Vengeance of the Rejected Luna

Chapter 4: The Alpha Strikes Back – Who’s Really in Control?

Serena’s POV

Damon Blackwood is watching me.

I feel it with every move I make, every step I take through the pack house. His gaze isn’t the hesitant, unsure kind like Jaxon’s had been. No, Damon is deliberate. Calculated. Amused. It should scare me, but instead, it fuels something inside me—something reckless, something dangerous.

I think I have him right where I want him.

Tonight is the perfect opportunity to push further. The pack dinner is a grand event, where high-ranking members gather, eating and drinking, discussing the future of Blackwood territory. I make sure to look my best—sleek, confident, untouchable. My dress is fitted, just revealing enough to tease but not enough to be obvious. When I enter the dining hall, conversations slow, eyes flickering toward me, some curious, others judgmental. I ignore them. The only gaze that matters is Damon’s.

He sits at the head of the table, his usual place, radiating power. Jaxon is seated to his right, smug and confident as if he still owns me. He’s laughing at something, his arm draped lazily over my sister’s chair. The sight is supposed to sting, but it doesn’t. Not anymore. Because tonight, I have my sights set on something far more significant.

I glide toward my seat, which happens to be near Damon’s. I don’t look at him at first. I let the anticipation build. Let him feel the wait. Then, just as a conversation sparks between the elders, I let my fingers brush against his under the table. Light. Fleeting. A whisper of a touch, innocent enough that no one else notices.

Except him.

Damon doesn’t react. Not visibly, at least. He continues listening to the conversation as if nothing happened. As if I didn’t just test a boundary. I frown slightly, but I don’t let the frustration show.

Jaxon notices me then. His smirk is lazy, cocky. “Enjoying yourself, Serena?”

I sip my wine and meet his gaze, my voice smooth. “More than you know.”

His eyes get a bit narrow, but just as he's about to speak up, Damon’s booming voice interrupts. "Jaxon."

Jaxon goes all tense looking like he's got some wild warning buzzing in him, noticing the air is changing. His jaw gets tight, and his hands ball up at his sides. It feels like the air's getting thick, heavy enough to choke you.

Real slow, Jaxon swings his focus back to his dad, his face all mixed up with challenge and worry kinda like he's trying to feel out where he lands in the silent clash that's going down.

Damon ain't even glancing my way, but man, you can't just brush off his vibe. It's like a hidden power that's all up in my space whispering "I'm the boss here" without making a sound, and it's got my whole body on high alert.

The dude's so sure of himself, not a single second of second-guessing. He doesn't need to show off how he's in charge—it's just a fact that grabs your focus without trying. I gulp down the nerves feeling my heart thumping like crazy inside my chest. I'm thinking, "Score one for me." Nope, I'm off the mark.

That same evening, as I stroll down a dim corridor of the pack home, I feel his aura before my eyes spot him. Somehow the atmosphere gets heavier. There's a creeping, hunter-like figure trailing me. I keep my cool and don't spin around yet.

A hand slams next to my head on the wall, trapping me. It's only then that I glance upward — and I'm speechless. Alpha Damon looms just a breath away, his features mere inches off mine, his gaze deep and fiery.

"Serena, if you're up for a game," he whispers, his tone hushed yet filled with menace. "You oughta know what you're getting into first." My pulse races. My throat turns to sand. Words fail me when I try to speak. It hit me all at once—I was messing with a creature beyond my grasp. Alpha Damon is a different breed from Jaxon. He's not some simple kid to mess around with.

This dude's pure Alpha material.

I make myself stare back at him standing my ground against his fierce look. "Got any rules Alpha?"

He grins at his own pace, all cool and in charge. "First thing's first—you don't get to touch me unless you're game for the consequences."

A wave of warmth surges through me, but I'm standing firm. "What happens if I am though?" His eyes get darker, and his hands tighten up on the wall.

"You're even more daring than I guessed." I gasp a little. I didn't think it would go down like this. I figured I could be in charge of this, of him. But here I am, stuck between him and the wall, and I'm starting to see things a bit.

It looks like he's been going with the flow. Not 'cause he got snagged by my scheme, not 'cause I'm pulling strings—but 'cause he feels like it. That thought gives me a sharp weird rush. Alpha Damon's not just some guy I'm messing with for my payback plan.

He knows exactly what's going on, he’s calling the shots playing along just for kicks. I try to steady myself, but I've got a word out when footsteps fill the corridor. Damon stands still, his face giving nothing away. But Jaxon? That kid's got a storm brewing in his eyes.

I smirk, tilting my head slightly. “Jealous, Jaxon?”

His jaw tightens. “You’re pathetic, Serena. Clinging to my father? Trying to get under my skin?”

Damon finally speaks, his voice calm but firm. “Watch your tone.”

Jaxon flinches, just barely, but I don’t miss it. He tries to mask it with bravado, scoffing. “You can’t seriously be entertaining this—”

Damon turns his head slightly, just enough to look at Jaxon, and the shift in the air is immediate. Power radiates off him, suffocating, dominant. Jaxon shuts up instantly, his mouth pressing into a thin line. Damon doesn’t need to raise his voice. He doesn’t need to threaten. He just looks, and Jaxon falls in line.

My smirk grows.

Jaxon clenches his fists, his gaze flickering between us before he mutters, “Unbelievable,” and storms off.

I exhale slowly, my pulse still racing. Damon remains unmoving, his gaze locked onto mine. He leans in, his breath warm against my ear.

“If you want revenge, little wolf…” His voice is silk laced with iron. “You’re aiming too low.”

I freeze. My heart stutters.

When he pulls away, there’s something unreadable in his gaze—something knowing, something deep.

Then he walks away, leaving me breathless in the dark.