Chapter 1
Silverridge City’s neon glow flickered beyond the Destructors’ clubhouse, a squat brick building pulsing with bass and the scent of spilled beer. My boots crunched on gravel as I stormed through the lot, my crew trailing like shadows. Killyama’s sharp laugh cut through the night, Crazy b***h and T.A. tossing insults at some Blue Moon betas loitering nearby.
Fat Louise lagged behind, her phone glowing as she texted, oblivious to the tension. My wolf stirred, restless under my skin, itching for a fight. The merger with the Blue Moon Pack had everyone on edge, and I wasn’t about to let their alpha, Stud, think he could roll over us.
I shoved open the clubhouse door, the air thick with sweat and tequila. The Destructors’ territory might be under Blue Moon now, but this was still our turf. My father, Skulls, stood by the bar, his alpha presence heavy despite his demotion.
He nodded at me, but his eyes lingered on the Blue Moon wolves mingling with ours. I scanned the room, my gaze snagging on Stud.
He leaned against a pool table, all muscle and arrogance, his dark hair tousled and caramel eyes glinting. My stomach flipped, and I hated it. He was trouble—six feet of bad boy alpha who’d already cost us our independence.
“Luna, you look like you’re ready to rip someone’s throat out,” Killyama said, sidling up with a smirk. Her short black hair spiked defiantly, and her gold-flecked eyes scanned the room for trouble.
“Let’s just get through tonight,” I muttered, grabbing a tequila shot from the bar. “No blood, no broken bones.”
Crazy b***h snorted, her wild curls bouncing as she leaned in. “Speak for yourself, Naughty Kitten. Those Blue Moon assholes keep eyeing us like we’re prey.”
“They try anything, they’ll regret it,” T.A. added, her curvy frame tense as she glared at a beta named Pike. He smirked back, all teeth.
Fat Louise finally caught up, pocketing her phone. “Sorry, Luna, I was checking on the pups. Sizzle’s got them, but you know how she is.”
I sighed, my irritation softening. Sizzle, my mother, meant well but couldn’t be trusted to watch a rock.
I’d tasked Fat Louise with keeping an eye on Stud’s pups—Meri, Keri, and Star—since they’d been dumped on us during the merger. “Just make sure they’re safe,” I said, downing my shot. The burn steadied me, but my wolf clawed harder, sensing Stud’s gaze across the room.
He straightened, his leather jacket straining over his shoulders as he sauntered over. My crew stiffened, but I held my ground, chin up. “Naughty Kitten,” he drawled, his voice low and rough, like gravel under tires. “Are you planning to play nice tonight, or do I need to keep my betas on a leash?”
I smirked, stepping closer, my boots clicking. “Keep your dogs in line, Stud, or my girls will chew them up and spit them out.”
His eyes flashed amber, his wolf peeking through, and a shiver ran down my spine. “Big talk for a she-wolf who’s all bark,” he said, leaning in. His scent—pine and motor oil—hit me like a punch, and my wolf whined, traitorously eager.
“Try me,” I shot back, my pulse racing. The room seemed to fade, the noise dimming as our stares locked. I hated how he got under my skin, how my body betrayed me with heat I couldn’t ignore.
Killyama cleared her throat, breaking the spell. “Luna, we got company. Ace is here.”
My ex’s name was a bucket of ice water. I turned, spotting Ace by the door, his scruffy beard and paunch making him look like a washed-up rogue.
He’d cheated with Summer, gotten her pregnant, and broken whatever trust I’d had left. Now, he was stirring trouble, eyeing Stud with a sneer that promised problems.
“Let him try something,” I said, my voice cold. “He’s not worth my time.”
Stud raised a brow, his smirk infuriating. “Ex trouble, huh? Don’t worry, Luna, I’ll keep you distracted.”
I rolled my eyes, shoving past him to grab another shot. “Keep dreaming, alpha.”
The night spiraled from there, tequila flowing like a river. My crew danced, laughed, and traded barbs with the Blue Moon wolves, but the air crackled with tension. Ace hovered, his presence a thorn in my side, while Stud’s gaze followed me, heavy and unyielding.
My wolf was restless, urging me toward him, but I fought it, downing shots to drown the pull. Fat Louise, supposed to stay sober, got caught up in Crazy b***h’s antics, leaving us unguarded.
Hours blurred, and I found myself swaying by the bar, the room spinning. Stud appeared, steadying me with a hand on my arm. “Easy, Naughty Kitten,” he murmured, his touch burning through my leather jacket. My wolf surged, and before I could think, I was leaning into him, his scent overwhelming.
“You’re trouble,” I slurred, my defenses crumbling. His eyes darkened, and he pulled me closer, his lips brushing my ear.
“Trouble you want,” he whispered, guiding me toward a back room. The door shut, and the world narrowed to his hands, his mouth, the heat of his body against mine. My wolf howled, free at last, as clothes hit the floor. It was a blur of need, my virginity lost in a haze of tequila and instinct, the mating bond sparking like wildfire.
I woke to sunlight stabbing my eyes, sprawled in a strange bed. Stud’s bed. My clothes were scattered, my body sore, and panic clawed my chest. I bolted upright, heart pounding. Stud lounged by the window, shirtless, his tattoos stark against his skin. He turned, his smile lazy but knowing.
“Morning, Luna,” he said, his voice too smug. “Rough night?”
I scrambled for my clothes, my head throbbing. “What the hell happened?” My voice was hoarse, memories fragmented. The bond pulsed, undeniable, but shame burned hotter. I’d let my guard down, let him in.
“You tell me,” he said, stepping closer. “But I’d say we got along just fine.”
I glared, yanking on my boots. “This changes nothing, Stud. Stay away from me.”
He chuckled, unfazed. “Your wolf disagrees, Naughty Kitten. And so does mine.”
Before I could snap back, Killyama burst in, her face grim. “Luna, we have a problem. Ace is stirring up the Destructors, saying you betrayed us with him.” She jerked her thumb at Stud. “And someone saw Candi sniffing around the pups last night.”
My blood ran cold. Candi, Star’s deadbeat mother, was back? And Ace, spreading lies? I stormed out, Stud’s laughter echoing behind me.
My crew waited outside, their faces a mix of worry and anger. The clubhouse lot was quiet, but the city beyond hummed with danger. My wolf snarled, ready to fight, but the bond with Stud tugged at me, a chain I couldn’t break.
Ace’s rebellion, Candi’s return, and my own reckless night loomed like storm clouds. I’d walked into a trap of my own making, and Silverridge was about to explode.