Chapter 8: Lucas King’s Presence

“Is that him?” I whispered to myself, leaning closer to the monitor, my voice sharp with curiosity.  

I folded my arms, studying the grainy footage. Lucas King stood in the hotel lobby, commanding attention without a single word. His dark eyes swept the room with calculated precision, and his tall, muscular frame exuded power.  

“Impressive? Please.” I rolled my eyes, scoffing at my own thoughts. “Just another overconfident Alpha with too much swagger and not enough humility.”  

Still, I couldn’t deny the magnetic pull of his presence. There was something about the way he moved—deliberate and controlled—that made my wolf stir uneasily. It annoyed me to no end.  

“Why’s he here?” I muttered under my breath, narrowing my eyes at the screen.  

My chest tightened slightly as the answer formed in my mind. He’s looking for me. That much was obvious. The timing, the precision of his movements—it wasn’t a coincidence. Lucas King didn’t strike me as the type to leave anything to chance.  

“Let him look,” I said aloud, my voice firm as I straightened my posture. “He won’t find what he’s looking for.”  

I watched as Lucas exchanged a few words with the concierge, his expression impassive but authoritative. Even muted, his voice carried weight—like every word was a command.  

“He’s too used to getting his way,” I mused, tilting my head. “Maybe it’s time someone taught him a lesson.”  

My wolf growled faintly in response, but I ignored her. I wasn’t about to let some Alpha, no matter how powerful, rattle me.  

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Jake King’s Entrance  

“There’s another one,” I muttered, my eyes catching movement on the screen.  

I leaned forward again, a spark of curiosity flaring as a younger man strode into the hotel lobby. He had the same commanding presence as Lucas, but there was a warmth to him—a confidence that seemed more approachable, yet no less formidable.  

“Jake King,” I whispered, the name slipping from my lips like an unbidden thought. “Lucas’s brother, no doubt.”  

Jake’s gaze swept the room with practiced precision, his casual demeanor a thin veil over the razor-sharp focus in his eyes. He carried himself differently from Lucas—like he had nothing to prove but everything to defend.  

“Dangerous,” I murmured, almost to convince myself. But unlike Lucas, Jake’s presence didn’t unsettle me. It intrigued me.  

Why does he feel so… familiar? The thought clawed at the edges of my mind, and I found myself gripping the edge of the desk as if to steady myself.  

My wolf stirred again, her instincts kicking in. Strength recognizes strength, the thought came unbidden. But I shook it off.  

“Well, instincts can take a backseat,” I said firmly, forcing the strange pull to the recesses of my mind. “I’m not submitting to any Alpha. Not him, not Lucas, not anyone.”  

Jake lingered on the screen for a moment longer, his expression unreadable, before disappearing out of frame. I exhaled sharply, trying to shake the weight of his presence from my thoughts.  

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I leaned back in my chair, the glow of the monitor casting shadows across the room. The footage of Lucas and Jake flickered in my mind, but I turned my attention elsewhere, forcing myself to focus.  

“I don’t need a pack,” I whispered into the quiet room, the words as much a reassurance to myself as a declaration. “I’ve done just fine on my own.”  

My wolf growled softly in disagreement, her instincts at odds with my resolve. She craved the safety and structure of a pack, but I had no interest in belonging to anyone.  

Pack hierarchies were a game I’d never wanted to play. Submission, obedience, loyalty—it wasn’t who I was. I’d spent years running from Alphas who thought they could control me, and I wasn’t about to stop now.  

“Besides,” I added, glancing back at the darkened screen, “if they think they can track me down and force me into submission, they’re in for a rude awakening.”  

The memory of Lucas’s piercing gaze and Jake’s easy confidence lingered, but I pushed it aside. They might be powerful, but power didn’t intimidate me.  

It challenged me.  

And I had every intention of rising to that challenge.  

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My Thrilling Dilemma

I sprawled out on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The cool fabric of the sheets pressed against my back, but my mind was on fire. The footage of Lucas and Jake King played on a loop in my head, every detail of their movements etched into my memory.  

“Why now?” I muttered, rolling onto my side and propping my head up with one hand. “What makes me so important to them?”  

My wolf stirred, not with fear, but with something far more unsettling—excitement. She was drawn to their strength, to the aura they exuded, and it was beginning to wear on me. I closed my eyes, trying to silence her restless energy.  

“They’re just Alphas,” I reminded myself aloud, though the words felt hollow. “They’re no different from the rest. Overconfident, controlling, predictable.”  

But they weren’t predictable, were they?  

Lucas’s commanding presence, Jake’s smooth confidence—they didn’t fit the mold. They were deliberate, calculating. They weren’t just chasing a lead; they were hunting. And I was their prey.  

A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. “Let them hunt,” I murmured. “I’ll give them a chase they’ll never forget.”  

Still, the thrill of it all unsettled me. I wasn’t used to feeling… what was it? Anticipation? Purpose? For years, my life had been a series of careful moves, dodging danger and staying ahead of those who wanted to control me. It was lonely, sure, but it was safe. Now, with Lucas and Jake in town, everything felt different.  

I rolled onto my stomach, grabbing a pillow and hugging it to my chest. “Why am I even thinking about this?” I whispered. “They’re just another threat to neutralize. Nothing more.”  

But was that true?  

The truth was, I hadn’t felt this alive in years. The chase, the danger, the thrill of outsmarting two of the most powerful Alphas I’d ever encountered—it was intoxicating. My wolf knew it, too. She wasn’t just restless; she was eager, as if she wanted to see how far we could push them, how long we could keep the game going.  

“This isn’t a game,” I told myself firmly, though my heartbeat betrayed me. It pounded in my chest, quick and erratic, as if it knew something I didn’t.  

What if it was a game?  

The thought crept in, unbidden but tempting. For so long, I’d lived in the shadows, moving from place to place with no real direction beyond survival. But now? Now I had two Alphas breathing down my neck, two relentless hunters who wouldn’t stop until they found me.  

I flipped onto my back again, staring at the ceiling. “Maybe it doesn’t have to end so quickly,” I muttered.  

The idea settled in my mind like a seed, taking root and growing despite my better judgment. If I eliminated Lucas and Jake now, it would be over. The danger would be gone, but so would the thrill. And wasn’t that what I’d been missing all this time?  

My lips curved into a sly smile. “Why not enjoy it while it lasts?”  

Enjoy it? Are you crazy?  

The rational part of me screamed in protest, but I ignored it. This wasn’t about rationality. It was about the way my heart raced when I thought of outmaneuvering them, the way my wolf practically purred at the challenge.  

I sat up, tossing the pillow aside. “Okay, Lila,” I said aloud. “Here’s the plan: play along, keep them guessing, and stay one step ahead. When the time comes, we’ll end it. But not a moment before.”  

The decision felt reckless, dangerous—but it also felt right.  

I slid off the bed, pacing the room as my mind raced with possibilities. I’d have to be careful, of course. Lucas and Jake weren’t fools; they’d see through any obvious tricks. But if I could keep them distracted, feed them just enough to stay off their radar…  

A laugh escaped my lips, soft but genuine. “This is going to be fun.”  

Fun, my wolf echoed, her agreement sending a shiver down my spine.  

The thought of delaying my plans should have made me nervous, but instead, it filled me with a strange sense of freedom. For once, I wasn’t just running to survive. I was running because I wanted to.  

My gaze drifted to the window, the faint glow of the city lights casting shadows on the walls. Somewhere out there, Lucas and Jake were plotting their next move.  

“Good luck,” I whispered, a challenge in my tone. “You’re going to need it.”  

The thrill coursed through me again, stronger this time, and I welcomed it. This wasn’t just a game—it was my game. And I was determined to win.