Brandon's throat tightened. "The headmistress is expecting me. I have obligations that—"

"Shut up," Seth snapped, the words slicing through Brandon's explanation. His eyes had taken on a predatory gleam, pupils dilated in the dim light. "You belong here. With the pack."

With me hung unspoken in the air between them.

Brandon's fingers curled around the railing behind him, knuckles white with tension. The distance to the ground looked even more daunting now, darkness pooling beneath the treehouse like spilled ink. The safety of the house—of Zack—seemed impossibly far away.

"Seth, please," Brandon tried again, forcing his voice to remain calm despite the panic clawing at his chest. "Your mother will be looking for you. The pack -."

"I don't care," Seth said, stepping closer. The treehouse floor creaked beneath his weight. "I'm gonna make you pack. I'll make you stay."

The words froze Brandon's blood. He recognized that tone—the entitled certainty of an Alpha who believed ownership was his birthright. He'd heard it countless times from Alphas who thought submission could be taken, not earned.

Seth's scent darkened with determination. The young Alpha stood too close now, his breath hot on Brandon's face, hands moving to trap him against the railing.

Seth's fingers reached out, hovering near Brandon's throat. A simple touch, claiming what he believed was his right.

Brandon recoiled violently, jerking backward as if struck. His shoulder blades hit the railing hard, sending a jolt of pain down his spine. The reaction was pure instinct—a flinch born from years of unwanted touches and the memory of pain that followed.

The young Alpha's eyes darkened, nostrils flaring at the rejection. His scent spiked with rage, hot and metallic.

"Don't pull away from me!" The words exploded from Seth's mouth, an Alpha command that slammed into Brandon's body like a physical blow. "You think you can just run off? Do you?"

Brandon's muscles locked in place, the command wrapping around him like barbed wire. His breath came in shallow gasps, panic rising in his throat. The treehouse walls seemed to close in, the night air suddenly too thick to breathe.

Seth's fingers latched onto the collar of the plaid shirt, yanking him forward. The fabric bit into Brandon's throat as Seth twisted him to the side, exposing his neck. Cold air hit the sensitive skin where Zack's mark lay fresh and tender.

"What's this?" Seth's laugh cut through the night air. "That's not even a real claim." His thumb pressed against the bruised flesh, making Brandon wince. "Just a love bite. Like some teenager fooling around."

Brandon's pulse thundered beneath Seth's touch. The young Alpha's scent turned bitter with mockery.

"Can't even do it right, can he?" Seth's grip tightened on the collar. "A real Alpha would've claimed you properly. Made sure everyone knew who you belonged to." His voice dropped lower, cruel amusement threading through the words. "But not the runt. Too weak to even claim what he wants."

Brandon's stomach lurched as Seth's saliva hit his neck, cold and viscous. The young Alpha's fingers dug into his skin, roughly scrubbing at the mark Zack's made. Each touch felt like sandpaper against Brandon's flesh, but the Alpha command held him frozen, unable to pull away.

"Disgusting," Seth muttered, nostrils flaring. "You reek of him." His thumb pressed harder, grinding his saliva in circles into Brandon's throat. "Can't barely stand by you like this."

Brandon's chest seized tight, heart hammering against his ribs. The command wrapped around his muscles like chains, keeping him still while Seth's hands wandered lower. The young Alpha's fingers circled Brandon's wrist, lifting it to his nose.

"But here..." Seth inhaled deeply, his grip tightening until Brandon's fingers tingled. "Here you smell pure. Clean." His tongue darted out, dragging wet and hot across Brandon's small scent gland.

Bile rose in Brandon's throat. His skin crawled beneath Seth's touch, every nerve ending screaming to pull away. But the command held, forcing him to endure as Seth's tongue traced patterns across his wrist.

"So sweet when you're scared," Seth murmured against Brandon's skin. His teeth scraped lightly over the delicate veins. "Your fear makes everything sharper. Brighter." Another long lick. "Like candy dissolving on my tongue."

Brandon's vision blurred, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. His breath came in short, sharp gasps as Seth's mouth moved higher up his arm, leaving trails of saliva that cooled in the night air.

"Please," Brandon whispered, the word barely a breath. "Don't-"

Seth's grip tightened painfully. "Shhh." His tongue traced the sensitive skin at the crook of Brandon's elbow. "Just let me taste you. Let me show you what a real Alpha feels like."

"Don't-" Brandon started.

Quick as a snake - Seth struck.

A scream tore from Brandon's throat, echoing through the tree house and out into the night.

Metal on stone.

Pain.