Page 6 of Trapped By the Cartel

Elliot

The blood drained from my face, leaving me cold and clammy. I never thought I would hear something like that.

Connected to my father? Sharing mutual interests with that wolf? It was a chilling prospect, far more terrifying than the initial chase through the forest. My entire life had been a carefully constructed lie, a shield against the world's harsh realities. And now, that shield was shattered.

I had no protection. I had to protect myself.

"What kind of interests?" I managed to choke out. I really didn't want to say anything, but still had to. The words tasted like ash in my mouth.

The wolf chuckled, a low rumble that seemed to vibrate through the very ground beneath me. "Those are questions best left unasked, Elliot." He paused, and for a moment, I thought he was going to drop it, let me wallow in my despair. Instead, he continued, "But since you're so curious…"

"My name is Damon Vexley." The words were deliberate, formal, contrasting with the predatory growl that had accompanied them earlier. Then, with a sudden ripple, ashimmering distortion filled the air around him. I gasped, instinctively recoiling as the wolf began to… unravel.

The transformation was breathtaking, mesmerizing, and deeply unsettling all at once. The massive form of the wolf seemed to compress, bones shifting and reforming, fur receding into the skin, muscles reshaping themselves with an almost agonizing fluidity. It happened quickly, yet felt like an eternity stretched thin. I thought I would never see such a thing.

And then, he was human. Standing before me, fully naked, his skin gleaming in the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees.

I stared, dumbfounded, unable to process what I was seeing. He was even more imposing as a man than he had been as a wolf. Taller, broader, with a presence that seemed to fill the entire clearing. His ice-blue eyes, now unmasked by the fur, held a potent intensity that made it difficult to breathe.

He didn't move, didn't flinch at my stunned silence. He simply stood there, naked and unapologetic, radiating an aura of absolute confidence. It was disorienting.

I was pretty sure he was enjoying my reaction. Given the way he was looking at me, there was no reason to think differently.

My breath hitched in my throat, a nervous flutter in my chest escalating into something else entirely. I hadn't expected this. Not this. The sheer audacity of it, the blatant disregard for how I might feel. It was both shocking and strangely exhilarating.

I quickly averted my eyes, my cheeks burning with a mixture of embarrassment and an unwelcome, burgeoning arousal. "You… you can shift?" I stammered, the question sounding ridiculously inadequate even to my own ears.

I mean, yeah, of course he could shift. Why did I even ask that question? I was so stupid.

A slow, predatory smile curved his lips, revealing a flash of white teeth against his tanned skin. "I can, yeah," he replied, his voice now deeper, richer, infused with an undeniable sensuality. He took a step closer, closing the distance between us. My heart pounded against my ribs like a trapped bird.

"It's a rather useful skill," he continued. "Especially when one has… business to conduct." He paused, letting his gaze trail down my body and back up again. The blatant assessment made me acutely aware of every inch of my own skin. "And you, Elliot Hayes, appear to be rather central to that business."

I swallowed hard, struggling to regain control of my racing thoughts. "What… what do you want from me?" I repeated, the question feeling weak and inadequate even as it left my lips.

He took another step closer, invading my personal space. The scent of his skin, clean and musky, filled my senses, almost overwhelming. "Because you are mine. You are in my territory, so you're mine now."

"Mine?" I repeated, the word tasting like defiance on my tongue. "I'm not an object to be claimed, Damon. I'm a person."

His smile widened, revealing a hint of predatory amusement. "A very appealing one," he murmured, his eyes raking over my face. "And quite valuable." Valuable? I asked, wondering what he meant by that. He took another step closer, until I could feel the warmth radiating from his skin. "You are in my care now."

I bristled, pushing back against his dominance, despite the unsettling flutter in my stomach. "I don't need your care. And I certainly don't belong to you."

He chuckled softly, a low rumble in his chest. "Oh, but you do. You just haven't accepted it yet." He paused, letting the words hang in the air before adding with a playful smirk, "It will come to you."

No, it will never come to me,and even though I wanted to say that right to his face, I knew it wouldn't make a difference.

My gaze flickered downwards, drawn against my will. A completely involuntary reaction, I swear. It was like my eyes had a mind of their own. And suddenly, all coherent thought seemed to evaporate from my brain. I literally could not think.

His… anatomy… was rather impressive. I mean, really impressive. I'd never seen anything quite like it, even in the most lurid of romantic novels I'd devoured when I was younger. It was… substantial. Very substantial. Hanging there, fully exposed, surprisingly pale against his tanned skin. Even flaccid, it possessed a certain undeniable presence.

Even though I knew it was wrong, I wanted all of it. Every single inch.

I quickly snapped my eyes back up to meet his, mortified. My cheeks burned with a furious blush.Oh god. I can't believe I just did that.I felt like the most foolish, inexperienced omega in existence.

Because now… Now he was going to take advantage of my mistake.

He was watching me, of course. And not with surprise or confusion, but with a slow, deliberate amusement that sent a fresh wave of heat surging through my veins. A corner of his mouth lifted in a knowing smirk. He knew I'd been staring. How could I be so stupid?

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