Chapter 3: The Alpha’s Gaze
1030 Words
The grand entrance of the Dark Moon Packhouse was quieter than Selene had expected, though not less intimidating. The marble floors echoed under her boots as she stepped into the vast foyer. Tall windows lined the walls, casting long shadows as the last light of day filtered in. Every inch of the place radiated dominance, power, and order—just like its Alpha.
Selene kept her chin high, her posture regal despite the way her heart pounded in her chest. This was the first step of her plan. The beginning of the end for Luca—and perhaps, the beginning of something darker for her.
A pack member approached, a lean woman with sharp cheekbones and dark eyes that scanned Selene with polite suspicion.
“Selene Thorne,” Selene said before the woman could ask.
The woman inclined her head slightly. “Alpha Kael is expecting you.”
Selene blinked. Expecting me?
She hadn’t sent word. She hadn’t announced her visit. That could only mean one thing.
He was watching.
The woman led her through the winding halls of the packhouse. Selene’s eyes roamed the corridors, taking in the details. Everything here was immaculate. Cold. Beautiful. It reminded her of Kael himself—untouchable and refined.
Finally, they stopped before a set of tall, double doors.
“He’s inside,” the woman said, then turned and left without another word.
Selene took a breath and pushed open the doors.
Kael stood by the window, his back to her, broad shoulders wrapped in a tailored black shirt that clung to his form. The dying light bathed the room in a golden hue, silhouetting his powerful frame.
“I wasn’t expecting visitors,” he said, voice deep and smooth, with just a trace of amusement. “But then again, you’ve never needed permission, have you, Selene?”
She stepped into the room, careful not to show her surprise. “I didn’t think I needed it.”
He turned then, slowly, and the force of his presence hit her like a wave.
His eyes were darker than she remembered. Not just in color—but in intensity. Kael didn’t look at her the way others did. He didn’t glance. He studied. His gaze skimmed over her face, then dipped lower—lingering for a fraction of a second too long at her waist, her hips, before returning to her eyes.
“Bold,” he said softly, moving toward her with the steady grace of a predator. “Even for you.”
Selene lifted her chin. “I came to speak with you.”
“About?” He raised an eyebrow.
About using you to break my ex-mate’s soul into dust, she thought.
“About a future alliance,” she lied smoothly.
He chuckled, low and rough. “Is that what we’re calling it?”
Kael crossed the room until only a few feet remained between them. Selene had to tip her head to look him in the eyes—those eyes that saw far too much.
“You’ve changed,” he murmured. “There’s something colder in you now.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing,” she said, folding her arms.
“I’m not complaining.” His voice dropped, velvet over steel. “It suits you. But tell me, Selene. Why are you really here?”
She tilted her head, letting her lips curve into a small, dangerous smile. “Would you believe me if I said I missed you?”
Kael’s eyes darkened, but not with disbelief. With hunger.
“Careful,” he said, voice thick. “You’re playing with fire.”
She took a step closer, watching the flicker of tension ripple through him.
“Maybe I like the burn.”
For a long moment, the air between them was electric. Her heart beat faster, not just from the tension but from the power she felt coiling within her. This wasn’t just about revenge anymore. Kael was responding to her—not just physically, but emotionally, instinctively. That connection, subtle but undeniable, sent a ripple of confusion through her plan. But she pushed the thought away. She needed control. She was in control.
Then Kael moved—fast, too fast for her to prepare—and his hand caught her wrist. He didn’t pull her closer. Didn’t hurt her. But his touch burned through her like wildfire.
“I’ve watched you for a long time,” he said, voice gravelly. “I knew something like this would happen. You and Luca… it was never right.”
Selene’s breath caught.
“Is that so?” she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
Kael’s gaze held hers, intense, unrelenting. “You deserve more than a boy who breaks bonds with his c**k. You deserve someone who sees your strength. Your fire.”
His hand slid from her wrist to her fingers, slow and deliberate. “And I’ve always seen it.”
Her wolf stirred at the contact, confused, alert—but not repulsed.
Selene swallowed hard. This wasn’t what she’d planned. He wasn’t supposed to be this composed, this perceptive, this…
Alpha.
“I didn’t come here to be seduced,” she said coolly.
Kael smiled, the barest hint of a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. “Then you came to the wrong Alpha.”
Her breath hitched.
She stepped back then, breaking the contact. Her skin tingled where his fingers had been. She turned away under the pretense of inspecting the grand room, masking her suddenly unsteady thoughts.
“I’m not here for a fling,” she said, trying to center herself. “I want something… lasting. Something that proves I’m no one’s discarded bond.”
Kael studied her from behind. “Then stay.”
She froze.
“Stay here. In my territory,” he said. “Train with my pack. You want to prove something? Do it here. Where I can see it.”
Selene turned slowly to face him, suspicion warring with intrigue. “Why?”
His smile faded into something more honest. “Because I want you here.”
Her heart pounded.
This wasn’t how revenge was supposed to feel.
⸻
End of Chapter 3.
- Writer
