Chapter 162

Third Person POV

Back in the arena, the competition streaming of the island was being played on a large screen. Today was day two of the island competition, and Nan had gone bright and early to watch.

She didn’t like sleeping in the hotel suite by herself last night; she felt alone and clouded with thoughts. But she knew this was important to Judy; this was the reason she was here, and Nan would support her 100% of the way.

The arena was crowded as everybody wanted to watch the competitors on the big screen, the island being captured by drones. Nan decided to go to the arena by herself, needing a break from Tyler and the girls. Spending time with him has been exhausting, and he’s giving her strange vibes lately. He’s been moody and showing signs of violent tendencies.

She stared down at the bruise on her first from the other day when she told him she needed space. She tried to walk away, but he grabbed her hard and told her not to walk away from him.

It scared her, she had to admit. She saw violence and anger in his eyes, and it made her shudder. It made her fear walking away from him. She counted the days until she could leave this country and return home.

Despite everything, home sounded really nice right now.

Her mind kept wandering back to Chester… her mate. The one who didn’t want her, the one she ran away from home because.

Her heart ached.

She wondered what he was doing and who he was doing it with. Because they weren’t bonded, she couldn’t feel it when he was intimate with other women. But she wondered if it was still sleeping with that maid or maybe Becca from the boutique. Nan was certain there were others; he was the kind of guy who slept around without a care in the world. She didn’t think a mate would stop that.

Did he even know she wasn’t in the country?

Her heart ached even more at the thought, and she swallowed down a sob.

“Hey, girl,” Mac said, sitting down beside her, a frown marring her lips. “Where have you been? Tyler is upset. He’s looking for you.”

Nan’s face grew pale; the thought of Tyler upset did not sit right with her. She rubbed the bruise on her wrist, remembering the last time he was upset. Mac didn’t seem to notice, though, and watched the big screen thoughtfully, leaning back in her seat.

“I’ve been here. I just needed some space,” Nan admitted.

“Kelsey is trying to calm him,” Mac said, rolling her eyes. “He’s overly dramatic sometimes.”

“Where is he?” Nan asked, looking around, trying to get a glimpse of him.

“Right outside the arena,” she answered.

Nan nodded and stood; there was no use in Tyler causing a scene because of her. She wouldn’t let them embarrass her like that. She truly needed to cut ties with him and end this once and for all.

She started towards the entrance, her head held high as she struggled to keep her nerves under control.

She could hear the yelling before she even reached the doorway, and her heart dropped into her stomach.

“You are acting irrational, Tyler,” Kelsey said, folding her arms across her chest. “What is wrong with you?”

“I don’t like being lied to,” Tyler said through his teeth.

“Nobody is lying to you,” Kelsey assured him. “Why do you think otherwise?”

“She told me she would be in her room, and she wasn’t,” Tyler growled. “That’s literally the definition of lying.”

“Well, her plans must have changed,” Kelsey said, narrowing her eyes. “Why does it even matter?”

He opened his mouth to respond, but then his eyes flickered to Nan, who was standing by the arched doorway, his eyes darkening almost immediately.

Nan’s heart was in her throat; how did she end up in this position in only a week? Well, it’s been a little over a week since she met Tyler, but still, it wasn’t supposed to end up this way. He was only supposed to be a distraction. Some late-night fun while Judy was busy. But he turned out to be a monster, and it terrified her.

Kelsey turned and saw Nan, her eyes shining with sympathy.

“He’s all yours,” Kelsey said, sighing. “Maybe you can calm him and talk some sense into him?”

She walked past Nan and walked through the arched door, going to find Mac, leaving Nan and Tyler alone.

There were still a few people around, but for the most part, most were in the arena watching the live stream. However, Tyler wanted to be alone with her, so without even breaking the ice, he grabbed a hold of her wrist and yanked her along with him.

It was the same wrist he had grabbed before, the already bruised spot aching from his grip, making her wince.

“Come with me,” he demanded, his tone rough.

Nan’s heart pounded in her chest, but she didn’t argue. It was best if they spoke alone anyway. Her wolf stirred inside of her like she was getting ready to shift for some unknown reason, but Nan pushed her down, trying to soothe her and herself at the same time. It was probably just anxiety and the fact that Tyler was dragging her away like some dog.

Tyler remained quiet as he continued to tighten his hold around Nan’s aching wrist as he pulled her through the main section of the resort. They started to pass the check-in/out section when Nan’s senses were practically on fire, and her wolf nearly surged forward.

She had to forcefully pull her back.

“Judy Montague,” a voice said from the front desk. “Can you just call her, please?”

“As I said, sir. If she’s in the competition, she isn’t here right now. You are more than welcome to go to the arena around the corner and root for her and her team, though. They return tonight. But I can’t give you her room information without her direct permission. We have a policy.”

“Can’t you just—”

His voice started to fade as Nan was dragged outside.

Nan’s brows furrowed as her wolf fought against her hold, wanting to get back to the main section of the resort, but with Tyler’s hold on her and his anger growing with each step they took, Nan’s attention was shifted.

He brought her over to a secluded section, where he finally released her wrist. She noticed a new bright bruise on her wrist, and she rubbed the tender spot, avoiding his eyes.

“Where were you this morning?” He asked without hesitation, his eyes narrowed, burning her under his scrutiny.

“At the arena,” she replied, glancing up at him with a frown.

“You didn’t call me to tell me you were going anywhere. I came by looking for you this morning,” he told her, his lips turned down in a deep frown.

“I wasn’t aware you were my keeper,” Nan shot back boldly; she knew she shouldn’t provoke him, but she needed to cut ties with him once and for all. “Look, Tyler, I didn’t sign up for this. You were only supposed to be a fun distraction, not this controlling—”

Before Nan could utter a single word, she felt the sharp sting of Tyler's hand across her face.

He had struck her so hard that her head whipped to the side. She was seeing stars, and her eyes were wide in shock. In the week she had known him, he might have been cruel to her on occasions, and he put bruises on her wrist from grabbing her, but he hadn’t hit her yet.

His eyes were red with fury.

“Don’t you dare speak to me like that again,” he said through his teeth. “You know your place. I have chosen you… I plan to put my mark on you and claim you as mine. You aren’t getting away from me, Nan. Not now, not ever.”

“W…what?” Nan gasped, her hand touching her bruised and tender cheek, her fingers trembling. She fought back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

“You heard me. The second I saw you, I knew you were mine, Nan. I won’t accept anything less.”

He grabbed hold of her arm again and yanked her against him, his lips coming down onto hers in a bruising kiss that left her feeling sick in the stomach.

“You have the wrong idea,” she said against him, trying to get away from him. “I’m not looking for a mate. Only a distraction.”

His eyes flashed dangerously, making her shudder. She attempted to pull away from him, but his hold on her tightened, making her squirm uncomfortably.

“You have no idea the kind of things I am capable of,” he threatened. “Don’t fucking test me again. Did you really think I was going to let you go?”

Nan was terrified; she wasn’t Judy, she wasn’t a fighter. She was a waitress and an aspiring chef… she wasn’t someone who could stand up for herself that easily.

“T…Tyler,” she stammered, not sure what she wanted to say to defuse the situation. But the dangerous look in his eyes kept her silent.

“Let’s go,” he said through his teeth.

“Where?” She asked, tripping after him as he pulled her.

“Back to my place so I can properly mark you,” he growled over his shoulder.

The color drained from her face, and she struggled even more against him, not wanting to leave the resort with him. She no longer trusted him, and she thought about screaming, but there wasn’t anyone around who would hear her. Most were either doing resort activities or at the arena.

“Let me go!” She demanded, swatting at his hand.

He was much faster, though, and another devastating slap landed on her cheek; this time, she tasted blood.

From there, everything happened so fast.

Before she could fully comprehend what had happened, Tyler was forced to release her just as someone lunged straight at him.