Noah
I followed slowly, still trembling. The scent of smoke and pine trailed after me. I could feel his gaze on me even after I left. When we reached the heavy doors of his quarters, Raven, the maid assigned to lead me turned to me. "You are either the bravest human alive" He muttered. "Or the most foolish." I forced a small hollow smile. "Maybe both."
The door closed behind me with a deep final sound. Inside the Alpha's room was nothing like she imagined: luxurious furniture, purple silk clothing which was very expensive and hard to acquire, rough stone walls, weapons mounted in perfect order. It was both a throne and a cage. And now it was hers to keep.
I pressed a hand to my bandaged shoulder, the ache pulsing beneath my skin like a heartbeat. Somewhere far away, Marcus lay, safe and sound. And somewhere even closer, a predator watched from the shadows.
After having a refreshing bath, she wiped herself with a towel and dressed back into her loin clothes then laid on the rug, waiting patiently for the Alpha to arrive. Time passed and he never stepped in, not even a peep was heard.The flames casted a soft light across the room, flickering over the scars on her hands. She traced one absent- mindedly hoping Marcus is alive and breathing.
Outside the wind howled against the stone walls, distant but haunting. She pulled her knees closer to her chest. Alone in the Alpha's room, she silently prayed he won't come by tonight.
LUCIEN
When I reached the doors to my chamber after few drags of my cigar, I paused. She is here. I breathed in her honey scent that had hint of herbs. I wasn't planning on returning tonight at least not yet. I wanted to be sure that she won't run if given the opportunity to. My patience fractured almost instantly. I stepped wanting more of that scent. I needed to see her again.
There she was, asleep on the rug before the fire, knees pressed against her chest. Her small body was trembling and her hair damp from washing. The glow of the flames casted a shadow against her face, softening the sharp lines of exhaustion. She didn't look like a soldier now, just a girl who had lost too much too quickly. I took a blanket and wrapped her petite body with it.
I stood there for a long moment watching her sleep, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest. My wolf stirred. I remember her vividly. "Strange creature," I muttered low, careful not to wake her up. "How interesting you are to walk right into danger and back to me."
I turned away before the thought could settle too deeply and sat by the window, letting the moonlight wash over me. Sleep never came too easily to me, not when the nightmares of my past haunted me and the scent of the strange human lay beside me, engulfed me. That confusing mix of bitter and sweet, I refuse to name.
If she is truly was what my instincts whispered then she was more dangerous than she looked. And I intend to find out what exactly she is.
[THIRD PERSON LIMITED]
The firelight trembled across the walls as Lucien stood over her. The girl, the soldier knelt at his feet, shoulders tense, breath uneven. The scent of her fear clung to her skin, but underneath it, he could sense arousal, a familiar echo that called to him.
He hated that it affected him. He hated that she affected him. He wanted her in ways that excited him and at the same time marveled him.
She stirred in her sleep. Her doe eyes adjusting to the dim room and his sudden proximity to her face. He found how she woke up strangely interesting. She may not be as boring as he thought she will be.
"Now that you are awake we can go into business." He said quietly, his voice too calm for what burned inside him. "We shall enter into a pact to ensure your loyalty to me and the pack."
Noah didn't raise her head. Her voice came small and cracked. "But I will be loyal to you."
"I can't prove that for sure." He muttered low. He turned away from her then because if he looked at her any longer, he wouldn't be able to control his desires. His demon side was gaining control again. "You think loyalty is a choice but for creatures like us, it is survival."
Her brows furrowed and her breath hitched. My fangs elongated as a dark molten glow laced my fingers, curling like smoke. The mark of his demon blood.
"What are you doing?" Her breath hitched and her pulse quickened.
He knelt before her, darkness flickering in his eyes. "Making sure you will never leave me."
He grabbed her by the nape, sinking his fangs in her. The seal flared between them, ancient runes glowing red, burning against her skin and his. She gasped, the sound breaking into a strangled cry as light seared her pulse.
Lucien's breath stilled. He could feel it. Her heartbeat syncing with his and her soul trembling with his power. Beneath it all, he could feel her body tingling with something forbidden and sinful.
Her eyes met his, wet and shining. "Why does it hurt like this?"
He froze.
Her words hit harder than any blade. He wanted to say it was going to be alright but he stopped himself.
He can't show care to a human again. The demon mark pulsed, sealing the truth behind fire and silence. He stepped back, his jaw locked tight, his chest burning with something far too humane. The mark glowed again fading into her skin, invisible but there.
He turned away before she could see his eyes. Because if she did, she would know that the Alpha wasn't binding her only for control but for something more.
He made himself believe he was only doing this to secure her place in the manor, nothing more nothing less. Deep down he knew the seal was to keep her chained to him and her bound to him for eternity.
He left the room, disgust coiled up in his stomach.