10
Mauve’s POV
C
I woke with a jolt, and my skin prickled like I was being watched. My heart jumped when I saw him. He was Sming close, far too close! His breath was warm against my face, steady and slow. His dark eyes were locked on mine.
“Oh, shit!” I yelped, scrambling back so fast I knocked the chair over. My hands fumbled for the knife I’d left nearby, but it was just out of reach.
He didn’t flinch. Instead, he spoke, “Don’t move.”
Something in his tone froze me in place. My instincts screamed at me to run, but my body refused to listen. “Don’t move?” I repeated. “You broke into my home, bled all over my floor, and now you’re telling me what to do?” His expression didn’t change, but his voice turned sharper. “You saved me. That makes you responsible for me
8:30 AM
The Scamed Luna
now.
*Are you kidding me?” I shot back, glaring at him. “I don’t even know who you are!”
✓ small
He straightened a little, wincing as he moved. Even injured, he looked imposing, his presence filling my living room. “My name is Elias, and right now, what I need is to stay alive. You need to keep healing me as the poison is still in my veins.”
I didn’t trust him, not with the way his words pulled at something primal in me. My wolf paced uneasily, her instincts muddled and unsure. Ignoring her discomfort, I reached for my phone on the table. The screen lit up as I typed out a message to Dr. Helen, the only other healer in Shadowpine who could handle something like this. Mindlinking her wasn’t an option because she was out of the region for a supply run.
“What are you doing?” Elias asked, staring at my phone.
“I’m calling someone. Isn’t it obvious?”
“You don’t need anyone else,” he growled. “Drop the damn phone
“I do if you want to survive!” I shot back. “I have to get help from someone who can treat you properly.”
His eyes darkened, and his presence grew heavier, suffocating almost. “I said don’t.”
I ignored him, my thumb hovering over the call button.
And then he roared. The sound was deep and primal, shaking the very air around us. “Submit!”
The word struck me like a blow, reverberating through my chest and locking my body in place. My wolf whimpered, her usual fire snuffed out by the sheer force of his command. My fingers released the phone, letting it
clatter to the floor.
I stared at him, stunned and horrified. “What… what did you just do?”
“You’re strong, but you’re not strong enough to
defy me,” he said, tilting his head.
My wolf trembled in the back of my mind, powerless against the dominance radiating from him. “How did you do that?”
“You don’t need to understand. You just need to listen. For now, healer, I’m your priority.”
I clenched my fists, anger and fear warring in my chest. “You don’t get to come into my home and take control of
me like that!”
He raised a brow. “You’ll thank me later. For now, do as I say.”
His audacity was infuriating, but my wolf’s submission left me feeling powerless.
Why are you scared of him all of a sudden? I asked her.
I don’t know, Mauve, she replied. But I can’t fight his command.
Do you think he’s going to hurt us?
No, she replied quickly. I’m intimidated, but I can feel he doesn’t want to harm us.
I turned back to him, glaring despite the uncertainty gripping me. It was then that I truly saw him. Despite the blood and exhaustion etched into his features, he was striking. His jawline was strong, his dark hair dishevele way that only made him look more rugged. His sharp cheekbones and full lips gave him an air of undeniable allure.
My anger faltered for a moment as I took him in, but I forced myself to hold my ground.
“You’re not in charge here,” I snapped, though the words felt empty.
а
Elias’s lips curved into a faint smirk. “Didn’t I just display my authority?” he replied. And within a nanosecond, he was in my face. “You will continue your work in Shadowpine while you resume treating me here. You will not tell anybody about my presence, or else…”
“Or else what?” I challenged.
Flias leaned in closer his face now mere inches from mine. His fingere tilted mu chia
uchin upward forcing me to ment
“Or else what? I challenged.
Elias leaned in closer, his face now mere inches from mine. His fingers tilted my chin upward, forcing me to meet his intense, stormy gaze “Or else, healer, I’ll ensure you understand the weight of disobedience
A shiver ran down my spine, and my wolf whimpered again. But I wasn’t about to let him see how much he
rattled me
“You don’t scare me.” I said
Elias’s smirk deepened “I can feel your fear. But fear isn’t always bad. It keeps you alive.”
I let out a shaky breath “What are you hiding? You’re not just some rogue who stumbled into my territory Who are you really, Elias?”
“I’m someone who’s very good at surviving. And if you want to stay alive, you’ll follow my lead
“That’s not an answer,” I snapped. “You think you can waltz in here, bark orders, and expect me to fall in line? This is my home, my regulation.”
Elias chuckled. “Your regulation? You’ve already broken them by saving me. You could’ve let me die, but you didn’t. Now, you’re involved, whether you like it or not.”
