His Trouble Maker

Chapter 124

JESSICA

“Keep still,” Riot whispers as I jerk one more time trying to stop him from tying me up. “Or I’ll fuck you right here. Choose.”

My eyes widened and despite wanting to just kill him right there, I stop, too fucking scared he’ll do what he says.

His palm lingers a second longer than necessary, pressing into me like he’s mapping the shape of my breath, then he steps back. Rope burns down the edge of my forearms. My boots can’t quite brace on the uneven ground, and the stretch has me off balance, spine bowed, ribs pulled wide. Every part of me is exposed.

Riot crouches, ripping something from his belt. Tarp. Clothes. Another rope.

I grind my teeth so hard my jaw clicks. My hands twist in the bindings, but the knot holds–high, harsh, locked against a knot in the trunk behind me. I count five deep breaths before he speaks again.

“You’re smart enough not to scream,” he says absently, threading something through the loop of his belt like he’s bored. “But just in case…”

He moves closer. One step, then another. The tarp gets tossed aside. He brings out a strip of cloth. Black. Smells like leather and blood and something that might’ve once been mine.

“Open your mouth.”

“No.”

His eyes flick up. No smile this time. Just that stillness. That quiet, hungry, patient Alpha stillness that coils in his shoulders right before he snaps someone’s neck.

He grabs my jaw. Shoves fingers into my mouth, hard. I choke, gag, bite down–and he lets me. Just waits with his thumb hooked under my tongue like he’s taming me.

“I said–open.”

I hold his stare. My lip curls. But I open. Just enough. Just to breathe.

The gag shoves past my teeth rough. He ties it hard at the base of my skull. It’s not tight enough to choke–but it’s not for that. It’s to silence me. It’s to humiliate,

He steps back, eyes dragging over me,

“Better,” Riot murmurs, voice gravel–soft. “Now I can focus.”

He starts dragging branches. A few long ones first, snapped underfoot, shoved into the dirt to create some kind of structure. Then fabric. He stretches the tarp low over two points, pins the corners down with rocks, kicks away anything sharp or noisy beneath it.

I don’t fucking let him win.

He circles again like he’s not done playing, like this is just a warm–up round. I watch his boots crush sticks, push dirt, mark up the ground like a wolf pissing borders. He’s claiming shit that doesn’t belong to him. Building himself a kingdom with bark and blood and my fucking silence.

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Chapter 124

Want to rip through it with my wrists, my teeth, my rage, I don’t fucking care. If I had claws, I’d gut him. If I had my wolf, I’d

But I don’t.

And taste leather and dirt and spit and the sour rot of whatever he used this gag for last. It’s not clean. I don’t think he gives a shit. Probably likes it that way. Probably wants me to marinate in it. Wants it soaked with my breath so when he rips it out, he can fucking smell

there’s a place for him to sleep. For him

wants.

does walk over, it’s

waist. My thigh. Then trace the

used to it,” Riot murmurs, almost

breath sticky against my skin,

against the bark. Skin goes raw.

Calm. Too

wasting your energy,” he says. “No

I snarl. Muffled. Animals.

There she is.”

gut you,” I try to say, but it’s fucked through the gag. It

in, too close. “Think that’ll save you this

Just one second. Just

tilts his head, eyes glittering. “Funny thing about mates–when you

chest heaves. My spine bows tight again, breath

the side of my neck like he’s checking for the mark that’s not there. Just skin. Just skin and blood and the memory of a

whispers. “Could’ve

through the

He smiles wider.

in my hair. Fast. Rips my head back till my throat’s bared and every muscle in my body lights

you to remember this, bitch,” Riot breathes against my face, “when you’re praying for him and no one

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Chapter 124

His voice is low, playful, coaxing. “Where do you think they are

I do. I do. I suddenly

No…no. That can’t be.

bit the

whispers. “Your pack’s not special. Your brother thinks he’s clever, but he’s just another little soldier playing Alpha. And Grayson-” He clicks his tongue. “Poor, dumb, meat–brained Grayson. I bet he thought he was marching into war. Whole chest puffed out like he could

a second. Just to stop the burn. Just to stop the image of him–Grayson, cocky and snarling, getting dragged under because I wasn’t there. Because I was here. Because

do you?”

Something inside me seizes.

back a half–inch, just to watch it