Chapter 3

Alek

“What are you trying to prove, son?” My uncle Kirill barges into my home office while I’m watching the feed from the basement on the iPad.

“What are you doing here, Uncle?” I lift my gaze from the muted feed.

Uncle Kirill is my only late mother’s brother who raised me when I lost both of my parents. He became my second father and treated me like his own. Since he hasn’t found his mate, he never marries. Instead, he helped me rebuild the Voyslav Empire.

“If she’s the one who can bring your wolf back, then you should treat her accordingly.” He remains standing at the door.

I snort. “She’s also the daughter of the accountant involved in the killing of my parents. He issued that money. He was lucky he’s dead, or I’ll let him watch what I’m doing to his daughter right now.”

He shakes his head in disappointment. “That girl has nothing to do with what happened to your parents. She’s what? She was three when you lost my sister, Alek.”

“Eight,” I correct him.

“Still a child, but what you’re doing is not right. Or you don’t care about getting your wolf back anymore.”

“I got cursed because of them. I lost my wolf. I haven’t even had a fucking orgasm for over twelve years. So, let me have a little fun with this little bird for a while.”

“Yet you called her Khrysanya.” He runs his fingers through his salt and pepper hair.

I chuckle. Khrysanya means golden flower or bloom. I see Jasmine as a golden flower. She’s not only beautiful, but way more beautiful than her stepsister. She’s resilient and strong-willed, but she’s also subservient without even noticing it.

Just watching her asleep in bed alone makes my cock hard. She doesn’t even know I placed a camera in that room.

Call me creepy, but I’ve invested a lot of time getting to know my enemies, their families, even their pets. It just so happened that Jasmine, my innocent, sweet Jasmine, is my mate. I may not have a wolf right now, but I know she’s the one. And she’s mine and mine alone.

“It means nothing. She doesn’t even know what it means.”

“You’re missing my point, Alek. Take that poor woman back. Enough with the game. Tell her the truth.” He steps back, shutting the door after him.

I watch the feed again. This time, she stops screaming, but she’s pulling her knees to her chest, rocking in fear. There’s only one light at the corner, out of the cage. Any human locked up down there will be terrified and left traumatized.

Knowing she’s already twenty-one and doesn’t have a wolf, she’s practically human, and humans are weak. But as long as she doesn’t submit to me, she won’t get out of there until I get what I want.

I pick up my phone and text my second-in-command, Sasha.

He enters right away, and his blue eyes find me. “What is it?”

“Do you think a trauma can be the reason why she’s wolfless until now?”

“Yeah. I wonder if her mother sent her to therapy. If both parents are werewolves, she’s a werewolf, unless she’s adopted, but she smells like a shewolf, only less strong.”

I groan, describing how Jasmine smells like stirring the possessiveness in me. “Let’s hope she won’t find out who killed her father.”

“Anything else, boss?”

“Stay here. I need to run.” I get up from my chair. I may not have a wolf anymore, but my strength, agility, senses, and healing process remain enhanced.

I put on my hoodie, my sweatpants, and my running shoes, and then I sprint into the woods.

Three of my men shift behind me as they follow me to the trail. I own three thousand hectares of land so that my pack can run freely without human interruption or recording us and posting it on the internet.

My heart gallops in my chest as I use my strength to get far ahead of my men. Before I can make a turn, Sasha’s voice comes through the pack link.

“What is it?” I stop, catching my breath.

“She’s calling your name and wants to talk to you.”

I smirk. “It didn’t take long. I’m coming back.”

A few minutes later, I’m back at the house, taking a bottled water from Sasha, drinking it empty. “Thanks.”

He takes back the bottle. “Do you want us to come with you?”

“No. I want to talk to her alone.” I look at him, and he knows what it means.

I just opened the door, and the smell of dried blood and death reeked in the underground.

I switch the light on, and she remains in the corner, her face is wet with tears, stains with dust. Her red-rimmed eyes find mine.

“I’m here. What do you wanna talk about?”

“I’ll do what you want, but make sure Liam and Danya are dead.”

“Then let me get you out of here.” I unlock the cage and offer my hand, but she gets up and walks past me.

I understand her dilemma. If I were in her situation, I would take any chances to kill the man who makes my life difficult, even in his sleep.

As we walk upstairs, she’s still shaking, staggering. I manage to catch her before she falls.

“I’m fine.” She elbows me. “Get off of me.”

“Behave now, or I will put you back in that cage.”

“Asshole. You’re a monster.”

“I’ve been called worse.” I pick her up and carry her bridal style to my room. Once we get inside the bathroom, I take off her clothes that smell of the cage.

She doesn’t fight with me anymore. She stands naked before me. Her creamy skin glimmers in the light.

I’ve seen hundreds of naked women, but there’s something about Jasmine that makes her stand out, and she doesn’t even know it.

She’s of average height, but not any part of her body has gone under the knife, yet every curve is perfection, and her skin looks smooth and soft.

“Get in the shower.”

With unsteady legs, she steps in while I adjust the water temperature.

My cock instantly hardens as she goes under the spray, and the water runs through her naked body.

With clenched jaw, I grab my body wash and pour it into my palm, and then I spread my hands on her smooth back.

She stiffens, but she doesn’t resist. I lather more on the globes of her ass, down her thighs to her legs.

All of a sudden, I don’t just smell her sweet jasmine and vanilla scent. I’m starting to smell her arousal, too.

I smirk in silence as I grab the bottle of my shampoo and pour a good amount into my palm, and lather it onto her hair, massaging her scalp.

She has long, wavy, thick sienna brown hair, perfect for her creamy skin.

I’m also wet. It’s a good thing I took off my running outfit, and I’m only in my boxers.

“Give me your hand.”

Without a word, she opens her palm for me, and I squeeze my body wash into it. “Clean yourself.”

Instead, she turns to face me and lifts her gaze, meeting mine. I see a challenge and a defiance. “Do it. You want me, right?”

I’m sure by now, she can see the bulge in my boxers. And she also has excellent breasts, and her dark pink nipples begin to peak.

“And I know you’re wet, but I can wait until we’re both dry. I’m not taking you here for the first time. I want you in bed because I know you’re still a virgin, and I wanna fuck you good that you forget Liam ever exists.”