Chapter 2
967 Words
The Alpha's Mercy
Selene refused to show weakness.
Damian's grip around her throat was firm, his fingers a silent promise of power, but he hadn't squeezed. He was toying with her, testing her reaction, waiting to see if she would break.
He'd be disappointed.
She held his gaze, her nails biting into his wrist. "Go ahead, Alpha," she murmured, voice steady despite the pounding of her heart. "Try and kill me."
His golden eyes darkened with something unreadable. Then-he smirked.
"Feisty," he mused, his thumb brushing the pulse at her neck. "I like that."
Selene clenched her jaw, her wolf snarling inside her head. She didn't know what game he was playing, but she wasn't going to be another one of his broken pets.
Before she could react, Damian released her.
She stumbled slightly but caught herself, refusing to let her body betray how exhausted she was.
"Take her," Damian ordered.
Before she could move, strong hands grabbed her arms from behind. Two enforcers—a blond wolf with a scar down his jaw and another built like a brick wall-restrained her.
Selene thrashed. "Let me go, you bastards!"
Scarface chuckled. "You're not in charge here, sweetheart."
Selene jerked forward, slamming her head back into his face. A sickening crunch filled the air as his nose broke.
He cursed, blood pouring from his nostrils. " f*****g"
She twisted, preparing to break free But then Damian moved.
Fast.
One second he was watching with mild amusement. The next, he had Selene pinned against a tree again, his body pressed close,
Caging her in.
Her breath hitched.
Not from fear. From rage.
His golden eyes gleamed with warning. "Try that again," he murmured, "and I'll make sure you regret it."
Selene gritted her teeth, her pulse pounding in her ears. She hated how powerful he was. How easily he could control the situation.
"I already regret stepping foot in your cursed territory," she spat.
He smirked again. " Oh, little rogue...
You have no idea what real regret feels like."
Then he turned to his enforcers.
"Take her to the cells."
The Blood-moon Dungeons
The trip to the Blood-moon Pack's estate was short-but long enough for Selene to take in the grandeur of it.
She had always heard rumors of Damian's wealth. That he wasn't just an Alpha but a billionaire who ran some of the most powerful corporations in the country.
But seeing it in person?
The massive mansion sat high on a hill, a fortress of stone and glass that gleamed under the moonlight.
Expensive cars lined the driveway, security was everywhere, and wolves moved with disciplined precision.
Selene didn't belong here.
She wasn't a pampered Luna. She wasn't a submissive wolf ready to bow at an Alpha's feet. She was a survivor.
And right now, survival meant getting the hell out of here.
The moment they shoved her into a cold, stone cell beneath the mansion, she took stock of her surroundings.
No windows. Only one entrance.
Two guards stationed outside. No weapons.
Selene clenched her fists. She'd have to be smart about this.
She wouldn't wait for Damian to decide her fate. She'd escape before he even had the chance.
A Dangerous Proposal
Hours passed before the cell door creaked open.
Selene didn't bother standing. She wouldn't show him respect.
Damian stepped inside, his presence filling the small space. He didn't look angry. He looked intrigued.
That was worse.
"You're not like most rogues," he said casually, watching her. "Most of them would be cowering by now."
She scoffed. "Most rogues are weak."
His lips curled slightly. "And you're not?"
Selene met his gaze head-on. "I've survived alone for years, Alpha.
That's more than you can say."
Damian chuckled, low and deep. "Is that so?" He crouched in front of her, close enough that she could see the flicker of amusement in his golden eyes. "Tell me, Selene Carter... what exactly are you running from?"
Her entire body tensed.
He knew her name.
Which meant he had already looked into her past.
Selene forced her expression into indifference. "I'm not running."
Damian tilted his head. "Then why trespass in my territory?”
She said nothing.
Because the truth was something she wasn't ready to admit.
That she had been hunted. That she had been desperate.
That Alpha Gregor Hale was still looking for her.
Damian watched her for a long moment. Then, slowly, he smiled.
A predator's smile.
"You're interesting," he murmured.
"And I don't believe in coincidences."
Selene narrowed her eyes. "What do you want, Thorne?"
His gaze darkened slightly at the challenge in her tone, but instead of reprimanding her, he leaned in just enough to make her pulse stutter.
"I need a Luna," he said smoothly.
Selene blinked. What?
"And you, little rogue," he continued,
"need protection."
Selene stiffened. "I don't need your help."
Damian's smirk widened. "No? Then tell me, Selene-why was Alpha Gregor Hale's Beta spotted on my land the same night you crossed my border?"
Her blood ran cold.
Gregor's men were here?
That meant... he was close. Too close.
Damian leaned back, satisfied by her silence. "That's what I thought."
Selene swallowed hard, her mind racing.
She couldn't go back to Gregor.
He'd kill her—or worse.
She had spent too many years running.
But marrying this Alpha?
A man as ruthless as Damian Thorne?
Damian stood, his presence commanding. "One year," he said.
"You play the role of my Luna. You get my protection. After that, you walk away.”
He turned toward the door but paused.
"Oh, and Selene?" He glanced over his shoulder, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Say no... and I'll personally deliver you to Gregor myself."
Selene's nails dug into her palms.
One year.
One contract.
One choice.
And no way out.
- Writer
