THE ROGUE ALPHA

The light that had flashed on Cassian’s arm disappeared as quickly as it had come, but its effect lingered. My heart pounded wildly as the heat from the mysterious mark still burned on my skin, as if something inside me had been awakened. From the look of surprise on Cassian’s face, I knew he felt it too.

"You just marked me," he said, his deep voice low, as if trying to confirm the impossible.

I instinctively stepped back, my hands trembling so badly I had to clutch them against my chest. "I... it wasn’t on purpose." My voice barely escaped, choked by confusion and fear.

"It doesn’t matter if it was or wasn’t," he replied, his intensity pinning me in place like a predator watching its prey. "We’re bonded now."

The weight of his words was crushing. Bonded? That couldn’t be true. Something like that was supposed to be rare, sacred—a symbol of destiny between mates—not an accident with a complete stranger.

I wanted to scream, run, undo whatever had just happened, but there was a certainty in his eyes that told me there was no going back. Then he did something that froze me in place: he smiled.

But it wasn’t a kind smile. It was dark, laced with something indecipherable, something that sent a chill down my spine.

"You have no idea what this means, do you?" He stepped closer, his movements fluid yet threatening. Every instinct I had screamed at me to move back, but I couldn’t. "But you’ll learn. Because now, Sienna, you’re mine."

My words died before they could escape. My mind swirled with questions, but none of them could take form. It was as if the world around me was melting, and I was trapped between the fire and the shadow he represented.

The sound of doors slamming open broke the spell between us. The energy in the air shifted instantly, becoming heavier, more charged. When I turned, Theo stood in the doorway, his imposing figure framed by the dim light spilling in from the street.

His golden eyes locked onto mine, but they quickly shifted to Cassian, narrowing with an intensity that made the air around us vibrate.

"Step away from her," Theo growled, his voice low but dripping with authority.

Cassian didn’t move. He laughed, a deep and provoking sound that seemed designed to irritate Theo even more.

"You’re late, boy," he replied, leaning forward slightly as if preparing for a confrontation. "She’s not yours anymore."

Cassian’s words fell like a hammer, and Theo’s face hardened into a mix of shock and fury.

"You marked her?" Theo took a step forward, the sound of his boots echoing like a warning.

I tried to speak, to explain what had happened, but my throat was dry. The words wouldn’t come.

"It was an accident," I finally managed to whisper, but both men ignored me.

"You don’t know what you’re dealing with, Cassian," Theo continued, his voice cold as steel. "Let her go now. Break the bond before it’s too late."

Cassian laughed again, but this time it was different. There was no humor in his tone. He was taunting Theo, but there was something deeper behind his words.

"You think I’m the kind of man who gives up something like this?" He stepped closer, standing dangerously close to Theo. "She’s mine now, and there’s nothing you can do about it."

Theo moved so quickly that I barely had time to process it. He grabbed the collar of Cassian’s shirt, and the two were face-to-face, a battle of wills as fierce as any physical fight.

"I won’t let you hurt her," Theo growled, his voice almost inhuman, a sound that reverberated through the empty bar.

Cassian didn’t flinch, his expression defiant. "You think you can stop me? You have no idea what I’m capable of."

The tension in the air was suffocating, and I knew that if they started fighting, it wouldn’t be an ordinary brawl. I couldn’t let this happen.

"Stop!" My voice came out louder than I intended, and both men turned to me at the same time.

For a moment, no one moved. I could feel the weight of their gazes, the heat of the bond that now tied me to Cassian, and the broken bond that still weakly pulsed between Theo and me.

"You’re both acting like I don’t have a choice," I said, my voice shaking but steady. "But I do. And I choose—"

Before I could finish, the sound of footsteps echoed from the alley. Cassian and Theo turned simultaneously, their bodies tense and alert.

"We’ve got company," Cassian said, his voice low and dark.

"Of course we do," Theo replied. "Did you really think you’d get away with everything you’ve done?"

Before I could ask what he meant, the bar doors creaked open, and figures emerged from the shadows. Their eyes glowed like predators in the night, and the low growls that filled the air made me shiver.

Cassian pulled me behind him, positioning himself as a shield between me and the intruders. Theo did the same but shot a warning glance at Cassian.

"This is your fault," he muttered, but there was no time to argue.

The strangers lunged, and Cassian moved first. In the blink of an eye, he shifted. His human form melted away, replaced by a colossal black wolf with glowing red eyes.

Theo followed quickly, his transformation as fluid as it was terrifying. The two of them charged at the attackers, and the bar became a battlefield.

I was frozen, unable to move, unable to look away. But then I felt it. A wave of energy coursed through my body, something powerful, something ancient.

The bond.

Somehow, I could feel what Cassian was feeling. His strength, his fury, his determination. It was as if a part of me was connected to him, fighting alongside him.

And then, in the middle of the chaos, one of the creatures saw me. Its glowing eyes locked onto mine, and it lunged.