CHOSEN

"Lucas," I called. He didn’t stop, even though I knew he was trying hard to stay conscious. Both of his hands traced the side of my body, from my waist down to my hips, then stopped before he embraced me, gently yet firm, while his lips trailed kisses on my jawline and ears. I really didn’t want to betray Dave, but it felt like my consciousness wasn’t fully there, as if my body had been taken over by another soul, yet my own soul was still inside, like being in autopilot. The worst part was, it felt incredibly good. "Lucas," I whispered, though now it sounded like the moan of a cheap woman. Lucas pulled his head back, and I could see his eyes had turned completely black. The monster inside him had taken over, and I was genuinely terrified of what he might do to me, even though it made me aroused. In a split second, his lips were trailing down my neck. He stopped right at the crook where my shoulder met my neck, then gently licked that spot. I realized what this monster was about to do. He was going to mark and make me his. 'No!' I screamed inside, even though my lips stifled a moan. I didn't want to bear his mark, because once marked, there won't be a way out. I will have to stay beside him because being far away will kill me. As his hand slipped beneath the pale yellow blouse I was wearing and began to tease my chest, I lost control of my body. In the reflection of the mirror in the wall behind him, I saw that my eyes were as dark as Lucas's. The wolf side took over my consciousness and I couldn't do anything but witness as my body went wild with Lucas's. A long moan escaped my lips as he tore my clothes, leaving no piece of fabric covering my body, before with my hands, my own monster did the same to his. We kissed passionately before Lucas spread my legs apart and positioning himself between my wide-open thighs, then taking me like a wild beast. This was insane. I really felt like a w***e and thought about grovelling at my husband's feet, beg for forgiveness. I felt even more disgusted when the sound of purring came out of me reached my ears. I should never have let this happen. I should have killed this wolf side of me before it caused any trouble. If only I understood that it was needed, if only I understood enough about my nature. *** I woke up as sunlight streamed through the window, hitting my face. My God, my whole body ached as if I had just done the most intense workout of my life. A soft moan escaped my lips, and I felt light-headed as I tried to lift it. The room smelled like s*x. Tears welled up in my eyes. I truly hated myself. Beside me, Lucas sat up and roughly rubbed his face before turning to look at me with wide eyes. He was probably just as shocked as I was. His expression shifted from anger to guilt before he pulled the sheet that had slipped off the mattress, to cover my body. “Ester, that wasn’t me ...,” he whispered. “I know,” I whispered back. “This is too much. I’m so sorry. Really, I’m sorry—” His voice cracked as tears choked him. It was hard to believe that the big bad alpha felt guilty for mating his own mate, but I was too busy trying to calm myself to respond to him. “Are you going to reject me?” he whispered. I had no idea what to say. I just wanted to disappear. The thought of rejecting him hurt me deeply. The door was banged on several times, and moments later, Lucien, Lucas’s younger brother, shouted, “Lucas, open the door!” Lucas jumped out of bed, grabbed some shorts from the hanger, and put them on as he walked to the door. I didn’t even care if Lucien could see me or not—my regret was far greater than my shame. “Oh my God,” he said weakly as he approached me. “F*ck, Luke! Why did you let this happen? Didn’t you hear my warning?” My mate didn’t defend himself. His face was filled with guilt as he looked at me. “Take Ester home after she feels better,” Lucas said before walking toward the balcony. From where I lay, I could see him jump down, shifting into his wolf mid-air. Lucien’s attention quickly returned to me, his gaze concerned and free of judgment, even though he knew I had just cheated with his brother. “Get some rest, Es. I’ll prepare some medicine and clothes for you,” he said sadly. I had no idea how long I had slept after my encounter with Lucas, but my body was aching all over. Before Lucien left Lucas’s room, I fell asleep again. When I woke up, my body didn’t feel as exhausted as before. I sighed deeply when I saw the clock showing it was four in the afternoon. *** I sat up and looked under the sheet; my body was still naked. The bathroom door was opened and a musky scent mixed with my mate's filled the room. He had just showered; his hair was still slightly damp and the towel around his waist was the only thing covering his body. Sexy. His silver eyes immediately caught my gaze and his expression turned sad again. He turned into the wardrobe and didn’t bother covering himself while changing clothes. Physically, he was perfect and without any shame, I enjoyed the view through the unclosed closet door. After putting on beach shorts and a cotton shirt, he stepped out, lifted the cover from a tray I hadn't noticed, and brought a plate with two thick, tempting sandwiches, before sitting on the edge of the bed. "Eat, Darling. Restore your energy," he said softly. I gazed at his handsome face and exposed chest from the the unbuttoned shirt. The mate bond was truly crazy; I had only met this man a few times, but why did it felt like I had known him all my life? He reached for a glass of water on the nightstand, and I took it greedily, chug it down before grabbing one of the sandwiches from the plate. I was starving. "I need clothes," I mumbled while chewing, not caring if Lucas would be disgusted by my behavior. He nodded understandingly and pointed to the corner of the room, where several shopping bags were neatly arranged. Lucas didn’t say anything and just waited for me to finish eating, as if making sure I did. Sure enough, the delicious tuna sandwich was gone in less than two minutes. He placed the empty plate on the nightstand and grabbed those shopping bags, then hand them to me. I wasn’t a materialistic woman who would be thrilled to receive designer clothes from these bags, but I had no other choice; the clothes I wore yesterday were torn into scraps that still scattered on the bedroom floor. "Clean yourself up, Ester. Our mixed scents are driving my wolf mad. I don’t want my mating instincts taking over again," he said. I complied, standing and trying to cover myself with the sheet, but gave up as the king-size bedspread got caught on the headboard. With a bitchy ego, I walked to the bathroom, even that I felt Lucas’s lustful gaze undressing my already naked body. I quickened my pace as I heard a low growl from Lucas’s throat, didn’t want to risk him pouncing on me again like last night. This is crazy! This is really crazy. Just a few days ago, I was live peacefully at home with my husband and son, quite happy living as a normal human family, and now it feels like I’m was departed to another world, where I am the mate of the leader of a werewolf pack.