Chapter 1
Dusk fell as the private jet touched down in the Montana wilderness.
Elena Valhalla was piloting the Gulfstream G0 herself. She didn’t like leaving her fate in anyone else’s hands, not even an experienced pilot.
The moment the tires touched the ground, she felt the dormant beast within her stir slightly.
She had arrived.
She removed her flight headset and glanced at her wristwatch. It was 2:00 a.m. in Europe, but her body clock had already adjusted. Alpha was never defeated by jet lag.
As the boarding stairs were lowered, a man appeared in the twilight.
Cade Atlant stood over six feet tall. He was dressed in a black leather jacket and jeans, and his muscles were clearly defined beneath the fabric. His dark brown hair took on an almost black sheen in the setting sun, and his eyes were ice blue, like thin ice on a winter lake or a wolf's eyes in the darkness.
Leaning against a black Ford Raptor with his arms crossed, he watched the woman descend the boarding ramp.
Elena wore a perfectly tailored black suit, the top two buttons of her white shirt undone to reveal her slender neck and collarbone. Her high heels clicked crisply on the metal steps, each step seeming to assert her authority.
When she reached him, their gazes locked in midair.
A dangerous current hung in the air.
"Welcome to my territory," Cade said first, his voice low and guttural.
Elena tilted her head slightly, a polite yet icy smile curving her lips. "Let me correct you—it's our territory. The betrothal contract states it clearly: joint rule."
Cade’s eyes narrowed, and a flicker of gold flashed deep within his pupils—a manifestation of his wolf nature.
"That's just wishful thinking on the part of your European families," he said matter-of-factly. "On this land, there's only one rule: the strong reign."
“Is that so?” Elena took a step forward, closing the distance between them. She lifted her chin, her amber eyes fixed on him. “Then you can refuse right now. Tear up the betrothal contract, and I'll return to Europe. But you won’t.”
“You’re very confident.”
"I know you well." Elena's voice was as calm as if she were discussing the weather. "You need my bloodline to solidify your position among the European families, just as I need your army to expand my influence. So stop pretending—we’re both just doing business.”
Cade stared at her, then suddenly smiled. That smile held admiration but also something far more dangerous.
"I'm starting to like you," he said, opening the passenger door. "Get in. I’ll take you back to the estate.”
“My luggage—”
“Someone’s already taken care of it,” Cade interrupted. "Unless you want to stand here and keep discussing the division of power?"
Elena glanced at him and slid elegantly into the car.
The moment he closed the door, he caught a whiff of her scent—ice and snow, cedar, moonlight, and something deeper that drove his wolf wild.
Damn it.
He gripped the steering wheel tightly and started the engine. Outside, the wilderness came alive at night, and the howls of a wolf pack echoed in the distance.
"Are they welcoming the new queen?" Elena asked, looking out the window.
"They're warning off intruders," Cade corrected. "You're not a queen yet. In this pack, you’ll have to prove yourself through strength.”
"Then let them see," Elena said, turning to look at him. A hint of defiance played at the corners of her mouth. "I'm not here to be a trophy. I’m here to rule.”
Cade didn’t answer, but the steering wheel groaned faintly under his grip.
The car was silent for a long time.
“Do you know what it means in Wolf Clan tradition to provoke your mate on your first meeting?” Cade finally spoke up.
“It means I’m not afraid of you,” Elena replied quickly.
"It means," Cade said, turning to look at her. His eyes glinted gold in the darkness. "I have the right to teach you respect my way."
“Oh?” Elena leaned toward him, her voice dropping to a dangerously low pitch. “So how do you plan to do that? Pin me down on the bed? Force yourself on me?"
She paused for a moment before adding, "You can try. But I guarantee that before you succeed, I’ll bite your throat out."
Cade’s fingers clenched and relaxed.
Damn it, he was hard.
This woman, delivering the most violent threats in the coldest tone, had elicited the most primal reaction from his body.
"You'd better remember what you just said," he whispered.
“Why?”
"Because one day," Cade said, looking ahead as a dangerous curve formed at the corners of his mouth, "you'll crawl into my bed of your own accord, begging me to take you."
Elena laughed, her laughter crisp and mocking. "I'll be waiting for that day. But before then, Wolf King, you’ll be on your knees at my feet, begging me to let you lick my toes.”
The temperature inside the car seemed to rise ten degrees in an instant.
Neither of them spoke again until the estate’s lights came into view on the horizon.
Atlantis Manor, built on the mountainside, blended Victorian and modern architectural styles. Its massive, floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the moonlight like the eyes of a beast.
When the car pulled up to the front gate, a line of servants was already waiting.
Elena noticed that they were all werewolves—she could tell from the occasional flash of gold in their eyes. As she walked past them, some bowed their heads while others glared at her with hostility.
Fine. At least they’re honest.
"Your room is on the third floor in the east wing," Cade said, leading the way. "Dinner begins at seven in the main hall. Formal attire.”
"I thought we were partners," Elena said, following behind him. “Aren’t we supposed to share a room?”
Cade stopped and turned around. They were standing on the staircase—he above, she below—but their eye levels were almost even.
"You want to share a room with me?" His voice was dangerously low.
“I want what’s rightfully mine,” Elena corrected. "The engagement agreement states that I am your co-ruler. That means I should sleep in the master bedroom.”
Cade stepped down one stair and moved closer to her. His body exuded the scents of pine and wilderness, almost enveloping her.
"The master bedroom," he said, looking down at her, "is my private domain. To enter, you need my invitation.”
"Then when will you invite me?" Elena tilted her head back, not backing down.
Cade’s hand rose, and his fingers hooked the collar of her blazer, giving it a gentle tug.
"When you learn to bow your head before me," he said, his thumb rubbing her collarbone. "When you understand that I am the one in charge in this house."
Elena grabbed his wrist. Her grip was unexpectedly strong, her fingernails digging into his skin.
"Then let me tell you when you'll invite me," she said, leaning in so close that her lips were almost touching his. "When you realize you can't sleep a single night without me. When you’re so hard it hurts, yet all you want is me. When you realize you need me more than I need you.”
She released him and walked gracefully past him, leaving one last remark:
"By the way, dinner at seven? I might be late. After all, I still have to adjust to the time difference.”
Cade stood on the stairs and watched her back disappear at the end of the hallway.
Five crescent-shaped blood marks oozed from his wrist.
He licked the wound and smiled.
This woman was more interesting than he’d imagined.
And more dangerous.
