I turned and ran.
An older man in a suit was already ushering panicked guests toward a stairwell.
“This way, miss. Quickly, please.”
I followed, shoving past the chaos, heart pounding. The stairwell was crowded, with people shouting and jostling each other.
Somehow, I made it down to a lower level-a side exit leading out into a quiet alley.
Two black SUVS idled there.
The suited man opened the rear door of one and gestured for me to get in.
“The Alpha insisted this vehicle take you to safety,” he said.
I hesitated.
His gaze was calm. “He arranged the route himself, Miss Seraphina. You’ll be safe.”
Still, something twitched in my instincts. The hairs on the back of my neck rose.
There was no sign of fear from the staff member-not even a hint of adrenaline. That was strange, wasn’t it?
The other diners were panting, panicking, crying-genuine reactions.
This man looked like he was escorting a brunch guest to their seat.
And how had Lucian found the time to arrange an escape route?
“Where exactly are we going?” I asked, voice casual.
“The Alpha will join you shortly,” he said, urgency bleeding into his voice. “We’ve been instructed not to delay.”
I climbed into the SUV, still wary, and the door shut behind me with a thunk far too final.
The windows were blacked out. The locks clicked.
“Wha-Hey!” I slammed my hand against the drawn partition. “Hey, what is this!”
My heart stuttered as the car started moving.
I fumbled for the handle. It didn’t budge.
Not good. Not good at all.
I slammed my hands against the windows. They were reinforced-no way I could smash them.
I yanked out my phone, but the screen showed NO SIGNAL.
My mind raced.
This wasn’t Lucian’s doing.
This wasn’t some standard protocol.
This was a trap.
I’d been taken.
Panic curled through my gut like smoke, creeping up my throat and threatening to choke me. My limbs began to shake, adrenaline giving way to a creeping numbness I couldn’t stop.
I banged on the window, then the partition, screaming now-loud, hoarse, desperate.
“Let me out! Let me out!”
But the SUV kept moving, gliding eerily smooth down god-knows-what road, and still, no one answered.
I sank into the seat, heart thundering in my chest. My breath came fast, too fast-my vision started to swim.
The temperature inside the vehicle seemed to shift-too warm, then too cold. My skin prickled, then flushed.
The shadows inside the cabin lengthened. Or maybe I just couldn’t keep my eyes open.
My head lolled back against the headrest. My fingers tingled.
Something was wrong.
There was a faint, bitter-sweet scent in the air. Slowly growing stronger, choking.
Shit.
I’d been drugged.
The realization struck me a heartbeat before the world started tilting sideways, and everything went black.
SERAPHINA’S POV
I woke to the sensation of motion-the jarring bounce of tires on uneven ground.
My head throbbed, my mouth tasted like copper, and for a moment, I couldn’t remember where I was or why I couldn’t move my arms. Then it hit me.
The restaurant. The rogues. The staff. The fucking SUV.
I gasped, only to realize my mouth was dry and my arms were tightly bound behind my back.
The seat beneath me was the same smooth leather from before-too pristine, too polished, too wrong.
The bitter-sweet scent still lingered faintly beneath something sharper: sweat, and the metallic tang of fear-mine.
I shifted slightly, the hum of the car engine steady and cruelly calm. My wrists stung. I twisted them instinctively, trying to get a feel for the bindings. Zip ties. Unforgivingly tight.
“Finally awake, princess?” The partition was down now, and the driver’s voice floated through-coarse, amused.
Panic flared. My heart pounded, but I forced my tone to be steady. “Where the hell are you taking me?”
He chuckled, eyes never leaving the road. “Patience, princess. You’ll see soon enough. Wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise.”
“Stop calling me that,” I spat, my fear giving way to irritation at the smug, patronizing tone.
He chuckled dryly. “But that’s what you are, aren’t you? Alpha Edward’s precious little princess.”
I frowned. “Wha-ow!”
I yelped as my head banged against the window when the car hit a vicious bump. Where were we going that the terrain was so uneven?
“Oops, watch it, princess.”
I scowled. “What the hell are you talking about?” I snapped.
I was a lot of things to my father-a precious princess wasn’t one of them.
The man twisted slightly, enough for me to glimpse the nasty grin on his face. “You’re Alpha Edward’s most prized daughter. He gave you all the riches and love and care in the world. Except now he’s gone and left a big fat target on your back.”
He winked and turned back to face the road.
I stared at the back of the driver’s head for a stunned minute, trying to process his words.
Then, I threw my head back, and a hoarse bark of laughter burst out of me.
I saw his arched brow in the rearview mirror. “Something funny?”
“Oh my gods,” I wheezed. “Oh, the fucking irony.”
I’d spent my whole life in Celeste’s shadow, wishing I could be her, that I could receive just half of the love and adoration she so effortlessly attracted.
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply