Chapter 2

Julieta Simon POV:

I walked out of the suite, took the service elevator down to the quiet underground garage, and sat in the driver's seat of the black Maybach. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly while the red bruise on my wrist still throbbed.

The back door was yanked open. Bowman got in carrying a chill and the heavy smell of liquor, filling the whole car with his overpowering Alpha aura.

I glanced at him in the rearview mirror. He had his eyes closed and his brow tight, so I took a deep breath and started the engine smoothly.

"My brother Gannon is coming back to the country next week." He opened his eyes all of a sudden, dropping the words into the quiet car.

At the sound of that name, my hands tightened on the wheel. The car bumped hard over a speed strip, giving away my shock.

He caught my slip right away, and a cold laugh came from the back seat. "What's wrong? Hearing your sweetheart's name makes it too hard to drive?"

"No," I argued through clenched teeth, keeping my eyes glued to the lane ahead. "Mr. Gannon is Blackstone's chief lawyer. I'm just surprised."

"Surprised?" He leaned forward between the seats, his huge shadow covering me. "Looks to me like you can't wait to throw yourself into his arms."

He was so close that his hot breath hit the back of my neck. The strong smell of cedarwood mixed with sharp tequila made my heart race wildly.

"Please keep your distance, Alpha." I tried to stay calm, though my voice shook. "Right now, I am your wife."

"Wife? You think you deserve that word?" He grabbed my shoulder, and the car swerved sharply across the lane. I slammed on the brakes and yanked the wheel to the side, bringing the Maybach to a hard stop against the curb with a screech of tires.

Before I could catch my breath, he spun me around in my seat to face him, his eyes burning with wild anger.

"If my brother hadn't cut his pack ties and become a Rogue four years ago to escape an arranged marriage, do you think you'd ever have climbed into my bed?" He brought up that humiliating past with pure spite.

With my pride trampled underfoot, anger finally beat out my fear. I met his glare and shouted back, "Gannon isn't a criminal Rogue! He just wanted his freedom!"

Those words hit his worst trigger. The air inside the car turned freezing, and the dark gray in his eyes was swallowed by Lycan blood-red.

"You dare defend him to my face?" He growled, the sound of his inner wolf rumbling so loud the car windows shook.

The next second, he grabbed the back of my head, yanked me toward him, and sank his sharp canines straight into my jawline.

Pain shot through me and I let out a short gasp. His teeth broke the skin, but he stopped just short of biting through the vein to complete the Marking.

Among werewolves, a full Marking on the neck creates an unbreakable bond for life, so stopping halfway like this was a near-Marking—a humiliating punishment meant to show total ownership and disgust.

Tears spilled from my eyes from the pain. I pushed hard against his solid chest, but he didn't budge an inch.

He unlocked his teeth, yet instead of pulling back, he lowered his head and crushed his mouth against mine in a rough, punishing kiss.

The instant our lips touched, a strong jolt like live electricity burst between us, shooting straight through my limbs.

It was the natural spark between fated mates. I felt his body freeze too, his breathing turning heavy and fast right away.

His kiss shifted from rough biting into something hungry and desperate, his tongue forcing my lips apart to claim my mouth.

My head spun from lack of air. My hands lost their strength and grabbed the collar of his shirt, my pushing turning into a helpless hold.

Just as I was losing myself in the taste of liquor and cedarwood, he shoved me away so hard my back hit the steering wheel.

"Put away your disgusting pheromones." Panting heavily, he wiped his mouth hard with the back of his hand, looking as if he had touched trash.

I covered my numb lips and stared at him in disbelief. That brief spark felt like a stupid dream I had made up on my own.

"Drive the car, and stop letting out that desperate heat scent to seduce me." He threw the cold words at me and leaned back against the leather seat.

I turned around, forced my tears back, and stepped on the gas. The Maybach roared away from the curb and sped out into the night highway.

Neon lights flashed past the windows, but my whole body felt freezing as I touched the faint bite mark on my jaw.