The door opened, but I didn't bother turning around. "Leave me alone," I said through clenched teeth. I angrily yanked my drawers open and threw all of my clothes into my suitcase.

Mom had pissed me off one too many times, I couldn't handle one more minute of her stupid commands. I couldn't do anything about being weak or anything about not being able to shift easily. It wasn't my fault that she led us into war all those years ago that got Jeremy killed. It wasn't my fault that her one senseless decision made me who I was today.

The door closed, and I got a whiff of Ruffles's cat litter mixed with--I turned around, nostrils flaring.

Ares stood by the door, gaze travelling around the room so slowly. He had found some clothes that looked like Tony's, yet were a size too small for him. They hugged his biceps, his shoulders, his chest... Moon Goddess, why have you given me such an asshole of a mate?

When his gaze met mine, he smiled. "Not what I was expecting."

"You think I was expecting for my mate to show up at my pack as the alpha who's been murdering everyone in his wake."

"Someone's cranky," he said.

"Don't talk to me like we're friends," I said, turning back around. "Because we're not."

He stepped closer to me. Although he wasn't touching me I could feel his body heat against my backside. Teasing me. Taunting me even. "How do you want me to talk to you?" He brushed his nose against my hair and inhaled deeply. "As an equal? Or as the woman that I'm going to take to my bed and eat until she trembling in my hands tonight."

"If you think that I'm going to sleep with you, you're crazy."

"I am?" he asked, fingertips lightly brushing against my hips.

"Yes," I said, inhaling hazelnut. My wolf purred. "You are."

One of his hands trailed up the side of my body, and he grabbed my chin gently in his hand. "I'm not crazy, Kitten," he mumbled against my ear. He brushed his thumb against my bottom lip, and I parted them slightly. "Unless you want me to be."

When his fingers barely grazed against the front of my pants, I shuttered against him. My pussy clenched, and I tried to calm my wolf who was raging inside of me, who wanted nothing more than let him be crazy with me.

Bend me over the bed and take me right there. Force my legs apart and press his tongue against my clit as I squirm against him. Plunge my hand through his hair and tug on it.

Goddamn, Moon Goddess. What was this man doing to me?

Control yourself, Aurora. Don't give into him that easily.

I shook my head and stepped away from him. "I hardly know you," I said. But I wanted to know him.

Ruffles hopped onto the bed and jumped into my suitcase, snuggling into all of my clothes and making sure her fur was on each piece. I opened my drawer and pulled out my more personal items, watching the smirk on Ares face widened.

"You can get to know me," he said. "Fire off the questions, Kitten."

I arched a brow. Questions, questions, questions. I had so many questions for Ares. But I had one dire one that I needed the answer to now. "What should I call you: Ares, Mars, or Asshole?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Anything you'd like when we're out in public." He stepped closer to me so he was mere inches away, pushed a strand of hair behind my ear, leaned down, and said, "But, when we're alone, you can call me alpha."

My breath caught in the back of my throat, and I clenched. I could just feel the wetness pool between my legs. His fingers dipped between my thighs, and he rubbed my clit gently. I opened my mouth to speak, to tell him to get away from me, to tell him to fuck off, but I couldn't form any words.

Someone knocked on the door. "Ares, we need to talk about our agreement," Mom said.

I pressed my lips together and growled under my breath for ruining the moment. For ruining my life.

"We'll finish this conversation later," Ares said. He pulled away from me and walked to the door. When he pulled it open, he gazed back at me. "Call me what you want, Kitten, but I'd prefer if you'd call me Mars." Then he walked right out, leaving the door wide open. Mom gazed through it briefly, giving me a somber look.

I turned back to my suitcase and clenched my teeth. Ruffles had one leg up in the air, her toes stretched out, as she licked her belly. She looked up at me briefly and narrowed her eyes.

Someone cleared their throat from behind me. Tony stood near the door, claw marks around his neck. He stepped into the room, cautiously. "Aurora." His hair was a disheveled blonde mess.

"What, Tony?" I asked.

He took my hand. "Come on, A... don't do that," he said softly. His woodsy scent which used to be so comforting suddenly made me shiver in disgust.

"Don't do what?" I asked.

"Act all... distant." He brushed a piece of hair from my face and frowned. His eyes were glowing.

"My mother just sold me out to the alpha that she's been terrified of for the past week." I growled. "I can be distant if I want to."

He intertwined my fingers with his. "You don't have to be distant with me."

"Well, seeing that I'm going to go live with Ares, we're about to be quite distant," I said, stepping away from him.

He pulled me back to him."We can still meet at the lake every night, still could spend time together."

Tony stepped closer to me, and I pressed my lips together. "You know the only reason why she sold me out was so you could lead," I said. There was no other reason, could be no other reason. I was weak in her eyes. So fucking weak.

After brushing a stand of hair out of my face, he frowned. "That's not true." He gave me a small, supportive smile. "She's been shaping you to be alpha since Jeremy died."

"She didn't ask me to attend the meeting that you attended with the other alphas. She didn't wake me when Ares was attacking. She sold me out without a second thought." My heart ached. What did I do to deserve this? What did I do to deserve Jeremy dying then to be forced into a position she thought that I was too weak for?

He tilted his head to the side and brushed his fingers against my hips. I could feel his breath on my lips, could smell the sweet scent of mint. He brushed his nose against mine, and for a split moment I closed my eyes and enjoyed it.

Then, without further hesitation, I turned my head away. "I can't Tony."

"Aurora," he said, lips brushing against my ear. He pressed his hips further into me, letting me feel his hardness pressed against the front of his pants. "Just one last time before you leave me."

"No, Tony, I--"

He glided a finger across my chin and pressed his lips to mine. Hard.

I shoved his chest, adrenaline pumping through me. "I said, 'no'."

He grabbed my hands and held them to his chest. "Aurora, look at me," he said. I clenched my jaw and gazed over at him. "I'm sorry. What do you want me to say? I can't make it better. It's not my decision. I never thought that your mother would ever actually go through with the--"

Before he could continue, he stopped himself. My eyes widened. "This was her... plan, her proposition?" I asked.

"No." He shook his head. "This was the worst case scenario," he said. He gazed over at the closed door, pulled me closer to him, and lowered his voice. "Let him take you, I ascend as alpha, we buy ourselves time to form a plan and to form an army to destroy him. And when we do, I take you back and you become my luna."

"Oh," I said. "What a great plan." Have a beta who knew nothing about the threats that this family faced, about the true reason for Jeremy's murder, about the stone in my spine that helped fix me, become the alpha of this pack and lead us straight into ruins.

My nails lengthened into claws behind my back. He smiled down at me, nose grazing against mine. "I won't let him hurt you. Aurora, I promise."

As if kissing me would make up for everything, he pressed his lips to mine.