Nine

JADE POV.

His eyes were dark as death. That was the first thing I noticed as he slammed me into him, his rigid muscles rippling against my skin, the proximity unfamiliar.

Blood dripped from the cut where he held the sharp pointed metal that I'd have used to end his life. He'd known exactly where I was going to attack from and I found it uncanny since I was perfect in silently waiting for my prey and attacking swiftly before they even had a chance to defend themselves. Most of them never even saw my face before they died, all they saw was the flash of my blade, so as I stared at the mountain of a man, who I had to admit was even more ruggedly handsome under the glow of the dimly lighted chandeliers, his eyes being the most captivating of his features-they promised heaven and hell all at a glance, I didn't know what to make of him.

"That was not a very nice move to make" he murmured, his voice a dark rumble that sent tingles sprinting down my spine.

Fuck him. "We should start over. I promise I won't miss this time, Fucker" I said, watching his eyes flash. I tried to pull back but his warm palm snapped against the back of my neck, his fingers tangling into my hair, as he effectively held me in place. It was almost as if he was cradling me in his arms. I'd never felt smaller in my life as his warm body cocooned mine with no room for escape and I hated every second of it.

"That mouth of yours needs to be purged," he said, yanking the dagger from my hold and hurtling it across the room. His bloodied palm trailed my cheek, his blood smearing my skin.

"Let go of me!" I yelled after struggling and not getting a budge out of him. He was too solid, unlike anyone I'd ever met.

"If you ask nicely".

I smirked, then Jammed my knee up his groin with swift precision that had him letting go of me, a rough grunt the only reaction to a move that had men writhing in pain on the floor, and looking all pathetic. Something told me not to mess with the man, but I'd never been the one to listen to my own advice. I put some space between us. "Was that nice enough for you?" I asked sweetly, arching an eyebrow.

The way he stared at me made goosebumps trail up my skin and I could feel my heart rate increasing. Fuck him, I wasn't scared of him.

A growl rumbled out of his throat as he took a step towards me and it was so animalistic that it had the memory of the night before rushing into my head and making me dizzy.

I'd thought I hallucinated everything, but what if I didn't, what if it was all real and Dearil, a name that stuck to my brain like glue was just keeping me until it got hungry for a hot meal? There had been a lot of folklore of men turning into animals that it was not an absurd notion to believe In, and with the way Etral forest had been shut off from the rest of the world, there was no doubt that it might actually be because of these monsters.

Defenseless, I waited with bated breath as he crowded against me. My hands shot up to prevent him from getting closer and his hand caught hold of it, pulling me into him like I weighed nothing. It was mortifying. I couldn't remember the last time anyone dared to manhandle me in this way. Manhandling others was usually my forte and I'd always blended in with the men back home, but standing between his huge frame and the table behind me, I felt small, I felt like he could crush me as I stood staring at him, trapped between his arms where he'd caged me.

"I'm your new owner Jade, and I will not tolerate such rude and bratty behavior. I own this pack and everything in it, and when I tell you to do something, you do it without a complaint. Speak or act out of turn again, then you'll leave me no choice but to punish you." He delivered in a voice that held so much power, it was hard to form a coherent thought.

I blinked, mentally shutting out his words from affecting my head. "You must be out of your mind if you think I'll blindly follow whatever bullcrap you spew out of your mouth. I'm Jade Alvarez, I take orders from no man" I got out and he shook me once, the room suddenly becoming suffocating as he glared at me, his eyes changing colors.

"Don't test me" he warned, his gaze severe.

"What will you do if I ignore that warning, are you going to perform some voodoo magic and turn into a flesh-tearing beast? Go ahead, I'm not afraid of dying" I said defiantly, swallowing when he kept quiet, his eyes regarding me carefully.

"If you won't submit to me, maybe I should give you back to the Detinos pack then, I'm sure he'll find a good use for you in his bed" he whispered, his voice deadly, but he looked mad at the suggestion, almost as if the thought of the word he'd said to me was repulsive to him.

"I'll never submit to anyone, and once I get out of here, you'll wish you never crossed paths with me, because I'm going to fucking burn this place into the ground", I threatened, meaning every word I spoke. I didn't know what kind of shit show they were running or what occult they had but he had another thing coming if he thought I'd do anything he told me to.

He smirked, the action making him more intimidating. "Is that what you think?" He leaned closer, and my breath hitched in my throat as his scent hit me. He must use some very expensive cologne because I couldn't seem to get enough of it, which was not something I should notice when his lips were so close to my flesh. I clenched my fist, his scent, and proximity overwhelming.

"You're never getting away from me" he whispered, the words a promise on his lips.

My eyes snapped to him. It was strange the way he made me feel, but pinned under his scorching gaze, I felt fear clawing at the heart I once thought could not be shaken. "Try to make me stay and your corpse will regret it when I pour the sand over your grave" I retorted because it wasn't in my blood to give up. He might be stronger, taller or even a superhuman, I didn't care about that. All I needed to find was a weakness, and once I got that, then I'll put a bullet between his eyes socket.

"Challenge accepted Jade Alvarez," he said with a smug grin then bent to kiss me. I leaned back sharply to evade his shocking move. Maneuvering out of his hold, I grabbed his hand, twisting it behind his back, and with the momentum slammed hard against him as I tried to force his head on the table and dislocate his arm while I was at it. Without warning, I was being hoisted a few feet into the air then my breath got knocked out of my lungs as I was flung onto the bed. I bounced off it a few times and before I could get my balance, Dearil was already kneeling over me, and my hands were being shoved above my head where he pinned them with his hand, his broad frame blocking everything else until all I could see was him.

My heart panged against my chest, and my lips got dry as he hovered over me. I licked them nervously and my skin heated up as his golden eyes followed the movement. I burned under his stare and he gave no reprieve as he leaned closer.

"I always seal every challenge with a kiss, but I have a feeling I might go further with you," he said and the lick of heat that shot up between my thighs had me clenching them in shock. There was no way I was getting turned on by what he was doing.

"You'll submit to me Jade Alvarez, do you know why?" He asked, his hands trailing against my cheeks, his fingers gliding against some of the fading bruises on my skin. My head felt heavy as tingles spread from each point his flesh was connected with mine, and my nipples hardened to pebbles as the sting from the bruises mingled with the pleasure of his touch. His thumb caressed my lips, a look of awe in them as he leaned closer while I tried to disappear into the bed, but no matter how hard I shoved back into the bed, there was no escaping him. His lips brushed against mine softly, and the jolt of the spark that ignited under the simple touch had me gasping in shock and that was all the permission he needed.

His mouth crashed against mine, his heat engulfing my soul through his lips that feasted on mine as a man starved. His large warm hands held me in place even as I struggled to evade his kiss. His mouth chased mine, found it, and sucked harder, nibbling longer until I felt so overwhelmed that I just gave in to it, relishing every spark he ignited within my skin, the way he got my heart thrumming erratically against my ribcage, the secure way his hand felt trailing and exploring my skin. My eyes fell shut as I chased the feeling, his weight on me grounding as he broke through all the barriers I kept around my heart

He stopped, and I gulped in the air, hating the fact that he'd made me feel.

"This doesn't change anything. I'm not yours".

He stared at me, his golden eyes glazed over as he watched me, an awed look in his eyes.

"I'll make you mine".