summary

Elara Quinn has spent years enduring the wrath of her older brother, who takes his anger out on her with brutal beatings. The final straw comes when he nearly kills her, leaving her bruised and broken. Desperate for safety, she calls her childhood best friend, Mira Dawson, who welcomes her into her home without hesitation.

But Mira has a secret she isn't just an ordinary girl. She's a werewolf. And the home Elara takes refuge in is a packhouse, the heart of Mira's powerful wolf pack.

Elara tries to adjust to her new surroundings, unaware that she has stepped into the middle of a brewing war. One night, a stronger rival pack attacks, their ruthless Alpha, Lucian Voss, leading the charge. As the packhouse shakes with battle cries and the scent of blood, Elara panics and hides under the bed in Mira's brother's room.

Lucian enters the packhouse, drawn by an intoxicating scent that cuts through the violence like a drug. He follows it straight into a bedroom, where he finds a terrified human girl curled up beneath the bed.

The moment their eyes meet, he knows she is his mate.

But he has come here as a conqueror, not a savior. As his Beta arrives, asking if he's unharmed, Lucian gives only one order: "Guard her with your life."

Then, without another word, he leaves to strike a deal with the defeated Alpha one that will ensure Elara remains in his grasp.