"Wolfless and worthless—that is what you are, Valeria."

Worthless. Stupid. A waste of space. That is what they all called me.

"You'll be rejected. No male in his right mind will ever want you."

And they were right. My love story begins with rejection.

"You are wolfless. You are the dirt beneath our feet."

Wolfless? Yes, I was born without a wolf soul. But I am more than that. My bloodline carries magic, and soon they will all learn how worthless I truly am.

"Let me love you, Valeria."

"You can't."

"Yes, I can—and I will. You are mine now. Reject the idea all you want, you have no choice. I will love you."

"You're the one who rejected me."

Raphael's hand clamps gently on my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. "Don't run from me again." He doesn't even acknowledge my words. "You should know better than to run from an Alpha."

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to speak with you, but now…" His voice drops as he leans close, his nose brushing my ear. "Now I want you on your knees… taking me all in."

Shock floods me, but the image forms in my mind, and my knees weaken. My body doesn't hate the thought. I want to be angry at this man for what he did, but desire burns too strongly.

I close my eyes, turn away, but when I dare look back, his gaze is raking down my body, slow and possessive. If I don't escape, this man will own me.

Be bold, Valeria. He broke us.

My hand rises, pressing against his chest. He doesn't move. I drag it upward, caressing his chest until I reach his neck. His eyes never leave mine. I slide my hand to his chin, pulling him closer, and whisper against his lips, "You broke this. You shattered our bond. You don't get to have me now. Someone else will."

I release him, pushing just enough to slip free of his grasp. As I walk away, his voice follows, low: "A mistake I will never make again . I'll have you. I will win your heart, my beautiful mate."