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Chapter 2

Seraphina 

I pushed the door open, my hand trembling against the heavy wood. The scent of cigar smoke and aged whiskey clung to the air, mingling with the faint metallic tang of my own blood. My father sat behind his grand mahogany desk, his expression as cold and unreadable as ever. But it wasn’t him that froze me in place.

A stranger stood near the window, his back partially turned, but his presence was impossible to ignore. He was massive—built like a wall of muscle wrapped in dark, expensive fabric. The room seemed to shrink around him, the air growing heavier with each breath I took.

As the door creaked open, he turned.

His eyes—icy blue, sharp, and piercing—locked onto me. They raked over my broken form, lingering on the torn fabric barely covering my bruised skin. His gaze wasn’t filled with curiosity or pity. No, it was disdain, raw and unfiltered, like I was something foul stuck to the bottom of his boot.

“This is what you’re offering me?” His voice was low, gravelly, like a storm rolling over the horizon. He didn’t even look at my father as he spoke, his gaze fixed on me like I was an insect beneath a magnifying glass. “A useless piece of flesh without even a wolf? Is this your idea of sincerity?”

I bit down on my lip to keep from reacting, the coppery taste of blood mixing with the sharp sting of humiliation. My wolf stirred uneasily inside me, her claws scraping against the edges of my mind. I tried to shove her down, thinking it was just her reaction to the danger standing in front of us.

But something felt… different.

“Look up,” my father’s voice snapped, sharp and commanding.

I flinched but obeyed, lifting my chin despite the ache in my neck and the burning in my ribs. My father’s cold eyes met mine briefly before he gestured toward the stranger.

“This,” he said, his voice dripping with something between pride and malice, “is Alpha Kaelion Stormrider.”

The name hit me like a slap.

Kaelion Stormrider.

I’d heard the rumors. Everyone had. The Alpha who’d killed his own parents to seize control of his pack. The one who ruled with an iron fist, known for his cruelty and mercilessness. They said his subordinates feared him more than death itself.

And now… my father was offering me to him.

“As you can see,” my father continued, his tone as indifferent as if he were discussing livestock, “she’s of no use to me. But perhaps you’ll find a purpose for her in your pack.”

A slave. He was offering me as a slave.

My stomach twisted, a cold wave of betrayal crashing over me. I’d known my father didn’t care for me, but this… this was something else entirely. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I fought to keep from collapsing under the weight of it all.

My wolf howled in fury, her presence swelling inside me. I tried to hold her back, but the pain—the betrayal—was too much. My vision blurred, my pupils shifting, darkening as she surged forward.

“Let me out!” she roared, her voice like thunder in my skull.

No!

But it was too late.

For a split second, I lost control. My body trembled, my wolf’s anger burning through me like wildfire. Then, just as quickly, she retreated, her furious growls fading into the back of my mind.

And that’s when I felt it.

A pull. A connection so deep and primal it stole the breath from my lungs.

I gasped, my heart pounding as realization hit me like a punch to the gut.

Kaelion Stormrider was my mate.

His eyes narrowed, the corner of his mouth curling into something between a sneer and a smirk. He knew. He felt it too.

But there was no warmth in his gaze, no recognition of the bond we were supposed to share. Only cold calculation.

“She’ll do,” Kaelion said finally, his voice like ice scraping against stone. “Pack your things. You leave with me tonight.”

My heart dropped. No.

I opened my mouth, but the words caught in my throat. Arguing wouldn’t help. Not here. Not now. My father leaned back in his chair, a satisfied gleam in his eye as if he’d just rid himself of the most troublesome burden.

I swallowed hard, forcing my battered body to straighten. If Kaelion thought I would willingly submit, he was wrong. I’d use this journey, find a way to escape. I had to.

“Yes, Alpha,” I whispered, the words tasting like ash on my tongue.

Kaelion’s eyes flickered, just for a moment, as if he saw through my plan. But he didn’t say anything. He just turned back to the window, dismissing me like I was nothing more than a chore to be dealt with.

I stumbled out of the office, the door clicking shut behind me. My legs felt like they could give out at any moment, but I forced them to move. Every step was agony, my injuries screaming in protest, but I didn’t care.

I needed to get out of here.

I need to survive.

As I limped down the hall toward my room, my wolf stirred again, her voice quieter this time but no less angry.

“He’s our mate.”

I know.

“And he’s going to destroy us.”

I didn’t argue.

Because I knew she was right.