Nikolai
The scent of my mate clung to my skin, suffocating me, drowning me in an intoxication I didn’t ask for. I shut the door to my quarters with more force than necessary, leaning against it as I tried to catch my breath. My mind was chaos, consumed with thoughts of Dahlia—my mate.
It was impossible. Unwanted. Unforgivable. Fate, that cruel joke of a force, had chosen now to pair me with someone? And not just anyone. Dahlia Ashwood. The sister of the woman who meant everything to Bastian. The woman I had kidnapped, planned to use as leverage, maybe even kill if necessary.
I paced the room, fists clenched as the bond tugged at me, clouding my judgment. My wolf was restless, snarling in my head, furious that I had left her in that cage. The mate bond was relentless, gnawing at me like
