Dante's decision
Chapter 1 – Dante’s POV
The wine glass shattered against the far wall, a sharp c***k that echoed through the quiet of the penthouse. I didn’t flinch. Selene’s anger—her fire—was predictable. Obedience had never come naturally to her, and yet, in her stubbornness, she always underestimated me.
“I told you I’m not doing it!” Her voice cracked, sharp as glass. “I will not destroy my body just to satisfy your obsession!”
I let her words hang in the air, thick and heavy, letting them settle in the silence like an accusation. ‘Obsession.’ She believed I was ruled by some shallow desire, some fleeting need for heirs, trophies, proof of dominance.
“This isn’t an obsession,” I said evenly, each word a measured strike. “It’s a duty.”
Her laugh was brittle, almost painful. “Duty? You mean you want heirs like they’re trophies. Proof you’re still powerful?”
I turned toward her then, slow enough to watch the panic flicker across her eyes. That small, human panic—the realization that I would not bend for her, that her tantrums would not dictate my future—was deliciously satisfying.
“You knew who I was when you married me,” I said. My voice was low, unyielding, carrying the weight of authority she had once trusted.
Selene folded her arms, chest rising and falling with tension. “I knew you were ambitious. I didn’t know you’d reduce me to a womb.”
“You’re my Luna,” I said, my voice firm. “That is not a reduction. It is a role. One you will fulfill.”
She took a step back. “You wouldn’t force me. Wait, what am I saying.. you can't force me.”
“I am not forcing you,” I replied. “I am giving you a choice.”
Her laugh returned, nervous this time. “And what choice is that?”
“Give me a family,” I said, letting my words land like knives. “Or I will find one somewhere else.”
Silence fell like a shroud.
“You wouldn’t dare,” she whispered.
“Test me and find out” I murmured. “I need heirs. This pack cannot wait.”
Her lips trembled. “You’re cruel.”
“No,” I said softly. “I’m an Alpha.”
The room spun for a heartbeat, and then I walked away, leaving her standing amid the shards of glass and rage.
Outside, the city waited, cold and indifferent. I didn’t need it. I needed the future. And duty…my duty…would not be denied.
---
I left the penthouse and drove through the night, the city lights blurring past. My mind wandered to the Fates, those shadowed women whispered about in the oldest texts, the ones who knew the world before it even happened. They had never failed me. If anyone could guide me toward the solution Selene refused to provide, it was them.
The house on the outskirts of the city was silent as I arrived. Lanterns glimmered through the fog like distant stars, and the air smelled faintly of rain and something older—magic, power. I stepped through the door without knocking, the way one does when the world bends for you.
Three figures awaited, seated in a circle, faces obscured beneath hoods. The air was thick with incense, bitter and sweet, curling around my lungs. I didn’t hesitate. I approached, letting the shadows swallow me for a heartbeat.
“You come for answers,” one of them said, voice like wind over stones.
“Yes,” I said. “And guidance.”
“You seek a surrogate,” another whispered. “One who will bear the line of your blood, yet not your Luna. Yet…” Her hand traced the air, weaving symbols invisible to the untrained eye. “…it will not be easy.”
I didn’t flinch. “Nothing worth having is.”
They moved silently, gesturing to a small pool of water. I stared at my reflection, though it shimmered and shifted like liquid silver. “Where do I find her?” I demanded.
“You will know her when you see her,” the first one replied. “The one who will bend, the one who will endure. She carries neither wolf nor shadow, yet she is not of us”
I nodded, stepping back. “I will find her.”
The hooded figures whispered among themselves, then fell silent. Their work here was done.
I left before they could speak again, the weight of their prophecy pressing against my mind. A human witch. A surrogate. Something beyond control. And yet… perfectly aligned with my needs.
---
Returning home, I found Selene’s anger still lingering, sharp as a blade. The penthouse smelled faintly of burnt wine and shattered glass. I paused in the doorway, watching her collect herself. She looked defiant, still trembling, but defiant.
“You think you’ve won,” she said bitterly.
“I never lose,” I replied.
She stepped toward me, hands trembling. “You disgust me.”
I froze. Not from shame. Not from guilt. From the echo of her words. ‘Disgust me.’That word had never been used toward me. Not by anyone I loved, not by anyone who mattered. And yet… she had spoken it freely.
The anger that had coiled in my chest snapped tight, and I knew what I had to do next. Not with her. Not tonight.
I left before the night could become worse, striding into the hallway, the penthouse fading behind me. The city stretched endlessly before me, indifferent to my fury, indifferent to my plan.
I drove to my advisors next, needing their guidance, needing answers for a task that Selene had refused. I was met with quiet nods, understanding that I would not wait, that I would not negotiate further.
“I need options,” I said, voice clipped, sharp. “I need a surrogate. One who will comply. One who will not betray me.”
A senior advisor stepped forward. “A surrogate Alpha? It has never been heard off that an Aloha would need a surrogate.”
“Well, you all have now,” I said.
“ I am only informing you out of respects, that's all”
The advisor hesitated. “If that is so,who are we to question your orders Alpha.”
A slow smile curved my lips, tight, controlled. The anticipation settled like ice in my veins. Dangerous. Perfect. Exactly what I needed.
I had already decided.
The hunt had
begun.
And in the silence of the night, I whispered to myself, more to fate than to anyone else.
