AN UNEXPECTED OFFER
472 Words
The warmth inside the sleek leather interior hit me instantly, a stark contrast to the freezing downpour outside. I sank into the backseat, shivering as rain dripped from my hair onto the pristine carpet.
The man slid into the seat beside me, shaking the water off his umbrella before closing the door. In the warm ambient light of the car, I finally got a clear look at him.
He was strikingly handsome, with sharp, carved features, coal-black hair, and piercing obsidian eyes that seemed to read every thought behind my forehead. If Ethan was a sun—blinding, arrogant, and loud—this man was the night: quiet, shadow-draped, and infinitely more dangerous.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," he said, handing me a plush, heated towel from a small compartment between us. "Dry off."
"Who are you?" I demanded, taking the towel with trembling hands. "And why are you following me?"
A subtle, dangerous smirk played at the corner of his lips.
"I wasn't following you, Maya. I was attending the same insufferable party. Though I stayed in the VIP lounge upstairs—far away from Ethan Vance’s dramatic antics."
He leaned back, resting an arm on the leather door.
"My name is Lucian Blackwood."
My breath hitched. lucian Blackwood.
Even living under my stepmother's thumb, I knew that name. Lucian was the CEO of Blackwood Enterprises and the Alpha of the Nightshade Pack—the most formidable rival to Ethan's company and territory. Ethan spent half his time trying to outmaneuver Lucian, and the other half fearing him.
"Why help me?" I asked, my voice guarded. "Ethan is your enemy, but that doesn't make us friends."
"Direct. I respect that," Lucian said, his eyes darkening with intrigue. "I saw what happened back in that ballroom. Ethan rejected his true mate for a shallow, power-hungry girl like Victoria. He thinks he discarded a nobody. But I know who your birth mother was, Maya."
A jolt went through me. "You knew my mother?"
"I knew what she was capable of. And I know the bloodline you carry," Lucian murmured, leaning in slightly. The scent of pine and dark rain rolled off him, making my wounded wolf lift her head in unexpected curiosity. "Ethan made a foolish mistake tonight. He threw away a diamond to pick up a piece of glass. But his loss is my opportunity."
"What do you mean?". "I'm offering you a deal," Lucian said, his tone turning smooth and businesslike. "Come with me. I'll give you a home, protection, and the resources to rebuild your life. In return, you help me dismantle the Vance empire from the inside out." He extended a hand toward me, his dark eyes locked onto mine.
"You want revenge, Maya. And I want Ethan Vance brought to his knees. What do you say?"
- Writer
