Chapter 2: The Alpha's Games

Selene stood outside Alpha Jackson's office door, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her worn-out maid uniform. She had been summoned, as always, by Jackson's commanding tone. There was never any reason, given the usual demand that she show up when he called. Her heart raced with a mixture of anxiety and frustration, but she had learned to bury her emotions. The life of a maid in the Blood Moon pack left little room for personal feelings.

Taking a deep breath, Selene raised her hand to knock, but something stopped her. Muffled noises came from inside the room-strange sounds, almost like…groaning?

Her brow furrowed as she leaned in, her pulse quickening with suspicion. She slowly turned the knob, cracking the door open just enough to peek inside. Her eyes went wide in shock as she took in the scene before her.

There, on the huge wooden desk that dominated Jackson's office, lay Tiffany Harrington cruel Luna-to-be for the pack-laying with a colored ribbon across her eyes. Naked, she lay beneath Jackson, who was moving with a force that made Selene's tummy somersault. The slapping of their bodies against each other just filled the room with unmistakable sounds of their passion.

She froze. Her mind reeled. She had never wanted to see such a private thing, so raw. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to turn and leave her legs seemed like lead, rooted to the earth. The scene was sickening because of who they were, not because of what they did. She hated Jackson and Tiffany with every fiber of her soul, and this only served to solidify that.

Giggles from Tiffany echoed in the room as she ran her hands over Jackson's body, completely oblivious to Selene's presence. The ribbon over her eyes protected her from the humiliation of being watched. But Jackson's eyes were wide open. He saw Selene standing there. He locked eyes with her, a predatory smirk creeping across his lips, yet he continued.

A wave of disgust crashed over her as Selene's heart pounded painfully in her chest. She was frozen, stuck between horror and disbelief. Why hadn't Jackson stopped? Why was he staring at her that way while continuing to defile himself with Tiffany?

Heat flushed her cheeks as the truth dawned on her. He was doing this on purpose. He wanted her to see. He wanted her to watch.

She swallowed the bile climbing her throat and fisted her hands at her sides, refusing to show him how deep the cut was. He would not get that satisfaction.

Jackson's strokes grew faster, breathing harder. He was performing for Selene - showing her his power, his control. The power he had over her, over Tiffany, over the whole Blood Moon pack. It had been a calculated risk, hoping this display would shatter her and create jealousy or shame.

But instead, it simply fed her hate.

She had never referred to him as Alpha, not once. She never bowed to him, never paid him the respect his title called for. To her, he was nothing but a tyrant, some manipulative monster who got his jollies off tormenting the weak. And she, an orphaned maid, would never give him the satisfaction of obedience.

The tension in the room built, and Jackson's smirk widened as if he had been waiting for Selene to react, to crumble under what she had seen. But when she finally cleared her throat, breaking an uncomfortable silence, it was not shame nor embarrassment that filled the room but defiance.

"Excuse me," Selene coldly said, her voice steady despite the rage boiling inside her.

Tiffany's head whipped towards Selene in reflex, the ribbon being yanked from her eyes by her hands quickest to react. At seeing Selene standing in the doorway, her face screwed up with ire. She jerked herself from Jackson and took cover with whatever piece of clothing she could grab against her body.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Tiffany shrieked, her voice sharp and slicing, as she scrambled off the desk onto her feet, her eyes shooting daggers at Selene. "You're supposed to knock before entering, you filthy maid!"

Selene didn't flinch, though her heart raced under her cool mask. "I was summoned."

Tiffany's face darkened further in anger. "Get out! Now! Before I—"

"Enough, Tiffany," Jackson's voice rumbled, slicing across the room like a blade.

Tiffany's eyes snapped towards Jackson's, startled, as he was suddenly so peaceful. She looked from one to the other, trying to grasp what was going on. But Jackson only stared on, never once taking a glance away from Selene, the predator in his eyes giving her the creeps.

Selene didn't shrink away from the silent taunt. Her eyes narrowed, staring back into his, her lips pressed into a thin, determined line. She could almost see in his gaze the satisfaction was like an aura of smug victory he carried with him.

"Leave us," Jackson ordered flatly but finally.

Tiffany was still fuming. She delayed only long enough to throw on her clothes and charge out of the room, shooting one last venomous glance at Selene before she slammed the door behind her.

It was just the two of them now.

Jackson leaned back against his desk, crossing his arms over his chest as he regarded Selene with interest and a hint of mirth. "You're still here.

In an instant, a wave of anger swelled through her veins, but her face betrayed nothing. "You summoned me."

"I did." His tone was flat, as casual as if he had not just done anything out of the ordinary. "Did you enjoy the show?"

Her stomach twisted at those words, and her fists clenched at her sides. "No."

Jackson laughed low, eyes gleaming with pleasure. "I wonder why not. Most women would kill to be in Tiffany's place.

"Then maybe you should stick to those women." Selene's voice was colder than she meant it to be, but she didn't care. She hated him. Hated him more than she'd ever hated anyone in her life.

Jackson's smirk faltered for a split second, and something dark fluttered in his eyes. "Careful, Selene. You're speaking to your Alpha."

"You're not my Alpha," she spat, the words tumbling out before she could stop them.

The tension between them was palpable, the air seeming to crackle between them. Jackson's smirk turned up once more, but it was different this time. Now there was a dangerous edge to it, as if her defiance was only going to amuse him even more.

"You always were different," he murmured low and almost. Contemplative. "You don't bow to me like the others. You don't even call me Alpha."

"Because you don't deserve the title.

There was a moment of silence. Then Jackson's laughter filled the room, cold and keen, echoing off the walls. He straightened up, never taking his eyes off her.

"You hate me, don't you?"

Selene's jaw tightened. "With every fiber of my being."

He came closer; she stepped instinctively backward, but he was quick. The space between them vanished in one swift moment. His hand flashed out, wrapping around her wrist in a firm but painless hold.

"Good," he whispered, hot breath dancing across her ear. "Hold on to that hate. It makes you interesting."

She jerked her hand from his grasp and stared up at him with as much hatred as she could muster. "I won't be here forever."

Jackson's eyes clouded, his face unreadable. "No, you won't," he whispered as if to himself.

The words invoked a feeling of unease in her, but she wouldn't show that. She spun on her heel and marched toward the door, her heart pounding against her ribs.

But before she could make her exit, Jackson's voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"You're weak," Jackson kept going, his voice low and riddled with malice. "A maid. An orphan.