I gasped in pain as my back hit the ground, my head bouncing off the floor right after it. Stars burst behind my eyes as the air whooshed from my lungs. The door slammed shut, the sound echoing like a gunshot in the unfamiliar room. Footsteps followed-slow, deliberate, and heavy. My heart pounded as I tried to make sense of where I was. Once the dots of light cleared from my vision, I realized the ceiling above me wasn't textured like the one in my dorm room. This place was different. Cold. Empty. Foreign. I barely had a second to breathe before hands grabbed my arms and yanked me up roughly. I whimpered, my body screaming in protest. My eyes squeezed shut just as my back hit the wall, his grip tightening. "You tried to leave," Markus growled, his voice low and dangerous. I trembled, unable to hide it even if I tried. "Please..." I whispered, my voice cracking. "I didn't mean-" His scent, a mix of pine and musk, overwhelmed me, reminding me all over again what he was-who he was. Alpha. And my mate. I didn't want this. At least, I didn't think I did. But then why did my body react the way it did when he was near? Why did my pulse skip when he looked at me, even like this? Markus leaned in closer, his nose brushing against my neck, inhaling deeply. "You're mine, Chey. You don't get to run from me." I clenched my fists at my sides, torn between fury and fear. "I have a boyfriend," I said through gritted teeth, barely holding back the emotion threatening to break through. His lips curled into a smirk. "Not for long." And in that moment, I knew-Markus wasn't letting me go. Not without a fight.
Chapter 1 01
01
Cheyenne
I sighed in relief as I walked off campus, pulling on my sunglasses and letting my hair fall out of its braid. The day had been long-three lectures back to back, plus a group project that went absolutely nowhere. My scalp ached from how tight the braid had been, so I ran my fingers through my hair, fluffing it out around my shoulders. It felt good to be free of the classroom, even if just for a little while. The late afternoon sun warmed my face as I adjusted my messenger bag and headed over to a bench near the sidewalk.
I sat down, stretching my legs out in front of me and leaning back, letting my back crack a little with a satisfying pop. The weight of the day started to melt away as I sank into the bench, my shoulders relaxing. I closed my eyes for a moment, just enjoying the quiet hum of campus life starting to settle down. Most students were still in class, and the foot traffic had slowed to a peaceful trickle.
Owen was supposed to pick me up today. I'd gotten out earlier than usual, which meant I had about ten or fifteen minutes to kill. I pulled out my phone and scrolled mindlessly through social media, occasionally liking a meme or skipping over someone's drama post. Typical stuff.
Then I felt the bench shift slightly.
Someone had sat down next to me. I glanced to my left out of curiosity-and froze for a second. A guy. Maybe around my age, maybe a little older. He had dark hair, tousled like he didn't care about appearances, and eyes that were staring at me just a little too hard. Not in a flirtatious way, not even in a curious way-just intense. Focused.
It gave me the creeps.
I turned to face him more directly and slipped off my sunglasses. "Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, voice flat.
The guy blinked, as if snapping out of a trance, then smiled. Grinned, really. Like he'd just heard the punchline of some private joke. The corners of his mouth lifted wide and I swear, for a split second, he looked like he might try to hug me. He actually leaned forward like he was going to-what the hell?
I shot up before he could even try. My instincts were screaming at me, and I wasn't about to ignore them. I took a step away from the bench, keeping my eyes on him the whole time. He didn't follow immediately, but his smile faltered and he suddenly looked very... focused. Like something important just clicked into place in his brain.
He stood up slowly, took a step toward me. I didn't back away-I didn't want to show fear-but I subtly shifted my weight, ready to move if I had to.
"Hey, can I talk to you?" he asked, reaching out and grabbing my arm.
His hand was warm. Not just normal warm-weirdly warm. Like a heating pad, or fresh-baked bread pulled from the oven. It sent a strange jolt through me and my stomach turned. That was enough. I yanked my arm back with a sharp motion.
Just then, a loud honk snapped through the air. I looked up in time to see Owen's familiar blue Honda idling by the curb, his arm waving out the driver's side window. My heart practically leapt in relief. Without a second thought, I grabbed my bag and dashed toward the car, flinging the strap through the open back window before sliding into the front seat.
"Go," I said, glancing behind me.
Owen didn't need to be told twice. He pulled away from the curb with a grin and a wave to no one in particular.
"Who was that guy?" Owen asked once we turned the corner.
I kept my eyes on the side mirror, watching as the strange guy walked away... straight into a car waiting nearby. He got in the backseat with two others, and he was gesturing with his hands, talking quickly, excitedly.
"I really don't know," I muttered. "He just sat next to me and was looking at me creepily."
Owen burst out laughing, and I glared at him. "I could've been raped!"
"I know you," he replied through his laughter. "You would've just screamed 'fire' and gotten everybody looking over, made him run off like a coward."
I scowled at him, but I couldn't help the smile twitching at the corner of my lips. "You know me so well."
"I do," he said, smirking as we pulled up to the club, where I bartended most evenings. "I love you, and I'll see you after work!"
I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Yeah, I'll meet you back at the apartment. Love you too."
He pulled away, off to his shift at Red Lobster-yes, the seafood place. He was a waiter there and honestly not bad at it. Customers loved his "boy-next-door" charm.
I turned toward the club and let out a breath. Still shaken from the weird guy, I paused just outside the back entrance and leaned against the brick wall, trying to collect myself. There was something about that guy that didn't sit right with me. The way he looked at me like he knew me. Like he was searching for something. The heat of his hand still lingered faintly on my skin.
It wasn't just creepy-it was... familiar? And that was even more unsettling.
I shook it off and headed inside, punching in for my shift. The manager, Kelly, gave me a wave from across the room and I tossed my bag into the employee cubby and slid behind the bar. The club was quiet now-it wouldn't get busy until around nine-but I started prepping for the evening rush.
As I wiped down the counter, I couldn't help but glance out toward the front doors every so often. Part of me expected that guy to come back, like some bad movie scene. But nothing happened. Just the normal stream of regulars trickling in.
Still, that feeling wouldn't leave me.
Like something had changed. Like something had started.
And I wasn't ready for it.
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