Perry's POV
"Damn you, Francis Lake. There's no way I'm becoming someone's damn mate just because you said so."
I stood outside the Crown Regent Hotel, fists clenched so tight my fingers were starting to ache. If life were fair, I'd be planting a punch right into my father's smug face, not standing here waiting to meet my ridiculous fiancé.
From the second I was born, Alpha Francis couldn't have cared less about me. While my mom lay sick in a hospital bed, he was off throwing wild parties with half-naked she-wolves.
It broke her heart—broke her completely. And that's exactly what Francis wanted. He made sure she stayed out of his way. By the time I was ten, she died from the pain of it all.
You know what killed me? Francis didn't even flinch. He moved on, found a new mate like nothing happened.
And me? I got dumped in the middle of nowhere, tossed aside like trash and left to scrape by.
Three days ago, the man I hadn't seen in forever finally called me. "Perry, dear," he said like we were best buddies. "I've promised you to the Bloodmoon Pack's alpha. Don't let me down now, for the good of the pack."
I wanted to puke. His smug little voice made me want to throw my phone across the room. And before I could tell him exactly where to shove that idea, he'd already hung up.
Twenty years. He never once looked for me. Now that our pack's barely hanging on, suddenly I exist again? I'm not his daughter—I'm a bargaining chip. Trash he's trying to trade for Bloodmoon's favor.
Now he expects me to become the mate of some alpha I don't even know? I hate this, every part of it. Alpha or not, I'm not giving in.
I never got to enjoy any perks of being an alpha's daughter, but now I have to pay the price for it?
Hell no. I made up my mind—I was going to make that alpha hate me so much, he'd turn me down and march right back to yell at dear old Francis.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I picked up. "Hello?"
"Hey, Perry, it's me," Gina Layton's voice chirped through. "You outside already?"
"Yep, waiting out front. Come grab me," I said, trying to keep my tone light.
Gina and I go way back, childhood friends. Her dad owns this hotel, so she had the hookups when I asked about the Bloodmoon alpha. Turns out, he was checking in today. Perfect timing.
I wanted to speak with him before Francis's goons had the chance to drag me into anything.
Gina came rushing out a minute later. She caught my arm, looking at me like I was nuts. "Girl, what are you wearing? And what's on your face? Oh god, is that..."
"Yeah, it smells like sour milk," I said, wrinkling my nose. "Fully on purpose. I'm not trying to look cute. I want him to be disgusted. I need him to be pissed enough at Francis to back off."
"Right... sure," Gina muttered, eyes still wide. I could tell she thought I'd lost it.
I mean, who the hell doesn't want to be an alpha's mate?
She actually asked me that same question the first time I told her.
She clearly didn't agree with my plan, but she still backed me up—just because we were friends. That really hit me.
Gina kept her word and brought me to the top floor. She looked kind of anxious, her voice nearly a whisper. "Alright, Perry. Go in and do your bold thing. Just... remember, some things you can't undo once they're done."
"That's exactly the point," I said through clenched teeth.
I've never once regretted my decisions—and I wasn't about to start now.
Gina let out a sigh, shrugged, and gave me a little wave. "Okay then. Good luck!"
"I'll need it," I muttered. She turned and walked away, clearly worried.
I turned, too, and moved toward the room where the alpha was staying.
Inside was the alpha of the Bloodmoon Pack—Richard Scott. I'd heard of him, but we'd never met.
The door wasn't locked. It opened with a soft creak. I frowned.
Something felt... off. I froze, instinctively sniffing the air.
Weird... it wasn't just the almost-faded sour milk scent of my cheap perfume. There was something else in the air.
The hallway was dimly lit, and the room beyond was completely dark. The eerie vibe made my wolf itch to come out.
But I just wanted this over with. That urgency made me throw caution to the wind.
"You got this, Perry," I whispered, eyes shut tight, trying to psych myself up.
I picked up the pace and pushed the door fully open. A sudden gust of cold air made me shiver.
"Hello?" I called out, poking my head in nervously. "Alpha Richard, are you here?"
Silence. That made me uneasy. For a second, I wondered if Gina had given me the wrong info.
That strange scent suddenly got a lot stronger. I didn't even get the chance to think more about it.
A strong hand yanked me inside before I could react. All I could tell was that it was a male wolf—I couldn't see his face. He slammed me down on the bed, pinning my arms and legs. I struggled, but it was useless.
"Don't touch me!" I tried to shift, but he was faster.
His sharp teeth flashed, and pure fear held me frozen—I couldn't even think about fighting back.
But then, all he did was nuzzle into my cheek. "Hmm? A she-wolf wandering right into my arms."
His hot breath hit my neck, and my knees just about gave out.
This was an alpha in heat. If I fought him, I had no doubt he'd rip me apart.
I fought against the urge to give in. I turned my head away as he tried to lick my lips.
Then his large hands ripped my clothes open, and I whimpered, "No, please..."
His hands roamed over my body, his tongue sliding along my neck but stopping short of a bite. A shaky moan escaped me—just his touch made my body move instinctively under him.
When he pinched my nipple just right, heat shot straight to my head. My hands, held tight above me, trembled as I lay there, overwhelmed by sensation."Please... stop." I panted, my voice barely holding together. "Alpha Richard, I came here to call off the engagement—"
Before I could finish, he gripped my cheeks, my words getting stuck in my throat. "Shh."
His deep voice brushed past my ear, and only then did I realize he was breathing slowly right next to it, warm breath grazing my skin. His face brushed against mine, surprisingly calming, though I was still tense inside.
He let go of my hands, and in that brief moment, I felt a bit lost. My fingers landed weakly on his solid, muscular arm.
"Listen to me. I need you right now." His voice was soft, yet full of command. His arms trapped me completely, leaving no room to slip away.
What I didn't expect was how his gentleness actually made me relax. My heartbeat slowed a little as his hands moved across me, teasing those tender spots that made it hard to think straight. I could only follow him, confused and unsteady.
The rich scent of alcohol hit me, and like a snap, everything clicked into place—he was my mate. My destined Alpha. That realization made something inside me loosen up, despite myself.
My eyelids fluttered, half-shut as if in a daze. A weird sense of anticipation crept in.
His long, cool fingers skimmed across my chest, leaving behind waves of tingling warmth. I couldn't help but sigh, my voice trembling. "This... feels strange. But, so good..."
"That's it, good girl." He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me even closer. "You're doing just fine."
He bit at my chin, then gently licked over the same spot. My body turned soft like water, submitting before I even noticed.
"Say it, sweetheart. Tell me what you want." His voice dropped low, full of dark sweetness.
I bit my lip, suddenly too shy from how intense everything was. But his scent was like a blanket, comforting me, keeping fear at bay.
He bent down, mouth catching my stiff nipple, tongue circling slow and playful. His sharp wolf fangs were retracted now, replaced with blunt teeth; careful, gentle—not hurting me at all.
"Come on," he murmured again. "I want to hear you, baby..."
"Ahhhh!" I couldn't hold it back anymore, my chest arching up instinctively. "Right there!"
"Atta girl." He smiled—I'm pretty sure he did—and sat up a bit, then spread my legs with a kind of casual ease. "You're ready."
His hard cock pressed against me through the fabric of my underwear, and though he restrained himself, his fingers still teased fires down below. My core grew damp, breath shallow, tears pooling in the corners of my eyes.
"I really like you," he whispered into my ear, slow and sincere. "You're irresistible."
He pulled off my panties, and my eyes widened at the sight of him—so thick, it made fear and craving swirl together inside me. He brushed my cheek gently, and I knew what he wanted to hear.
So I opened my mouth, shaky but determined, and said, "Come in."
The second my words landed, he didn't hesitate. He pushed into me in one strong, smooth motion. No resistance. No delay.
A sharp sting made me bite down on my lip. "Ah... ahh..."
He stretched me wide—too wide—and yet, he moved with such care. His size filled me completely, heavy and deep, but his every move was drenched in gentleness.
"Don't move," he growled under his breath. He started thrusting into me hard, like he was pouring all his desire into every move.
I turned my head, dazed, trying to dodge his kiss. Kissing always felt different—more intimate than sex somehow.
But he grabbed my chin roughly, leaving a bite mark on my cheek. "Don't push me away."
Then his lips crashed into mine, tongue forcing its way in like he had to own every part of me. My breathing sped up. I trembled and tears slipped down my face. Suddenly, he paused and leaned in to slowly lick the tears off my skin.
That strange gentleness snapped me back a little. I stared up at the barely visible face above me, trying to focus.
I could hear myself panting. "You... you can't..."
"There's no such thing as ‘can't,'" he said coldly. "You came in here. You said you wanted this."
His hands roamed over me without pause. I shut my eyes tightly, a soft moan slipping out. I couldn't even see his face.
Time dragged. Every second felt like forever. He lifted both my legs, pulling me open for him completely. With every thrust, it felt like he was setting fire to my nerves. The bed creaked under us like it couldn't take it.
My chest heaved, my whole body clung to his, shivering as my walls tightened uncontrollably around him.
Damn it—I couldn't fight an alpha. He made me feel pleasure so intense it scared me. The way our bodies connected... it messed with my head, made it hard to think straight.
He leaned down, inhaling deeply by my ear. "You smell like cake—soft and sweet."
I dug my fingers into his shoulders, moaning nonstop. I didn't even have the strength to argue.
And soon, I couldn't even speak. He moved toward my neck—he was trying to bite me, to mark me. I could feel it. I pushed at him frantically with whatever strength I had left.
Why couldn't it just be sex? I could've pretended none of this ever happened.
He let out a displeased growl. "You should feel honored."
"No," I sobbed. "Just... not now."
That made him freeze. He stared at me, silent, like he was actually thinking it over.
I tilted my head up and traced his Adam's apple with my tongue. My fingers clung to his shoulders, silently praying he'd forgive my earlier resistance.
But after a beat, he said nothing and went right back to it, slamming into me harder, pulling louder moans from my lips. "Ah... no, stop..."
He kissed me again, deep and consuming, licking every part of my mouth like he was drinking me in. My legs gave out, and I clung to him, clumsily responding to his kiss, burning with unwanted desire.
I shut my eyes. Dizziness took over from the exhaustion. He stroked my face, and I felt something warm flood into me.
Then he pulled out and wrapped himself around me tightly, locking me in his arms like he didn't want me going anywhere. Just before I drifted off, I caught the scent on him—dark, rich, like a strong drink. It made my head spin.
Like some cruel cosmic joke, the Moon Goddess had handed me my fated mate... the alpha of the Bloodmoon Pack.
The one I was doing everything to stay far, far away from.
