THE HIDDEN PRINCESS AND HER FOUR MATES

CHAPTER THREE: THE FIRST TOUCH

Three days in their den, and I was going insane.

Not from fear. From frustration.

They’d given me a better room. Larger. Comfortable. Unlocked.

But I was still a prisoner.

“I need air,” I told Jax, who was currently sprawled across my doorway reading.

“Can’t. Kade’s orders.”

“Kade’s not my alpha.”

“Technically, all four of us are.” He grinned. “Pack bond, remember? You agreed.”

“I agreed to help you, not be locked in a room.”

“You’re not locked in. You’re being protected.”

“From what?”

“From yourself.” Asher appeared behind Jax. “Kade thinks you’ll try to run.”

“I gave my word.”

“Words are cheap, Princess.” Asher’s ice-blue eyes studied me. “Actions matter.”

Fine. If they wouldn’t let me out, I’d make my own exit.

That night, I waited until the den was quiet. Then I opened my window—no bars on this one—and climbed out.

The drop was only about fifteen feet. I landed in a crouch, my wolf helping me absorb the impact.

Freedom.

I ran into the forest, letting my wolf surface just enough to enhance my speed and senses. The night air felt incredible against my skin.

I made it about half a mile before I realized my mistake.

I was being hunted.

I could feel them. All four of them. Closing in from different directions like a coordinated pack.

I tried to change direction. Too late.

Asher dropped from a tree directly in front of me.

“Going somewhere?”

I turned to run. Riven was there. Silent as always.

Jax emerged from the left. Kade from the right.

Surrounded.

“I just wanted air,” I said, breathing hard.

“You wanted to test us,” Kade corrected. “See if we’d actually come after you.”

“And now you know.” Asher moved closer. “Rule number two: You try to escape, you get punished.”

“I wasn’t escaping. I was—”

“Running away. Same thing.” Kade’s eyes had gone dark. “We warned you.”

“What are you going to do? Lock me in a cell?”

“Worse.” Asher’s smile was cruel. “We’re going to show you what happens when you break our rules.”

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me against him. His other hand tangled in my hair, yanking my head back.

“Tell me to stop,” he whispered against my ear. “Say the word, and this ends.”

I should say it. Should demand he release me.

But my wolf was howling. And my body was on fire.

“I hate you,” I breathed.

“No, you don’t.” His mouth brushed my neck. “You hate how much you want this.”

His teeth scraped my skin. Not biting. Threatening.

“Asher.” Kade’s voice was rough. “Don’t mark her. Not yet.”

“Why not? She’s ours.”

“Because she hasn’t chosen us. Not really.” Kade moved behind me, sandwiching me between them. “And when she does, I want her begging for it.”

Asher released my hair but kept hold of my wrist. “What’s your punishment, then?”

“She runs back to the den. We hunt her. If we catch her—and we will—she spends the night in our room. With all of us.”

Terror and arousal warred inside me. “That’s not—”

“Scared, Princess?” Jax asked.

“No.”

“Then run.” Kade stepped back. “You have a ten-second head start.”

I ran.

I pushed my wolf harder than I ever had before. Trees blurred past. The wind screamed in my ears.

I could hear them behind me. Gaining.

Five hundred yards from the den, Jax caught me. He tackled me to the ground, rolling so I landed on top of him.

“Gotcha.”

Riven appeared above us. He lifted me off Jax effortlessly and slung me over his shoulder.

“Put me down!”

He didn’t respond. Just carried me back to the den like I weighed nothing.

Kade and Asher were waiting in what must be their shared room. Four beds. One space.

Riven set me down carefully.

“You lost,” Kade said. “You know what that means.”

My heart was racing. “This is insane.”

“This is pack law.” Asher locked the door behind us. “You challenged our authority. We responded.”

“I didn’t challenge—”

“You ran.” Kade moved closer. “In a pack, running from your alphas is the ultimate disrespect.”

“I’m not pack. I’m—”

“You’re ours.” All four of them said it. Simultaneously.

And the bond that had been building between us suddenly snapped into place.

I gasped. It felt like lightning in my veins.

“You feel it now,” Kade said softly. “The pack bond. It’s been forming since we took you. But now it’s real.”

“How—”

“Because you stopped fighting it.” Asher’s hand cupped my face. “You can’t run from a bond you secretly crave.”

Kade had said that before. Now I understood.

“What do you want from me?” I whispered.

“Everything,” Kade said. “But we’ll start with trust.”

He gestured to his bed. “Sleep. We won’t touch you. Not tonight.”

“Then why—”

“Because you need to know you’re safe with us. Even when you’re vulnerable. Even when you’re surrounded.” His eyes held mine. “We’re not him, Aria. We would never force you.”

The use of my name—not Princess—broke something inside me.

I climbed onto Kade’s bed, still fully dressed.

All four of them settled into their own beds. Watching me. Protecting me.

And for the first time in my life, I felt safe enough to sleep.