The Reluctant Alpha

I didn't even have time to scream before the car door slammed behind me. My chest tightened.

The rain outside blurred everything into streaks of gray and orange. Whoever was driving didn't say a word. The seatbelt or whatever they had strapped me with kept me pinned, not exactly tight but enough to make me feel trapped. My chest heaved, and I realized that panic had already set in.

"Relax," the man beside me said. His voice was calm, almost casual, but there was a sharp edge underneath that made my skin crawl. "It's just for a short trip."

Relax? My life had just been sold to a pack. They are very dangerous werewolves who call themselves the Black Pack. My father had ruined me with debts I couldn't pay, and now I was their property. The words felt hollow when I whispered them aloud in my own head.

I shoved my hair out of my face, chestnut strands sticking to the sweat and rain, and glared at him. "I don't care what it's for. I'm not...."

The car screeched to a halt before I could finish, and strong hands grabbed me. Not rough enough to hurt, but enough to knock the air out of me. There was a low guttural growl in the air, so close and threatening that my knees wobbled. I froze.

"Stay still," the man said. His amber eyes caught mine, glinting in the dim light. There was heat there, a claim, something I hated and couldn't deny, that made my stomach tighten for reasons I didn't want to name.

Then I saw Dominic Black, my nightmare and the reason my life was about to get infinitely worse. Broad shoulders, dark hair plastered to his forehead from the rain, and eyes that burned like fire. He didn't move fast, didn't smile, didn't say anything warm. He just stood there and that made me shrink back instinctively.

"You're Lila Carter," he said. 

"Yes," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, "I'm her. Now, can we....."

"No talking unless spoken to."

My stomach sank. The authority in his voice wasn't just words, it was power. He owned the space, the night, and apparently me too.

Wet leaves clung to my boots, and the city lights from a distance made everything else feel unreal. Dominic didn't guide me as a normal person would. He didn't care if I tripped, he just expected me to keep up.

"The Black Pack doesn't negotiate," he said, eyes scanning the dark as if he could see threats I couldn't even sense. "You follow the rules, or you'll learn why we enforce them."

I swallowed hard, hating how small I felt at that moment. I wasn't used to taking orders, but it was clear resisting wasn't an option.

From the shadows, I heard faint movements. Quick, silent. Something was watching. My chest tightened again as my instincts screamed that I didn't belong.

Then came a voice, low and teasing, from behind a corner. "Well, well. Dominic's pet finally arrives."