Chapter 1
Iris's POV
I gasped as Sebastien pinned me against the mattress, his powerful body caging mine. The rich scent of whiskey mixed with his unique wolf musk filled my nostrils, making my head swim. His muscular chest pressed against me, hard and unyielding as his large hands roughly tore at my silk nightgown.
"Sebastian..." I whispered, my voice catching as his lips traveled from my earlobe down my neck, leaving a trail of hot, wet kisses. His sharp canines grazed my sensitive skin, sending shivers down my spine.
His scorching palm found my breast, kneading with just the right pressure that made me moan involuntarily. I arched my back, pressing myself further into his touch as his tongue circled my nipple before his teeth gently bit down, creating a delicious combination of pleasure and pain that made me whimper.
"Please..." The word escaped my lips before I could stop it.
His hand slid lower, fingers expertly teasing between my thighs, finding me already wet and ready for him. I felt his satisfied growl against my skin as he positioned himself at my entrance.
“Ready?” He asked softly.
My eyes widened in surprise. This wasn't like him at all. Usually, Sebastien took me with cold efficiency, treating me like nothing more than a vessel for his release. He never cared if I found pleasure, never took the time to make sure I was ready. But tonight... tonight was different.
Instead of his typical brutal pace, he moved slowly at first, allowing me to adjust to him, his thrusts deep and deliberate. He slipped his arm beneath my waist, lifting me slightly to deepen our connection. My legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, matching his increasingly urgent rhythm.
Each thrust hit that perfect spot inside me, sending waves of pleasure coursing through my body. I dug my nails into his back, clinging to him as the intensity built.
Then I heard it—my name on his lips. "Iris," he growled, low and intimate in my ear. He'd never called me by my first name during sex before.
My heart raced. Could this mean what I thought it did? After two years of cold distance, was he finally accepting me? Would he finally give me the mate mark, make me his true Luna?
The thought pushed me over the edge. I cried out as pleasure crashed through me, my body trembling beneath his. My inner walls clenched around him as I rode out my orgasm, clutching his back hard enough to leave marks. Sebastien followed moments later with several deep thrusts, spilling himself inside me with a guttural groan.
To my shock, he didn't immediately pull away. Instead, he held me close as we both drifted to sleep, his warmth surrounding me. For the first time in our marriage, I fell asleep with hope in my heart.
I woke to sunlight streaming through the curtains and an ache between my legs that reminded me of last night's passion. My lower back and inner thighs protested as I shifted, the pleasant soreness evidence of our most intimate night yet.
I turned my head to look at Sebastien, still sleeping beside me. In the morning light, his sharp features appeared less severe, his perpetually furrowed brow relaxed. His dark lashes cast shadows on his cheekbones, and I resisted the urge to trace the line of his jaw with my finger.
How had we ended up here? Two years ago, my family—the Stone pack—had fallen on hard times. After my father's death, our position in the wolf community weakened dangerously. My mother Catherine arranged this marriage with the powerful Grey family to ensure our protection.
But our wedding had been nothing but a signing ceremony. No celebration, no reception, and most importantly, no traditional wolf marking ritual. Without the mark, I could never truly be Luna of the Grey pack, never have the status or respect the position should command. Our people needed that connection, that legitimacy only a true mate bond could bring.
I'd spent two years trying to earn Sebastien's respect, if not his love. Two years of cold shoulders and colder beds. Until last night. The way he'd called my name, the tenderness in his touch—had something finally changed?
I lightly traced one of the scratches I'd left on his chest, feeling a small thrill at marking him, even temporarily. My fingers followed the defined lines of his abs, remembering how they'd tensed and flexed above me. The powerful Alpha scent radiating from him made my wolf stir, wanting to submit to our mate.
"Iris Stone, what the hell are you still doing here?"
My hand froze. I hadn't noticed Sebastien's eyes open, now fully alert and cold as ice. The warmth I'd felt moments ago vanished instantly.
"I... I just woke up," I stammered, pulling my hand back as if burned.
"The contract clearly states you must be gone before I wake," he cut me off sharply. "You've broken our agreement."
My smile fell as reality crashed back. Our agreement—the cruel terms of our arrangement. In exchange for the Grey family's protection of the Stone pack, I would satisfy Sebastien's physical needs whenever he wanted. But I could never expect to be his true mate, never stay until morning. If I fulfilled my role, the Grey pack would prevent other wolves from absorbing what remained of the Stone pack.
Sebastien sat up, the sheet falling to his waist, revealing his muscular chest marked with the scratches from my nails. His eyes filled with disgust as he noticed them.
"Look what you've done. Acting like a bitch in heat." The wolf slur made me flinch. In our hierarchy, calling a female wolf an "Omega in heat" was one of the most degrading insults.
My face drained of color, but I tried to salvage my dignity. "Last night you were the one who—"
"Get dressed and get out," he interrupted, his voice carrying the unmistakable Alpha command that made my spine straighten involuntarily. "Now."
I trembled as I slid from the bed, painfully aware of my nakedness and the marks covering my body. Bending to retrieve my torn nightgown from the floor, I felt humiliation burn through me. The garment was completely ruined, buttons missing and fabric ripped. I pulled it on anyway, desperately trying to cover myself.
Sebastien didn't even bother to look at me again.
"I'm going," I whispered, head down as I headed for the door.
"Wait." His command froze me in place, my heart foolishly leaping with hope.
When I turned, Sebastien was reaching into his nightstand drawer. My lips parted slightly, wondering what he could want.
He tossed a small box that I barely caught. Looking down, I recognized the emergency contraceptive pill package. My stomach dropped.
"Take it. Now. I want to see you swallow it," he ordered coldly.
I stared at the pill in my palm, a lump forming in my throat. Without water, I forced myself to swallow it dry, the bitter taste matching the moment perfectly as it scraped down my throat.
"You've broken our agreement, so the contract is void," Sebastien announced, his voice businesslike. "Tomorrow we'll start the Moon Cycle Cooling Period proceedings." The wolf equivalent of divorce proceedings—requiring a full 28-day cycle to finalize.
"But last night you called me by my name," I said, tears threatening to spill. "I thought—"
"You thought what?" Sebastien's laugh was cruel. "That I'd mark someone like you as my Luna?"
He stood from the bed, not bothering to cover himself as he approached me. "I was drunk and mistook you for Megan."
The name hit me like a physical blow. Megan Claire—his ex-girlfriend, his first love. The woman he'd nearly marked before our arranged marriage tore them apart.
I wanted to argue, to say he was lying, but the words caught in my throat.
He'd clearly said "Iris" last night, not Megan.
The realization flashed through my mind like lightning. Was he deliberately lying to hurt me? Or was this his way of denying whatever happened between us had meant anything?
Before I could untter a word, Sebastien moved closer, gripping my neck just tight enough to show dominance, his canines slightly elongated as his wolf rose to the surface.
"That's the truth, so don't get any ideas," he growled, his amber eyes flashing. "You will never be my marked mate."
I could feel the Alpha power radiating from him, the overwhelming dominance that made my wolf want to submit despite my human pride screaming in protest.
I forced myself to swallow my tears, to mask the devastation I felt.
"It was just a mistake, that's all," I said evenly, meeting his gaze.
"I had too much to drink too. Don't worry, I'll pretend it never happened."
The corner of my mouth turned up in a practiced smile that didn't reach my eyes. "And I'll honor the contract and get a divorce as you wish."
Sebastien's expression remained cold. "See that you do."
