering over the knob. My wolf paced restlessly inside me, snarling, claws dragging against my insides. The bond was stronger now—alive and fierce—pulling me like a chain around my heart. Every beat screamed mate. I wanted to kick the door open, grab him, and make him see that he was safe. But what if he ran? What if he looked at me like I was a monster again?
I'd never been afraid of anything before. Dean and I ruled this city with fists and blood. But this boy—this terrified kid—had me hesitating.
"Fuck it," I muttered and shoved the door open.
Ethan jumped off the bed, his eyes wide, his body stiff like a cornered animal. He stood barefoot on the sheets, fists clenched, breathing hard. His face was a mess—a split lip, bruises under one eye—but those eyes... bright green, full of fear. They hit me harder than a bullet.
"Stay back!" he shouted, his voice cracking. He stumbled until his back hit the headboard. "What do you want? I—I'll pay! Whatever my mom owes, I'll cover it! I'll work, double shifts, triple, anything! Just let me go!"
I moved slowly, keeping my voice steady. "Easy, Ethan. No one's hurting you."
He shook his head, panic twisting his face. "Don't come closer! Please! I don't even know who you are!"
I stopped just a step away, raising my hands to show I wasn't a threat. "I'm Enzo," I said quietly. "That's all you need to know right now. You're here because you're important to us."
"Important?" he spat, his voice shaking but sharp. "You kidnapped me! My mom sold me like a fucking car! What do you even want from me? Money? Work? What?"
I took a step closer, unable to stop myself. The bond was screaming inside my head. I reached out and grabbed his wrist—gentle, but firm. He flinched and tried to pull away, but I held on.
"Stop," I said softly. "Look at me. Do I look like I want to hurt you?"
His chest rose and fell fast, his eyes brimming with tears. "I don't know! You're all the same— those guards, you! Just tell me what you want!"
I leaned in, close enough to feel his breath. My hand lifted before I could stop it, cupping his cheek. I tilted his head up and pressed my lips against his. Hard, desperate. The bond flared like fire under my skin.
He gasped, pushing at my chest, but I didn't move. I kissed him deeper, tasting the salt of his tears, the faint trace of blood on his lip. My wolf howled inside, claiming him, needing him.
A small sound escaped him—a broken whimper. I froze. When I pulled back, tears were streaming down his face. His body trembled.
"Please," he whispered, his voice raw. "Don't."
The guilt hit fast and hard. I stepped back, my hands shaking, and reached to wipe his tears with my thumb. "Hey... hey, it's okay. You're safe, Ethan. I swear it. No one's going to hurt you here. No one."
He jerked away from my touch, curling into himself, arms wrapped tight around his knees. "Safe?" he said bitterly. "You call this safe? I'm a prisoner. You—you kissed me! What the hell is wrong with you?"
I growled under my breath, frustrated and angry at myself. "I'm not your enemy, kid. You're not locked in some basement. Look around. This place is a damn palace. You're here because you're ours."
"Ours?" he repeated, his voice rising. "What does that even mean? I'm not your property!"
I knelt down so we were eye level, ignoring the way he flinched back. "You don't understand yet, but you will. You're not just some payment. You're... different. Special. You feel it, don't you? That pull when I touched you?"
He shook his head hard, backing against the wall. "I don't feel anything except scared! Let me go. Please. I'll do anything—work, pay, whatever it takes. Just don't hurt me."
The word hurt lit something inside me—a flash of anger and pain that burned through my chest. I grabbed his chin, forcing his eyes up to mine.
"Why?" I demanded, my voice rough. "Why don't you love me?"
He froze, his lips trembling, tears still falling.
I held his gaze, my wolf clawing to break free, desperate to claim him, to make him see what he was to us. But his fear—the way his shoulders shook, the way he couldn't even look at me without crying—stopped me cold.