When Elena Cross is snatched from her life and forced into the dark world of the Blackstone Pack, she learns the ruthless truth about Alpha Kael Thorn a man as dangerous as he is powerful, and as captivating as he is cruel. Bound to him by a primal mate bond she never asked for, Elena finds herself trapped in a twisted battle of wills, where her humanity is both her shield and her curse. Kael despises everything about her. To him, she's a weakness, a threat to his pack, and a constant reminder of a past betrayal. Yet no matter how he tries to deny it, the bond keeps pulling him back to her, fueling an obsession he cannot escape. She's his mate, his property yet she defies him at every turn. In a world where freedom seems impossible, Elena is determined to resist him and break free. But as the tension between them blurs the line between hate and desire, she realizes that Kael's hold on her is far more dangerous than she ever imagined. Can Elena find the strength to escape, or will she be bound forever to a man who might be her worst nightmare... and her only salvation?
Chapter 1 1
Elena Cross was only halfway down the alleyway behind the bar when she heard footsteps. Heavy, deliberate, and just far enough behind that she couldn't dismiss it as coincidence.
She wrapped her fingers tighter around the small can of pepper spray she always carried and kept walking, keeping her pace steady. Faster would mean giving in to fear, letting whoever was behind her know she'd noticed. Instead, she took a calming breath, eyes fixed ahead on the glimmer of streetlight spilling from the main road.
But the steps quickened.
Elena's heart stuttered, then leapt into a frantic rhythm, thundering in her ears. Every self-defense class, every late-night warning her mom had ever given her came rushing back in flashes. Don't run. Stay calm. Don't show fear.
The footsteps gained on her, and as she tightened her grip on the spray, she finally broke her own rule. She ran.
The sudden burst of movement shattered the silence of the alley, her shoes pounding against the pavement, echoing off the narrow brick walls. She could hear him following her, relentless, gaining ground faster than should have been possible. The few late-night sounds of the city blurred in her mind; all she could hear was her own ragged breath, her heart drumming wildly, and the nightmare pounding of his boots.
She skidded out of the alley and onto the open street, her eyes frantically searching for anyone, anyone who could help. But this part of town had always been empty by midnight. Even the bars a few blocks away felt like an eternity to reach.
A hand gripped her shoulder, hard enough to yank her back, nearly off her feet.
Elena spun, swinging the pepper spray toward his face, her finger pressed down on the trigger before she'd even gotten a good look at him. But it didn't hit. He moved with inhuman speed, grabbing her wrist and twisting it just enough to make her fingers go numb. The canister fell to the ground, a tiny, useless sound that felt final.
She finally looked up at him-and that's when she noticed his eyes. Dark, like polished onyx, and cold, devoid of any trace of humanity.
"Well, that was cute," he said, voice low and mocking. His hand on her wrist was painfully strong, his fingers like iron around her skin.
"Let go of me." Her voice shook, and she hated herself for it, but she didn't dare look away. Fear clawed up her spine, paralyzing and absolute.
"Oh, I don't think so." He pulled her closer, his face inches from hers. "See, I've been looking for you, Elena."
Her breath caught. "How... How do you know my name?"
He tilted his head, and there was a strange intensity in his gaze, something dark and unyielding. "Oh, I know more than just your name. I know you've been working in that dingy bar for nearly a year now. I know you walk home alone most nights, cutting through that alley to save a few minutes. I know you think you're smarter than most of the people around here." He leaned even closer, his breath hot against her ear. "And I know you belong to me."
The words were a blow, as if he'd reached inside her chest and squeezed her heart until it was nothing more than a shuddering fragment. She tried to pull back, but his grip tightened, his nails biting into her skin. "Let me go, or I swear, I'll-"
"You'll what?" he interrupted, his voice laced with cold amusement. "Scream? Run? Fight?" He laughed softly, the sound dark and cutting. "I don't think you understand, Elena. There's nowhere you can go where I won't find you. Nowhere you can hide from me."
Her mind raced, grasping for anything, any way out, but his hold was unbreakable. His face was unreadable, a mask of cold control, but something dark lurked beneath, a hunger that terrified her.
"Why are you doing this?" Her voice was barely a whisper, thick with panic.
His gaze flicked over her face, lingering on her trembling lips, her wide eyes. "Because you're mine," he said simply, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. And before she could react, he pulled her closer, pressing his mouth to hers in a bruising, possessive kiss.
The shock rooted her in place. His lips were hard, relentless, as if he were staking some dark claim on her very soul. She twisted in his grip, but it was like fighting against steel; his hold was immovable, unbreakable.
When he finally pulled back, his eyes were darker than before, an intense, almost feral gleam in their depths. "Consider that your warning, Elena. You're coming with me. And there's no escape."
Every part of her screamed to fight, to resist, but the look in his eyes, the brutal strength in his grip, told her one thing: he wouldn't hesitate to hurt her if she defied him.
Her heart thundered, but she lifted her chin, meeting his gaze with as much defiance as she could muster. "I don't know who you think you are, but I don't belong to you. I don't belong to anyone."
His lips curved into a chilling smile. "You're wrong. You belong to me, whether you like it or not."
She barely had time to draw breath before he hoisted her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing at all, ignoring her fists as they beat against his back. She screamed, kicked, twisted, but his grip was relentless
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