Page 2 of The Alpha's Forbidden Heir

“Keep your guard up, Marcus. I can see that opening from across the damn room."

The sound of fists hitting pads echoes through our training area as I circle the sparring pairs. The underground facility smells like sweat and determination - a combination I've grown to appreciate over the years. It means my pack is getting stronger.

"Again," I bark, watching Marcus reset his stance. "And this time, don't telegraph your—"

The door swings open, and Rook’s boots crunch on the concrete as he strides in.

"We have her," he says simply.

That's all it takes for everything in the room to shift. The training stops, all eyes turning toward us, but I wave them back to their drills. This isn't pack business. This is personal.

"Where?"

"In the holding room."

I nod, feeling an odd satisfaction curl through my chest. It's almost... pleasing. Which is strange, considering I should only feel contempt for anything bearing the name Sorrenti.

"Show me."

Without another word, I turn and head toward the holding cells. I know what I’m going to find, or at least, I think I do - a pretty little pawn wrapped in arrogance, and probably already planning some weak excuse to get herself out of this.

But then I reach the door, the first thing that hits me is her scent. It's sweet and dark, like honey laced with gunpowder. It sinks into my blood before I can defend myself against it, striking something primal and hungry deep in my core. My wolf starts howling. Howling, like some desperate thing.

She's tied to the chair, head bowed, dark hair falling forward to hide her face. There's a bruise blooming on her exposed shoulder, another on her wrist, and something in me wants to tear apart whoever put them there. The reaction is so violent it nearly staggers me.What the fuck is wrong with me?

"Leave us," I manage to get out.

Rook hesitates. "Bane… "

"Now."

The door clicks shut behind him, and we're alone.

She raises her head slowly, and fuck. Just...fuck.

She's beautiful. Not in the manufactured way I'm used to seeing in the city's elite. This is raw, real beauty. She has wide greeneyes and full lips and a face that makes my wolf pace restlessly beneath my skin. I take my gaze over her, taking in every detail, and my body responds with an intensity that borders on painful.

"Are you going to kill me? … Because if you are, I'd appreciate you getting on with it."

I almost laugh. Almost. "Is that what you think this is?"

"What else would it be?" She meets my eyes directly, and that's when it happens.

Mine.

The word tears through me like a bullet, my wolf's cry so loud it drowns out everything else. My entire body goes rigid with shock, every muscle locking up as the recognition slams into place.

No. No, this isn't... she can't be...

"What's wrong?" she asks, and I realize I've been staring at her, for too long. "Did your brain short-circuit, or is this just how you intimidate people?"

I force myself to move closer, fighting against the overwhelming urge to touch her, to check her injuries, to mark her as... No. "Why are you in my territory?"

"Your territory?" She lets out a short, bitter laugh. "I wasn't aware the entire city had your name on it."

"Answer the question." I lean down, bracing my hands on the arms of her chair, bringing our faces close. It's a mistake because her scent is stronger here, and my wolf is clawing at my control, desperate to claim what it sees as ours.

"I'm here because I need to be," she says, not backing down despite our proximity. "That's all you need to know."

---