Vengeance of the Rejected Luna

Chapter 3: The First Move – Seducing the Alpha

Serena’s POV

I wake up with a plan. A dangerous, reckless plan. But the second Jaxon pushed me away, I promised I would never be that weak, naive girl he destroyed. If he thought I’d cry in a corner and disappear into the shadows, he was mistaken. He will watch as I rise from the ashes of his betrayal.

And what better way to start than with the man he fears most?

Alpha Damon Blackwood.

I dress carefully, choosing a form-fitting tank top and tight leggings that accentuate every inch of muscle I’ve built through years of training. If I’m going to catch his attention, I need to prove I am more than just Jaxon’s discarded mate—I am a warrior, a fighter, someone worthy of standing beside an Alpha.

The training grounds are already busy when I arrive. The pack warriors are sparring, grunting as they exchange blows. I step onto the dirt floor, rolling my shoulders, feeling Selene, my wolf, stir inside me. She is eager, watching, waiting. Damon’s here—I can sense him before I see him, his arms crossed in a stance that oversees the warriors. His expression is unreadable, but I know he’s watching. He always watches.

I smirk and walk right inside the training ring. “I want a sparring partner,” I declare.

Some warriors glance at me, but most look away, disinterested. They think I am weak. They believe after my rejection, I am shattered. I grit my teeth to steel myself and take in the group, my eyes landing on Kieran, one of Jaxon’s friends. He sneers when he sees me.

“You sure you’re ready, Nightshade?” he mocks, stepping forward. “I wouldn’t want to shatter you.”

I smirk. “I’d like to see you try.”

A few of the warriors chuckle, yet Kieran doesn't seem amused. He charges at me, thinking I’ll back off. Instead, I sidestep, pivoting on one foot to deliver a sharp kick to his ribs. He falters, shock flickering across his face before he growls and lunges toward me again.

We trade punches, quick and merciless. I don’t hesitate — I fight with every bit of anger, betrayal, and determination coursing through my body. Kieran thinks I’m some sort of i***t, like the rest of them. But I am faster. Sharper. My fists hit true, my body flows like a predator. In minutes he is on his knees, panting, staring up at me in disbelief.

A slow clap rings out from somewhere behind me.

I turn, my pulse racing as I’m met with Damon’s dark, expressionless eyes. The warriors quickly bow their heads lowering, and stepping back as the Alpha nears.

“Well done,” he says, voice low and smooth. “I expected no less.”

Heat floods my cheeks, but I maintain my expression. “Thank you, Alpha.”

His lips curve slightly. Not a smile exactly, but something like it. Then, suddenly, he turns and walks away.

The moment he’s gone, I hear the whispers ripple through the crowd like a wildfire, growing louder with each passing second. They don’t even try to hide their amusement or judgment. Some voices are hushed, dripping with pity, while others carry an edge of cruel laughter.

“She’s trying to get his attention.”

“Pathetic. Does she really think the Alpha will entertain her?”

“First Jaxon, now his father? She has no shame.”

I ignore them. Let them talk. I don’t care what they think.

Because Damon noticed me.

Over the next few days, I continue my efforts. I make sure to train where he can see me, pushing myself harder, faster. When I walk past him, I let my fingers brush against his arm ever so slightly, my voice just a bit softer when I greet him. I wear dresses that hug my curves, let my scent linger when I pass by.

He doesn’t react. Not at first.

But he is watching. Always watching. And I know I’m getting to him.

One evening, I make sure to pass by his office. The door is slightly ajar, and I hear Jaxon inside.

“She’s embarrassing herself,” Jaxon scoffs. “Does she really think you’d be interested in her? She’s just desperate.”

There’s a pause. Then Damon’s voice, calm and unreadable. “And why do you care?”

I smirk, my fingers tightening on the doorframe before I silently slip away. Jaxon is rattled. Good.

At the following pack meeting, I pull my boldest move yet. High-ranked wolves fill the hall, debating territory matters. Damon is at the head of the table, brimming with power and poise. I sit a little closer than usual, in his line of vision.

When the meeting’s over, I rise and walk closer to him, my hand skimming across his shoulder as I lean in. “Alpha,” I whisper, my voice heavy with something sweet, something dangerous. “You’re looking particularly authoritative today.”

Silence.

The room goes still. Some of the wolves look towards one another, wide eyed. I’m expecting Damon to throw me out, to laugh at my pathetic attempt at seduction.

Instead he sits back in his chair and stares into my eyes. Slowly, he smirks.

“Easy there, little wolf,” he murmurs, his voice a soft warning. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

A thrill coursed through me, as fleeting and intoxicating as a rush.

Because I realize something at that moment.

Damon isn’t just watching me. He’s inspecting me, his eyes remaining on me like a mute hunter who is considering its dinner, yet, there’s something else — a challenge, an amusement that makes my spine quiver.

Each little calculated move I’ve made, every glance, every casual touch, he has picked up on all of it but rather than brush me off as I half-thought he would, he’s playing along as if indulging me in a game I hadn’t even known I started. It’s thrilling, intoxicating. My heart races as the realization sinks in that he isn’t merely observing.

He is waiting, testing how far I am willing to go.

He is toying with me.

His eyes are heavy yet haunting at the same time, a wordless offer to play an unknown game where I am no longer the one holding all the cards. The air between us thickens, and an unspoken challenge hangs heavily as my breath hitches. It’s as if every cell is humming in my body, my wolf snarling underneath my skin, caught between the excitement of the hunt and the adrenaline of something I’ve just roused. I may have thought I could play him, but Damon is another kind—an Alpha who breaks the ones here to his will, who never plays unless he plans to win.