Chapter 3

Shemika had been tending to Marius’s desires for hours. Each time she tried to leave, he drew her back in. She had more than earned her share of his hunt, but he was taking advantage of her need for it.

“Marius,” she sighed, gathering her belongings. “I’ve more than earned my half of your game.” Her words were sharp, laced with frustration.

He was sprawled on his bed, his bare back to her. He turned his head to look at her. “Ever thought about settling down, Mika?”

Her face twisted in distaste. “I haven’t met my destined, so no.”

He rolled onto his back, an arm draped over his toned stomach. “You can still settle down. Waiting for someone who may never come is foolish,” he said, cutting her off before she could mention Sorin and Colette. “At least for most of us.”

She barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes. “No.”

His smile was soft, almost tender. “If we mated, I’d give you all of my game every day, just for your loyalty.”

Her lips twisted into a scowl. “I don’t even like you, Marius.”

“You don’t ~need~ to like me. Mating isn’t about that. It’s about what I can offer you. My home is bigger than yours, the game I kill is bigger than yours, in bed I am bigger tha—"

She nearly gagged. “You think Dancescu won’t kill you if we get together?” she asked, her tone casual.

Marius rolled his eyes. “He enjoys your attention, but he doesn’t want you long term, Mika.”

~Yeah, right.~ The alpha had already proposed to her, trying desperately to convince her to let him mark her. Marking someone against their will was against the law and, more importantly, against Mother Luna’s wishes.

“Look, Marius, I’m not mating with you. I want to go home. Just give me my share of your game and let me leave.” Her words were a demand, but they sounded more like a plea.

He sat up and reached for her. “Shhh…you’re spoiling the moment. Come back to bed. One more time, I promise I’ll be done with you.” His lips curled in a predatory smile.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him, despite her resistance. “Marius, I’ve earned more than half your game. I am ~not~ sleeping with you again,” she said, her tone flat.

“How about all of today’s game…and you spend the night with me?” he suggested, grinning.

Shemika didn’t like spending the night with anyone. Initially, she was okay with it, even spending nights with multiple men. But after Dancescu started forcing her to stay by his side, she craved solitude.

“How much are you offering? How much game do you have?” she demanded, hands on her hips.

His lips curled into a wicked grin. “I got two big kills and a few small animals today.”

The thought of meat—juicy, red, sweet, still warm with life—made her stomach growl. She hadn’t eaten meat in so long, especially not freshly killed. The last time was before she’d stopped shifting, at least ten years ago.

Shemika wanted the game, two large animals. It would keep her mother fed for a while, and she might even get to eat a little. “No, but I’ll sleep with you once more…for all of today’s game.”

He nodded and quickly pulled her back onto the bed. She didn’t hate sex, but she couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed it. The men had tried—they’d been gentle, loving, attentive—but it always felt empty.

As Marius’s mouth moved over her body and his hands explored her skin, Shemika tried to think of anything else. She often thought about leaving her pack. There wasn’t much there for her. She considered running away to a human town, but the logistics were complicated. She didn’t have a birth certificate, a social security number, or an ID. There were too many obstacles, and she knew Dancescu would take away her money the moment he realized she’d abandoned her pack.

Marius was inside her in moments, and Shemika tried to lose herself in her thoughts, to escape the reality of her situation.

She didn’t want to be there with him, even though his attention made her feel valued. She longed for the solitude of her room, back when she was a child and her mother didn’t see her as a rival. A time when she didn’t owe anyone anything. When being a woman didn’t mean belonging to every man around her.

At first, she’d enjoyed the attention from the men. Mileva had told her that her worth was in her appearance, and Shemika had interpreted that to mean the more men who found her attractive, the more valuable she was. No man had ever rejected her.

She felt Marius moving inside her, his climax approaching. She used to fear getting pregnant, but after sleeping with nearly every male in her pack without getting pregnant, the fear had faded.

As Marius climaxed, Shemika tensed. It had been a long time since she’d felt pleasure during sex, despite her partners’ efforts. They’d teased and played with her, trying to bring her to climax, but no one could.

Shemika had even tried to pleasure herself in the privacy of her room, but it never worked. It was as if her ability to feel pleasure had been switched off. She lacked the motivation to reach climax.

With Marius momentarily satisfied, Shemika pushed against his chest until he rolled onto the mattress beside her, exhausted. “Can I leave now, Marius?” she asked, her annoyance evident in her tone.

He looked at her, his eyes half-closed. “I don’t think I’m done with you yet, Mika,” he mumbled, his words vibrating through his chest and causing a knot of fear in hers.

Her situation reminded her of the many times Dancescu had kept her for his own pleasure. Her patience was tested by how long he needed before he was satisfied. She was scared, scared of feeling trapped by him. She wanted to come and go as she pleased, not feel like a captive.

“No, Marius. I have ~more~ than earned your full day’s game,” she said firmly.

Marius raised an eyebrow at her defiance. “What if I don’t think you’ve earned it?”

She bit the inside of her cheek, knowing he’d report her to Dancescu. “Fine, give me what you think it’s worth,” she said, barely resisting the urge to stomp her foot in frustration.

He tilted his head. “Fine, you caught me. I just want you in bed again.” He raised his hands in surrender.

She knew it, the cunning bastard. “Give me the game, and I will…spend time with you tomorrow,” she offered.

He rubbed his jaw, considering her offer. Finally, he said, “All my game from today…and I will take you daily, at least once a day, for the next week.”

Her jaw clenched in irritation. He’d better have caught the entire forest at this rate. “A fourth of your game for the rest of the week.”

He smirked. “Deal.”

“Good,” she said, not trusting him. He’d already broken his promise and tried to push for more. “But I want to seal it,” she said, her eyes narrowed.

He met her gaze, a challenge in his soft expression. “You don’t trust me, Mika? I’m hurt,” he said, clutching his chest in mock pain.

She smiled as sweetly as she could. “If you mean it, you should be fine with a sealed deal.”

His smile faded, replaced by irritation. “Fine, since you don’t trust a word I say.”

She barely stopped herself from groaning in exasperation. “I do trust you. How do you know I won’t break our deal? It’s for your benefit,” she lied, batting her eyelashes innocently, though she wanted to stomp on his face.

“No,” he finally said.

“Then we go back to our original agreement. All of today’s game. I earned it,” she said through gritted teeth, her fists clenched at her sides.

“I don’t feel satisfied,” he replied coldly.

He definitely should have. They’d been intimate more times than she could count. She was worth more than just a few scraps of affection. “I can’t be with you every day. I have things to do,” she said, tossing her hair with a hint of defiance.

“Really? Because I don’t see you doing much with Ylenia,” he countered.

Shemika’s body stiffened. The last thing she wanted was for Dancescu to realize how little she contributed to their pack. If he found out, he’d surely demand she make up for it in his bed. What a repulsive thought. “I do plenty for Ylenia,” she lied.

“Either agree to spend the next week in my bed, or I’ll expose your lie,” he threatened.

Shemika’s heart felt like it was about to stop.