Chapter 2: The Alpha’s Claim
524 Words
Persephone wakes with a sharp inhale, her heart pounding against her ribs. The air is thick with the scent of pine, leather, and something darkly intoxicating—something that makes her pulse quicken and her body betray her with a shiver.
She pushes herself upright, her hands pressing into the icy stone beneath her palms. The room is dimly lit, the flickering glow of a nearby fire casting dancing shadows on the rough walls. This isn’t Silverbrook.
Panic claws at her chest.
Where am I?
She turns—and sees him.
A man stands in the doorway, his towering frame casting a long shadow across the room. Hades Blackwood.
Alpha of the Shadowlands Pack.
His golden eyes glint with something unreadable as he watches her, arms crossed over his broad chest. He is all power, all dominance, his presence suffocating and magnetic all at once.
Persephone’s throat goes dry.
“Where am I?” she demands, forcing strength into her voice even as her insides quake.
Hades steps forward, slow and deliberate, like a predator savoring the moment before the kill.
“In my territory,” he says, voice low, edged with something dangerous.
She swallows hard. “Take me home.”
A muscle ticks in his jaw. “You are home.”
She jolts as if struck. “No,” she breathes. “No, I—”
“You belong to me,” he cuts her off, his tone final.
The words send a shiver through her—not of fear, but something far more unsettling.
Persephone shakes her head, fists clenching. “You’re insane. I don’t belong to anyone.”
Hades’ gaze darkens, and when he speaks, his voice is pure, unshakable certainty.
“You are my mate. The Moon Goddess chose you for me.”
She lets out a sharp laugh, the sound high and brittle. “That’s not possible. I’m human. You have the wrong person.”
But her laughter fades when she meets his gaze—intense, unwavering, burning straight through her defenses.
He isn’t lying.
A sudden roar of denial rises in her chest, panic laced with something she refuses to name. Persephone pushes to her feet, glaring at him with everything she has.
“I don’t care what some goddess says. I am not yours.”
Hades remains silent for a moment, watching her, his expression unreadable. Then, in a blur of motion, he closes the distance between them.
Before she can react, her back hits the cold stone wall, a gasp catching in her throat.
He’s so close. Too close.
Heat radiates off his body, his scent wrapping around her like a snare. His arms cage her in, golden eyes boring into hers.
His voice is a rough whisper, a promise and a warning all at once.
"You can try to fight it, little wolf." His lips are inches from hers, his breath warm against her skin. "But I will never let you go."
A shudder wracks through her, her body betraying her despite every instinct screaming at her to run.
Because deep down, where she refuses to look—she knows he’s telling the truth.
- Writer
