《Alpha's Hidden Obsession (Poppy and Damon)》 Chapter 1: Rejected Chapter 1: Rejected Poppy POV As I passed through the corridor, my knees buckled as the air filled with rich scent of oakmoss. My thighs clenched and I had to lean against the wall to control the tsunami of emotions that swirled inside my body. I don¡¯t know what was happening to me, but I was getting attracted towards the scent like a moth to the me. My throat went dry and my eyes drooped to a half-mast. Suddenly, I wanted to touch myself or be touched. When I reached the room where I was directed to by the guards, I heard a soft moan. ¡°Ah!¡± she gasped. ¡°Deeper! Faster!¡± The air punctuated with heavy grunts and flesh pping against flesh. I ced my trembling hand on the knob. My heart thundered in my ribs as blood thrummed in my ears. I had to grit my teeth to halt the surge of wave of primal need sent through me. With hesitation, I opened the door of room. My blood froze when my gaze connected with Nash Dawson, son of George Dawson, future Alpha of the Nascent Moon pack. And ording to my grandfather, he was supposed to be my destined mate. There was a girl with him who was bent over the desk with his dick inside her. With a roar, Nash tore his shirt off, revealing his thick muscles and tattoos on his chest and piercings on his nipples. Without breaking contact with my eyes, he worked on her, sinking deeper, his hand fisted around her hair, and other hand gripping her waist. My stomach twisted into a thousand knots as my vision became blurry and a sharp pain stabbed in my chest. I pped my hands on my mouth to stop gasping. Next instant I closed the door behind me and ran away from there. This was my first meeting with Nash Dawson. As I rounded the corridor, I heard aContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. brutal roar with my name on his lips. ¡°Popppyyyy!¡± I ran as fast as I could away from here. I felt like dying and I don¡¯t even know why. I reached the main hall of the Dawson manor and grabbed the backrest of a couch to steady myself, to calm my heart. Betrayal tasted bitter. Momentster I heard my name. ¡°Poppy?¡± I whipped my head and saw him standing behind me with narrowed eyes that had such a cold expression that another dagger was sent through my heart. This was the first time I was meeting him and my reaction towards him was absurd. Nash Dawson was hot. With blond curls and piercing onyx eyes, he was a piece of art. He had a square jaw that must be having a five o¡¯ clock shadow. Over six feet, the twenty-five-year-old, towered above my five feet four frame easily. The girl in whom he had sunk his balls deep was standing right behind him, watching me warily with her dark eyes, her dark hair mussed up, her lipstick messed up. I stopped my teeth from chattering and with my chin up, I looked at him. The girl murmured something in his ear. He nodded and then motioned her to leave. She gave a hateful nce at me and walked out of the hall leaving Nash and me alone. Nash closed the gap between us slowly. ¡°Please sit,¡± he said coldly. ¡°I need to go¡­¡± I said through my clenched teeth, my whole body shivering in pain. ¡°You may, but after I talk to you,¡± he said with his Alpha aura. I rounded the couch and sat on it. He sat opposite to me, his shoulder drawn back in tension. ¡°Are you wolf-less?¡± he asked, his gaze locked on my expressions. Blood drained and my eyes widened as I stiffened at his first question. It was our family secret. One, which was so well kept that I wasn¡¯t allowed to go to the parties or attend events because pack members were starting to sniff around and asking questions about my wolf. My grandfather would whip me, insult me and throw me in the dungeons to push me to the edge to let my wolf out of its cage, but nothing worked. I was waiting for my mate who would take me out of this hell hole because I had heard that the mates¡­ cared. They loved. They cherished each other. I stifled a shudder as I refused to answer his question. ¡°Why are you asking?¡± His dark eyes flickered amber as his wolf wanted toe out. His chest vibrated with a rumble and he growled, ¡°Because my wolf sense you as his mate and he doesn¡¯t sense your wolf.¡± ¡°My mate?¡± I whimpered. My world stopped. So that was why I was so fiercely attracted to him? Wasn¡¯t he attracted? He had a wolf too. His attraction must be¡­ fiercer. I couldn¡¯t stare away from the man who was my mate and fucked another girl in front of my eyes. And despite all this my body was desperate for his touch. Desperate to be surrounded by his smell. ¡°You can''t tell this to anyone,¡± I requested, gathering my wits. After a moment of contemtion, Nash said coldly, ¡°I won''t, but on a condition.¡± Was he trying to demand money? ckmail me? But what he said was worse. ¡°I can''t ept a wolf-less girl as my mate and Luna. Your grandfather sent you with a lot of dowry but unfortunately even if he gives me the world, I won''t ept you. I have a reputation to live up to. I am not so desperate. Cynthia will be my mate.¡± At his words, Cynthia, the girl who he was fucking, came out. She scoffed and went to stand behind Nash. Stroking his hair, she murmured, ¡°You are doing the right thing, Nash.¡± He got up and my eyes followed his movement, my chest tightening, feeling something ominous was about to happen. His gaze filled with nonchnce, he said, ¡°I, Nash Dawson, future Alpha of the Nascent Moon Pack, reject Poppy Vincent of the Shadow Pack as my mate.¡± Rejected, a gasp escaped my lips as my dreams shattered with a deafening sound. Sharp pain stabbed my heart and I felt I was falling in a never-ending abyss. Before I knew I was on the floor, clutching my stomach and doubling over. As if the whipping I had received from my grandfatherst night for protesting to see Nash wasn¡¯t enough, this painnced through me. Myst vision was that of Nash standing over me and watching me with his signature cold expression. He said, ¡°I will keep your secret as long as you stay quiet that we were mates.¡± My mind and soul numbed to the extent that I let out a howl before I sumbed to darkness. --- Hi all! Wee to my new story at iReader. I hope you enjoy it as much as you enjoyed "No Escape From My Ruthless Alpha". Chapter 2: Umbra Academy Chapter 2: Umbra Academy Poppy POV When I opened my eyes, I found myself looking into something dark. A ck bag covered my face. The usual. My hands were shackled back with silver chains which blistered my wrists to the degree that I dared not move them. The damp and musty smell on the stone was enough to tell me that I was back in the dungeons. My grandfather would send his Beta to whip me again. Why? You can guess it. Nash Dawson rejected me. The pain of rejection was so strong that I wondered if I would feel the pain of whipsshing on my back. I had never felt this miserable in my life. Why did my mother choose to leave me? After she left, my father drowned himself in alcohol to the extent that he could no longer be deemed as the future Alpha. My grandfather, James Vincent, was still at the helm of the Shadow Moon pack. And I? I was an abomination he had to live with every day. Yes, this was the secret of the Shadow Pack. An heir without a wolf. An old man who was looking for a powerful heir but was handed someone like me by the moon goddess. He wanted me to be mated to Nash Dawson who was the heir to the secondrgest pack of America and produce a powerful heir for him. He was sure Nash¡¯s genes would give him an heir with a wolf. Water sshed over my face and I gasped for air. The bag was lifted from my face and I peeled open my eyes to see Axl, my grandfather¡¯s Beta, with a ck leather whip in his hands. He had the same sadistic glint in his eyes which I came to realize he had when he whipped me. ¡°Chain her!¡± he yelled to the guards. The guards yanked me up and chained me to the hooks on the wall. And then the whipping started. ¡°Where¡¯s your wolf? Get it out!¡± he yelled. My shrieks were drowned in the walls of the underground dungeon. I don¡¯t know after how many whips, but I cked out, unable to bear the pain. The warm blood trickled down my back and pooled at my feet. I knew it would take at least a week for me to recover because I was wolf-less. Normal werewolves recovered within a day or the powerful ones within a few hours. A weekter when I woke up from my temporary unconsciousness, my nanny, Hilda, came to me with a worried expression. ¡°Poppy,¡± she said, ¡°Alpha wants to see you.¡± Alpha, not grandfather. ¡°Why?¡± I asked, my throat going dry. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she replied in a toneced with pity. She handed me the usual concoction of tea that had herbs to heal my wounds. As I had the tea, she stroked my hair. I got dressed in ck leggings and a white sweater. Once again, I put my chin up to never show my weakness to the outsiders or to him. I headed straight to the Alpha¡¯s office and knocked on his door. ¡°Come in,¡± his cold voice made me tremble. When I entered, he snapped. ¡°You¡¯rete.¡± I remained quiet as dread skittered down my spine. At twenty-one, I had schooled myself never to go against him or reply to him. A few of my red hair had escaped my braid and were itching on my cheeks, but I didn¡¯t have the courage to remove them. He threw a few papers in front of me and said, ¡°I am sending you to the Umbra Academy. You will leave in a few hours. These are your admission papers.¡± My mouth fell to the floor. Umbra Academy? Panic bubbled in my chest. The Umbra Academy belonged to the most powerful Umbra Pack in North America and its Alpha son, Damon Lombard, was known to be the most notorious werewolf. It was said that he could kill a dozen werewolves with his bare hands. The academy was a school for the elite of the shifters and witches where the heirs of the packs and covens were taught how to¡­ rule and steer ahead in the power-hungry world. It was for a period of four years. And only a few made out of it. Alive. My grandfather was never interested in making me the Alpha of the pack, so why was he sending me there? To kill me? Or was he interested in using me as marriage fodder for his political ambitions. The academy was over five hundred miles from here. It meant only one thing ¡ª he was trying to get rid of me. The Umbra werewolves would kill me as soon as they knew that I was weak and wolf-less. I had heard my nanny talking about how the Umbra wolves threwte night parties that ended in depravity and debauchery. And they hunted. ¡°But grandfather¡ª¡± A snarl slipped from his mouth. ¡°That is Alpha for you!¡± His wolf tried to rear its head up as his green eyes flickered with gold speckles. His fangs sharpened. ¡°You are going to the Umbra Academy and if you protest, I will drag you over there myself!¡± My hands tightened into fists so tight that my knuckles went white. ¡°I will go¡­¡± I managed to mutter as I ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . winced under his Alpha aura. My grandfather was a hundred times more powerful than me. There was no point in getting mauled by him. His wolf receded and my nerves settled a little. ¡°Go pack your bags,¡± he ordered. ¡°Your flight leaves in four hours.¡± I nodded and came out of his office. I didn¡¯t stop until I reached my room and crashed on the bed. I knew that he must have arranged to get me murdered in the academy or maybe he hadn¡¯t because I would be killed anyhow. How convenient. At least now I won''t be his problem. My shoulders wracked with uncontroble sobs. I was alone in this world. Until now I had a pack. They were cruel with me, but I wasn¡¯t abandoned. Those who were abandoned were called rogues. Rogues didn¡¯t have a life. They were killed as soon as they were spotted. And they were mostly spotted by the Umbra Pack warriors. I bade goodbye to the only person who ever showed kindness to me, Hilda. She gave me a bag that contained the herbal tea she had made for me to carry and a thick envelope. ¡°This has money in it that I had been saving for a long time. You can use it.¡± ¡°Hilda!¡± I was amazed. ¡°I can''t¡ª¡± I shook my head. Hilda hugged me tightly. She turned her face to my ear and whispered, ¡°Use it to run away.¡± A shudder passed through my body. She grabbed me tightly. ¡°Umbra wolves are dangerous. Just get out of the academy and go to the human world. You will be safe there.¡± The driver stopped in front of the gates of the academy and after dropping my luggage rather quickly, he sped the car away disappearing into the thick mist. I looked up at the ominous spread of dense clouds that were hanging low. Umbra Academy was an impressive massive structure of red bricks with tall boundary walls. There were two towers that rose on each side. I bit my lip as I entered the heavy iron gates which rolled back when I announced who I was. I dragged the luggage to the principal¡¯s office through a set of beautiful gardens where I was given the instructions on what to do and was handed a few cards to use. Library card was weird onyx and purple. ¡°You are supposed to go to your dorm and tomorrow join the ss at 8AM,¡± the moderator, a girl in ck dress, informed me. As I made my way towards the dorm using the map given by the moderator, I could feel someone watching me. My heart raced wildly and I quickened my steps to my room. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Damon POV ¡®Run Poppy, run.¡¯ I pulled up the hoodie over my head and started to jog after her. ¡®You don¡¯t have much time to live.¡¯ Poppy Vincent was the wolf-less granddaughter of our biggest enemy, Alpha James Vincent. I was going to kill her because I won''t let anyone go near her. For the past three days, I was stalking her. Her irresistible scent drew me to her. It was so decadent that my nights of debauchery were nothing in front of it. It was so intoxicating that I couldn¡¯t let any of my warriors touch her for the fear that they would burn or get addicted to her. I felt desperate with need. Madly. Badly. Obsessed. And so here I was. Hunting Poppy. Not because I had any wish to do so. But because I had to. I was I kept my distance from her on this silvery night as she jogged through the forest that surrounded the academy. For three nights I haven¡¯t been able to attend the parties because my wolf, Onyx, brought me here. After her. Like her shadow. And for these three nights, I did everything in my control not to sink my fangs in her. I heard herbored breath and her heartbeat which was like a luby to me. She stopped in a clearing under the moonlight and I immediately hid in the shadows. As the moonlight fell upon her golden skin, giving a soft halo to her me red hair that escaped her ponytail, I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her. I could have lunged at her and snapped her head in two, but what was the fun in it. I loved chasing my prey because I was the most dangerous predator. She snapped her head in all directions as if she perceived something was wrong. But she let out a sigh and sank her knees to the ground. She looked up at the moon. ¡°Please Moon Goddess, let my wolf out¡­¡± she said in a voice so soft that it was like a melody to my ears. My chest rumbled with a growl at my irritation for even thinking it was a melody. ¡®Down boy!¡¯ I said to Onyx for he wanted to go to her and kiss her. I could make her mine now, except that I was already betrothed to Monica. I knew that only Monica could be my mate because she was a strong, she-wolf and more importantly, George Dawson¡¯s niece. Her cousin, Nash Dawson, was going to be the next heir of the Howlers Pack. I didn¡¯t want to start a war with the Dawsons now. It wasn¡¯t right for the political climate. A twig snapped beneath my foot. Her head whipped in my direction. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± she said as she got up with her eyes wide and panic written all over her face. I wanted to step out and reveal myself, but the next moment she dashed in the opposite direction. I smirked, ¡®Run little wolf, run.¡¯ She was out of the forest soon while I continued to follow her, keeping my distance until she reached her dorm safely. Poppy was mine and I wouldn¡¯t allow a single shifter to catch my prey. Once again, she stopped right in front of her dorm and whipped her head around to check. As she did that, I caught a glimpse of her slender neck. My fangs grew painfully and so did my underpart. I wanted to sink both my fangs and underpart inside her. I clenched my fists and my jaw to control my wolf who wanted to shift and go to his mate. Yes, Poppy Vincent was my mate. ¡°Damon!¡± Monica¡¯s voice fell in my ears and I realized that I was about to shift. ¡®Down boy!¡¯ I willed Onyx immediately. She ced her hand on my chest. ¡°Is everything okay with you, sweetie?¡± I looked at Monica, my heart thundering. A growl emanated from my chest because my wolf didn¡¯t like the interruption. ¡°Monica.¡± I acknowledged her with a cold expression. She blinked at me in fear. I took a ragged breath to control myself and ced my hand on the small of her back to guide her away from here. Monica was in the academy with me in the same ss. We were in ourst year of graduation. After graduation, Monica and I were to wed. I was twenty-eight and she was twenty-six. We were perfect for each other. I joinedte because my father needed me for the pack. Monica came a few monthster after I joined. ¡°You can''t go after her, Damon,¡± she said in a low voice, advising me. ¡°You can''t taint your hands with Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. her blood. Let others take care of her.¡± She paused and continued, ¡°Her grandfather is your family¡¯s sworn enemy. If hees to know that you have killed her, he is going to use it as an excuse to start a war.¡± It had been a few hundred years since the peace treaty existed between all the packs, but with the current political climate, it was crumbling. ¡°If you like, I can handle her,¡± Monica suggested. ¡°No,¡± I growled as frustration grew. ¡°Keep away from her.¡± She was mine. Monica nodded immediately. ¡°I will keep my distance, but you must stay away from that lowly wolf-less girl.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to control me, Monica.¡± My jaw tightened. I nced at my back. She was gone. Tomorrow night then. ¡°How about you shift her to the dorms in the south and she will stay away?¡± she suggested as we headed to my t. There were only three ts in the Umbra Academy. Two others were leased at a hefty price to the witch coven and shifters. A low snarl escaped my chest. That dorm was adjacent to that of male shifters. The thought of Poppy next to them made unreasonable jealousy re in my chest. ¡°No!¡± I snapped. Poppy was mine to im. We reached my t and Monica closed the door behind her. She gave me a lusty look when I took my hoodie down. She closed the gap between us and nibbled my jawline. She lifted my hands up and removed my sweat shirt. ¡°I think you need to take the steam off you.¡± Poppy POV Why did I feel that I was being watched? I had this feeling every time I came out of my dorm. Ever since I hade from my pack, I jogged at night when the moon was up in the sky. The cool rays of the moon calmed my frayed nerves. But this feeling was unnerving. Every night. Tonight while I was running, I stopped. The hair at the back of my nape rose and I snapped my head in all directions, perceiving danger. I think I was just imagining. I sank my knees to the ground with a sigh. Looking up, I let out my usual plea to the Moon Goddess. ¡°Please Moon Goddess, let my wolf out¡­¡± Suddenly, I heard a twig crunching. Scared of the unknown, I bolted up and rushed out of the woods. Goddess, who was stalking me? When I reached my dorm, I stopped, bending over by supporting my hands over my thighs. Panting, I looked around and didn¡¯t see anyone there. Quickly I walked into my dorm. I chuckled when I saw my chubby little room mate Anna, who was a witch. Her hair was a beautiful shade of chocte brown yesterday but today they were green. With a round face and two dimples on both her cheeks, she was adorable. ¡°You look nervous, Poppy,¡± she said as she looked at me, lifting her nail paint in the air. She shook it a little and its color changed from brown to green. I scratched the back of my neck, willing myself to calm down. I shook my head to shove the ominous feeling. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I breathed and headed for a shower. ¡°I¡¯ve made some sandwiches for you if you like!¡± I heard her high-pitched voice behind me. Gosh, she was really a sweetheart. I grabbed a sandwich and prepared a cup of tea that Hilda had given me and then went to take a nice long bath. Over the past three days, I¡¯ve been here, and she and I had be close friends. After taking a quick shower, I headed to the library, where I spent most evenings. I didn¡¯t want to mingle with others because I didn¡¯t want them to know that I was weak and wolf-less. I just needed a few more days to figure out how to escape to the human world. I figured out that the cash that Hilda had given wasn¡¯t enough. It was only three thousand dors. I needed to work somewhere for more. But where? This school was like a fortress and I needed a ticket out. The smell of dust, paper, leather and ink invaded my senses the moment I opened the door of the library. A loud thud caught my attention and I saw that a girl had dropped her books on the rug. She red at me as if I was responsible for it. Quickly, I made my way to the end of the library where I knew I would find the books on shifter history. When I was alone there, I swear I could feel someone watching me. Again. The hair on my nape rose in a warning as a shiver danced down my body. I didn¡¯t want another shifter to take me to a dark corner and beat me just because I was weak. So, I took the book and moved to where the witches were seated. No one even lifted their eyes to acknowledge me. Great. ¡°Did you know tonight the Umbra Wolves would be holding their party?¡± murmured one who was seated a few chairs away from me to her friend. ¡°Tonight?¡± her friend squealed. ¡°Keep it down, Nellie!¡± Nellie whispered, ¡°Tonight?¡± ¡°Yes! And unfortunately, I can''t help at the bar. Can you go instead of me?¡± Nellie¡¯s mouth downturned. ¡°I can''t, Jacky¡­¡± ¡°The cash is good. The man who owns the bar gives two grand for a few hours. All you have to do is serve them with drinks. You take the cash. And not to mention that you will get heavy tips.¡± ¡°Why would I need money, Jacky?¡± Nellie shrugged. ¡°I would have gone to the bar, but then what¡¯s the fun? I would rather be with those wolves than get bored at the bar. That party is hosted once a month and people barely get the invite. I am going to coax my boyfriend to get one. He has contacts.¡± Jacky pursed her lips tightly, looking helplessly around at other witches, but no one responded. I kept my eyes low but the conversation caught my attention. I felt like this was my ticket out. With another two thousand dors, I was sure I would be able to bribe the gatekeeper and get out of the Umbra School. But Hilda had said that the Umbra wolves were dangerous. What if they scented that I was wolf-less and killed me right there? Tremor of anticipation coiled down my spine. Suddenly, an idea struck me. I raised my hand and said, ¡°I can help¡­¡± The two witches narrowed their eyes on me. I was sure they were thinking that I was asking for a free entry to the party. ¡°Shhh!¡± The librarian''s harsh voice sounded and we became quiet. ¡°Come out,¡± said Jacky after a few minutes of awkward silence. Anna had cast the spell on me so that no one could smell that I was¡­ weak. She had coated me with a sublime scent of citrus. Jacky had asked me toe to the basement of the only coffee shop that the Umbra School had. ¡°Remember not to look into the eyes of any wolf out there. They are very dark and feral,¡± Jacky said as she handed me an I-card. ¡°The owner, Joey, is a hard-task master though soft in the center. Make sure that you don¡¯t get into any argument and just keep doing your work.¡± I exhaled roughly as I pinned the card to my dress, a ck shirt and ck pants. ¡°Sure,¡± I replied shakily. My decision to go there wavered by every second. ¡°You are never to reveal about this party to anyone, okay?¡± Jacky warned me. ¡°Not many know. If you are seen talking about it on campus, you will be thrown out or¡ª¡± her gaze darted between my eyes. ¡°¡ª you will be killed.¡± ¡°How do you and Nellie know about it?¡± That was my natural question. She chuckled. ¡°We are cousin sisters and belong to the royal family of the Infinity Coven.¡± I stifled a gasp. Infinity Coven was the strongest witch coven with its headquarters in New York. ¡°Stay safe,¡± she said in the end as she left me in front of the coffee shop. I clenched my teeth. I looked up as the clouds darkened. The scent of rain filled the air. In the distance, the warning of thunder rumbled. And I stepped in. I had no experience of waiting at tables. Two burly shifters were standing guard at the entrance. One looked at my ID and nodded while the other stamped at the back of my hand. ¡°That way,¡± he pointed and I hurried to a spiral staircase. It was so dark and eerie that I had to feel my way down but the more I descended, the more I could hear loud chatting, muffled music and beats of drums. I reached thending and opened the heavy double panel door. A burst of blinding light, ring music and lots of entangled bodies hit my vision in arge room. A shiver ran down my spine. This ce was full of debauchery and then some more. I knew shifters rarely had issues about not wearing clothes, but this was outrageous. My cheeks heated because I had never seen anything like it. The Umbra wolves were surely primal. ¡°You must be Poppy!¡± A pushy voice sounded from my left. When I snapped my head in that direction, I saw a tall,nky man. ¡°I am Joey.¡± He pointed to the bar at the back of the room. ¡°Go there and start working,¡± he barked. I nodded and hurried to the bar when all at once, I got the same feeling. I swear I was being watched. ¡°Hi!¡± I waved at the shifter at the bar. He was handsome. ¡°I am Poppy, Jacky¡¯s recement.¡± His chocte brown skin was like silk over his perfect muscles. He gave me a stern re with his deep brown eyes as he shook drinks in a cocktail shaker. ¡°Kelvin,¡± he said with a tight nod of acknowledgement. He looked at his partner. ¡°Clyde, this is Jacky¡¯s recement. Give her the list.¡± His partner, a shifter with sandy brown hair and green eyes, beamed at me and said, ¡°Wee to the chaos, Poppy!¡± He handed me a tray with three drinks. ¡°Table 6!¡± he said, pointing to the right. The job couldn¡¯t be so difficult, right? I made my way to the crowd. Every time I served them with a drink, I was offered generous tips. I ignored how Umbra wolves didn¡¯t care for the world while they sat over each other without clothes, bouncing off their steam or drank and watched those who were on the dance floor. It had been an hour of nonstop running and I was dead tired. But the moment I looked at my tips, I was delighted. I stashed the money in my apron and ran for my next order. ¡°This time you have to go to the room in there,¡± Clyde said, motioning to a door that was guarded by two heavily built shifters. I gulped. ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± I asked in a squeaky voice. ¡°Just go inside and don¡¯t speak a word. Do your job silently. You won''t be allowed toe out until the ¡®event¡¯ is over.¡± I hated the way he said ¡®event¡¯ so mysteriously. ¡°What is going on out there?¡± ¡°Something very illegal.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t send me to the ce where they do pills , Clyde. I haven¡¯t done the pills and I won''t be able to handle it!¡± I was shaking in anticipation. He chuckled. ¡°No pills , but I can''t tell you anything here. Just go in and do your job like you did now.¡± My hands got mmy when he shoved the tray in my hand. ¡°Go!¡± Nervous, I licked my lips and walked through the maze of bodies to reach the door where two men who were guarding it narrowed their eyes. ¡°I was sent by Clyde,¡± I said in a voice like that of a mouse. ¡°I am Poppy.¡± One of them lifted my hands to the side, swept my body for concealed weapons and then opened the door for me. The room I entered this time was dingy with most shifters around an elevated dais that was surrounded by an iron cage. I heard a thwack and then someone falling in the cage. A loud cheer followed. ¡°Damon! Damon!¡± It seemed like a boxing arena. Through thebyrinth of the crowd I walked to the bar away from then where only one man was standing¡ªJoey. He handed me five drinks and leaned forward. ¡°Do not speak, okay? That is Damon Lombard and he can get dangerous.¡± I nodded nervously. I knew who Damon was. Future Alpha of the Umbra Pack and the cruelest werewolf in America. I took the drinks towards the maze and could feel the excitement that was palpable in the air. People took their drinks as I nced at the cage, hoping to catch a glimpse of Damon Lombard. I neared the cage and saw a man standing calmly in the cage while another was being lifted and taken out, beaten to pulp. I craned my neck and found a very muscr man¡¯s back with a corded neck and rippling muscles. He snapped his head in my direction and his arctic blue eyes locked with my gray ones. I froze in my ce, as warmth radiated from my core and I felt I could never stop staring at him. I was entranced. The shirtless man in front of me was like a Greek God. I felt like I was punched in the gut and was falling from a cliff. What was wrong with me? His aura was so captivating that I felt like I could merge in it and never wanted toe out. My breath lodged in my throat as I had this sudden urge to run my fingers on his chest. Dark hair dashed the center of his chest, and a fine line of ck trailed down to his navel and lower. My starving senses drank him in. Dear Goddess¡­ Damon Lombard was so¡­ beautiful. The connection between him and me was¡­ bizarre. His gaze was both terrifying and exhrating. ¡°Damon!¡± Someone called him and he tore his gaze away from me. I stumbled back as the invisible thread that was holding me with him, severed. The emcee announced another fight. ¡°This time we have Chris Jenkins against Damon Lombard. Chris is the future Beta of the Oriental Pack and today he is challenging Damon. Do you think Chris can beat him?¡± There was silence. ¡°ce your bets now. You can earn a lot if you ce your bet on Chris, but you can lose a lot as well!¡± heughed. A murmur broke in the crowd. As soon as the bets were ced, the emcee shouted again, ¡°So hold your heartdies for the panty dropping sexy Damon Lombard. He ising back in the ring!¡± Damon turned to look at me again. When our gazes met, my teeth started chattering for the desire that coursed through me. I could see the veins of his neck popping as he clenched his fists so tight that the knuckles were white. I gulped, sure that he was furious at me. But why? The bell rang and the fight started. And for the first time I saw how cruel Damon could be. He punched Chris on his face and then on his chest. The guy didn¡¯t get a chance to recover from his punches when Damon lunged at him and kicked him on his knees. A loud sound urred and Chris roared in pain as he sank on the floor. Damon threw his punch on his temple and Chris was on the floor, unconscious. When the blood sttered on my apron and face, I realized that I was holding the iron bars of the cage, my head tipped up as I stared at him, entranced. He stepped over Chris and came near the mesh of the cage, right where I was. Up close, he looked¡­ even more beautiful, ferocious, primal. My lips parted, feeling his gaze raking my skin all over like a caress. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!