** Donovan POV **
Donovan stifled a yawn as he made his way to the bedroom. To think that he had woken up with a sore back, neck, and everything so early in the morning after sleeping on the cot.
'Never again,' he vowed, rubbing his neck.
All Donovan wanted was an hour, maybe two, of undistrurbed sleep before the demands of his alpha duties truly kicked in. He wanted to be well rested for the meeting this afternoon. But first, he needed to jump in the shower for a quick rinse.
Donovan stepped into the shower, the cool water a welcome against his hot skin. Muscles rippled under the spray. His broad shoulders sloped down to a narrow waist, etched with the faint lines of an old scar from a rogue wolf skirmish. Powerful thighs and calves, honed by endless patrols, were visible beneath the streaming water. He scrubbed quickly before stepping out.
Drying off, Donovan practically collapsed onto the plush mattress of his own bed; the scent of Keira's familiar scent was a comforting lullaby. He was out like a light almost instantly.
Donovan began to stir from his sleep as the first sensation was a soft graze against his inner thigh, then a feather-light touch on his chest. Donovan's wolf instincts, ever vigilant even in sleep, immediately flared.
"Keira?" he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.
The hand on his chest dipped lower to his abdomen, tracing the taunt abs. A second hand joined the first.
"Keira," Donovan sighed, refusing to open his eyes. "Come to bed."
The pair of hands disappeared from his body.
Donovan felt the air on his bare skin as the covers were slowly lifted and the mattress dipped as the figure slowly climbed into bed and joined him underneath the covers. They positioned themselves between his legs.
Then a feather-light brush against his hip. Fingers began to trace the curve of his side, a slow, deliberate exploration. The touch grew bolder, the pads of fingers lingering on his skin as they continued the slow movement. Then the fingers rippled across his stomach as the hand drifted lower, teasing the V-line of his hip bone.
Fingers continued their journey, feathering across his inner thigh, a slow, sensual climb. A sigh escaped his lips, a low rumble from his chest. The mattress dipped slightly as she shifted, pressing closer.
But then it hit him – a saccharine-sweet scent of cherry, utterly alien and out of place. His eyes snapped open, blazing with confusion and a rising alarm.
Donovan clamped a hand around the offending wrist, his grip like steel, and propelled himself upright. Before him, silhouetted against the morning light filtering through the blinds, was Victoria.
Naked.
A slow, knowing smile spread across her face, her eyes glittering with a dangerous triumph. She tried to pull her hands free, a breathless giggle escaping her lips.
"Good morning," she whispered seducitvely.
"Victoria," Donovan growled, tightening his grip around her. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to relieve some of your frustration," she continued, pulling to free her wrists. "I am your chosen mate. I have every right to claim what is mine."
Donovan could feel Nolan wanting to come out and rip her throat out. How dare she sneak into their bed! The sheer audacity was enough to push Nolan to kill her.
Shamlessly, Victoria lunged at him and wrapped straddled him while he was distracted.
"I missed this," Victoria breathed in his ear. "Did you promise to give me pups? Why don't we start now?"
"Enough," Donovan growled, grabbing Victoria by her shoulders and pushing her away.
Victoria wasn't budging; she tightened her legs around his waist.
"Let go," Donovan demanded angrily.
"I don't want to," Victoria giggled.
With a growl, Donovan gripped Victoria's waist and ripped her away from him. Victoria hissed from the pain and instantly moved away.
"That hurt," Victoria sniffed. "Donovan, why are you rejecting me?"
Just then, the bedroom door swung open with a soft click. Keira stood there, her hands frozen on the doorknob, as her eyes widened as she took in the scene.
Before Donovan could form words, a low, guttural growl vibrated in her chest.
"You bitch!"
In an instant, Keira lunged. Victoria shrieked.
She tackled Victoria with a force that sent both women tumbling on the bed, a flurry of fists and feral cries. Victoria, who had been laughing moments ago, let out a choked gasp as Keira's hands, suddenly iron claws, wrapped around her hair. The first punch was a sickening thud, a sound that made Donovan's stomach clench. Victoria cried out, a high-pitched whimper, as Keira, a whirlwind of furious limbs, rained down blow after blow.
Donovan scrambled back, hitting the headboard with a jolt. His mind, still sluggish from sleep, struggled to process the scene. This wasn't just anger; this was pure, unadulterated rage. Victoria was squirming, trying to defend herself, but Keira was relentless, her face a mask of distorted fury. Donovan saw a trickle of blood from Victoria's lip, then another from a cut above her eye. Panic, cold and sharp, finally cut through his daze.
"Keira! Stop it! Get off her!" he yelled, pushing himself forward. He reached for Keira's arm, trying to pull her away. It was a stupid, instinctual move, a desperate attempt to end the chaos.
The world exploded. A white-hot searing pain blossomed in his jaw, and a metallic tang filled his mouth. He staggered back, his vision swimming, his hand going to his chin. When he pulled it away, his fingers were slick with warm blood. Keira hadn't even looked at him. Her focus was entirely on Victoria, her eyes still blazing with a terrifying intensity.
Keira, eyes blazing with a primal rage, was already back on Victoria, pummeling her relentlessly.
"Marcus! Get in here now!" Donovan called out to his beta.
Donovan shook his head to clear it from the punch as he tried to pry Keira off the cowering, bloodied body of Victoria. He couldn't blame Keira for reacting the way she did.
"Keira! Stop! Please!" Donovan roared, his voice thick.
He grabbed her shoulder, his fingers sinking into her flesh in an attempt to stop her, but she was a force of nature, unstoppable. She shook him off with a growl that promised pain, her eyes, now molten gold, burning into his.
Then, with a speed that left him no time to react, she spun, her fist connecting with his jaw once more. A blinding flash of white, a hot surge of pain, and the coppery taste of his own blood exploded in his mouth. He staggered back, a hand instinctively flying to his split lip, his head reeling. The sheer power behind the blow was staggering. She wasn't just angry; she was furious.
Donovan wiped the blood away and grabbed Keira around the waist as Marcus arrived.
"Help me," Donovan growled as he struggled to contain Keira.
Marcus rushed over and grabbed Victoria by the shoulders, hauling Victoria off the bed.
"That's enough!" Donovan ordered through his link. "Stand down!"
Keira shoved her shoulder into Donovan's chest, making him release her. She growled at him as she huffed in anger. Donovan slowly moved back, pulling the crumbled sheets around his waist.
Marcus stood over Victoria, ready to stop Keira from lunging at the unconscious Victoria.
"Luna? Are you ok?" Marcus asked, glancing between Keira, Victoria, and Donovan.
"I'm not your fucking Luna," Keira huffed.
She climbed off the bed and left the bedroom, stomping in anger.
"Alpha," Marcus said cautiously. "What the fuck is going on?"