Chapter 2: Temptation
1200 Words
By the time I stepped back into the Golden Moon living room, my pulse had almost steadied. Almost.
Darius’ taste still lingered on my tongue, a ghost nothing, not even the cold air of diplomacy, could wipe away.
The living room was grand, all gold and ivory, with tapestries depicting their lineage. My father stood near the fireplace with Alpha Federico, their tones low and heavy. Politics. Strategy. Future.
And Natasha, the daughter I was destined to claim, sat primly on a velvet chair, her posture diplomatic perfection.
She looked up when I entered.
Her eyes widened a little, not with desire, but with trained politeness. She wasn’t unattractive, soft curls, warm brown eyes, gentle features, but my wolf didn’t so much as twitch.
Not even a flicker.
“Alpha of Ruby Empire,” she said, standing with practiced grace. “I hope the facilities were to your satisfaction.”
“It was fine,” I said.
A lie.
Nothing was fine.
My wolf was bleeding from the inside.
She clasped her hands, nervous but trying to hide it. “My father says we are honored to have you. I am honored as well.”
“Thank you,” I replied flatly, because that was all my wolf allowed.
Her gaze flickered over my shoulder, subtle but fast. Like she was searching for someone.
Darius.
A strange relief washed through me, she wasn’t thinking about me. She wasn’t dreaming of me. She wasn’t even trying to flirt.
Good.
One less problem.
But the moment I stepped closer to her, my wolf recoiled violently.
A deep, painful growl rolled through my chest.
My bones tightened.
My vision pulsed red around the edges.
Natasha flinched slightly, sensing the shift. “Are you… alright, Alpha?”
No.
I was not alright.
My wolf wanted distance.
Wanted space.
Wanted someone else.
I stepped back a fraction, and my wolf’s snarl eased as if I’d just lifted pressure off a fracture.
My father’s voice cut through the tension. “Son,” he called, “come join us.”
Natasha exhaled in relief and sat again, smoothing her dress. I moved toward the table where both Alphas stood.
Federico cleared his throat. “Before we discuss the final terms of the union, I must inform you both, the Golden Moon pack is currently under internal strain.”
My father stiffened. “What kind of strain?”
Federico looked grim. “A faction of my council is resisting the alliance.”
Of course.
Alliances always cost someone something.
“And they intend to challenge the marriage agreement.”
My father’s jaw clenched. “So this was not discussed among your full council?”
“It was… and it wasn’t,” Federico admitted.
I felt the tension in the room pull tighter like a rope around a throat.
This was bad.
Not because of the marriage…goddess knows I didn’t want that.
But because unstable packs did unpredictable things.
My father’s voice sharpened. “We traveled with gifts, elders, guards, diplomacy… and now we face opposition?”
Federico swallowed. “There are whispers. Some believe Natasha should choose her mate. Others believe the Ruby Empire holds too much power already.”
“And what,” I asked quietly, “do you believe?”
Federico met my eyes. “I believe we need your strength more than we need peace within our council.”
Meaning:
He needed my army.
My kingdom.
My wolves.
I nodded slowly. “Then who exactly is resisting this?”
A beat passed.
And then he said the last name I expected.
“Darius.”
My heart stopped.
“What?” my father barked.
Federico sighed. “My son objects to arranged marriages. He disagrees with forcing his sister into a bond she didn’t choose.”
My jaw locked.
A thousand emotions, none of them safe, slammed into me.
He was fighting this?
Not because he wanted me.
No. That would be too easy.
He was fighting because of honor.
Because he was gentle.
Because he didn’t want his sister bound to someone she didn’t love.
Darius…
the same boy who trembled beneath my touch on the balcony…
was now willing to challenge an empire
to protect her.
I didn’t know whether to respect him
or tear him apart for it.
Federico rubbed his temples. “To ease the tension, we will hold a feast tonight. The council will attend. They will evaluate the Ruby Empire as potential allies.”
My father nodded. “We will be there.”
Natasha stood again. “I will prepare traditional garments for the ceremony. Our customs require participants to wear gold silk.”
Gold.
Of course.
Their symbol.
My wolf growled low.
Gold was Darius’ color.
Not Natasha’s.
Not the council’s.
His.
The air shifted before I sensed why.
Footsteps.
Soft.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
My pulse turned violent.
Darius stepped into the room carrying a tray of documents. His eyes flicked to me, then away faster than a breath. His shoulders were tense, his face flushed.
Shy.
Avoidant.
Guilty.
He wasn’t looking at me, but he felt me.
My wolf lunged inside me.
Natasha brightened. “Darius,” she said softly, “come greet our guests properly.”
He froze.
Just for a second.
He swallowed and stepped forward, each movement careful.
He handed the documents to his father and kept his eyes down.
“Welcome, Alpha,” he murmured.
My father nodded politely.
I said nothing.
I couldn’t speak, not with the scent of him flooding my lungs.
Not with the memory of his mouth still burning on mine.
His hands shook slightly as he stepped back.
Federico flipped through the documents. “These are the treaty revisions Darius prepared himself. He will be assisting with the feast tonight as well.”
Assist.
Meaning he would be there.
Within reach.
Within danger.
Natasha smiled softly at him. “Don’t work too hard.”
He nodded without looking at her, eyes fixed on the floor.
But I saw it.
The slight flush on his cheeks when he stepped near me.
The way his heartbeat stuttered.
The way he angled his body just enough to keep me in sight, even without looking directly.
Shy.
Nervous.
Affected.
Just like me.
But then…
Federico closed the documents and announced:
“Tonight, the council will publicly decide if this marriage can proceed.”
Everything froze.
A public decision?
In front of multiple Alphas?
Before a feast?
This wasn’t diplomacy.
This was a trial.
My wolf snarled violently, sensing threat.
Natasha tensed. Darius’s fingers curled at his sides.
My father’s eyes darkened. “Very well,” he said coldly. “We welcome the challenge.”
And then Federico added quietly:
“But if the council votes against the union, the alliance between Golden Moon and the Ruby Empire will be considered broken.”
Meaning:
If they reject Natasha…
They reject me.
And if they reject me,
they become my enemies.
A delicious complication.
A dangerous one.
I felt Darius stiffen.
Our eyes met…just once.
Quick.
Forbidden.
Explosive.
My wolf whispered one word.
Mine.
Tonight’s feast would change everything.
Not just politically.
For him.
For me.
For the fate neither of us could run from.
- Writer
