Selene stood by the window, her fingers brushing the cold glass as she looked out over the vast grounds of the mansion. The night was still, too still, the moon casting an eerie light over the landscape. Even the moonlight felt colder tonight, as if the world itself had turned its back on her.
The weight of the Alpha's indifference pressed down on her, making the air feel thick with tension. She had no illusions about why she was here, why she had been brought into this house.
It was all to save her family. That was the only thing that mattered now.
As she stood there, lost in thought, the sound of approaching footsteps broke her concentration. She turned to see a figure moving toward her through the dimly lit hallway. It was Lyra.
The she-wolf had been watching her ever since Selene had arrived, but recently, her stares had become more pointed, more filled with hostility. Lyra was beautiful, no doubt—tall, graceful, and effortlessly commanding.
But there was something in her eyes that Selene didn't trust. The way she looked at her like she knew something—something that Selene wasn't ready to confront.
"Not a fan of the view?" Lyra's voice was sweet, but there was an edge to it, a sharpness that belied the sweetness of her words.
Selene straightened her back, trying to keep her composure. "Just thinking."
Lyra took a few steps closer, her eyes never leaving Selene's face. "Thinking about what, exactly? About your family?" She leaned in a little, the soft scent of her perfume filling the air, mixing with the tension between them.
Selene's pulse quickened, and she could feel her heart begin to race. She had no intention of discussing her family with Lyra, but it seemed the other woman wasn't interested in keeping things civil.
"Is that so?" Lyra's voice dropped, her smile turning cold. "Because I overheard something interesting today. Something about your family. About why you're really here."
Selene's stomach twisted. She tried to hide her unease, but Lyra had seen through her facade long ago. The rumors about her forced marriage to the Alpha were no secret, and Selene knew she had been a subject of gossip among the pack. But the way Lyra spoke, so certain of herself, made it clear that she wasn't just making idle conversation.
"Let me guess," Selene said, her voice tight with barely contained frustration. "You think you know everything."
Lyra's eyes sparkled with something dangerous. "Oh, I know a lot more than you think," she said, her tone low. "Like how your family is in debt. How your father sold you to the Alpha to settle those debts."
Selene felt the blood drain from her face. How much did Lyra know? The past, buried deep within the shadows, had begun to surface.
Her family's disgrace was no secret, but hearing it spoken aloud felt like a weight being added to her chest.
"You don't know anything," Selene snapped, her anger flaring up. "You don't know what it's like. You don't know what my family went through."
Lyra chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Oh, but I do. I know exactly what it's like to be used, to be nothing but a pawn in someone else's game. The Alpha's game."
Selene's heart skipped a beat. The way Lyra said it… as if she knew more than she should.
The connection between the Alpha and her family had always been shrouded in mystery, but something about Lyra's tone made her wonder if there was more to the story than she had ever been told.
"What do you want from me?" Selene demanded, her voice rising.
Lyra smiled again, but it wasn't a kind smile. "Nothing, not really. I just wanted to let you know that I've got my eye on you. And I know your secret, Selene. I know about your bloodline."
The words hit her like a punch to the gut. Her secret bloodline—the very thing she had spent years hiding from the world, the one thing that could ruin everything. Her past was tangled with lies, debts, and betrayals. If Lyra knew, it was only a matter of time before others did, too.
"You don't know anything about me," Selene replied through clenched teeth, her voice barely a whisper. "You don't know what I've been through."
Lyra's smile widened. "I know enough. Enough to know that the Alpha will want to know the truth about you. About your bloodline. He'll want to know who you really are."
The coldness in Lyra's voice sent a shiver down Selene's spine. The Alpha. The man she had been forced to marry. Would he care about her bloodline? Would he even care about her at all?
For the first time since she arrived at the mansion, doubt crept into her mind. She wasn't sure what frightened her more — Lyra's words, or how much of them rang true.
What if Lyra was right? What if the Alpha's indifference wasn't just because of his cold nature, but because he already knew the truth? What if he knew about her family's past—and the power of her bloodline?
"I wouldn't threaten me if I were you," Selene said, her voice steady despite the fear rising within her. "You don't know who you're dealing with."
Lyra laughed, her eyes sparkling with malicious amusement. "I know exactly who I'm dealing with. And trust me, you don't want to cross me."
"Secrets were seeds in this house — once planted, they never stayed buried for long." With that, Lyra turned on her heel and walked away, her footsteps echoing in the quiet hall. Selene stood frozen in place, her heart hammering in her chest. The fear that had been building within her now threatened to consume her whole. Lyra had made her threat clear. And Selene had no choice but to wonder: What would happen if the Alpha discovered her secret?
Would he see her as nothing more than a tool to be used? Would he cast her aside once her family's debts were paid? Or was there something more at play here—something darker than she had ever imagined?