Baron’s POV I had not planned to interfere. The Lodge was not my territory; the Nightfang pack was not my concern. What happened between Alphas and their women rarely interested me unless it crossed into business. But I saw her and just couldn’t stop myself. She had sacrificed everything for him, only to be ignored and abandoned for her sister. And when Natalie didn’t collapse, didn’t beg, and didn’t chase after them, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years: irritation. She remained in the center of the Lodge, trembling and cold, standing still while the world around her erupted in noise and panic. She didn’t move, she didn’t look at him, and she didn’t even look at me yet. Then she turned. Her hand shot out. Fingers clamping around my tie, cold, tight, and demanding. “Sleep with me,” she whispered. I froze. Women like her weren’t common. Queens, Alphas, assassins—I’d faced them all, but none had ever looked at me like this. Raze stirred beneath my skin, coiling in my chest. “Do it; I can’t feel her wolf…” my wolf said warily. I moved instinctively, lifted her off the floor, and her body stiffened for half a second, then let go. She fit against me perfectly; her grip didn’t falter as her eyes held me steady. No fear, no hesitation, only need. I carried her through the silent corridors to the suite. Raze hummed in my chest. “She’s asking. Don’t wait.” I could feel him practically drooling in my head… that horny dog. Inside, I set her down, letting her feel solid ground again. “Last chance to leave,” I said. She didn’t answer; she just moved. Her hands fisted in my shirt, her mouth crashing into my throat, teeth scraping skin like she was trying to carve herself into me. Not gentle, but desperate and furious and alive. Raze surged hard against my ribs. Now. I caught her wrists, slammed her back against the door, and felt the tremor in her body even as she refused to pull away. “This isn’t comfort,” I said lowly. “I don’t do gentle.” Her chin lifted, eyes burning. “I didn’t ask for gentle.” Raze growled again, “She wants it; do it now.” I hesitated. “What if she regrets this after tonight?” I asked Raze, trying to slow her down. “She wants you. Don’t think, just do it.” “What if?” “Look at her… Does she look like she might regret it?” I looked down at her… She smelled heavenly and was ready for me. Her desire-filled eyes held mine. My hand circled her neck softly, then my grip grew tighter as I pulled her closer to me. I could feel the heat of her breath on my chin, and my lips closed on hers. The kiss wasn’t romantic in any way; it was hot and rough, her straining against me as she gasped for breath while I fulfilled her request as our clothes fell to the floor. Goddess, she was beautiful. She lay on the bed naked, her chest heaving slightly as she gazed at me with a stubborn but expectant gaze. But I wasn’t going to let her lead this; no no no, she was mine to take. I pulled her easily, her almost weightless body bending to my whims as I made her get on all fours and hold the bed frame. My heart thumped even louder as I released my raging cock. I pulled her silky hair gently, and as she arched her back till she was close enough that my lips were right at her ears, I whispered softly, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Her whimpering gasps filled the room. *** I stayed quiet, watching, listening to her quiet breaths as we lay on the bed. Her body curved slightly, probably due to her bones feeling like jelly. Raze circled, alert, protective. “No one touches her; she’s ours now.” She reached for my cigarette. I stopped her. “Not your style.” She didn’t argue; she just got up and went to the bathroom—cold, precise, and silent. She didn’t linger. She didn’t even bother asking who I was or questioning anything. She left everything on the bed. “You really are the ‘use it and toss it’ type, huh?” I called after her. She snorted. “You enjoyed it too.” The door shut as Raze exhaled inside me, satisfied but restless. “She is ours; keep her safe. Watch her.” I let out a slow breath; my chest felt heavier than normal. She wasn’t mine, not by bond, not by claim. She just wanted this. And I had taken it. The phone buzzed. I wrapped a towel around my waist and stepped onto the balcony. Nightfang’s night was cold, quiet, and dark. The smoke from my cigarette lingered in the air. “Speak.” “Alpha,” my operative said, crisp. “The pack guards archived all Lodge footage. Confessions are on three servers. For the High Council to act against the Summers family, Natalie will need to file the report in person.” I glanced at the bathroom door; she was fragile, stronger than she realized, but fragile. “Let her decide. Don’t push her.” “Yes, sir.” Pause. “Alpha… the alpha of the pack is sweeping hotels across the city. He’s panicked. Should we move her to the estate?” I watched a flock of doves lift off a nearby roof. “No. Let him look. He won’t find her here.” “And… should she know about your other identity? The Witch Doctor—the man she’s been writing to?” I crushed the cigarette under my heel. “Not yet; she wanted a stranger tonight. Let her have that a little longer.” Raze growled low, impatient. “She is yours. You don’t leave her alone.” I exhaled. “I know.” I didn’t move; I didn’t go to her. I stayed on the balcony, keeping alert. My wolf prowled beneath my skin, silent now, but ready. Tomorrow, Jensen would search again, the pack members would call, and even the elders would question. But tonight, she was mine in every way she had demanded. And Raze wanted her. I had not thought I’d be impressed by a human, but she had a fire in her, and Raze approved. He had always hated being around other women. I leaned against the railing, watching the night fall. “Move nothing, watch everything unravel, and report back to me.” “Yes, sir.” I exhaled, long and steady. And then I let the final thought slip into the night, quiet and sudden. I can take back her rib and watch him die, but I guess it’s not my call to make. She didn’t know who I was; in fact, no one around here knew, at least not yet. For now, she would only see me as a stranger she had spent the night with. The man who appeared and did exactly what she demanded. I stepped inside to an empty suite, the bathroom silent. I checked the bathroom and noticed she was gone. Raze growled, sharp and frustrated. “Where is she?” I moved fast and checked the hall. Nothing. The balcony. Nothing. Windows. Nothing. She wasn’t there. Raze growled, pacing in my head, but I ignored him. Let her feel the victory of leaving; she needed the control she thought she’d lost in the Lodge. I sank onto the edge of the bed, letting the heat of the night fade from my skin. “She’ll be back.”