Chapter2
820 Words
Chapter Two – The Beast’s Pact
Morning came slow and reluctant over the Blackridge mansion.
Sunlight leaked through the thick velvet curtains, painting soft gold lines across the room.
Aria blinked awake, disoriented. For a moment, she didn’t remember where she was—the satin sheets, the unfamiliar scent of cedar and rain, the faint hum of power that seemed to pulse through the air.
Then it all came crashing back.
Lucian Drax.
The border.
The blood.
She sat up too fast, the blanket slipping down her shoulder. Her wrists still bore faint rope marks.
The door creaked.
A woman stepped in carrying a silver tray. She was tall, graceful, and dressed in simple black attire. Her eyes—kind but wary—landed on Aria.
“Good morning, Luna.”
Aria blinked. “Luna? I think you have the wrong—”
The woman’s lips pressed together, and she lowered her gaze. “Forgive me, miss. The Alpha gave strict orders. You are to be treated as Luna.”
Aria’s stomach twisted. Luna? The Alpha’s mate?
“That’s not possible,” she murmured, shaking her head. “I’m not—”
“The Alpha doesn’t make mistakes,” the woman said quietly before setting down the tray. “Eat before it gets cold.”
And with that, she left.
Aria stared after her, heart pounding. Every word echoed in her mind.
The Alpha doesn’t make mistakes.
Lucian watched her from the security feed in his office, his jaw set, eyes unreadable.
She moved like a frightened doe—cautious, delicate, trying to understand the cage she’d woken in.
“She’s awake,” murmured his Beta, Caden, leaning on the desk. “You sure it’s wise to keep her here?”
Lucian didn’t answer right away. His gaze stayed on the monitor.
“She’s the daughter of the Moonveil Alpha,” Caden continued. “Our enemies will think you’ve lost your mind. What if she’s a spy?”
Lucian’s fingers drummed once against the table. “She’s not.”
“You can’t know that.”
Lucian finally turned, his expression carved from steel. “I said she’s not.”
Caden raised his hands in surrender. “Alright. But the pack is restless. They think you’ve gone soft.”
Lucian’s lips curved—not a smile, but a ghost of one. “Let them.”
Caden hesitated, then sighed. “And the girl? What’s your plan for her?”
Lucian leaned back in his chair, eyes darkening. “She stays under my protection. For now.”
When he finally appeared at her door hours later, Aria almost didn’t recognize him. The harsh leather and blood-soaked aura from last night were gone. In their place was a man dressed in dark slacks and a crisp shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, veins and strength visible beneath his skin.
He looked..human. Almost.
“You didn’t eat,” he said, eyes flicking toward the untouched tray.
Aria straightened, her hands twisting nervously in her lap. “I wasn’t hungry.”
“You should be,” he replied coolly. “You’re no use to me half-starved.”
Her brows knit. “Use to you?”
Lucian crossed the room slowly, the air seeming to thicken around him. He stopped just close enough for her to feel his heat, his presence consuming.
“There’s a treaty forming between our packs,” he said. “They think I slaughtered your father’s warriors to send a message.”
“You did,” she whispered.
He ignored her. “But you being here… alive… changes things. The Moonveil pack won’t attack while their Alpha’s daughter is under my roof.”
Aria’s breath hitched. “So I’m your hostage.”
Lucian’s eyes dropped to her lips, then rose to meet her gaze again.
“Not exactly.” His tone softened, dangerously. “You’re my insurance.”
Her pulse raced. “And if I refuse to play along?”
Lucian’s hand lifted, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. His touch was gentle, but the command in his eyes was absolute.
“Then I’ll make you.”
She flinched, breath catching.
He stepped back, the tension between them a living, breathing thing.
“You’ll dine with me tonight,” he said, turning toward the door. “Wear something fitting of a Luna.”
“Why?” she called out.
He paused. Without looking back, his voice dropped to a low growl.
“Because everyone will believe you already are.”
The door shut softly behind him.
Aria stood frozen, her heart a storm in her chest. The Alpha of Blackridge—cold, powerful, feared by all—had just made her his Luna before the world.
But in his eyes, she had seen something she couldn’t name.
Something that felt like danger dressed as desire.
And even though every instinct screamed to run—
She wasn’t sure she wanted to.
- Writer
