Chapter 2: The Spy’s Mission Begins.
1073 Words
The night swallowed Selene whole.
Wrapped in tattered attire, she moved through the series of thick trees and underbrush.
She glanced back a few times, especially when she heard a rustling sound.
All her senses were alert to the core. The chill of the night made her hackles rise.
The Crescent Moon Pack was well behind her now. And ahead lay the Red Moon’s territory.
Their enemy land.
The moment she crossed the border, she resolved to burn the last remnants of her past.
Selene of the Crescent Moon pack was dead and buried twelve feet down.
She practiced internal monologs in her head. Crescent Moon Pack? Never heard of it.
She was barely a survivor now, a runaway, and a nobody.
And being a nobody was the perfect disguise for a spy.
If anyone asked her who she was, she was going to tell them she had come from nothing, hoping to make something out of her miserable life.
Selene approached the Red Moon Pack palace, it's facade rising only a few feet away in the distance.
It was larger than she had imagined.
Towering stone walls surrounded every corner of the main stronghold; its gates were manned by guards with sharp eyes and sharper claws.
There was a shift in the air.
One small moment of doubt, or was it regret? She could not quite tell which one it was, but she made up her mind to push those feelings aside.
Selene stumbled as she reached the entrance, making her movements appear weak and somewhat desperate.
The guards tensed.
“Halt.” One stepped forward, his nostrils wringing as he took in her scent. “Who are you?”
Selene clutched her arms, lowering her head. “M-my name is Lila,” she stammered, her voice trembling just enough to be believable. “I—I have nowhere else to go.”
The guards exchanged wary glances.
“She smells rogue,” one muttered.
“Or worse—a spy.”
“Yeah, just like the one that killed himself,” the other guard replied tersely.
Selene’s stomach clenched. They were too close, and it was too early in her mission for her to be discovered.
“I'm not a spy,” Selene declared. Is that even the job for a woman? Who do you think I am? I thought guards were supposed to have keen eyes.”
The first guard grabbed her by the arm, yanking her forward. “We’ll see what the Alpha has to say about you.”
Perfect.
She just might pull this off.
The throne room was colder than she expected. But that was because the hearth had no fire burning.
Selene kept her head bowed, her heart hammering as she was forced to her knees before the most powerful man in Red Moon.
Alpha Ethan.
The moment she lifted her gaze, she became certain of two things.
One: He was dangerous.
Two: He was watching her too closely.
Ethan lounged with the laziness of a cat in his throne, his sharp jawline resting against his fist loosely.
His piercing golden eyes locked onto her like a wolf who had just landed eyes on a prey.
His aura was overwhelming, oppressive even. And dominance radiated from every inch of him.
He was young for an Alpha—early twenties, maybe a few years older than her. But there was no mistaking his power. The room bent to his presence.
“Your name,” Ethan ordered, his voice deep and rich, mixed with a quiet authority.
Selene forced herself to tremble. “L-Lila, Alpha.”
His gaze did not waver. Take that trembling note out of your voice. Where are you from?”
She swallowed. “Nowhere. I—I was cast out of my pack. "I just need a place to—” She hesitated, glancing up, letting her eyes glisten with carefully placed desperation. “Please, Alpha.”
Ethan studied her intently. Silence stretched between them.
Then—
A sharp laugh cut across the room.
Selene flinched as a woman stepped forward from the shadows, her heels clacking against the marble floor.
Nina.
She was beautiful, but beneath that, she was cold and possessive.
She sat herself along the side of Ethan’s throne, running her fingers along his shoulder. “Another pathetic stray?” she purred, eyes gleaming with cruelty. “Why do they always end up crawling here?”
Selene held her tongue, keeping her posture submissive.
Ethan did not look at Nina or answer her questions. He kept his gaze squarely on Selene. “Are you a fighter?”
Selene hesitated. “N-no, Alpha.”
He raised a brow. “Then what are you?”
Selene exhaled, forcing herself to sound as small as possible. “I can clean. I can cook very well too. But I’ll do anything your Highness wants me to.”
Ethan leaned back, considering.
Nina scoffed audibly. “Oh, please. She’s lying. "Just look at her—those eyes are hiding something.” Then, with a smirk, she added, “If you’re so desperate, little stray, perhaps we should throw you in the pits. Let’s see if you survive.”
Selene’s fingers dug into her palms.
Her brother had told her to watch out for Nina. He had described her as a vile woman.
She could see that now.
Ethan ignored Nina’s suggestion. Instead, he stood, closing the distance between him and Selene.
Selene forced herself to stay still as he crouched in front of her, leveling their gazes.
He was too close.
He smelled like cedar wood and hibiscus flower, sharp and intoxicating.
His voice was softer when he spoke. “You’ll work in the palace.”
Selene’s breath caught. The palace?
“Ethan,” Nina straightened, her smirk faltering. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am.” His eyes did not leave Selene’s. “We needed more hands. She’ll start immediately.”
Selene bowed her head. “Thank you, Alpha.”
Ethan’s gaze lingered a second longer, taking in her features completely, before he turned away. “Take her to the maids’ quarters.”
A guard hauled Selene to her feet, guiding her toward the exit.
As she walked away, she felt Nina’s glare burning into her back.
Selene did not need to look to know she had just made an enemy.
And Ethan?
He had just unknowingly invited a spy into his home.
- Writer
