Claimed By My Husband's Enemy

Chapter 1

(Eli)

Cameras flashed everywhere as soon as Landon and I stepped out of the limousine. My husband possessively wrapped his arm around my waist. His smile was dazzling and gentle, making me smile just as sweetly as we walked together towards the Caldwell Hotel where all the wealthy and powerful people gathered.

Landon stopped for a moment to tuck a stray strand of my hair behind my ear before dropping a kiss on my forehead and tugging me closer to his side. I heard the sighs of the female reporters as they glanced his way. Why wouldn’t they? Landon was every wife’s dream man. Gorgeous, hot, tall, gentle and a very devoted husband. And the cherry on top? He was one of the richest men in and out of the country. Every newspaper and magazine featured his success in the businesses he opened where he talked about his wife as his inspiration.

Wherever we went, people congratulated me for bagging the most eligible bachelor in America.

The media loved Landon Richards. Men envied him. Kids wanted to be like him when they grew up. The women went crazy over him despite his marital status.

Once upon a time, I was one of those women too.

“Smile, Elianna. Your mask is slipping away,” Landon whispered, concealing his warning with another camera-ready smile. “You are too damn beautiful to be locked up for a day or two in the attic.”

My stomach instantly recoiled at the memory of sleeping in that cold space for two days without food, just a bottle of water, as Landon insisted that he needed to do that for me to learn. And all that happened just because I refused to keep acting as his perfect wife during one of the parties we attended.

I married a psycho.

And it was too late when I found out.

The worst part was that I couldn’t escape. My stepfather had lost his construction company due to his gambling addiction. His debts piled up. Landon paid all of them and kept our company afloat. He was the reason why my stepfather and brother could continue their lavish lifestyle, why mom could still stay in the biggest hospital in the city after she had been comatose due to a car accident when I was still a teenager.

Landon made sure there was no way out for me. I couldn’t work. When I tried, he locked me in the attic. I couldn’t even ask for help. I learned my lesson after he easily twisted the story around, making me appear as the bad wife. One mistake on my part and he would threaten to cut off mom’s life support.

I forced myself to smile.

“There’s my good girl.”

I waved at our common friends, smiled brighter, and whispered back, “I can’t wait for you to rot in hell, Landon.”

When he burst into laughter, I caught the jealous expressions of the wives who looked either bored or miserable in the arms of their husbands. If only they knew.

“I need you to be in your best behavior tonight, Elianna,” Landon warned, although the dark amusement in his eyes remained. He had the look that could have fooled even me into believing that he loved me if only I didn’t catch him balls deep in his secretary six months after our marriage which changed everything between us.

“I heard that Black is also attending the gala. That son of a bitch destroyed another very important transaction of mine two days ago. I don’t know what the hell is his problem with me, but this has to stop. I will put him in his place tonight. Once we’re done, I might be in a good mood and allow you to work again.”

I doubted that.

Landon was a very obsessive bastard. He would fuck around, but he wouldn’t let other people near his wife, especially men. That’s why he made me stop modeling. Back then, I indulged him not knowing it would be my biggest mistake.

I was at the peak of my career. I had just won the supermodel of the year when I met Landon. A year later, he proposed to me. Like any fool in love, I said yes, believing that he was a prince charming only to realize way too late that I married a frog.

For the past couple of hours, I became Landon’s perfect puppet. I smiled, laughed, and socialized with the wives who believed I should bow down to them and feel grateful that I was included in their circle while their husbands regarded me like a tasty snack in my long, red silk sheath gown which hugged my curves.

Landon secretly loved it when his business associates eyed me with lust. It fed his continent-sized ego. I was his trophy wife. He was obsessed with parading me in public and humiliating me in private.

“Where the heck is Black? You said he’s coming!” Landon’s mask fell as he glared at his secretary while we were all sitting on our table.

“Please calm down, Sir. I confirmed it with Mr. Black’s assistant yesterday. He said his boss will be here tonight,” Sophie answered, still staring at her boss with dreamy eyes despite the latter’s reaction.

Their gazes locked. I pursed my lips and excused myself for a while or else, I might end up throwing up at the sight of them together. When I returned from the ladies’ room, the two were gone. They were surely somewhere again, fucking each other like the rotten animals they were.

Just a week ago, Landon did it with a waitress he spotted when we were about to have our dinner. He made me eat by myself as he messed around. He stopped trying to hide who he really was as soon as I caught him cheating. In fact, it was like being caught was a blessing in disguise for him since he no longer had to act like a proper husband.

Despite the rage in my chest, I calmly strode towards the bar counter, sat, and ordered martini from the bartender. That was when I heard them. The murmurs and the gasps behind me. Something in the atmosphere had changed.

But I was too bitter to care. I ordered another glass of martini as someone took the seat next to me.

The earthy and rich scent of leather and musk filled my nostrils, tempting me to look at where it was coming from. I found the owner of the scent already staring at me with those stormy gray eyes. He lifted the wineglass with his tattooed hand and brought it to his lips, his eyes never straying from mine.

The heart that I thought was dead since I found out about Landon’s betrayal two years ago was now surprisingly alive, pounding fast and loud for the first time in a while.

Lucifer must have looked like this man when he was still in heaven. He was… the hottest man I’d ever laid eyes on. And I’d met countless of them in my former work. The man was that illegally attractive. His long and thick eyelashes, his sharp features, and striking jaw line would give the celebrities a run for their money. His build was larger than my husband's.

That must be the reason why something about him screamed danger.

Like he was another predator and more dangerous than my husband.

“You must be Elianna, Richards’ lovely wife. He shouldn’t have left you by yourself. Doesn’t he know the rule yet?”

Right there and then, I’d understood who he was.

Creed Black.

The man who had been messing with Landon’s business dealings, the source of his anger, and the subject of dinner conversations for a year now. His name suddenly erupted in the business world a year ago. There were no photos of him anywhere, even online, and only selected people were allowed to meet Mr. Black. In fact, Landon had only ever seen him once and it was from an auction where he’d forbidden me to attend.

I didn’t know that the billionaire Mr. Black my husband and his associates had been talking about would look like he was only in his late twenties.

And God, even his voice sounded like he’d just left his bedroom after spending a wild night with a woman.

“What rule?” I asked despite the lump in my throat, my eyes scanning the crowd for my husband. Something with the way Creed was looking at me was triggering my fight or flight instinct.

“Finders keepers,” he rasped as he emptied his glass and placed it on the counter. “Tell me, Elianna-”

“It’s Mrs. Richards,” I corrected quickly, terrified that if Landon caught me sitting this close to his sworn enemy and chatting with him, he would lose control. The punishment waiting for me made me shiver as I stood, but Creed blocked my path, cornering me between the bar counter and his massive frame.

“Not for long.” Creed smirked. “So, Elianna,” he repeated casually as he stared at my lips and then at my exposed throat. He ran his thumb from my jaw to my lower lip, making me shiver all over again but for a different reason this time. His mere touch made my knees weak. Or was I just feeling dizzy from the alcohol?

But wait. Did his eyes just change their color or was I too drunk to imagine his eyes had turned gold? I could even swear I heard a growl that came from a wild animal somewhere near us. I blinked and the sound was gone; his eyes were gray again.

“Are you happy with your husband?”

Nobody had ever asked me that. People automatically assumed they knew the answer. I frowned. “Why are you asking me this, Mr. Black? It does not concern you.”

“Oh, but it does, Elianna. Because if you aren’t, I am going to steal you from him.”

Chapter 2

(Eli)

Landon’s probing eyes found mine from a distance. His expression darkened when he caught a glimpse of the man standing in front of me. I didn’t know a time would come when I would actually feel relieved upon seeing my husband. Although the promise of punishment in his eyes made my shoulders tense as I frantically pushed Creed on his broad chest. Thankfully, he released me this time.

“The answer doesn’t matter,” I responded. “Even if you sell your soul, you won’t be able to have me, Mr. Black.”

Creed glanced at the direction I was looking at and saw Landon. Again, there was that vicious animal growl that made me certain I wasn’t hearing things. But this close to me, where was that coming from? And why did it seem like I was the only one who heard it?

“I changed my mind, Elianna. Happy or not, I am taking you anyway.”

Landon had bridged the gap between us before I could answer. He pulled me to his side and pressed my body to his. I tried hard not to wince when his grip on my shoulder tightened to warn me of what was to come once we were home although the mad glimmer in his eyes was back at the idea that someone was coveting what was his. He had always liked feeling superior, that's why he hadn’t let me go.

I grew up meeting men who wanted to possess me by any means necessary. I even thought I was cursed because I seemed to attract only the red flags. I thought Landon was different.

It turned out he was the worst. He wasn’t just a red flag. He was the entire red carpet.

“You seemed to be having a serious conversation with my wife, Mr. Black. Care to tell me what it is about?”

Creed eyed where Landon’s hand was touching me. His eyes darkened. “We were talking about Project X and how you failed to be included in it.”

Project X. I’d heard that mentioned a few times although I still had no idea what it was all about. Landon had been very secretive about it. All I knew was that he had been desperately trying to be a part of it for months now.

Landon dropped his smile and lost his composure. “That’s because you kicked me out of the project!”

Another guy in a maroon suit appeared just when Creed took out a cigarette from his pocket. The guy quickly lit up his cigarette before politely stepping back. Creed nonchalantly blew the smoke in Landon’s direction.

I didn’t like men who smoke.

But something about this man made smoking felt like he was shooting a commercial, promoting bad habits. And yet, he was successfully luring people in. When I looked around, almost all the women in the function room were staring at him like they wanted to be his cigarette.

“You are three billion dollars short, Richards. That makes you unqualified to be a member.”

Landon gritted his teeth. “I need time. I told the committee about that, and they agreed to keep a spot vacant for me. But they changed their minds after they spoke to you. In three to four months, I can give the money in cold cash-“

“Time is a very important thing in our world, Richards. I don’t need your ‘later.’ I need your ‘now.’ Although if you truly want it, I can give you a spot. Right here. Right now.” Creed shifted his attention back to me. Hunger crossed those tantalizing gray orbs. “You can be a member before the night ends, and you will be given complete access to Project X.”

“Are you serious? W-what do I have to do?” Landon stuttered for the first time.

“Let me have your wife for thirty days and you will have that three billion dollars you need right away.”

Landon and I froze. This man had no morals. The audacity of him to use me for whatever the hell project that was. I tried hard to suppress my rage as I glanced at my husband, fully expecting him to be furious for me. There were people around, especially the tall, burly guy in the maroon suit who stood quietly behind Creed. Surely, he wouldn’t waste this opportunity to act like the best husband in the world.

But he still wasn’t saying anything, and it was making me nervous as hell.

Landon was just staring back at me as if he was weighing his options.

“What in the world are you doing?” I mouthed, willing him to say something to defend me at least. He could feel my body tensing, but he was just as tensed especially when Creed shot an impatient look at his watch.

“So, what will it be, Richards? I have another appointment after this. I don’t have all night to wait for your answer.”

Landon cleared his throat and gave me the biggest surprise of my life when he spoke, “Just for thirty days, Mr. Black. I want that drafted in a contract along with the official confirmation from the head of the committee and the money in my account before you leave tonight.”

Victory filled Creed’s eyes like he was not surprised at all, like he knew that my husband will never say no, not to a man like him, at least.

Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes when he smiled at me.

“It looks like I don’t have to sell my soul after all, Elianna.”

Chapter 3

(Eli)

Humiliation and rage tore me apart as the two devils negotiated about me as if I was not standing in front of them. I did not expect much from my husband, but this level of humiliation and betrayal was on another level.

Creed’s soul was as black as his surname. He outshone all the predators I’d met before. He nodded at the man behind him who seemed to be his assistant. The latter quickly typed something on his phone.

“Check your phone,” Creed commanded, something that my husband hated the most.

Yet, he obeyed like a puppy. His eyes lit up upon seeing whatever the hell was in there.

“Thank you, Mr. Black-“

Landon’s smile faltered upon seeing how Creed roughly removed his hand on my shoulder and replaced it with his. The heartless billionaire pulled me to his side and wrapped his arm around my waist, claiming me in front of all the people watching while all he could do was stare in shock.

“Mr. Black, we could discuss this in private somewhere. You didn’t have to make a scene here-“

“You received everything you wanted immediately which means the contract is effective immediately as well, Richards. For the next thirty days, Elianna is not your wife. She is mine. You can neither speak to her nor touch her. In fact, I forbid you to even look at her.” Creed met my searing gaze. “Let’s go.”

“Where are you taking her? Her things are still in our house-“

Creed scoffed. “I just bought your wife for three billion dollars. What makes you think I wouldn’t be able to buy whatever it is she’ll be needing while she’s with me?”

Landon’s jaw clenched, his face was red from shame, and his eyes burned with fury. Great. Now he could finally relate to me.

“Then let me at least have a talk to her before you leave. As her husband, I have every right to do that before you take her from me.”

He didn’t wait for Creed’s response. He stepped towards me and whispered in my ear.

“Don’t forget what will happen to your mother if you misbehave. You are still my property, Elianna. I’m only letting this bastard borrow you for a while. Remember who owns you. I will see you in thirty days.”

“Go to hell.”

I wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. I was treated like a puppet. Landon looked like he wanted to say more, but Creed put his cigarette inside Landon’s pocket.

“That’s enough chitchat. My woman and I are leaving. It was nice doing business with you, Richards. Until next time.”

Landon gritted his teeth as he quickly dropped the cigarette to check his custom-made suit. Creed’s security detail stopped him from taking another step closer as they gathered around us like human barriers.

Just like the way I entered the gala with my husband, cameras flashed everywhere. Especially now. Followed by wide eyes and murmurs because I left in the arms of another man.

As soon as we were inside the black van, Creed’s driver, the guy in the maroon suit, started maneuvering the car.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Somewhere you don’t know.”

“For a month?”

“For as long as I want, Elianna.”

“Then I need to visit my mother first at the hospital. I also have to talk to my brother.”

I hated that I sounded pleading, like my life and decisions were no longer mine. Like it belonged to Landon. And now, to him. But it was the truth and also the curse of being married to a husband like mine.

Creed stared at me for a while as if he was trying to see through me before nodding at his driver. I told him where the hospital was. The driver nodded politely.

“Give me Project X’s latest update, Dale,” Creed spoke as he took my hand and gave it a firm squeeze.

Dale glanced at me through the rearview mirror hesitantly before responding, “Everything is moving according to the plan. All twelve heads of the families are lured into the trap. As soon as the King heard about it, he called and wanted me to send you his congratulations on his behalf. Our people will have our revenge very soon.”

Twelve families? Revenge? King? Trap?

We were talking the same language, but I felt lost in translation or was I too drunk to follow? After all, I grabbed another glass of martini while Creed and Landon were negotiating.

Creed smirked as his palm landed on my nape, sensually massaging me there. I fought back the moan that wanted to slip from my lips. I hated my husband as much as I hated this man. How dare they treat women like toys?

But his touch burned, making me feverish.

“Isn’t it funny how all of them despised the likes of us and yet, they would give up everything to join the project and become hybrids?”

The guy called Dale laughed as Creed turned his full attention to me after pressing the partition button, separating us from his driver. His eyes instantly narrowed upon seeing the ring on my finger. He snatched my hand, took the ring off, and tossed it out the window, making me gasp.

Before I could call him out, he brought my ring finger in his mouth, dropped a hot kiss on it, before sucking it. His gaze turned predatory like he was telling me with his actions what he planned to do with the rest of my body as his warm tongue played around my finger.

My eyes turned droopy as I fought back the sleep. “What do you think you’re doing, Mr. Black?”

“Teaching you what it feels like to be with an alpha, not with some useless boy.”

And then he leaned so close, his mouth touched my throat and set my nerve endings on fire.

“I don’t need an alpha,” I rasped as I looked away, trying hard not to get drowned by those eyes, by his touch, by his scent, and by his warmth that seemed to sink right into my flesh.

“Too late, Elianna. You’ve been claimed by one.”

Chapter 4

(Eli)

The tears I’d been trying to hold back since my life turned upside down streamed down my cheeks while staring at my mother’s vulnerable frame. She still looked as beautiful as I remembered, but thinner now. I was seventeen and still in school when she called me and told me she would pick me up at the dorm, that we needed to get away.

Mom was crying and she didn’t tell me why, just that I had to wait for her at the gate no matter what. I waited until nighttime, and she didn’t come. I waited for a call, but it came from the cops, informing me about the accident.

Mom was my strength. Now that she was like this, I didn’t know what to do, especially since my brother’s been growing up more and more like his dad. Easton was twenty-two, just three years younger than me, but I couldn’t even rely on him. He’d been to casinos and clubs more times than he’d been in the hospital to visit mom. Before I married Landon, all my savings were wasted paying his and dad’s debts and messes.

“I’m scared, mom,” I whispered. “I wish you’re awake. I wish I could talk to you.”

I was wiping my tears when the door slammed open, revealing Easton, his eyes were sparkling with excitement. I hadn’t seen him in weeks.

“I heard the news. You hit another jackpot, sis! Mr. Black is the real deal! I read the articles about him. He’s the wealthiest man on the continent and he’s with you!”

“What are you talking about? It’s not what you think-“

“Don’t lie, Eli. I heard him talk to his assistant at the lobby, saying you are his mate, his woman.”

A knock interrupted our rare chance to talk to each other. It was Dale.

“Mr. Black says the time is up. He is waiting in the car for you, Elianna. We have to leave.”

“You’re leaving already? You just got here. Where are they taking you, Eli?”

I bit my lower lip. I didn’t know it had been an hour already. Time passed by too fast. I kissed my mother’s hands softly and embraced Easton who was too clueless for his own good.

“While I’m away, I’ll be leaving mom in your care. If I hear you and dad clubbing and gambling again, I will let you wander off the streets. No one will be saving you both again, Easton.”

I didn’t give him the chance to talk back. Dale assisted me outside of the hospital. He opened the door. I quietly slid inside the car and gave in to the sleep that I’d been trying to hold back.

“His Majesty will be enraged if he finds out you have taken someone else’s wife, alpha. And a human at that who seems to know nothing about us.”

Those words were the first thing I heard when I woke up although I didn’t try opening my eyes. I wanted to hear more. Just who exactly were these people and why were they talking like they were not humans?

Creed trailed his finger up and down my throat. My chest pounded. Just what were these people up to?

“Elianna is no longer someone else’s wife. She is mine, Dale. Her smile, her laugh, her crying expression, even her furious face, I’m the only one in this world who gets to see all that from now on. She will no longer be paraded in front of those male humans who look at her like a fucking sex toy. Am I clear, Elianna?” His finger traced my collarbone. “Open your eyes and answer me. I know you are now awake.”

When I didn’t do as he commanded, I felt Creed nip at my throat. I huffed and opened my eyes to stare at the culprit whose eyes had unbelievably turned to gold. His gorgeous face was so close to mine that it took me a moment to form the right words in my head. Shocked and confused, I asked, “Who are you? What… are you?”

He didn’t get to answer because something collided with our car. Before I knew it, the sound of firing bullets broke the silence of the night. The car stopped.

“The rogues!” Dale muttered. “They must have heard about our mission in the human realm and ambushed us as soon as we crossed the borders. These coward assholes are back at it again. Should I call for a back-up, alpha?”

“What for? We can handle them,” Creed answered casually like we were not in the middle of a life and death situation.

His guards took care of the group of men who blocked the road. But when another van arrived and shot our car, the billionaire beside me clenched his jaw as he glanced at me. Luckily, our car was bullet-proofed.

“Whatever happens, do not step out of the car, Elianna. If you listen to me, you will be rewarded. If not, there will be a price to pay.”

My eyes watered. The emotions I’d bottled up for years were threatening to swallow me whole. Just what had I been thrust into? This was worse because I didn’t know what to expect or what was waiting for me in the arms of these strangers who talked like they were from another world.

I felt like I was going crazy with every minute that passed by while I was hunched down. I closed my eyes and covered my ears. When the firing stopped at last, I thought it was finally over. I sat straight and looked out the window only to scream when I saw a wolf staring back at me who seemed to be trying to break the window with its giant claws.

I reached for the opposite door, opened it, and ran as far as I could. I heard the sound of the glass smashing. I didn’t know where I was going. All I knew was that I needed to get away. I did not get to see even a trace of Creed or any of his guards.

My heart was thrumming. If I was a minute late, I was sure the wolf would have gotten to me. Thinking about it made all the hairs on my nape and arms rise.

What was happening? Why was a wolf here? From a distance, I heard the sound of them growling. So, there were many of them? How come?

And where were the cops when they were needed the most?

It was dark and cold. I could only rely on the moonlight. When I tripped because of my sandals, I removed them and ran barefoot. It seemed like I had unconsciously entered a forest. There were countless trees wherever I looked. I didn’t know how long I’d been running. My feet were tired, I was sweating, and panting.

But just when I planned to take a break, I heard snarls right behind me. The sound was so close. More tears dripped down my cheeks at the thought that I might not be able to see my mom again. Why was this happening to me? What had I done to deserve this?

“Creed!” I called helplessly when I fell on the muddy ground. I didn’t even know why I was calling a man I’d only met tonight. I heard sounds in front of me. Footsteps. Hope rose in my chest. But when I looked up, they were a bunch of werewolves approaching me, roaring, as they watched me with those glowing gold eyes.

Slowly, I forced myself to stand only to sob when I realized I’d been trapped. There were wolves in front of me and behind me. All of them were growling like they couldn't wait to devour me.

“Creed!”

If I would die tonight, I needed someone to at least know about it. My knees wobbled and I fell once again from exhaustion. I’d never ran that fast and that long in my entire life. And it didn’t even matter.

I was still caught.

The wolf in front of me, the biggest of them all, and the only one with red and black fur, approached me like the predator that he was. Another tear rolled down my cheek as my shoulders shook. This was it.

I was really going to die.

The wolf snarled. He ran to me… and passed me by. He and the wolves with him attacked the wolves behind me until they laid lifeless on the ground. Blood was still dripping down the fur of the black and red wolf when he marched towards me. Was I his next target?

But just when I was about to close my eyes and prepare for my death, something happened, something I had only ever seen in movies. Under the full moon, the wolf shifted. Right before my very eyes.

And I sat there, frozen, as he became a man.

And not just any man.

But the billionaire who bought me.

Creed Black.

Chapter 5

(Eli)

My heart hammered so loud that I was sure Creed heard it including all the wolves behind him who surprisingly withdrew and left the two of us in the middle of God knows where. I didn’t run. What for? This man or wolf in front of me could just sprint after me and end me like he did with the others behind me.

Creed closed the gap between us in three powerful strides. His every step was calculated and confident, like nothing in the world could faze him, like he owned this forest, and maybe he did.

Under the moonlight, he looked bigger and more ruthless, more intimidating. Creed was built like a mountain, still looking unfairly attractive in his birthday suit despite the violence and darkness in his eyes. The werewolves I saw in movies were nothing compared to the real thing, compared to this man.

In my attempt not to stare at his bare chest and all those rippling muscles, my eyes accidentally landed somewhere else.

Just when I thought I had enough revelations for the night, I saw that and for a second, my brain shut off, and then my fear skyrocketed.

I’d only ever seen Lord of the Rings in movies. And this man was the lord himself. The lord of the dicks. He was that… big, making my husband’s private part appear fun-sized. Creed was carrying a weapon of mass destruction between his thick and muscular thighs. And he wanted me.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bought me with that ridiculous amount without thinking twice about it. And years of being with Landon taught me that all men wanted only one thing from a woman.

Sex.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Someone like Creed certainly intended to get what he paid for. Suddenly, I didn’t know which part of him was more dangerous. Creed in his wolf form or him in his human body with that weapon between his legs.

This man was going to wreck me.

“How naughty. Are you thinking about that already?” Creed asked as if he could read my mind, making heat creep up at the back of my neck as I caught the wicked glimmer in his eyes. “Nothing to worry about. It’ll fit.”

He leaned closer and cupped my jaw. And I couldn’t understand how my body still couldn’t get the memo that we were grasping at straws here. Even now, his touch was making me burn. Making me ache in parts where I shouldn’t.

“We will get to that part later. Now, eyes up here, Elianna. Are you hurt?”

“My brain hurts.” My feet could handle a little pain. But this? The more I think about what just happened, the more I felt the pounding in my head. My voice still shook despite my best efforts to remain calm when I added, “How is all this possible?”

“The world is so much bigger than you think, Elianna. Anything is possible.”

Creed glanced at my feet before he bent down and lifted me up effortlessly. I just witnessed how brutal he could be. I saw him fight the other wolves. I saw him tear them apart. And yet, his hands were unlike Landon’s.

Even with all that dominant power and strength, Creed held me with surprising gentleness as he walked out of the forest with me in his arms. I didn’t argue. Even if I didn’t trip a while ago, I didn’t think I could walk without trembling.

“Are you scared of me now?”

“No.”

The lie rolled off my tongue automatically, a trait I had to learn while living with a psycho. Something was telling me that Creed wouldn’t like being told otherwise. And my survival had to come first before anything else.

“Good. Only the fierce ones get to survive in my world. And you are a survivor, aren’t you?” A playful smile curled his lips. “If you want to live, you will have to maintain that attitude.”

Creed reached the highway where multiple cars and several men waited. I swallowed hard. Were they the same wolves from a while ago? Dale was leaning against the same car he drove earlier. But how did that happen? Wasn’t it destroyed by the wolves? And yet, I didn’t see any damage. 

Upon seeing us, he opened the door of the back seat immediately where his boss had me sit and then he closed the door, leaving me in my spiraling thoughts.

I ran my shaky hand over my hair. What was going to happen to me now? How could I survive in a wolf-dominated world?

A few minutes later, Dale slid on the driver’s seat and glanced at me through the rearview mirror. I fought the shiver that wracked through me.

“Believe it or not, you are safe with Creed, Elianna. He’s our pack alpha. While you are with him, nothing that you don’t want will happen to you.”

“Safe?” I looked at him wide-eyed. Did werewolves and humans use different dictionaries? Because his version of the word was far different from mine. “I almost died.”

Dale shrugged. “But you didn’t. The rogue wouldn’t have gotten inside the car. It was enchanted with a spell that protects it from outside forces. Yet, you left. You didn’t listen to the alpha’s instructions.”

“While I was running away, I heard this car's window get smashed by the wolf.”

“It was a different car.”

“How was I supposed to know that? I didn’t even know wolves existed until tonight!”

“Now you do. But like I said, you are safe.”

I hated how calm he was while I was trying so hard not to freak out. I knew I shouldn’t be talking to him like this, but my anger was now bigger than my fear. Dale looked at me like he was somehow blaming me for trying to keep myself alive by getting out of the damn car.

“How much did your alpha pay you to say that?”

He frowned. “Not everyone can be paid, Elianna.”

“Tell that to my husband, damn it.”

All of a sudden, Dale burst out laughing until Creed opened the door. He was now dressed in dark slacks and white button-up as he sat beside me. 

Dale started the engine as the two men shared a look through the rearview mirror as if they were having a secret conversation. And then Creed’s eyes swung my way.

“I remember telling you that if you behaved like a good girl and stayed in the car, you would be rewarded,” Creed said. “And you did the opposite. Disobeying comes with a price in my world.” He rolled up his sleeves. “So, Elianna… how would you like to be punished?”