Page 29 of The Unwanted Mate of the Lycan Kings (Unwanted #1)

Last night was freezing. There was no wood next to the fireplace to start a fire, and the only warmth offered was from Shadow lying on my feet.

It was so cold that my bones ached, and I could not seem to get warm.

Visions of the night my granny died plagued my sleep, only now, three new monsters star in my nightmares.

The sound of my door handle rattling makes my consciousness slowly return.

I blink, my eyes blurry from sleep, but I can tell it is still early.

The room is lit with a dark glow that only happens moments before the sun comes up.

My body still aches for sleep, but I know if I close my eyes again, their will only be more nightmares.

Rubbing my eyes, I sit up, looking around the room. When I hear no other noise, I snuggle back under the heavy, warm blankets, convinced I imagined the rattling door handle. I stretch out my legs, feeling for Shadow, but I find the end of the bed cold instead.

I hear a soft clicking noise and paws on the floor. “Come here, Shadow, and warm my feet,” I mumble, still half asleep. The next second, the mattress is upturned. A shriek leaves my lips, and I am dumped on the floor with a hard thud that leaves me rattled.

“Morning!” Zeke chirps as I groan, getting to my hands and knees to see the key Shelley placed under the mattress is now on the floor.

My eyes linger on the bronze key for a second and then dart to Zeke, who is wearing his signature smirk.

I quickly get to my feet, and the first thing I notice is that the door is shut.

My eyes instantly look for Shadow, but he is nowhere to be seen, making me even more vulnerable to this prick.

“Miss me?” Zeke laughs, and my eyes move to him on the other side of the upturned bed.

His eyes flash black as they roam over me with a hunger that I don’t like.

A shiver travels up my spine, and I smooth my hands over the front of my shirt.

Almost as if that action will hide me away from him.

Zeke notices my discomfort and chuckles.

“Do you always look this tempting when you first wake up?” he purrs, and I watch him warily, taking him in.

His chest is bare, and his hair is a disheveled mess like he just crawled from bed as well.

Bronze skin ripples as he moves, and if he wasn’t such a prick, he would be nice to look at.

His dark eyes flicker to their normal color, and his full lips tug in the corners.

“What do you want, Zeke?” I snap. It’s much too early for this, and I am not rested enough to deal with him. I don’t think anyone is ever rested enough to deal with him. This man can suck the damn energy and will to live out of anybody he crosses.

“I want many things, human. One of them you’re going to give me now,” he says, moving to the end of the bed. I take a step back, my hip bumping into the bedside drawer hard enough that I know it will leave a bruise.

“Get out! I’m supposed to spend today with Regan, not with you. You have no reason to be in here,” I tell him.

“We have plenty of time. He can have you once I’m done with you,” Zeke mocks, and his canines slip out past his teeth. He then stalks around the bed. My eyes widen, and I find myself backed into a corner.

My heart skips a beat, and he growls, reaching for me, but I jump onto the bed, rushing to the other side.

It is far too early for his petty games.

He chuckles, moving to the other side, and I stop in the middle of the bed, snatching up the first thing my hands land on, which has to be the most useless weapon in the world—a damn pillow.

This makes Zeke laugh harder as I brandish it like a weapon while glancing around. If only I had plants in here or the window was open. Maybe then I could at least have something more useful than this pillow. Yet manipulating duck feathers was not a skill I was taught.

“What are you going to do with that?” Zeke mocks, and his eyes flash sinisterly.

My heart races in my chest, and the adrenaline pumping through my veins has my mind working in overdrive as I try to figure out where Shadow has gone. I worry that maybe he has done something to hurt Shadow, but I have little time to spare much thought to that as he comes closer.

My eyes dart around the room frantically, looking for something a little sturdier to beat him with if needed. He lunges at me, and I jump back. His hands narrowly miss me.

“Now don’t be like that, love. How about instead of me making you bite the pillow, I let you use it.

..I wouldn’t want your knees to ache when you’re on them with your pouty lips wrapped around my cock.

” His eyes flicker, and I can see the monster he truly is peeking out at me.

He’s a beast and wants nothing more than to make me hurt for his own sick pleasure and entertainment.

“You bring that thing anywhere near my mouth, and I will fucking bite it off.” With the pillow between us, I keep moving, but he follows my every step.

“Looks like you’re biting the pillow, then,” Zeke snarls. “Don’t worry, it will only hurt a little.” He reaches for me, and I move to the edge, nearly falling backward, and I only just regain my balance before falling off.

Zeke chuckles, walking around the end of the bed.

“You can’t do this. It’s against the rules!” I snap, moving closer to the opposite side, trying to put as much distance between the two of us that I can.

“And who will stop me? My father? He’s not here, human. Just like you won’t be when he returns, so I can do whatever I want with or to you! Dear old daddy doesn’t need to know. It will be our little secret. One you’ll take to your grave,” he taunts me.

My heart palpitates as panic wells in my stomach, and my throat grows tight. “Shadow!” I scream, praying he is close enough to hear me call.

“Come here, boy!” I yell out for the wolf but don’t hear or see him. I’m not even supposed to be with Zeke today!

“Shadow is a little preoccupied. Lyon called him for breakfast, so how about I feed you yours,” Zeke taunts as he reaches for me.

I grit my teeth, swinging the pillow as hard as I can.

It smacks him straight under the chin and across his face.

He groans, his head whipping back as he stumbles, not expecting the force, and quite frankly, neither was I.

But I don’t waste time gaping at him. No, I jump off the bed and run for the door.

My bare feet slap the hard, cold floors, and I nearly slip on the huge oval rug that takes up most of the room.

My shoulder hits the door, and it bursts open.

I’m thrown forward, and I grab the doorframe to stop me from sprawling across the hall floor.

Just as I twist to head for the doors, I remember the way they locked behind me last night, and in desperation to get away from Zeke, I turn in the opposite direction.

I should be in Regan’s room for breakfast soon, and surely he will stop Zeke from whatever brutality he plans to inflict.

Zeke snarl behind me as he realizes where I’m going.

The hair on the back of my neck stands up, but I don’t risk slowing down to glance over my shoulder.

Every second wasted makes it easier for him to catch me.

Instead, I run for Regan’s bedroom door while praying he left it unlocked.

My pounding feet echo so loud in the empty hallway, but with Zeke’s lycan abilities, it will take him no time to catch me.

Halfway to Regan’s room, I hear Zeke burst through my bedroom door and skid across the hall, slamming into the wall with deadly force. He growls furiously, gets to his feet, and chases after me.

The vicious look on his face makes my heart feel like it is about to leap out of my chest. Regan’s door is so close, but just as I lunge for the handle, it flies open.

A gasp escapes me as Regan fills the open door, and I try to stop before crashing into his wide chest, but my feet slide against the slick wood flooring.

Regan’s eyes blaze as he takes me in, and when he sees Zeke barreling after me, an angry growl sharpens his features.

If he’s mad that I’m here too early, he has to know it’s not by choice, but I don’t have a second to explain myself before colliding with Regan. He’s thrown back with the full force of my weight as I topple into him, and I clench my eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable pain.

Regan gasps as we go down, his hands grabbing my waist as his head bounces off the floor, and he grunts as I knock the air out of him.

Zirah 1! King Regan 0!

I push up off Regan’s chest, and he turns his head, looking out the door. He clenches his teeth, and I move to crawl off him, but his hands remain firm, and he pulls me back to him with a low growl.

“No, please,” I cry, my eyes going wide when he stops me from escaping. After all the fuss over making rules that keep me safe, he is going to hand me over to his brother. Zeke snarls as he comes to a stop just in the doorway, and I freeze in place at the sound of his voice.

“Good catch, brother,” he drawls, leaning against the doorway as he looks at the two of us. I turn my pleading gaze back to Regan. He presses his lips in a line, and his fingers dig into my hips.

Zeke pushes away from the doorframe and leans down, then grabs my arm. My fingers dig into Regan’s shoulder. I’d much rather take my chances with Regan than go with Zeke.

“Zeke, what are you doing?” Regan asks with a sigh, sounding bored. My eyes remain on Regan, and he presses his lips in a line and stares up at the ceiling.

“Well I was going to make her suck my cock, but since she has gone and woken you up, I think it’s only fair you get to join us too.

” Zeke grips my face with one hand and tilts my chin up to look at him.

I glare at him, and tears burn the backs of my eyes, but I refuse to let him see me cry. This man does not deserve my tears.

“But you did make me chase you,” Zeke muses, sweeping his thumb across my lips. He clicks his tongue and shoves my face away. “But since I’m feeling generous, brother, which do you want, her ass or her mouth?” Zeke asks while yanking my arm.

If he thinks I will go easily, he is sadly mistaken.

My hand connects with the side of his face with a loud clap, and his sharp teeth slice into his lip.

He growls, letting me go and wiping his lip with his thumb.

His blood smears across it, and his eyes turn pitch black.

He licks the blood from his skin and runs his tongue over the small slice.

“Oh, you’ll fucking hurt for that!” Zeke’s threat hangs thickly in the air between us, and I feel that cold fear growing stronger.

He leans down and curls his clawed fingers around my ankle, piercing my skin as he tries to tug me from his brother’s hold.

I grab Regan’s shoulders in desperation, peering down and meeting his dark eyes.

For just a moment, Regan’s grip eases, and I know he’s going to hand me over, but his eyes darken, and a growl rumbles low in his chest. Regan’s fingers dig into my soft skin harder, holding me in place.

In a battle of dominance, Zeke’s grip grows impossibly tight, and I cry out as pain slices through my ankle. Tears well up in my eyes, but I don’t look away from Regan. When Zeke’s sharp claws scrape bone, the pain suddenly steals my breath.

In a weak attempt to free myself, I kick with my free leg, but Regan moves beneath me, and his feral growl makes Zeke freeze. I look at Regan, but it isn’t him who is growling.

Gnash prowls toward us, each step calculating as he sizes up Zeke. His pure white fur is hackled up, and his shoulders drop as he snarls, snapping his teeth at Zeke.