Jessica's POV
"You were never meant to be powerless, Jessica. That was their mistake… and yours to fix."
Charles's voice rolled through me, deep, dominant, and impossible to ignore. My legs trembled, my wolf inside whining at the sound, my heat pulsing sharp and strong. I tried to speak, to argue, but my throat closed. His eyes—dark, endless, claiming—held me captive.
"I… I don't understand," I whispered.
"You will," he said, stepping closer. His presence pressed into me, thick and heavy. The warmth of his body, the scent, the raw power—I felt it clawing at me. My wolf stirred violently, howling inside, pushing me toward him.
Jude was there too, calm but alert, moving like a shadow around us. "Control yourself. Not yet. We need your head as much as your body."
I swore under my breath. Heat burned low and heavy between my thighs. I hated myself for reacting. I hated them for making me want it. And yet, I leaned forward, almost helplessly, drawn to Charles's dominance. My wolf howled. My body obeyed instincts I didn't have words for.
Charles stepped closer, and the air between us thickened. "Feel it?" he whispered, brushing a finger along my jaw. "The bond. The pull. Your power trying to wake?"
"Yes," I gasped, voice rough, breath hitching. My hands flexed at my sides. I wanted to push him away. I also wanted him to crush me to him. My body couldn't decide. My wolf didn't care.
Jude cleared his throat. "Control. Or this becomes dangerous."
Charles ignored him, leaning in so close I could feel his pulse through his chest. His fingers trailed down my neck, over my collarbone, teasing, possessive, claiming. My chest rose and fell, heart hammering. "You've been lied to," he said. "Everything you've felt, everything they told you—you were meant to be strong. Meant to rule. Meant to survive, not cower."
My wolf snapped. My hands pressed against his chest, trembling, wanting, resisting, surrendering all at once. "Then… why did they keep me weak?" I asked, voice low and raw.
"Fear," Jude said. "Because they knew if you woke too soon, you would burn everything down."
Charles's fingers brushed the edge of my waist, sliding down my hip in a slow, teasing, possessive motion. I gasped, hips pressing forward instinctively. My hands flew to his shoulders, gripping, trembling. My heat flared like wildfire, hot and slick, desperate for him to claim what was already his to mark.
"You feel it," he growled, low and dangerous. "Your wolf knows. Your body knows. You're mine, even if you fight it."
"I'm not yours!" I hissed, shaking with rage, desire, and shame. My wolf howled. My body leaned forward, betraying me, hips arching as his thumb pressed possessively against my lower back. Every nerve in me screamed for him.
"Liar," Charles said, dragging a hand into my hair, tilting my head so I had no choice but to meet his dark, claiming eyes. "You can't hide it. You want this. You've wanted it since you walked into this palace."
Jude stepped closer, calm and precise. "She's not yours to break yet. Not fully."
Charles ignored him. He lowered his forehead to mine, breath hot. My lips trembled as I leaned toward him, my body on fire, my wolf whining, desperate. He pressed a hand to my hip, marking me, possession clear, claiming, pulling me impossibly close. My chest pressed to his. Heat roared between us, thick and suffocating.
"I don't… I can't…" I gasped. My mind screamed. My body answered. I pressed into him, needing, aching, raw. Every touch, every movement, ignited a fire I could barely contain. My wolf snarled in approval, curling, clawing, hot.
"Shh," he murmured. "Feel it. This is yours. Mine. All of it."
I leaned into him, pressed my hands against his chest, trembling, shaking, lost. My heat pressed against him, begging, screaming. My wolf yipped and howled in a wild, desperate echo. My chest heaved, my body pliant and raw under his hands.
Then Jude stepped forward, his presence a counterbalance, steady and precise. His hand brushed my arm, a grounding force, reminding me I was more than heat, more than desire, more than a toy to be claimed.
"You're stronger than they ever let you be," Jude said softly. "And stronger than you know. Harness it, Jessica. Own it. Don't let them—or yourself—decide for you."
Charles growled low, possessive. "Her body, her heat… mine to claim. Her mind, mine to guide."
"Stop," I gasped, voice low, trembling. "I… I can't—"
"You can," Charles whispered, lips brushing my ear, teeth grazing lightly. "And you will. You always will."
My wolf howled, twisting, pressing, claiming. I felt it deep, raw, and insistent. My heat roared hotter, slick and needy. I pressed against him, hips lifting instinctively, body trembling with desire and frustration.
Jude placed his hands on my shoulders, steady, calm. "Focus," he said. "They want you. But you choose your fight. Don't surrender everything."
Charles laughed low and rough, pressing against me in a slow, dominant way, his hands holding me firmly, possessive. "I like that fight," he said. "It's yours. Fight, scream, struggle… I'll still mark you."
My knees buckled. My chest rose and fell. Heat surged, wild and raw, pulling me forward, dragging me down, claiming every nerve. My wolf whimpered, desperate and pleased. Every inch of me wanted him, feared him, needed him.
And then, the alarm blared through the palace again.
"Inner gate," Jude said, eyes sharp. "They're not stopping."
Charles pressed his forehead to mine, chest to chest, heavy and dominant. "This isn't over," he whispered, voice rough, possessive, claiming. "Your body is mine, your heat mine, your fire mine. You can fight all you want—but the moment you feel it, you'll know… I own this."
I shivered, trembling with heat, rage, and desire. My wolf purred low and deep, pressing into him, marking him as well.
Jude stepped back, vigilant. Charles didn't.
I realized then—this wasn't just heat. It wasn't just desire. It was a warning. A declaration. A claim.
And I… I didn't pull away.
Not entirely.
Because deep inside, I knew: I was done surviving.
I would fight. I would claim. I would rise.
And I would make them both pay attention to the fire that had always been inside me.