Claimed by the Enraged Alpha

CHAPTER THREE

Alpha Ramirez stepped even closer, and Lily shuddered. Her eyes sought out her father, to beg him, plead with him to take her away from the stake and the entire rite, but she couldn’t find him. He probably left immediately she was tied securely to the stake.

Her eyes shot back to the Alpha as he stepped closer. For some reason, she could feel a tinge of excitement under the fear. What would it feel like to be made love to by such a powerful male body. Then she thought of the look in his eyes as he had snapped the Beta’s claws, maiming him for life, she thought of the lack of gentleness in his touch, in his kisses.

“What is your name little one?” his voice was soft, almost gentle, it gave Lily the courage she needed to answer.

“Lily – Lily of Garar pack.”

He smiled. “Lily of Garar pack, you are officially my mate now, a Luna. Do you know what that means?”

Lily shook her head as he stepped even closer. She didn’t know anything about being a Luna. Her mother was a rejected former Luna, and her father’s new Luna never allowed Lily to come near her.

The Alpha stepped closer, and Lily wished she could step back. He was so close now, she could touch him if she just lifted a hand – but her hands were tied. Unable to stare into his eyes, Lily caught herself staring at his broad chest as he lifted a gentle finger to stroke her cheek

“So vulnerable – so innocent,” his voice was barely a whisper.

Why was he being gentle! Lily could not understand what kind of male was gentle one minute, and then rough the next. Again, she felt tears threaten at her wide blue eyes. She would have preferred if he remain harsh with her, at least then, she would know what to expect. It was very easy for her to let down the little defenses she had when he was gentle, and then, she knew he would strike.

As though he read her mind, he laughed out loud. “Your defenses mean nothing were my assault is little one. I want to break you, destroy you until you are nothing but my puppet, a mere plaything, that’s only when I would be able to use you for what I want.”

Lily shivered slightly. The white dress Hilda had dressed her with was sleeveless, and open at the throat to expose her slender long neck and the tops of her breast. In the nights chilly air, it was unbearable. But it was not the whether that made Lily shiver, it was the coldness in her new mate’s heart.

“Why are you doing this? What do you hope to gain?” Her voice sounded pathetic even to her own ears, but Lily forced herself to look into the Alpha’s eyes. It was there again, the pain lodged deep in those silver greys. She wished she could bring him comfort, take his pain away – then his expression hardened, and there was nothing but heartless in his eyes now.

“Why am I doing this? That’s easy, because I can. Dear sweet Lily, you would find that in this world of ours, wolves do things simply because they can. What do I hope to gain, you ask, again that’s easy. Revenge!” He brought his hand up to her hair and loosened the twists Hilda had taken pains to put in place. Her long black hair tumbled in waves down her shoulder, making her look even more lovely.

“You look better like this, with your hair free in the wind. I should name you windflower, so vulnerable, yet so beautiful.” With a simple flex of his muscles, he cut the ropes that bound her to the stake, and Lily was grateful when he pulled her into his arms.

His lips sought hers then, and this time, it was not a kiss of punishment, or the gentle kiss of a stranger, it was a lovers kiss. Hot, ardent. For the first time, Lily was completely caught in the moment.

The crowd cheered as she threw her arms around his neck, drawing him closer, holding him to herself. He was her mate, she would have this forever.

His hands wandered all over her body, stirring primal heat in her belly. So this was what it meant to be wanted? She was so cut in the moment, she did not notice when he brought his hands up to the top of her dress and tore it into two, she only knew that she wanted his mouth on the flesh he had exposed.

Before she could get too impatient, he pressed his lips to her exposed flesh, drawing a moan from her with a kiss so painfully arousing, Lily feared her body was on fire.

His hands tore open the rest of her dress, and it was only when it pooled at her feet that Lily knew the Alpha had stripped her out in the public. The entire crowd was deathly quiet, and Lily couldn’t even bare to look up as her cheeks stained pink with embarrassment, but the Alpha wasn’t done with her yet.

He pulled her nude body tighter to his fully clad one, and pressed his lips to the pulse beating at her neck. “You forget too easily sweetheart. Remember I told you I was going to break you. I had thought I would enjoy doing that, but you make it too easy.”

Lily whimpered, then moaned as he pressed another kiss to the same spot. “Please . . .” her voice was too shaky, and she thought he had not heard her, but then he laughed.

“You would need to be a little more specific my little beauty. Please what then? ‘please, claim me right here in front of the crowd?’ ‘Please stop bringing me exquisite pleasure with your kisses,: or even ‘please return me to my Papa who by the way doesn’t want me, he had to give me up at a moonlight rite’ which is it little one?”

He was toying with her now, and Lily knew that no matter what answer she gave him, he was going to do what he wanted to do. “Please, have some dignity. I am your mate, shaming me I front of everyone wouldn’t be nice.”

The Alpha burst out laughing at that. “You must be a very slow learner, or you’d know that I’m never nice.”

Lily nodded, but she noticed that he had used his big body to shield her from the rest of the crowd, so that it was only he that saw her naked.

Alpha Ramirez stared into those trusting blue eyes, staring up at him in their childish bravery. Even he was not that cruel, he could not hurt her while she was still this innocent. He needed to corrupt her a bit before he broke her. He laughed at his own thoughts. Who would have thought he had anything like a conscience. He was going to watch out for her, he had only just met her, and already, she had him rethinking his actions.

Striping off his shirt, he draped it around her shoulders and heard her draw in a shaky breath as those blue eyes turned up to him in gratitude. She was so small, the shirt came down to her knees, totally covering her nakedness, then she did something he did not expect. She threw her arms around him in an affectionate hug. “Thank you,” she said simply as she pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek.

Ramirez felt something constrict in his chest. If he was not careful, it was this naïve female with innocent face and wild blue eyes who was going to break through his defenses and get to him. A part of him wanted to get to know her, the real her, that sweet naïve creature that was not tainted by the wicked world – but then, he had a mission, and she was only a mere pawn in his game of thrones.

“Come, my Luna, your new home awaits,” he said sarcastically, expecting her to shiver in fear, but to his surprise, Lily slipped her little hand into his big one so trustingly, as though she had forgotten everything he had said about breaking her. Show the female a little kindness, and she was already trusting. . . it was hilarious!

Together, they walked hand in hand till they got into the limo that waited to take them to Ramirez’s pack, and to his home. Lily sucked in a deep breath at the thought of her uncertain future, and yet, even with all the fear, Lily could not help hope that she would make her mate, the Alpha Ramirez fall in love with her, just as she had already fallen for him.