Adrian
Fucking Jamie and his stubbornness.
I smell him before I hear them, the scent, wild and raw, cutting through the evening air like a fucking knife. He left my room, my fucking bed, and I don't know why. If I didn't think I would have lost it out there, I would have been the one to get him. I've been pacing the length of my office since I came back from the council meeting.
The fucking meeting of hell.
The council chamber reeks of incense and arrogance. Six elders, seated in a circle, eyes sharp and unwavering, judging every breath I take. Waiting for me to fall.
"We smell the scent. We heard the call from your wolf. Who is this person you chose, and why wasn't she brought forward to the council?" Dom speaks up, his anger palpable. He has hated me since I inherited this title.
Every pair of eyes locks on me.
I knew it was going to be a problem, but I didn't think it would happen so fast. Marking Jamie was a bad idea, but it's too late. I don't flinch. I never do. But my wolf shifts uneasily under their scrutiny, restless and protective.
"I'm still the leader," I say evenly, leaning back in my chair. "Who I choose is my business. When the time is right, introductions will be made."
Dom's lip curls. "You marked someone without permission."
I meet his stare head-on. "Since when do I need permission to follow instinct?"
A ripple of disapproval runs through the room.
Helena, always the calm blade beside him, leans forward. "It is our concern when an Alpha marks without warning. The Moon howled once in our lifetime, and now again, this is not coincidence. You've bound yourself to someone, but no one knows who."
"That's the point," Dom growls. "He hides it."
"Because it's private," I say, voice even.
Dom slams a hand on the table. "You think secrecy protects you? The entire pack felt it. Whatever you claimed, its scent wasn't clear. Not wolf. Not rogue. Not..." He stops, nostrils flaring. "You know what we smelled? Fear. Confusion. Something… incomplete."
My jaw tightens. "You're imagining things."
"Am I?" he presses. "If this creature is a threat—"
"It's not."
Helena's eyes narrow. "Then prove it. Bring them forward. Let the council see the bond."
A murmur of agreement ripples around the room. The others love the idea of seeing the Alpha cornered.
I let the silence stretch, every heartbeat louder than the last. Then I say quietly, "No."
Dom rises halfway from his seat, bristling. "No?"
"I said," I repeat, letting my power curl through the room, "no. I lead this pack. The Moon marks through me. When the time is right, you'll meet who I chose. Until then, you'll trust my word or step aside."
Helena's lips curve faintly, mockingly. "You're playing a dangerous game, Alpha."
"Then pray I don't lose," I snap.
The temperature drops. A few of them glance away, unwilling to meet my eyes. Dom sits back down, his expression hard.
"This isn't over," he says. "If this mark brings chaos to our borders, we'll come for both of you."
I shake the meeting out of my head just as Elliot and Jamie walk into the house. The bond thrums heavily against my flesh, and all I want is him close. I am pissed, but the sight of him, safe and untouched, is enough at the moment. Jamie stands at the edge of the porch, his hoodie damp with sweat. The smell of him travels through my nostrils, and all I want to do is sniff him like a fucking dog. Elliot follows behind, expression unreadable.
"You want to tell me," I start, my voice low and dangerous, "why the hell you were outside the compound?"
Jamie doesn't answer. His eyes flick away, jaw tight.
"Adrian," Elliot says carefully, "he—"
"Don't." My glare cuts him off. "You can go."
Elliot hesitates, looking between us. He opens his mouth like he wants to argue, then seems to think better of it. "He was near the border," he mutters. "He's lucky I found him first."
That's all it takes. The bond snaps inside me, fury colliding with fear.
Elliot nods once and disappears through the doorway, leaving just the two of us.
Jamie's breathing quickens under my stare, but he doesn't back away. "Don't look at me like that," he says. "I'm fine."
"Fine?" My laugh is sharp and humourless. "You left the house. You ran into the woods. You could've been killed. That's not fine, Jamie."
"I didn't ask for any of this!" His voice breaks on the words, anger and hurt colliding. "I didn't ask to be bitten or marked or trapped here like some prisoner!"
He knows.
How does he know?
The words hit like claws to the chest, because part of me knows he's right. But my wolf, my wolf doesn't care about reason. It only knows that he's mine, and he ran.
I take a step closer, the air between us crackling. "You think I wanted this?" My voice drops, rough, guttural. "You think I wanted to lose control, to tie you to me in front of the entire pack?"
Jamie's jaw trembles, but his eyes don't leave mine. "Then why didn't you stop yourself?"
"Because I couldn't," I snarl. "Because when I'm near you, there is no control left to have!"
The words hang between us, thick and brutal. He flinches, just slightly, and that's when I see it, the mark at his throat, faintly red against pale skin, the steady pulse beneath it. My mark.
And then something else hits me, her scent.
"Who was here?" I demand. "You didn't just run. Someone got to you."
Jamie hesitates, and that hesitation tells me everything.
"Who?" I press.
His voice is barely a whisper. "The woman. From before. The one I saw in the house."
Marissa.
The name hits like fire in my veins. My vision flickers gold, the room vibrating around me. "What did she say to you?"
Jamie's eyes glisten, but he lifts his chin anyway. "Everything."
"Everything?"
"That you're a wolf. That you marked me. That I'm yours now, like some… some brand." His voice cracks. "And maybe she's right."
I step forward before I can stop myself, one hand slamming against the wall beside his head. My wolf wants to roar, to tear apart whatever poison she left in his mind, but all that comes out is a whisper.
"She doesn't know what we are."
He laughs, but it's a broken sound. "Do I?"
The question slices deeper than any accusation. I exhale slowly, fighting down the rage clawing at my throat. "You will," I say. "But not like this. Not because of her lies."
Jamie's eyes flash. "Then tell me the truth."
I hold his stare, every word sitting heavy on my tongue, every instinct screaming to protect him from the world, and from me.
But before I can speak, Ethan's voice calls from outside, tense. "Adrian—Council car at the gate."
I curse under my breath. Of course. Perfect timing.
I look back at Jamie, who's still watching me with that storm in his eyes. "This isn't over," I say quietly.
"It never is with you," he whispers back.
And somehow, that hurts more than the bite ever did.