The Scarlet Hunter

Chapter 44-1

Cole stood in front of Isla, running his fingers along her jawline. "You are going to be confused over the next few days, so I want to explain something to you. You are unique. You are an unknown. With everyone else we meet, we know if they are our fated mate or not. You bring with you the inspiration of hope, Isla. We can coax you to fall in love with us, without competing with a fated bond. It's like your situation returns the power to select you as our mate from the goddess to us.

"Your strength and increased magic also attract powerful wolves, especially alphas. So, it's not a coincidence that Alpha Alec, Alpha Zane, myself, and your guardian as of tomorrow want to have you by their side." His hand now cupped her face, his thumb rubbing over her cheek. Her blackened eyes darted about, searching but not able to see. "A luna can make her mate more or less powerful, and you, dear Isla, will make your mate the most powerful alpha in the area."

Alpha Cole leaned over Isla and dragged her wrists behind her, bounding them, forcing her face to be buried in his neck while he did. "Just like when I blind you, I need to bind you to keep you from fighting and plotting an escape. I only have a few hours with you, and I'd like to teach you some survival skills to help your transition to your new guardian. I don't want you distracted with plans to escape when you should be listening to me." Isla stiffened as he picked her up again and placed her on his lap on the sofa. "This, for example, you don't seem to like to be carried, but I recommend that you stop fighting it. It will go better for you if you just let it happen." He dragged his fingers up and down her leg. "You are very stiff while sitting on my lap like you're fighting me on this as well. I cannot tell you how important it will be for you to relax with him in control if you want to survive. Dinner is on its way, and I'm going to teach you how to eat when someone is feeding you because I'm figuring that you don't do that well either."

Rage boiled up in Isla's core, like acid bubbling up her throat. Her chest turned red, and her jaw clenched. She fought to raise her tight chest up and down while she breathed.

"I can see your face." Alpha Cole raised his fingers to her reddening cheek. With the surprise of his touch on her face, Isla snapped.

"I don't care what the fuck you can see! I'm not playing these stupid fucking games!" Isla spat at him, snapping her face out of his hand with enough force that she almost knocked herself off his lap. She pulled her feet up and placed them next to him, pushing off. She bucked back, flinging her body off of him and landing on her back. It was pointless, and she knew it, but the rage she felt had to go somewhere.

In her darkness, she felt him on her, immediately, violently. She was easy to restrain with his weight alone. Still, he dominated her even further, forcing her to recognize that he was in charge. She felt his hot, wet breath on her jaw before he dragged his extended canines along it, showing her what she couldn't see in her current state.

"Fight me, Isla. Get it out of your system," Cole whispered menacingly in Isla's ear. "It's better to learn from me how futile temper tantrums are. Your guardian will not be as tempered in his response as I am."

Isla let out a wail and choked on her cries for the first time since this started. She turned her head to the side, the only part of herself that she could move, trying to get as much space between her and his face as she could. Cole shoved a knee between her legs and pushed her up. Repositioning her was another demonstration of his control over her. She yelped at the force that caused her to jolt up and then quieted to softer sobs.

"Have you ever heard of chase instinct?" Cole growled into her ear. His heat was all over her, his weight controlling her. Mild waves were rolling through his body, keeping her off-kilter. He throbbed into her as she both struggled and tried to relax. He felt like a granite slab pushing down into her, locking her into place.