Book 2: Chapter: 01

Sienna I‘d never seen Aiden look so terrifying— hair raised on the nape of his neck, canines pro truding from his snarling mouth, hunched over my attacker with a thirst for blood in his e yes.

The man fought back, but Aiden easily overpowered him, slamming him up against the wall.

He punched that bastard’s ribs over and ov‘ again in an animalistic rage until CRACK I gasped in shock as I heard his ribs break. I watched him fall to the ground, just a crum pled, mess of a man now—pathetic.

Tears began to roll down my face.

Emily. Oh my God. This was what she‘d gone through four years ago.

Completely helpless and afraid, paralyzed and unable to call for help. A feeling of compl ete darkness.

No one was there for her. I wasn‘t there.

As I watched Aiden drag the man‘s limp body through the alley, I almost felt guilty, guilty that I‘d survived and she hadn‘t.

I wanted to stand up and run away, but I doubted I could even crawl right now.

Emily, her rapist, my attacker, they all kept flashing before my eyes. I wanted to vomit up the twisted feelings inside me.

I flinched as Aiden knelt down and wrapped his arms around me. “I‘m not going to hurt you,” he said softly.

It went against every fiber of my being, but I let him pick me up and carry me to his car.

I‘d never felt more vulnerable with him, but something about the warmth of his chest and his tight embrace made me feel safe.

My Haze wasn‘t flaring up. This feeling was something different.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked, my body still shaking.

“My house,” he replied quietly. “I promise I have no intention of taking advantage of you.

I just want to be there for you.”

My friends were still in the club, clueless to the horrors that had just happened outside, and I wanted to keep it that way. I didn‘t want to face them tonight. Going home wasn‘t a n option either. My parents would take one look at me and know that something was wr ong. I wasn‘t ready for the questions, the pity, or the judgment Going with Aiden was my best option. I still didn‘t trust him, but what he‘d just done for me... It made me sick to think what would‘ve happened if he wasn‘t here.

Aiden’s demeanor was completely changed from the ferocious man that had mauled my attacker just moments ago. It was caring and kind.

As much as I despised him for marking me and forcing me to take on the responsibility of being his mate, I couldn‘t deny that I wanted him to be there for me. I didn‘t know how long it would last since this thing between us was unpredictable as hell, but I was willing to give him a shot.

He said he wanted to be there for me? Fine, I‘d let him prove it then.

Finally, I gave in, letting my head rest on his shoulder. He placed me gently into the pas senger seat, and we drove in silence. As I watched the blurry buildings and trees disapp ear out the window, I tried to make the memories of tonight disappear as well, but that seemed impossible.

If I felt spooked by what had happened, Emily must‘ve been absolutely haunted by what she‘d gone through.

I dug my fingernails into Aiden‘s expensive leather seats. I never wanted to feel helpless that way again. I would never let a man make me feel that way again.

I glanced sideways at Aiden, and my chest tightened. I couldn‘t be in that car anymore. I needed to be somewhere else, somewhere safe.

Just as I began to panic, Aiden pulled into his driveway and it felt as though we had just entered into a dream, like I had manifeste d the safest, most inviting space imaginable.

A tiny cobblestone bridge stretched over a trickling stream, leading to a modest manor s urrounded by dogwood trees and a perfectly curated garden of flowers. It was like a fair y tale.

Maybe I didn‘t know everything about Aiden after all? He must‘ve sensed my surprise because he smirked at my entranced expression.

“Not what you expected?”

I didn‘t answer, my voice still trapped in my throat.

He could see that I wasn‘t ready to talk, so he helped me out of the car and placed his hand on the small of my back, gently guiding me through the doorway. I didn‘t mind i t.

His closeness actually made me feel safe, which was never a feeling I thought I‘d elicit from Aiden. This didn‘t feel like someone trying to control me. It felt like someon e was trying to comfort me.

The crackling of the brewing coffee was the between us as we sat across from each other not making eye contact.

Of course neither of us knew what to say. What should I say to a man I had just watched break another man in half? What did he say to a woman who was al most just raped? Would words really make anything better? No, but at least his presenc e was comforting.

Finally, Aiden broke the silence, but I wished he hadn‘t.

“Why were you with that man at the club?”

“What exactly are you asking?” I felt my face growing hot.

“You should never have been alone with another man when you‘re Hazed. It‘s the fucking Season. Why would you put yourself in that position? he r eplied.

I stood up suddenly. “Are you fucking serious? Are you implying that what happened to me was my fault?”

“Don‘t snarl at me. I wasn‘t saying that.”

“How did you even find me? Were you following me?”

“It‘s my business to know where you are at all times, Sienna. As a marked woman, you shouldn‘t be”

“And whose fault is that?” I lobbed back. “You‘re the one who marked me! Against my will! You forced me into a Haze, Aiden! You took my free will and twisted it t o fit your own selfish needs!”

“Don‘t you understand that once the Season hits and you‘re marked, the Haze won‘t go away unless you give in and have sex with the one who‘s marked you?”

“I know that!” I snapped, furious now. “That‘s why I never wanted to be marked to begin with!”

“You wanted me at the Pack House. Don‘t deny that,” he countered.

He wasn‘t coming onto me. He would never dare after what had happened at the club. But I still found myself flailing, unable to keep the past and present straight.

“You have no idea what I want! Just stay the hell away from me!”

He moved toward me, not in an aggressive manner, but it still felt like I was running out of space to escape, finding myself pinned against a wall once again.

“Please, you‘re too close, you‘re—

” I cried. Moisture filled my eyes, and I looked away from him, ashamed of myself for fee ling so weak.

Aiden stopped in his tracks, looking surprised. His hand clasped my chin and turned it to face him again. He wasn‘t moving toward me to hurt me or to fuck me. He was moving closer to comfort me.

“Sienna,” he said. “I‘m not going to take advantage of you. Not now or ever. All I want is to protect you.

He pulled me into a hug, and I surrendered to the gesture. “You shouldn‘t have marked me,” I said, my voice muffled by his chest.

He sighed and suddenly pulled me down until I was sitting on his lap and he was holdin g me even closer. “There‘s something between us. Neither of us can deny it. I felt it whe n I marked you, but I even felt it the first time I saw you, back on the riverbank.”

“You remember that?” I asked, a little incredulous.

“Of course I do,” he said quietly, tightening his hold of me. “I felt your power even then.

Your scent radiated a strength and sensuality that I couldn‘t resist.”

I retracted a bit from his grip. “I didn‘t radiate any strength tonight. I was weak.”

“Stop. What I said a minute ago. I was wrong. Let me tell you something. Your scent hit me the moment I walked into that dinner party. It‘s not something that happens in human form, so you threw me off balanc e.

“The Haze hit me, and I had to follow you, to find out more about you, to just be in your presence. I‘ve never been so overcome by anything more powerful in my life. Th at‘s your strength, the kind of power you have over me. That‘s why I marked you.”

I got up from his lap and looked at him as if I were looking at a stranger.

What the hell was he saying? Neither of us was Hazed, yet he was looking at me with unmistakable desire in his eyes, just a different kind of desire, a desire to be close to me.

“Why are you suddenly telling me all this?

“Because I think you might be my mate.”

Did you know that we have ANOTHER story that is set in The Millennium Wolves world?!

Head over to the Discovery Page and dig your fangs into...

Devil Vs. Alpha Eve‘s very powerful, and she‘ll stop at nothing to complete her newest mission: protecting the lives of two teenage girls. But there are distractions...

See you there!