Jacob took a step closer, and despite Autumn’s instincts telling her to back away, she forced herself to stand her ground, staring straight into his amber eyes that were beginning to glint dangerously.
“New mate?” Jacob’s voice turned cold, his tone even but filled with pent-up anger. “Is that why you disappeared? Did you find another man?”
Jacob’s expression darkened, his jaw tightened, and his gaze took on a look of hatred Autumn had never seen before. An air of alpha dominance radiated from him, making the air feel heavy and tense.
“I—” Autumn stuttered, taken aback by the sudden change in mood.
Jacob gripped Autumn’s arm roughly, his fingers pressing in so that they would surely leave marks. “Tell me his name,” he growled. “Who is this man who dares touch what is mine?”
Fear crept up Autumn’s spine. This was the side of Jacob that had made her run away in the first place—the dark, terrifyingly possessive side.
“Let me go, Jacob!” Autumn tried to pull away, but Jacob’s grip was too strong.
"WHO IS HE?!" Jacob snapped, his eyes turning a golden yellow as his wolf almost took over.
"No! No new mate!" Autumn screamed, tears welling up in her eyes. "I've never had another mate!"
Jacob pulled her closer, their faces inches apart. "You're lying," he hissed. "I can smell him on you. A foreign scent mixed with yours."
Autumn shook her head vigorously. "That might be my friend, Rick. He helped me move into a new apartment last week. But he's just a friend, Jacob, I swear!"
Jacob's eyes darkened even further. "Rick," he said the name like it was poison. "The Silvercrest pack alpha? The guy who used to stare at you lustfully at pack meetings?"
Cold sweat began to form on Autumn's forehead. Rick was the Silvercrest Alpha, but their relationship was strictly platonic. Rick had helped her find a job and a place to live after she ran away from Jacob.
"He was just helping me, Jacob. Nothing more," Autumn tried to explain in a shaky voice.
"Help you?" Jacob laughed coldly. "I'm sure he's been very 'helpful', especially in your bed."
"No! That's not true!" Autumn tried to break free again, harder this time, but Jacob just pushed her against the garden wall, pinning her with both his arms.
"Six months," Jacob growled, his flashing yellow eyes glaring at her. "Six months I've been searching for you like a madman, while you warmed another alpha's bed."
"Jacob, please, listen to me."
"SHUT UP!" he snapped. "I'm sick of your lies, Autumn."
Jacob grabbed Autumn by the chin, forcing her to look him in the eye.
"Do you know what I'm going to do now?" Jacob's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "I'm going to erase every trace of that man from your body. I'm going to re-mark you, making sure the world knows that you're mine. Only mine."
Jacob's fingers moved down Autumn's neck, tracing her skin in a slow, deadly motion. Autumn shuddered, a combination of fear and, as much as she hated to admit it, an unwanted spark of desire.
"Jacob, stop," Autumn pleaded, her voice barely a whisper. "I swear, there's nothing between me and Rick. He's just my friend."
"Friend?" Jacob snorted. "No alpha is ever just a 'friend' to an omega as beautiful as you, Autumn. He wants you. I can feel it in the way he smells on you."
Jacob's hand moved down, touching Autumn's collarbone where her low-necked blouse was exposed. "But it doesn't matter now. You're here, with me. And I'm going to make sure you remember who really owns you."
"I don't belong to anyone!" Autumn pushed Jacob's chest with all her might, managing to create some distance. "I am not something to be owned!"
Jacob stared at her with a mixture of anger and passion. "You are wrong, my love. You are my mate, destined for me by the Moon Goddess herself. And I will prove it to you."
Jacob suddenly stepped back, surprising Autumn. She turned around, running a hand through her hair in frustration, and took a deep breath as if trying to control her emotions.
"Go back to your room," she ordered coldly. "Now."
"Jacob!"
"NOW!" she snapped, her eyes flashing yellow again. "Before I lose control and take you here too."
Autumn wasted no time. She immediately turned and half-ran back to the house, her heart pounding with adrenaline and fear. She could feel Jacob's gaze burning into her back, but she didn't dare look back.
Once she reached her room, Autumn closed the door and locked it, even though she knew the lock wouldn't stop Jacob if he really wanted to get in. She slumped to the floor, her back against the door, the tears she had been holding back finally falling.
“Oh my God,” she whispered, her body shaking. “What do I do?”
Fear coursed through her veins. She had just seen was the Jacob she had feared most possessive, dominant, and on the verge of losing control. But amidst that fear, there was another feeling that made her feel guilty and confused a small part of her, a primitive omega, responding to the alpha’s dominance.
“No, no, no,” Autumn shook her head, trying to push the thought away. “This is wrong. He kidnapped me. He’s not the Alpha I want.”