chapter 3

The atmosphere in the bedroom turned arctic in an instant.

Silas hadn't expected the push, and his jaw went tight. He stared at her without saying a word, but his alpha presence exploded outward, filling the room with pheromones so cold and sharp they felt like knives against her skin.

Daisy's rational mind slowly returned, and all the color drained from her face. She dropped her gaze, terrified. "I'm just... really tired tonight."

Her voice came out shaky and thick with unshed tears, but Silas still didn't speak. He just watched her with that dark, stormy expression.

Daisy felt like the air itself had thinned. What she'd just done was only the second time she'd ever defied him outright.

The first time had been when Silas forced himself on her that very first night. He'd pinned her down against the desk, and her clothes had been torn to shreds. Acting on pure survival instinct, she'd grabbed the ashtray from the desk and smashed it against his forehead without thinking.

Daisy had thought that would be enough to stop him, that it would make him back off. Instead, she'd ended up with both wrists bound tightly with his belt.

Silas's wolf eyes had burned with primal fire, and the instinct to claim his fated mate had set his whole body ablaze. The wound on his forehead healed almost instantly.

He'd grabbed her face with one hand, hard enough to hurt, and ignored her sobbing as he roared at her. "You know what happens to humans who attack an alpha, Daisy? They get thrown in the water dungeon where leeches drain them dry. Day after day until there's nothing left.

"Scared yet? Good. Then hold still and fucking take it."

That night had shattered something fundamental inside her. The sex had been brutal and punishing, and when she finally couldn't take anymore, she'd broken down completely, crying so hard she could barely get the words out. "Silas, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll do whatever you want, I promise—"

Only when she'd cried herself nearly unconscious had his grip loosened. He'd wiped the tears from her face with surprising gentleness and delivered his warning slowly, making sure every word sank in.

"Making you beg is the easiest thing in the world, Daisy. So don't ever think about challenging me again."

The memory of that night crashed over her, and she looked at his cold expression as tears welled up in her eyes. Her voice came out rough and broken. "I didn't mean to push you away, I swear..."

In this relationship, she had zero power. He was the alpha of Bloodmoon Pack, and he had a thousand different ways to destroy her if he wanted to.

A phone rang, cutting through the suffocating tension.

Silas finally looked away from her and checked the caller ID. Some of the anger faded from his face as he grabbed the phone and walked into the bathroom.

Daisy sucked in huge gulps of air, trying to force herself to calm down.

Her stomach lurched again, the nausea returning with a vengeance. She started to get up and head for the bathroom, but she froze at the door when she heard Silas's voice drift out clearly.

"Arvil, you're overthinking this. I'm only using her to have a kid. The cord blood will save you."

"Once the baby's born..." He trailed off for a second before continuing. "Baby, don't worry about it. No one matters to me more than you do."

His voice was so gentle, so careful and tender in a way it never was with her.

The words made Daisy's blood run cold. Silas hadn't finished that sentence, but she knew damn well whatever came next wouldn't be good for her. She needed to get out of here soon.

She heard footsteps in the bathroom and jerked back to reality, but she'd barely made it to the nightstand when his voice cut through the room.

"Why are you standing there?"

Silas stared at her thin frame, his eyes unreadable.

"Just... getting water."

Daisy kept her gaze down and grabbed the glass with trembling hands, forcing herself to take a few sips under his scrutinizing stare.

Thankfully, Silas didn't push it. Once she was back in bed, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and pressed a light kiss to her neck, his tone deliberate and measured. "Daisy, you need to get used to me. I don't want what happened tonight to ever happen again. Understand?"

His alpha instincts made it physically painful to have her push him away like that. The rejection had left a tight, aching knot in his chest, and even his wolf Owen was whimpering and curled up with his tail tucked.

As Silas held her, he couldn't help but remember how she used to smile at her ex-boyfriend, all bright eyes and easy laughter. The thought made his anger spike again, and he bit down hard on her neck.

Daisy let out a soft cry of pain, and only then did he slowly release her. He stared at the mark he'd left on her skin—his mark—and finally felt some of the tension ease.

Silas tightened his hold around her waist and closed his eyes. "Daisy, the Moon Goddess made us fated mates. Your body was made to fit mine. Tomorrow, I don't care what excuse you try to use. You're not turning me down."

Daisy's emotions were all over the place, but she kept her eyes shut, her mind racing through every possible excuse she could use to avoid him tomorrow.

She didn't sleep at all that night.

The next morning, she looked like hell. She forced down the breakfast that turned her stomach and watched as Silas prepared to leave. She quickly stood up.

"Silas, it's my mom's birthday today. I'd like to go home and see her."