Chapter 2

"Mate."

The word made the entire banquet hall fall silent. Conversations stopped. Champagne glasses hung halfway to lips. Every single person turned to stare at them.

Jonas's brown eyes went wide with shock and a flicker of disappointment. His mouth opened, but no sound came out.

The mysterious Alpha stared down at Freya, his ice-blue eyes burning with a hunger so scorching it made her skin flush.

"Rise," he commanded.

Freya's legs shook as she tried to stand, but her body felt like jelly. Before she could fall again, his large hand clamped around her wrist and hauled her up.

The moment their skin touched, a jolt of pure electricity shot through her entire body. Her heart hammered against her ribs. Within her, Vicki went absolutely feral, howling, "Mate! Mate!"

"Niklaus!" A sharp female voice cut through the tension.

The stunning brunette in an elegant champagne dress rushed over, clutching Niklaus's other arm. Diamond rings glittered on her fingers.

"What is this crazy girl saying?" Rebekah's voice cracked with panic. "She's lying, right? Tell me she's lying!"

Freya could see the desperation in the woman's eyes. She shrank back, ducking her head as hot shame flooded her cheeks. This powerful Alpha already had someone--someone polished and perfect, not a broken, debt-ridden Omega in a tattered, muddy dress.

Niklaus said nothing. His silence was answer enough.

"No!" Rebekah let out a piercing scream. "Niklaus! How could you do this to me? We're engaged!"

"Rebekah..." Niklaus's voice was thick with a jagged edge of guilt. He reached toward her.

"I hate you!" Tears blurred her vision. "I hate all of you!"

Rebekah turned and bolted toward the exit. The banquet hall doors slammed shut behind her.

Niklaus watched her go, pain crossing his face. Through the mate bond, Freya could feel his desperate urge to chase after Rebekah, torn within him.

Bitterness filled her heart. Her fated mate loved someone else. And Jonas, the man who was supposed to be her savior, was now miles out of reach.

Niklaus pulled himself together in an instant. When his gaze snapped back to Freya, his eyes were burning with that primal hunger again.

"What's your name?"

"Freya... Freya Gilbert."

"Freya. You're coming with me. Now."

Not a request. A command.

"I... I can't..." The mate bond pulled at her, making it impossible to think straight. The soul-consuming need made her want to follow him anywhere, but she needed to speak with Jonas about her problem.

"This shouldn't be happening," Niklaus suddenly hissed, clenching his fists as he fought the wolf inside him. His eyes instantly shifted from blue to a pale gold. "But since it has..."

Niklaus didn't want to cause any more of a scene. Ignoring Freya's protests, he clamped his hand around her arm and began pulling her toward the exit.

"Wait!" Jonas finally spoke up, stepping forward. "You can't just take her!"

Niklaus stiffened, a low growl vibrating in his chest. His eyes flashed, the blue vanishing entirely as a brilliant, terrifying gold took over.

Niklaus snapped his head toward him. "You want to stop me, Alpha Jonas?"

Then he let out a loud growl that made everyone's hearts quiver.

Many lower-ranking pack members began to fall to their knees. They could not withstand the Alpha's growl. Their strength wasn't enough to resist Niklaus's dominance. Even Jonas took a step back. It was clear that Niklaus overpowered every Alpha in the room.

"She's a member of our pack..." Jonas held his ground against Niklaus's overwhelming aura, realizing that Niklaus was now completely controlled by his wolf. The stronger the Alpha, the more vicious the beast.Once controlled by the wolf, it took tremendous effort for an Alpha to regain control.

"She's my mate. Which makes her mine." Niklaus snarled in a condescending tone.

Niklaus tightened his iron grip and shouldered past Jonas, striding toward the exit.

Freya felt powerless. She had no idea what to do. She twisted her head to look back at Jonas as Niklaus continued hauling her away.

Behind them, the crowd exploded into gossip.

"Oh my Goddess, did that really just happen?"

"Alpha Niklaus of the most powerful Whitecrown Pack is mated to that? To the Colors Freak?"

"Yeah, I heard she's a total lost cause. Couldn't tell a scent from a form during training. Her brain is fried. She was so weak they had to demote her to the bottom."

Freya ignored it all, though the cruel nickname cut like a knife. Niklaus's grip was so tight her hand went numb. She could tell he was seething--as if he didn't want her as his mate. They were practically strangers. Worse still, he had been in a relationship with a woman he'd planned to marry.

Niklaus shoved her into an elevator and slammed the button for the top floor.

"I need to go back," Freya managed to choke out. "You don't understand. I came here tonight because--"

Her words were stifled as Niklaus suddenly lunged forward, caging her against the wall. The heat of his body made it impossible to think.

Niklaus's breath hitched as he stared into Freya's striking green eyes. His throat constricted, his mouth going dry.

"I can't wait any longer," he rasped.

Then, his lips crashed onto hers.

She'd never been kissed like this. His scent exploded in her head, painting patterns of blue and gold, making her dizzy with pure, unadulterated want.

Niklaus's burning fingers traced her skin, pinching her earlobe before sliding down her neck to her collarbone. The touch ignited sparks that made her shudder uncontrollably.

Freya pushed against his chest, but a hungry, ache deep within her body pulled her closer instead. The mate bond tugged at her, demanding surrender.

"The elevator..." she panted, her voice trembling as her hands rested uselessly against his chest.

Niklaus paused, his body going still except for the hand splayed across her lower back. In the dim elevator light, his eyes glowed with an unnatural redness, wild and hungry.

"Do you want me to stop?" he rasped.