RHEA'S POV
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying on a huge bed in a large room. I sat up quickly and saw a figure seated in a chair in front of me, his eyes a frightening shade of red.
"Damon," I called, shivering. I tried to understand why he was here before realizing I was in Lycan territory.
"I see you are awake, Rhea. How do you feel?" Damon asked, his eyes unflinching from my body. He kept his distance from me, as if he didn't want to inhale my scent.
Was he really my mate? His scent was distracting and comforting at the same time.
"How did you get to Ashville?" He asked me with a frown, seeming to do that a lot.
My skin tingled in pleasure, and I had to fight the urge to moan. My n****e was hard and protruding through the thin material.
I clumsily explained to him, and he nodded. Tears filled my eyes at the thought of my parents being gone. I had no family and no pack.
I stood up from the bed abruptly, stumbling. "My friends!"
"Grrrrr," Damon let out an animalistic sound. I could feel his eyes on my body.
"You're red down there," Damon groaned as he looked at the fiery curls between my thighs.
I followed his gaze and saw that he was looking at my nether region.
I blushed in shame and dove back onto the bed, covering my body with the duvet. This seemed to break the spell in the air.
"Your friends are safe," he responded.
I knew he was my mate, but I was scared to ask. At least my friends were okay.
"From now on, I'm your master," Damon said, c*****g his head to the side as if assessing me.
I wasn't expecting him to say such a thing. His eyes were still red, and there was an oppressive aura around him that made it hard to breathe.
My wolf snarled at his words, startling me. I had no idea when she had surfaced, but I could feel, see, and hear things differently.
"It looks like you don't agree with my words?" Damon said with a raised brow.
"I'm your mate," I whispered, excited at the thought of having a mate yet scared.
"So, you want to be claimed and f****d," his eyes became intense, and the room charged.
The sudden pressure in the air made my body tingle with pleasure. My pulse quickened. The thick aroma of his scent clung to the air along with something else.
Desire.
"No... no... no... I," I tried to explain, but my words failed me. How did we get here? I was talking about us being mates. Even though those words made my stomach flip in a weird way.
I felt lightheaded, and my skin was tingling.
"I can smell you," he whispered.
I swallowed heavily.
I was reminded of the dream I had back home, when he was touching my body and how I woke up shivering.
My thighs trembled, and I didn't know what was happening, but I wanted him to touch me.
"You want my hands on you," he stood up and walked closer to me. Up close, he was very big and tall but insanely gorgeous.
I lowered my eyes, unable to look at him.
"Then, I'm your master," Damon said, sounding annoyed.
I wished I had nodded at his words when he asked those questions. I regretted my silence to death.
He stood up and opened a huge closet, throwing a white shirt at me.
"Wear this," he growled, looking at my breasts. I hastily put on
the clothes, unable to bear his gaze any longer. The clothes smelled like him, and I inhaled his scent, not caring that he had seen my action.
His eyes had a satisfied gleam at my action. "I need you to smell like me always. Do you understand?"
I nodded. "Yes," I wanted to smell like him. I had no idea where the thought came from.
My stomach let out an embarrassing growl. I looked up at him, feeling shy and helpless.
"I'll be back with food. Do not leave the room," he said to me, then left.
I stood up from the bed, inhaling my mate's scent. My eyes roamed around the room, and I felt dizzy. The room was too spacious and a bit bare.
"Damon," I heard a lady's voice call, and the door to the room was pushed open.
I turned around, and our eyes met. It was a blazing red eye that I was becoming too familiar with.
Something about how she looked made me feel like running.
She was stunning and tall, with long black hair that reached her knees. It looked like all Lycans were naturally ethereal.
"Why do you smell like my husband?" She sneered, appearing before me.
I couldn't even blink before I saw her enlarged face. It was like she materialized before me
Then she began to cut off my air supply, her hands on my neck with her elongated claws.
"Stop," I gripped her hands, trying to pull her off my neck, but I was far too weak to do any real damage.
"What the hell do you think you are doing, Clara Blackmoon?" Damon's voice thundered, booming in the house. I could feel her hands weaken on my neck, but they were still tight.
"Let go."
It was as if a silent bullet pierced my head, and I gasped in pain. I could see Clara furrow her brows in pain, and I knew she felt it.
She dropped me to the floor, releasing my neck.
I fell, like a sack of potatoes, gasping for air.
Clara bowed her head, revealing her slender neck to Damon in submission, but she still looked very angry.
"Was my mate married?" I thought, coughing, tears streaming down my face. I wasn't sure if it was from the pain or the woman's words.
"How dare you touch my mate," Damon asked in a cold voice, his eyes now golden.
"Your Highness", Clara gasped in shock.
I stared at the Lycans, confused about what was going on. I felt dizzy from the load of information I just received.
What did she mean by "Her husband" and "Your Highness"???