The Dinner Trap
875 Words
By the time the clock struck seven, Siena was wishing she’d faked a fever.
The black town car idled at the curb like a hearse, its tinted windows hiding Damien’s expression.
She climbed in without a word. Damien, immaculately dressed as always, offered a faint smile that didn’t touch his eyes.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said smoothly as the car pulled away.
“I’ve been busy with classes.”
Damien chuckled, low and cold. “College is a distraction, Siena. You and I both know your future isn’t here.”
Siena turned her gaze to the city lights outside, counting streetlamps like she could measure the distance between them and the world she wanted. “Maybe my future’s not what you think it is.”
His hand slid over hers on the seat—a deliberate, claiming touch that made her skin crawl. “You’ll see reason. You always do.”
The restaurant was a private, exclusive place near the river, its dim lighting and soft music designed for secrets. Siena had eaten here before with her family. She knew the servers by name, and she knew that the booths were so well enclosed, no one could overhear a conversation.
Tonight, that made her uneasy.
They were seated at a table in the far corner, away from the windows. Damien ordered for both of them without asking what she wanted.
“You should be grateful,” he said as the server walked away. “You could have anyone, but I’m willing to secure your place as my mate.”
The word mate made Siena stiffen, though she didn’t fully understand why. It felt heavier than boyfriend or fiancé—more binding, more permanent.
She forced a polite smile. “And what does securing my place mean? That I’ll stand beside you at galas? That I’ll smile while you talk politics?”
“That you’ll have power,” Damien said simply. “Real power. The kind that people bleed for.”
Across the river, in the shadow of a high-rise rooftop, Kael stood like a statue, eyes fixed on the glowing restaurant windows.
He could see her through the glass—her dark hair, her restless hands. She looked caged, even in silk and candlelight.
Marcus joined him, holding a small earpiece. “The security in there is human. We could get in if you wanted.”
Kael didn’t look away from her. “Not yet.”
“Then why are we watching?”
“Because,” Kael murmured, “I need to know who’s trying to claim what’s mine.”
Dinner dragged on. Siena kept her answers short, her tone polite. Damien talked mostly about himself—his business ventures, his contacts, his plans.
And then, like a shadow slipping into the room, Damien’s voice dropped. “Your grandfather isn’t well. If something were to happen to him, there’d be… instability. I intend to make sure you’re protected.”
“You mean controlled,” Siena said before she could stop herself.
Damien’s eyes narrowed. For a moment, the smooth charm cracked. “Careful.”
The warning slid over her skin like ice water. She’d seen this look before—the one that meant he wasn’t just angry, he was calculating.
When dinner ended, Damien escorted her out to the car. But as they reached the street, Siena froze.
On the opposite sidewalk, under the shadow of an old streetlamp, stood the man from the campus courtyard.
Tall. Broad. Dark coat. The same piercing eyes locked on her as if the rest of the world didn’t exist.
Her breath caught.
Damien noticed her pause and followed her gaze. “Do you know him?”
“No,” she lied quickly.
But Kael didn’t look away.
The car door closed between them, but Siena felt the weight of that stare all the way home.
In her apartment, she paced, restless. She told herself she should be exhausted, that she should push the image of him from her mind.
Instead, she found herself standing at the window, scanning the street below.
And though she didn’t see him, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was still out there—watching.
Kael was out there.
From the alley across the street, he watched the faint glow from her apartment window.
Marcus’s voice was low beside him. “You’re breaking your own rules, Kael.”
“She’s in danger,” Kael said.
“She’s human. She doesn’t even know who you are. If you rush this—”
“I don’t have time to wait,” Kael cut in. His voice was sharper now, edged with desperation he didn’t want to name. “Three months, Marcus. That’s all I have. And every second she spends near him puts her closer to a leash she’ll never escape.”
His gaze stayed on her shadow moving behind the curtains. “She’s mine. Whether she knows it yet or not.”
In the quiet of her bedroom, Siena finally lay down. But sleep didn’t come easily.
Somewhere in the space between waking and dreaming, she saw golden eyes in the dark. A wolf’s silhouette against the full moon.
And a voice—low, deep, and certain—whispered her name.
- Writer
