Chapter 5 5

Isabella.

Blaze’s hand clamped around my wrist with a force that bordered on pain, and yet I followed. Not because I wanted to, but because the bond between us left me no choice.

I hated it—the invisible pull that tied me to him. My mate. The man dragging me up the stairs like I was nothing more than an inconvenience. The packhouse fell silent as we moved, all eyes on us, but Blaze didn’t care. His grip was unyielding, and his pace relentless.

As we reached the top of the staircase, he released my wrist, leaving a lingering ache where his hand had been. I rubbed at the sore spot, glaring at his back as he stopped in front of a large door.

His face was unreadable, cold and distant, like the bond between us meant nothing. But it did—it had to. My heart still pounded in my chest, not just from the anger bubbling inside me, but from something else. Something I didn’t want to admit.

Blaze was my mate, and no matter how much I hated him, my body betrayed me. There was something magnetic about him, something primal that called to me. But I would never let him know that.

He opened the door with a smooth motion, stepping aside to reveal the room inside. “This is your room,” he said, his voice flat and emotionless. He didn’t even look at me, like he couldn’t be bothered.

I hesitated, glancing into the room. It was huge, with a queen-sized bed at the center, draped in soft, luxurious linens. A small living area sat off to the side, complete with a couch and a coffee table.

Floor-to-ceiling windows lined one wall, leading to a balcony that overlooked the forest. The soft glow of the setting sun spilled into the room, casting everything in warm, golden light. My luggage sat neatly by the bed, untouched.

It was beautiful, but it didn’t feel like mine. It felt like a cage.

I stepped inside, the door closing behind me with a quiet click. The air between us was thick—so thick I could feel it pressing against my skin. The bond crackled like static, pulling us toward each other, even though I wanted nothing more than to shove him away.

Blaze didn’t say anything for a moment, just stood there, watching me with those dark, unreadable eyes. His silence was suffocating. I could feel his gaze on me, the weight of it heavy and overwhelming.

“Make yourself comfortable,” he said finally, his tone sharp, dismissive.

Comfortable? How could I possibly be comfortable here, in a pack that wasn’t mine, with a man who dragged me into this life against my will? I turned to face him, my anger simmering just beneath the surface.

“Am I supposed to thank you for this?” I spat, my voice trembling with irritation.

Blaze’s eyes narrowed, though his face remained eerily calm. “I don’t care what you’re thankful for. You’re here now, and you’ll stay here until I say otherwise.”

My stomach twisted at his words. “Until you say otherwise?” I repeated, disbelief coloring my tone. “You drag me here, without warning, without even letting me pack properly, and now I’m just supposed to sit here like a prisoner? Is that it?”

His jaw clenched, the first sign that my words had gotten to him. Good. He needed to hear this. He needed to understand that I wasn’t going to just roll over and accept this...whatever this was.

“You’re not a prisoner,” he said, his voice low, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something that told me he wasn’t entirely convinced of his own words. “You’re here because it’s where you belong.”

“Where I belong?” I echoed, taking a step closer to him. I hated that feeling. I hated that even now, standing this close to him, my body reacted to his presence. “You think I belong here, in your pack, at your mercy?”

Blaze’s eyes darkened, a storm brewing just beneath the surface. “You belong here because you’re mine.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I knew it. Deep down, I knew it the moment I saw him. The bond had snapped into place the second our eyes met, but hearing him say it...hearing him claim me so casually, like it didn’t even matter, made my blood boil.

“I didn’t ask to be your mate,” I shot back, my voice rising with each word. “I didn’t ask for any of this.”

His gaze softened for a brief second, just a flicker, and I could almost see the man beneath the hard exterior. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared. He took a step closer, closing the already too-small gap between us. I could feel the heat of his body, the raw energy that radiated off him in waves.

“And yet, here we are,” Blaze murmured, his voice softer now, but no less intense. His eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. “You are my mate, Isabella. Whether you like it or not.”

My heart pounded in my chest, my pulse racing in my ears. “I hate you,” I whispered, my voice barely audible, but I knew he heard me.

His lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. “Good. Hate me all you want. It won’t change the bond between us. It won’t change the fact that you’re mine.”

The air between us crackled with pressure, the pull of the bond too strong to ignore. I hated him. I hated everything about him—his arrogance, his cruelty, the way he spoke to me like I was something he owned. But no matter how much I hated him, my body reacted to him in ways I couldn’t control.

I hated that, too.

“You can’t force this,” I said, my voice stronger now. “You can’t force me to be with you just because we’re mates.”

Blaze’s eyes darkened, and he stepped even closer, his breath ghosting over my skin. “I’m not forcing anything, Isabella. The bond is there, whether you want to acknowledge it or not.”

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “That doesn’t mean I have to accept it.”

He let out a low, humorless laugh, the sound sending shivers down my spine. “You don’t have to accept it, but you will. In time, you’ll realize that this is where you belong. With me.”

I wanted to scream. I wanted to claw at him, to push him away. Every word he said, every step he took closer to me, only made the pull stronger. I hated him for it, but I couldn’t deny it.

“You’re delusional,” I snapped, taking a step back, needing space, air—anything to clear my head. “I’ll never accept this.”

Blaze’s eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, the intensity between us was unbearable. “You will,” he said quietly, but there was no doubt in his voice. “Because no matter how much you fight it, the moon Goddess did you a favor.”

My chest tightened, my hands trembling at my sides. He was wrong. He had to be wrong. I wouldn’t let this bond control me. I wouldn’t let him control me.

But as I stared into his eyes, I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe...just maybe...he was right.

“Get out,” I whispered, my voice barely steady.

For a moment, Blaze didn’t move. His gaze lingered on me, a heat simmering just beneath the surface. I could feel it—the undeniable chemistry between us, the attraction that neither of us could fully deny, no matter how much I wanted to.

But then, with a slow, deliberate step, he turned and walked toward the door. He paused with his hand on the handle, glancing over his shoulder at me. His eyes were dark, full of something I didn’t want to understand.

“This is just the beginning,” he said softly. “You better brace up for what’s coming.”

And with that, he was gone, the door clicking shut behind him.

I collapsed onto the edge of the bed, my heart still racing, my thoughts a tangled mess. I hated him. I hated the way he made me feel. But most of all, I hated that no matter how much I tried to fight it, the bond between us was real.

And it terrified me.