New Collar

I rubbed my eyes blearily as my stomach grumbled in displeasure. It was time for me to make breakfast for my pack, Aubrey was going to throw a fit if she didn't get her pancakes in time―

Then I paused, suspicious. My mattress was never this sturdy or comfortable. I frowned as I reached out a wary hand to feel around my surroundings; I was lying on a bed far wider than anything I have ever owned, but somehow, the lower half of my body was lying on a soft, wet spot. 

Suddenly, my mind caught up to my new circumstances. My alpha! I was mated! 

I immediately shot to wakefulness, bolting up from the soft bed I found myself in, ready to snarl at Damon Valentine and claw out his eyes with my fingernails, but to my surprise, the room was entirely empty.

I was completely alone, and I was torn between feeling relief and dismay.

How dare he leave me alone? What, did Damon Valentine deem me unworthy after he stole my virginity from me? 

I scowled. It was just as much as I expected from a scoundrel like him. I bet he fucked women and left in the morning before they woke up, sneaking off like a thief in the night. Or maybe he simply tossed them out of his bed and made them walk out naked. That was what Stormclaw's Alpha — my poor excuse of a father — did, despite being mated.

Men were all the same. Maybe that's why Damon was gone. He left to fuck someone else.

That thought caused a tiny seed of irritation to grow inside me as I glared at the huge bed. Then I grew more irritated at the fact that I was irritated to begin with. 

Why did I care? 

I smacked the bed angrily. The bedsheets were made of silk, and it was still soft even when some parts were covered in spunk and all sorts of other bodily fluids. My face bloomed an ugly red when I recalled what happened the night before. I was a moaning wreck, begging for his every touch! And he would―

Urgh! Asshole. Fucking alpha asshole. How did he become my mate? Why did the Moon Goddess think that this would be a good idea?!

A growl escaped my throat, then I winced at how sore it felt. In fact, my whole body felt like I ran a marathon and competed in a gymnastics contest. Muscles I didn't know existed felt sore and tender, as though I had been thrown into a meat tenderizer.

I moved to the shower to clean myself up, and I got a shock when I caught sight of my own reflection in the mirror. There was no other way to describe it― I was glowing. Practically radiant. Despite feeling pain in every limb, my hair shone with vitality, and the skin on my face was flawless― except for the marks left behind by Damon. 

And there were so many of them. Hickies decorated my neck and shoulders, but my eyes were drawn to my mating mark. It was the color of fresh blood. Thankfully, despite its color, it wasn't bleeding. 

I carefully pressed against it and hissed. The entire area felt strangely sensitive, and it was sending pinpricks of pleasure down my spine. I vowed not to touch it any more than necessary. 

Then I caught sight of the biggest change on my neck. During the ceremony, I was wearing a collar with a tiny bell. Somehow, when I was sleeping, Damon changed the collar on my neck. 

Now, it was a thick gray leather collar, roughly the width of my thumb. There was nothing as humiliating as a bell, but that didn't stop me from trying to tug it off. I tried to slip my fingers through the gap and pull, but to my surprise, the collar shrunk, as though it was determined to stick to my neck at all cost.

Even if it were to suffocate me. 

I cursed under my breath as I nearly choked, quickly removing my own hands. Luckily, the collar regained its original size, so I could take deep breaths.

This damn thing must have been enchanted so I couldn't take it off!

I had no clue what it was that the Valentine brothers were up to, but it definitely couldn't be good. Suspending people mid-action, purchasing an enchanted collar… It wouldn't even come as a surprise if they had dealings with witches and warlocks.

Once again, I cursed Damon Valentine under my breath. I stormed into the shower, making sure to scrub my body clean of the events that happened yesterday. As the hot water ran down my body, I found myself gradually relaxing as my aching muscles got some relief. 

Then, I realized there wasn't any clothing in the room, not even undergarments. I scowled; this was most likely on purpose. I only had a thin towel that could barely cover my breasts and my crotch. 

If I wanted clothes, I would have to call for someone to bring me an outfit, which would most likely be as humiliating as the one I wore before. 

The alternative was staying inside the room and starving. I wouldn't put it past Damon to accidentally 'forget' about feeding me.

Unless…

I cast a considering look at the blankets and smirked. 

Let it not be said that I, Harper Gray, wasn't resourceful when it counted.

***

Perfect. 

I surveyed my new outfit in the mirror. It wasn't going to win me any beauty pageants, but at least I wasn't going out in fear of flashing everyone. The red fabric was now artfully draped over my body, one end forming a long skirt to conceal my lower half from view, while the other half was covering the mating mark on my right shoulder. 

Once I was satisfied that the outfit wouldn't fall apart when I walked, I opened the bedroom door and was assaulted with a variety of smells. My nose didn't have the sensitivity of a werewolf, but I could clearly smell the dried liquor and vomit in the air, the tell-tale smell of a raucous party. 

I snorted as I gingerly made my way down the stone stairs.

At least some people enjoyed my mating night. I refused to think about how I, under the influence of the mate bond, enjoyed it just as much. Now, all I wanted to do was to sneak into the kitchens, get a quick bite, and figure out how to escape from this hellhole. 

Fangborne's packhouse was a lot bigger than Stormclaw's own, and the granite stones and dark timber that was used to build it gave the entire place a solemn, eerie atmosphere. 

My eyes darted around the packhouse as I began sneaking away, trying not to make a sound. But then I felt someone drop behind me, cackling with wicked laughter.

"Well well well, what have we here?" I whirled around to see Susie, one of the wolves that helped prepare me for the mating ceremony. 

"The packhouse's newest whore, wearing a…" She paused, frowned, then grabbed at my outfit. "Why are you dressed?"