Taken (Sinful Series - book 1)

Xander

It was strange how a simple thing as a fading mark managed to leave much a bad blood between good friends. Xander was convinced, things would never go back to where they were before Violet came into their lives. Devon’s command might have suspended some of the pettiness Karim harbored, and brought him in the same room as Xander, but it would take Karim a long time to get over his Ego.

“I need my Beta and Gamma on the same page by my side,” Devon cut to the chase as soon as Karim arrived. “Life is never easy, and you’ve both been dealt a shitload. But it’s time for you to put it all behind. I need you working together not fighting. This pack won’t run itself.”

The words were more for Karim’s benefit than Xander. Xander had no claim on Violet and no beef with Karim, other than the way he was treating Violet.

As the silence settled in the room, Devon rolled his eyes at their stubborn ways.

“Let’s hear it out, have a heart to heart, then bury the hatchet,” Devon encouraged.

“Violet is his Fated. I have no claim over her,” Xander started breaking the ice as the good Gamma he was, “As long as he treats her right, I have no problems with him.”

Devon and Xander both looked at Karim who was still silently brewing.

“Karim?” Devon was never patient. It didn’t come as a surprise to neither of them he decided to hurry the conversation along.

“You really didn’t sleep with her?” Karim looked at Xander for the first time since he had entered the room.

There were so many things wrong with this question. Besides the hypocrisy and prejudice, Xander saw the disgust in Karim’s face. Xander had to swallow down his own opinion in order not to make matters worse.

“No.”

“You are fucking unbelievable,” Devon fumed. “Are you seriously going to ask him that? It should not matter to you. It was before she met you!”

“Don’t tell me you wouldn’t want to know if it was your mate,” Karim argued.

“Fuck yeah, but not for the reasons you are implying. It’s more about not coming out too strong if she hadn’t done anything. I wouldn’t want to scare her. But you,” Devon shook his head, “you’re implying she means less to you because she may have slept with him. You should not give a shit if she slept with him, or even if she was truly a Breeder. You are no virgin, so don’t be a hypocrite. She’s yours. Your better half. She had already fought tooth and nails for you. There’s no better way for her to express her devotion for you, Dumbass!”

Xander had to dig his nails into his palms not to crack a smile at Devon’s reaction. No need to pour more oil in the raging fire inside Karim.

“The claim is sacred. It’s reasonable for me to feel cheated on,” Karim’s defense was weak at best.

“I will not have you torturing the poor girl with your mood swings,” Devon said, “So make your mind, reject or accept her. Because we’re not leaving this room until you make your mind.”

“You seem awfully concerned about her,” Karim spat.

“Yeah, isn’t that funny?” Devon’s sarcasm rebutted.

Karim grit his teeth but remained silent. Xander sighed, deciding his headache would only worsen the more they bickered.

“Karim, she has only been a friend. I want to meet my own mate. But I also feel responsible for Violet. I brought her here. I need to know you’d treat her with dignity and respect. That’s all I am interested in,” Xander explained.

“She’s mine,” Karim growled.

“Good. Then I assume you’ve seen her today,” Xander prompted. Karim shook his head, “If you haven’t heard, she met Alyssa. Violet should have never been put in a position to meet her without you by her side. It’s insulting. It also made Alyssa look like your dirty little secret, you wanted to hide from Violet.”

“Shit,” Karim said then moved his hands over his face. “No matter what I do, I will end up hurting someone I care deeply about.”

“Alyssa will meet her mate and will understand. We are done here,” Alpha Devon looked at them both for what seemed to be the longest minute.

“We are,” Karim agreed.

Xander silently nodded, unconvinced everything was resolved.

Karim

Werewolves healed faster. It did not mean they didn’t bleed, bruise, or swell just like humans. So at first the news of Violet and Alyssa fighting over him surprised him. He had never been one to stir trouble or drama. His life was uneventful. Simple. Boring even. He had done everything expected of him: achieved his rank, and made a name for himself. It was all average, predicable and in a way comfortable until these two she-wolves caused havoc in the pack with a catfight for him of all people.

He was flattered of their attention, but also embarrassed. His Fated and Chosen had taken it upon themselves to sort out who he belonged to. As if he was not capable of making his own choice. True, he still had not still made his mind, but the hair-pulling had to stop. They were all civilized after all.

Violet’s mere presence had caused a great rift between pack members. Those that favored the Fates, had taken her arrival as sign from the Goddess, welcoming their future Beta-female, only to bash her in disappointment at the sight of Xander’s mark. But there were those who believed in Choice in the love-matters, saw her arrival as mainstreaming their position. If that was not enough of a commotion, a group of Xander and Karim’s ex flings wished Violet dead regardless of who she ended up with.

Karim knew, in light of her past, the mark held no intimacy, just the raw need for survival. But there was difference in understanding, and moving on from move on from the anger boiling in his veins, and the jealousy clouding his judgement.

It was simple. The mark belonged to him and his wolf. Not to Xander or anyone else. The animal in him wanted the other contender’s death.

Then there was Alyssa. Alyssa, who knew the real him, the person behind the Beta title of the Devil’s Creek. She understood him, and completed him in ways he did not even know existed. She was his oasis in the desert he had for a soul. Yet, there was no pull, no tension at catching her scent like the ones he felt with Violet.

Violet had fought for his bound. It tugged a special string in his heart. Dispite her mark on another, she had not given up on their relationship. On the contrary, she had showed everyone, she was fully committed to making it work. It meant the world to him.

There was no drama or covert tactics. Violet said what Violet thought. Easy and simple. She had stated her claim on him, without batting an eye at his less than celibate past. She knew they both had baggage and was willing to work it out together. He could see a life with her, and it scared him.

While Violet’s devotion should have been enough, Karim found himself wondering about what ifs. What would have he done in her shoes? Mark someone to escape or relinquish all control of your life? Would he have even thought about his Fated? What if he had gone with Xander up north, instead of staying behind with Alyssa? What if he had been the one captured? What if she had found him instead Xander?

The real question was should he take a chance on someone new or hope Alyssa’s mate eventual presence won’t be the stone in the wheels of their cart. Would she still choose Karim as she had vowed?

All this thinking gave Karim a headache. There was no possible way of knowing the right choice for certain. So he decided to let time show him the way.

As he was heading towards his room, the last person who he expected to see was Alyssa aimlessly roaming in the dark. When he first called after her, he thought she ignored him on purpose. He assumed she was angry with him over Violet, or it was vanity of the way she looked after her catfight. Karim hurriedly caught up with her, holding her forearm to stop her. He owed her his honesty. There was no harm in giving a chance to the bond. She would understand. Her mate was still out there.

When his eyes landed on her disfigured by bruises and swelling face, he couldn’t help but feel responsible for her. He should have talked with her about Violet. He should have made it easy and clear from the get go.

So many regrets swam in his heart, but also a new budding pride for his Violet. Violet was a fighter all right, and Karim found himself more conflicted than ever before.

“Karim,” Alyssa shot through the mindlink, reaching him instantaneously, just as she leaned her small frame into his embrace.

Karim hugged her as so many times before.

“I’m sorry,” he spoke.

“Mindlink, my eardrums,” Alyssa finally explained, tears running down her cheeks wetting his shirt.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated via the mindlink.

“It’s not your fault,” she told him.

But it was, and they both knew it.

Karim felt responsible and tried to check her out for additional damage, his hands lingering down her arms and midsection. Everything with Alyssa was easy. Routine. There was no tension charging from their proximity, no resentment, only compassion and love. His hands traced her long hair, habit acquired over the months they were together.

“And now you’re going to leave me,” Alyssa sniveled.

Hearing her voice in his mind, made him painfully aware how true they were. There was no point of lying to her. Alyssa always knew.

“Lys, you know that is not fair. What if it was your Fated?”

It was different discussing hypothetical fated mate, and actually meeting them. Before Violet came along, he was convinced nobody could hold up a candle to his fair-haired Alyssa. She was the Beta-female in training, and would have been a suitable choice.

Until she wasn’t.

Not completely anyway.

“I see the way you look at her,” Alyssa ignored his question.

“How?”

“As if she is your world. I know we talked about it, and you owe it to yourself to give it a try. But, Karim, it hurts so damn much. It pains me to see devotion to her, where I am used to see love for me. It breaks my heart every time your eyes follow her as if she already has your heart in her palm. I can’t compete with the mating pull. I want to, but I can’t. I don’t know what I am going to do if you give into it, and I am left alone in this world.”

“Your mate…”

“What if he doesn’t come for me?”

Karim knew her fears all too well. Before they had come to their conclusion to share their lives, he had battled with the same terror of being left out, settling in for a life without love or family, while everyone else moved on to have pups and cherish their mate.

Karim had doubted there was any difference between Fated and Choice matings once the bond was completed. Yet, nobody had researched such a claim, and he did not want to renounce his chance of experiencing for himself what the Moon Goddess had chosen for him. He owed it to himself if not to Violet.

He could not promise Violet instantaneous forgiveness for marking Xander. But he was willing to try. His wolf had already made up his mind, and sided with the brunette.

As Alyssa’s lips connected with his, Karim found himself responding, giving in for once last time in her sweet embrace.

Violet

Violet’s eyes snapped opened. She couldn’t explain the anxiety that suddenly took over her body. It consumed her entire existence. Alarmed she looked through the silent room. There was no threat. Yet, deep inside her belly, she knew something was wrong. Her heart was threatening to jump out of her ribcage, while the pending doom gloom set over her mind.

She closed her eyes, trying to settle. Relax. It had to be a nightmare, only she could not remember it. Yeah, that was it. She was overreacting. She was alone in this new environment, and her nerves were making her jumpy.

Violet snuggled into the bedspread. She had taken it off the bed, sleeping in the recline instead. She reached out the glass with shaky hands, recognizing it was heavier than she expected. Her fingers felt stiff. Frozen. A sip or two of water usually helped settle her. But the immense, pending sense of doom about to engulf her, relentlessly kept her awake. Violet fell asleep shortly before dawn, only to wake up as the door opened and a very familiar flowery scent carried over to her nose.

Violet’s eyes snapped open, focusing on Karim, who was just as shocked to see her in his room.

“Don’t worry, I am leaving,” Violet stood up from the recliner, and shoved him the bedspread.

“Violet,” Karim started then just let his eyes roam through the room and focused back at her.

“Violet, what?”

“It’s not what it seems. Where are you going?”

“To do what you did,” Violet snapped heading for the door. Karim immediately growled, moving in her way. Violet looked at him, “It’s not what it seems, my ass!”

Karim shamefully looked away from her. It was all Violet needed to confirm her suspicion. She tried to move passed him, only for him to again block her way, hands resting on her shoulders. Oh, how Violet hated the sparks that ignited her skin wherever he touched her. It felt so right to give into him, but also so wrong. His face clearly showed the effect of the mating bond. He slowly leaned into her body, allowing her to feel his hard body.

“Snap out of it,” Violet slapped him, sobering him up. “You can’t be serious.”

“I didn’t sleep with her,” Karim replied, regretfully shaking his head.

“Don’t insult my intelligence,” Violet snapped. “You keep on punishing me for something I did before you were in the picture, yet you betray me with your hussy.”

“I never marked her.”

“Do you even hear yourself?” Violet replied and then told him in a voice she would use with a child. “You can’t compare the two. And if you do, what you did is disgusting.”

“Had you not been here, you wouldn’t have known any better.”

“If my presence is such an inconvenience, maybe you should let me go,” Violet lifted her chin towards the door.

“You marked my Gamma. It’s insult to my station.”

“Poor you! Your Ego got bruised, so you run to your slut,” Violet replied, pushing him square in the chest, trying to get him out of her way. She didn’t care how loud she got, or if someone heard them, “I never slept with him, you baboon! I’m sorry, I come with baggage. But I’m glad I never waited for your sorry-Beta-ass to come save me. You were just too busy screwing Alyssa to give a damn about your mate.”

“Violet, you know it is not fair.”

“You think life has been fair to me?” Violet snapped. She could see the hurt in his face at the mentioning of her past, but she was passed caring about how he felt. “I need a mate who wants me, who will build his future with me. If it is too much to ask of you, then be the Beta you claim to be, and reject me.”

“Wouldn’t you like that?”

“So you don’t want me, but nobody else is allowed to be with me? Isn’t that the definition of selfish?”

“I am sorry. I needed time to get my priorities in check,” Karim started. “I am allowed to spend time explaining to the very same person I planned to mate with how my priorities changed.”

“Yeah, right. You did a lot more than talking for me to feel like shit,” Violet snapped. “Boy, you just keep giving me reasons to do some talking myself. Would you like that, Karim?”

He shook his head.

“I try to be understanding, but there is so much I can take. You rub the mark in my face every chance you get, yet you chose to console her, not me. You say I am your priority now, but you chose her. Again. I don’t want your pity or condescending love. All I ever did was in the name of finding my mate. My mate who was supposed to rescue me from that hellhole, not belittle me for complicating his life.”

“Violet, you’re my priority.” Karim raised his voice.

“But do you hear yourself?” Violet pointedly asked him, and then shook her head, “What’s done is done. I am not going to spend any more time defending my choices in front of you or anyone for that matter. If you can’t accept it, then be man enough to admit it.”

As silence settled between them, she sighed, “One last chance,” then she left him alone with his thoughts.

Violet

As Violet closed the door, she thanked the Goddess, her guards were not there to witness the shame of her fated. There was only so much public humiliation she could take without snapping. She aimlessly walked down the corridor, again finding herself in the kitchen. She liked how homey it felt. Someone really put a lot of thought in it.

It was so early it was practically night, so she decided it was the best time to brew herself a cup of coffee, and settle her stomach with some breakfast. The timing was perfect. The chances of running into someone were zero to none.

“You should be sleeping.”

Of course, he would be awake.

“You should be sleeping, too,” Violet mumbled looking over at Devon, trying not to stare at his sweaty, shirtless body.

Now that was a pure hundred percent male. He was breathing for his mate, which made him ten times more appetizing than any physical attribute. And boy, did he have many. Too bad he hadn’t turned out to be hers.

“I went for a run. What’s your excuse?”

“You don’t want to know,” Violet said then busied herself with the Keurig before her mind completely went into the gutter, drooling over the specimen in front of him. She offered over her shoulder, “Coffee?”

It was his kitchen after all, she could at least offer him some coffee.

‘Yeah, right,’ her wolf supplied.

“Black. Tell me,” Alpha Devon demandingly told her.

“Mating problems,” Violet shrugged. She heard him inhaling then heard his teeth grinding as understanding settled. He tried to hide it, but Violet knew. He was pissed. Maybe just a hair less than she was. Why suddenly his approval matter? He wasn’t even her Alpha.

‘For someone who’s not our mate, he’s a fine piece of a male.’’

Violet ignored her wolf. It should not have come as a surprise her wolf would play favorites just to make Karim jealous. She appreciated it when Devon didn’t discuss Alyssa’s scent any further. It wasn’t his place to give an advice either as unmated wolf, so it was best if he didn’t intervene. Violet liked the silence as she passed him the coffee, then passed him some sandwiches.

“Alpha, Violet,” Karim greeted, looking expectantly at her.

Violet look up at him forcefully smiled in acknowledgement then challenged his pointed stare at her breakfast. She raised her head up high, showing him just as she understood he expected breakfast too, but hell would freeze over before she moved a pinkie in that regard.

Devon chuckled, “Don’t push your luck or next thing you know she’ll neuter you.”

“Nah, it’s too much work. I’ll just reject him,” Violet disagreed, only for Karim to growl at her.

“Thanks for breakfast, Violet.” Devon nodded in her direction then focused his eyes on Karim. Violet rolled her eyes as she knew they were mindlinking.

After a minute or so of tensed stares between the two, Karim busied himself with his own breakfast and started discussing pack business with Devon. This sudden sign of trust and equality Karim was between mates of rank would have been a sweet gesture, had he not had to repent in front of her for his earlier choices.

Devon only winked at her, confirming her suspicion. He had just talked to Karim about her.

“What are your plans for the day, Violet?” Alpha Devon’s voice snapped her attention from counting the bread crumbs on her place.

“What do you need?” Violet eagerly asked him, and let her eyes pointedly roam at his chest. Karim growled at her display of affection. Devon only chuckled at her childish tactic on getting back at Karim.

They all knew her schedule was wide open. She had no place to be, and nothing to do than to pass time in hopes of Karim coming back to his senses. She would only give him one more chance.

“That’s the spirit,” Devon smiled brightly at her. “I’ll leave you two to it.”

Violet looked at Karim confused as the Alpha quickly made his way to the study.

“You just agreed to spend the whole day with me,” Karim informed her.

“He’s sneaky,” Violet commented, making him chuckle.

“He means well.”

“Sure, he does,” Violet’s voice was heavy with sarcasm.

“What happened to one chance?”

“You think you’re ready for it?” Violet challenged him. It wouldn’t do him good to know she was willing to compromise more than she ever thought she would be comfortable with. Her pride wasn’t a factor in their equation, if it meant her forever after.

The happiness she so desired was finally within reach.