Chapter 4: The Impossible Pull
1048 Words
Sleep never came.
No matter how many times I closed my eyes, the images from earlier returned.
Lucas.
Selena.
The betrayal.
The humiliation.
The rejection.
Everything replayed over and over inside my mind.
By sunrise, I had given up trying to rest.
I sat by the window of my room, staring at the pack grounds below.
Pack members moved about their morning routines, but I knew the entire pack was talking about me.
News traveled fast.
Especially news like this.
The future Luna being betrayed by her mate on the night of their mating ceremony was not something people would forget anytime soon.
A knock sounded at my door.
I didn't answer.
A few seconds later, the door opened anyway.
My mother stepped inside.
Her eyes immediately softened when she saw me.
"My sweet girl."
The concern in her voice almost broke me.
Almost.
But I had cried enough.
I was tired of crying.
"I'll be fine," I said quietly.
She sat beside me.
"No one expects you to be fine."
Silence filled the room.
Then she reached for my hand.
"Your father is furious."
A small smile tugged at my lips.
That sounded like him.
"He wants to challenge Lucas."
I sighed.
"That won't fix anything."
"No."
Her expression darkened.
"But it would make him feel better."
For the first time that morning, I laughed softly.
The laughter faded quickly.
Reality settled over me again.
Nothing would ever be the same.
Not after what happened.
Another knock interrupted us.
This time it was louder.
Urgent.
My mother frowned.
"Come in."
The door opened.
A young warrior rushed inside.
His face was pale.
His breathing was uneven.
Immediately, I knew something was wrong.
"What happened?" my mother asked.
The warrior swallowed hard.
"The Alpha King has requested Miss Blackwood's presence."
My heart stopped.
The room fell silent.
"What?"
The warrior lowered his head.
"The Alpha King wishes to see her immediately."
Shock flashed across my mother's face.
Mine wasn't any better.
The Alpha King wanted to see me?
Why?
I had spoken less than ten words to him.
Yet somehow, the ruler of every werewolf territory was requesting my presence.
A strange feeling settled inside my stomach.
Unease.
Curiosity.
Fear.
All mixed together.
The warrior shifted awkwardly.
"He is waiting."
My mother looked at me.
"Do you know why?"
I slowly shook my head.
"No."
Because I truly had no idea.
An hour later, I stood outside the Alpha King's temporary residence.
The building was heavily guarded.
Warriors stood at every entrance.
The moment they saw me, they stepped aside.
My palms felt sweaty.
This was ridiculous.
Why was I nervous?
The Alpha King probably wanted to discuss last night's incident.
That had to be it.
Nothing more.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped inside.
The room was enormous.
Elegant.
Powerful.
Much like the man who occupied it.
And there he was.
Damon Ravencrest.
Standing beside a large window.
His hands were clasped behind his back.
His posture radiated authority.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then he turned around.
Our eyes met.
And the strange feeling returned.
Stronger this time.
My wolf instantly stirred.
The reaction shocked me.
She wasn't afraid.
She wasn't threatened.
She seemed...
drawn to him.
I immediately pushed the feeling down.
Something was seriously wrong with me.
The Alpha King's expression remained unreadable.
Yet his gaze lingered on me longer than necessary.
"Miss Blackwood."
His deep voice sent an unexpected shiver through me.
I hated that.
I hated how aware I suddenly was of him.
"You wanted to see me, Your Majesty?"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
As though he noticed something.
Or sensed something.
The silence stretched.
Then he nodded.
"Sit."
I obeyed immediately.
The Alpha King took a seat across from me.
For several moments, he simply studied me.
The attention made me uncomfortable.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.
"Did I do something wrong?"
The question slipped out before I could stop it.
To my surprise, amusement briefly flashed across his face.
"No."
Relief washed over me.
Then confusion replaced it.
"Then why am I here?"
His expression became serious again.
"I wanted to know how you were handling the rejection."
I blinked.
That was not the answer I expected.
Of all the reasons, concern for my wellbeing had not crossed my mind.
"I'm surviving."
His gaze remained fixed on me.
"Surviving is not the same as healing."
The words struck deeper than they should have.
Perhaps because they were true.
I wasn't healing.
I was barely holding myself together.
The Alpha King seemed to understand that.
For a moment, his eyes softened.
The sight was so unexpected that I almost thought I imagined it.
Then his expression hardened again.
"Lucas made a mistake."
A bitter laugh escaped me.
"A mistake?"
His jaw tightened.
"An unforgivable one."
For the first time, I agreed with him completely.
Silence settled between us once more.
Yet it wasn't uncomfortable.
Strangely, it felt natural.
Easy.
The realization startled me.
I barely knew this man.
So why did sitting here feel easier than being around people I had known my entire life?
The Alpha King's gaze dropped briefly.
To my wrist.
A small frown appeared on his face.
Then he looked away.
The reaction confused me.
Before I could ask about it, a sharp pain suddenly shot through my chest.
I gasped.
My hand flew to my heart.
The Alpha King instantly stood.
"Aria."
The way he said my name sent a strange warmth through me despite the pain.
"I'm fine."
But it was a lie.
The pain intensified.
My wolf whimpered.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
The Alpha King's expression darkened.
A low growl vibrated from his chest.
The sound froze me.
It wasn't anger.
It was concern.
Raw.
Protective concern.
For me.
Then something impossible happened.
The room filled with a powerful energy.
My wolf surged forward.
His wolf answered.
And for one terrifying second, both of us froze.
Because we felt it.
The connection.
The pull.
The impossible attraction neither of us could explain.
The Alpha King's eyes widened slightly.
For the first time since meeting him, genuine shock appeared on his face.
My heart pounded wildly.
I had no idea what was happening.
But judging from his expression...
Neither did he.
- Writer
