Tamed by the Beast

3.

Chapter 3: Shadows and Bonds

The howl cuts through the forest like a blade, sharp and close, making my skin prickle. I’m frozen in the clearing, the mark on my wrist pulsing like a heartbeat, hot and alive. Liam stands in front of me, his broad frame a shield against the darkness, but his eyes are on Rhea, the woman with the dagger and the glare that could burn holes through me. Her words—“You really think she’s worth a war?”—hang in the air, heavy as the mist curling around the pines. My chest tightens. I don’t know if she’s here to help or to hand me over to Kael’s trackers, but I know one thing: I’m not going back to him. Not ever.

“Who the hell are you?” I snap, my voice sharper than I mean it to be. Fear’s got my heart pounding, but I’m done being the scared girl Kael made me.

Rhea’s green eyes flick to me, cold and assessing, like she’s sizing up a threat. “Rhea Voss. Ironclaw beta. And you’re the runaway causing all this trouble.” Her tone’s clipped, like she’s spitting out something bitter. She steps closer, her boots crunching on pine needles, and I notice the burn scar on her neck, a jagged line that screams she’s seen her share of fights.

“Enough,” Liam growls, his voice low but carrying that Alpha weight that makes the air hum. “Rhea, report. What’s out there?”

Rhea doesn’t take her eyes off me, like I’m the real danger here. “Kael’s got a hunting party. Six, maybe seven shifters, moving fast. They’re not just trackers, Liam. He sent his enforcers. They’re coming for her.” She jerks her head at me, and I feel the weight of her words like a punch.

My stomach twists. Kael’s enforcers are his elite—brutal, loyal, and trained to kill. I saw what they did to a rogue who crossed him once. The memory of blood and screams makes my hands shake, and I shove them into my jacket pockets to hide it. “I didn’t ask for this,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel. “I just want to be left alone.”

Rhea snorts, a harsh sound. “Yeah? Tell that to the pack you’re dragging into your mess. We don’t need Kael’s war on our doorstep.”

“Stand down, Rhea,” Liam says, his tone sharp enough to make her flinch. “She’s under my protection.”

Her eyes narrow, and I see the challenge in them, the way her hand twitches toward her dagger. “Protection? Or something else?” She glances at my wrist, where the mark glows faintly, then at Liam’s. “You imprinted with her? You, of all people?”

“Rhea,” Liam warns, stepping closer to her, his voice dropping to a dangerous rumble. “This isn’t the time.”

I’m caught between them, my pulse racing. The mark burns hotter, and I feel it again—that strange pull, like I can sense Liam’s anger, his frustration, coiling inside me like it’s my own. It’s unnerving, like he’s under my skin, and I hate it. “What’s her problem?” I ask, glaring at Rhea. “You got a thing for him or something?”

Rhea’s laugh is sharp, like broken glass. “Please. I’d rather gut myself than moon over Liam. But I know what happens when an Alpha gets distracted. Packs fall. People die.”

“Enough!” Liam snaps, and the forest seems to hold its breath. He turns to me, his gray eyes intense, searching. “Sera, get to the truck. Now.”

I want to argue, to tell him I’m not some pawn to be ordered around, but another howl splits the night, closer this time, and my instincts scream to move. I nod, hating how much I’m relying on him, and start toward the truck. Liam and Rhea fall in behind me, their footsteps silent but tense, like they’re expecting an attack any second.

The forest is alive with shadows, the mist weaving through the trees like ghosts. My boots slip on wet leaves, and I curse under my breath, my wrist throbbing with every step. The mark’s glow is brighter now, casting a faint light on the path. I glance at Liam, who’s scanning the darkness, his claws still out, blood drying on his knuckles from the fight in the clearing. He’s a beast, no question, but there’s something in the way he keeps himself between me and the trees—protective, not possessive. It’s different from Kael, and that difference makes my chest ache in a way I don’t want to think about.

“Keep moving,” Liam says, his voice low. “They’re close.”

“How do you know?” I ask, my breath hitching as I climb over a fallen log.

“I can smell them,” he says, not looking at me. “Blood and rage. Kael’s enforcers don’t play nice.”

Rhea scoffs, keeping pace on my other side. “You’re wasting your time, Liam. She’s not worth this. Kael’s got numbers, and you’re risking the pack for a runaway who’s already bonded to someone else.”

I stop dead, my blood running cold. “What did you say?” I turn to her, my hands balling into fists. “I’m not bonded to Kael anymore. I broke that when I left.”

Rhea’s smirk is cruel. “You sure about that? Imprints don’t just vanish, sweetheart. And you’ve got a new one glowing on your wrist. How’s that math add up?”

My heart stutters, and I look at Liam, hoping she’s wrong. His face is unreadable, but his eyes flicker with something—guilt, maybe, or worry. “Rhea, shut it,” he says, but it’s too late. Her words are a knife, twisting in my gut. Could Kael’s bond still be there? Is that why this mark with Liam feels so wrong, so intense?

Before I can demand answers, the air shifts, heavy and electric, like a storm’s about to break. Liam grabs my arm, his grip firm but not painful, and pulls me behind a tree. “Quiet,” he whispers, his breath warm against my ear. My skin tingles, and I hate how my body reacts, even now.

Rhea crouches beside us, her dagger out, her eyes scanning the darkness. “They’re here,” she murmurs, and I hear it—the rustle of leaves, the low growl of shifters moving through the trees. My heart’s in my throat, and the mark on my wrist flares, sending a jolt of heat through me. I feel Liam’s pulse, his readiness, like it’s my own. It’s disorienting, like I’m tethered to him in ways I can’t escape.

“How many?” Liam asks Rhea, his voice barely audible.

“Five,” she says, her eyes narrowing. “Big ones. Enforcers, like I said.”

I swallow hard, my mind racing. Five against three, and I’m barely holding it together. I’m not a fighter, not like them. Kael made sure I stayed weak, dependent. But I’m not that girl anymore. I can’t be.

“What’s the plan?” I whisper, my voice shaking but determined.

Liam glances at me, surprise flashing in his eyes. “You stay out of it,” he says. “Rhea and I handle this.”

“Screw that,” I snap, my fear burning into anger. “I’m not sitting here like bait. Tell me what to do.”

Rhea rolls her eyes, but Liam’s mouth twitches, like he’s fighting a smile. “Fine,” he says. “Stay low, move fast. If you get a shot, take it. But don’t do anything stupid.”

I nod, my hands clenching. I don’t have claws or training, but I’ve got rage, and that’s enough for now.

The attack comes fast. Shadows explode from the trees, wolves and half-shifted forms, their eyes glowing like fire. Liam roars, meeting the first one head-on, claws tearing through fur. Rhea’s a blur, her dagger flashing as she takes on another. I duck behind the tree, my heart pounding, scanning for an opening. A wolf lunges toward me, its jaws snapping, and I dive, rolling across the damp ground. My hands find a broken branch, and I swing it hard, catching the wolf’s snout. It yelps, staggering, and I scramble to my feet, my breath ragged.

“Sera!” Liam’s voice cuts through the chaos, and I see him slam an enforcer into a tree, his strength terrifying. But another’s circling him, and he’s too focused to notice. I don’t think—I run, swinging the branch again, aiming for the enforcer’s legs. It connects, and the wolf stumbles, giving Liam the chance to finish it with a brutal swipe.

He turns to me, his eyes wild, blood streaking his face. “I told you to stay low!” he yells, but there’s no heat in it, just worry.

“Saving your ass doesn’t count?” I shout back, my voice hoarse.

He shakes his head, but there’s that twitch again, like he’s impressed. The fight’s not over, though. Rhea’s holding her own, but she’s bleeding, a gash on her arm. Two enforcers are still standing, and they’re not slowing down. The mark on my wrist burns hotter, and I feel Liam’s rage, his strength, surging through me. It’s like I’m borrowing his power, and it’s both thrilling and terrifying.

“Liam, behind you!” Rhea shouts, and he spins just in time to dodge a claw aimed at his throat. But the move leaves me exposed, and the last enforcer sees its chance. It charges, and I’m too slow, too human. Its claws rake my side, and pain explodes, white-hot and blinding. I scream, falling to my knees, blood soaking my jacket.

“Sera!” Liam’s roar shakes the trees, and he’s on the enforcer in a heartbeat, tearing it apart with a ferocity that makes my stomach lurch. The fight ends as fast as it started, the remaining enforcer fleeing into the night. Rhea’s panting, her dagger dripping, and Liam’s at my side, his hands gentle as he checks my wound.

“Hold still,” he says, his voice rough with something I can’t name. Fear? Guilt? His fingers brush my skin, and the mark flares again, sending a wave of warmth through me, dulling the pain. “You’re gonna be okay.”

I nod, but my head’s spinning, and not just from the blood loss. The mark’s doing something to us, tying us tighter with every touch, every fight. I don’t know if it’s magic or fate or something worse, but it’s real, and it’s not letting go.

Rhea steps closer, her face hard. “We need to move. More will come.” She looks at me, her eyes softening just a fraction. “She’s tougher than she looks.”

Liam doesn’t answer, his focus on me. He lifts me carefully, his arms strong but gentle, and carries me toward the truck. I want to protest, to tell him I can walk, but the pain’s too much, and his warmth is grounding me, keeping me here.

As we reach the truck, a new sound cuts through the night—not a howl, but a low, eerie chant, like voices carried on the wind. Liam freezes, his eyes narrowing. “Witches,” he mutters, and my blood runs cold. Kael’s allies. The ones who want my blood for their ritual.

“What do they want?” I whisper, my voice weak.

Liam’s jaw tightens, and he sets me in the truck, his hand lingering on mine. “You,” he says, his voice low, fierce. “But they’re not getting you.”

The chant grows louder, closer, and the mark on my wrist pulses, brighter than ever. In the distance, a figure steps from the shadows—a woman with silver hair and violet eyes, her presence like a storm waiting to break. She’s watching us, and the air crackles with her power.

“Who’s that?” I ask, my heart pounding.

Liam’s face is grim, his eyes locked on her. “Trouble.”