Chapter 7:

Alpha Selene.

"Damon," I gasped breathlessly as I was not expecting him.

"The one and only, cupcake, "He appeared before me, his tall, muscular form towering over me. His damp glorious messy hair hung freely to his shoulders. I swallowed nervously.

"Why are you here, when your elders clearly told you to stay away from us?" He looked at me with dark, intense eyes, practically undressing me with his sly gaze.

My breathing hitched as my body unconsciously stepped into the holding cell, the mate bond calling to my soul like a flame to a moth.

"um, I..." I stuttered faintly as tried to find the perfect words to respond to him.

The dim lighting cast an eerie shadow, adding a layer of unease to the space… I quickly evaded his stare and scanned the room. It was a tiny space with only a single bed without blankets and a stinky toilet in the corner.

I took in the meticulous arrangements designed to contain and neutralize my mate's dangerous nature. The air hung heavy with the scent of dampness, iron, and an underlying metallic odor, reminding me of our raw power.

But was all this necessary to keep the hunks away from me? I sneered internally.

"I have a few questions I wanted to ask away from the elders. Will you respond to me, or should I try Sebastian next door?" I finally stuttered nervously, determined not to let him think he could dominate me alongside his charismatic twin.

"I'll answer you, but I want to know why you are here. I'm going to guess that you came because of my irresistible charm, which is far superior to my brother's," he said, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. I felt my insides melt at his naughty expression.

He stepped closer, his fingers grazing my face, sending shivers down my spine.

Oh, crap. I should have given enough thought to this before coming here, I thought to myself as he slowly backed me up on the thick reinforced metal walls with silver-coated bars, a reminder of my mate's confinement.

My heart skipped a beat as I leaned into his touch, relishing in the soothing and comforting sensation. I took a shaky breath, trying to regain my composed

Damn it, getting information out of him was definitely was to be more difficult than anticipated. I flickered my eyes while swallowing nervously, shifting my focus back to the task at hand.

"As much as I want to say yes to that, it's not the reason why I came," I whispered, stealing secret glances at his perfect physique. My cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and desire.

"Okay then, ask away," he said, lightly brushing his fingers against my ear. My core tightened at his touch, and I closed my eyes, desperately trying to tame the intense sensations coursing through me.

"Stop doing that. I can't hear myself think," I said, pushing him away, despite snow, my wolf yearned to be with one of her mates.

"Okay, my lady, I won't touch you anymore unless you ask," Damon said, running his fingers through his messy hair and crossing his arms over his chest. "Now, what do you want to ask me?" he inquired, a smoldering look in his eyes, igniting the flame of desire within me.

'My lady, please allow him to tame us just once.' snow implored.

'Not now, Snow, maybe later,' I answered back, shushing my wolf's protests.

Snow responded with a bunch of curse words under her breath I dare not to reveal, and I immediately knew that she wasn't happy with my decision.

"On our way back home, we stumbled upon a gruesome sight…"I began talking, my voice soft yet firm, " I assume that they were your pack members. Do you, by any chance, remember what happened before the attack?" I asked, the seriousness of the situation weighing heavily on me. Damon's playful facade faded, replaced by solemnity.

"I don't want to talk about it, but since you took us in, I will grant your questions with an answer…" he paused, looking away from me. "The simple answer to your query is that it happened because of my party," he responded, his voice laced with coldness as he clenched his fists.

"What party are you talking about?" I frowned, puzzled… I had never heard of a party causing a massacre.

"I don't want to talk about it," he hissed, clearly still haunted by the memories. But I knew I needed to know the truth, for the safety of my pack.

"Look, I understand that you lost people you love, but please share with me what transpired in case the Rogues come after my pack next," I pleaded softly, taking a step closer to him, hoping to appeal to his empathy.

"If only I had listened to Sebastian, all those lives would have been spared," Damon replied through gritted teeth, revealing his inner turmoil. It was clear that extracting answers from him would be a monumental task.

Time to employ my wit and charm to get the answers I needed. I sighed, mustering all my confidence, and sauntered closer to him, placing my hands on his chest.

"Damon, you can trust me. I'm your fated mate, and I promise I won't let any harm come to you and your brother…" I looked deeply into his eyes, trying to convey my sincerity. "Please, Damon, help me safeguard our pack. This is your new home with your brother," I pleaded, hoping my words would arouse his protective instincts.

"Okay, since you saved my brother and me, I will summarize what you want to know" he finally relented, a glimmer of trust dancing in his eyes. My heart skipped a beat with anticipation of what he was about to reveal.

"Immediately after our parents left for their vacation, Rogues decided to attack our village. They somehow knew it was left unprotected. Sebastian and I managed to escape unharmed, but we were helpless as we heard the screams of everyone else... It was at the boundaries of your territory that we picked up your scent and decided to follow it. And then, we were unexpectedly attacked by unknown wolves," he spoke, his voice heavy with sorrow. I couldn't help but share in his grief.

"So, are you saying the Rogues followed you into my territory?" I asked my voice barely a whisper, fear gripping my heart at the potential danger looming over my pack.

"We lost the Rogues in Romania, and we still don't know who attacked us and left us for dead," Damon responded, his face etched with seriousness. Something wasn't adding up, and I knew this required further investigation.

"I'm sorry about your pack," I offered, hoping to convey my sympathy.

He let out a long sigh, a single tear glistening in his eye. "I can't help but feel angry, angry at myself, angry at the world, angry at everything," he confessed, his frustration evident. Suddenly, he turned towards the wall and pounded his fist into the brick, causing the whole building to tremble. I gasped at his strength then suddenly could hear the warriors' minds linking to each other, their concerns evident.

'What's that noise?'

'It came from the holding cells.'

'Let's go have a closer look.'

And I knew it was time for me to make my exit before the warriors discovered my unauthorized presence.

"Damon, I need to go now," I explained, a sense of urgency compelling me. He immediately turned to face me, his touch lingering on my waist.

"Why? I thought you came to spend the night with me," he said, his grip tightening around my tiny waist. I gasped, feeling a mixture of desire and temptation.

"I wish I could, but my tradition forbids it until a sole Alpha is chosen as the elders proclaimed," I responded breathlessly, torn between wanting to stay and needing to fulfill my duty.

"But you are Alpha and you can do anything you want," he said in a husky voice with furrowed bows.

"Not in this pack, I can't." I scoffed.

"Why?" He narrowed his sexy blue eyes at me, my wolf wailed even louder…

Tame me, Damon, please!!!

"That's a story for another day, goodbye," I said hastily.

"You are such a good girl. I will definitely love teasing you, Green Eyes," he smirked, his eyes dancing with mischief. He leaned in, his lips desperate for mine, and we kissed passionately, losing ourselves in the intoxicating frenzy of desire. But as the approaching footsteps of the warriors grew louder, I knew I had to push him away.

He groaned, clearly disappointed, but I quickly left the cell, knowing I had strayed into forbidden territory because my elders clearly stated that I stay far away from them before an Alpha is announced... I quietly sneaked out of the holding cells and ran towards the safety of the castle, my heart thudding in my chest.

After running for what felt like an eternity, I finally came to a stop, panting heavily. I looked around, confirming that I had reached a safe distance and that no one had seen me leaving the cells.

"Phew, that was close," I chuckled quietly to myself, relief washing over me like a teenager in a forbidden love movie. But my celebration was short-lived as a husky voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Congratulations on your new mates. I never took you to be one to go for a bad boy like Damon," the voice said, causing me to freeze in place. I turned around swiftly, on high alert, searching for the source of the voice.

To my surprise, standing before me was Beta Xander, my conniving twisted uncle, his eyes piercing into mine. A shiver ran down my spine as I realized he was watching my every move.