Chapter 2 The first encounter

Some months earlier...

The moon hung high in the sky, a silver eye watching over the endless stretch of forest. The scent of pine and damp earth filled the air, and the distant sound of a howling wolf sent a shiver down Selene's spine.

She shouldn't have been out this late.

The border between territories was dangerous at night-rogues lurked, hunters prowled, and worse, Alphas like him ruled the shadows.

But Selene had no choice.

Her mother was sick, the medicine she needed wasn't easy to come by, and the only trader who had it operated outside the pack's borders. It was a risk she had to take.

Pulling her hood lower over her face, she tightened her grip on the small pouch strapped to her waist and quickened her pace through the underbrush. If she was fast, she could make it back before anyone....

Suddenly she heard a snap of a branch.

Selene froze.

Her wolf stirred, ears pricked, senses sharpening.

She wasn't alone.

Slowly, she turned her head, scanning the trees. The darkness was thick, the air heavy with an energy that made the hair on her arms rise.

Then-

A voice. Deep, smooth, and laced with danger.

"You're trespassing, little wolf."

Selene whipped around, her breath catching in her throat.

He stepped out from the shadows like a ghost, his golden eyes glowing in the dark. He was tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in black. A slow smirk played on his lips, but there was no warmth in it-only something hungry.

Kieran.

The name burned through her like wildfire.

The rogue Alpha. The monster in the night. The last heir of a slaughtered bloodline, whispered about in fear and legend.

Selene's heart pounded.

"I didn't know this was your land," she lied.

Kieran tilted his head, amusement flickering in his gaze. "That's cute." He stepped closer, the shadows parting around him like they obeyed his will. "But you and I both know that's not true."

Selene's muscles tensed. "I don't want trouble."

His smirk deepened. "Oh, but you've already found it."

With a flicker of movement too fast for the human eye, he was suddenly behind her, his fingers grazing the back of her neck. Not restraining just testing.

Selene swallowed hard.

His touch burned like wildfire, awakening something primal inside her. A pull. A connection.

No.

Not this.

Not him.

Her breath came fast and shallow as she yanked herself away. "Stay the hell away from me."

Kieran chuckled, low and dark. "Tell me, little wolf... do you really want that?"

Selene refused to answer.

She spun on her heel, heart hammering as she forced herself to walk away-fast, but not running. She wouldn't show weakness. Wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

But as she disappeared into the night, she felt his gaze follow her, like a promise.

She had crossed into his world.

And Kieran Moretti never let go of what was his.

Selene didn't dare look back.

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she moved deeper into the forest, forcing herself to ignore the weight of his gaze still pressing against her back. She knew better than to let her fear show. Alphas like Kieran thrived on it.

But every step she took only made her more aware of him.

Of the way his presence clung to the air, thick and electric.

Of the way her wolf stirred-not in fear, but in something far more dangerous.

No.

She clenched her fists, shaking off the unwanted pull. This wasn't a game. This wasn't some forbidden thrill. Kieran Moretti was a predator, and she was prey.

She just needed to get out of here.

The moment she crossed back into her own pack's territory, she'd be safe. He couldn't touch her there.

Right?

A shiver ran down her spine.

Then, suddenly-

A Snap.

Selene barely had time to react before a powerful force crashed into her from behind, knocking the air from her lungs. She hit the ground hard, her body rolling through the dirt before she came to a sharp stop against a tree.

Pain flared through her ribs, but she ignored it. She was already moving, already scrambling to push herself up when-

A boot pressed against her chest, pinning her in place.

"Going somewhere?"

Her blood went cold.

She looked up.

Kieran stood over her, his golden eyes gleaming with something unreadable. He didn't look out of breath. He didn't even look bothered. He had caught her like it was nothing.

Selene gritted her teeth. "Get off me."

Kieran arched a brow but didn't move. Instead, he let his gaze trail over her, slow and assessing. "You're fast," he murmured. "I'll give you that."

Selene's fingers twitched against the dirt. She could feel the strength coiled in his body, the sheer power radiating off him in waves. Fighting him head-on would be useless.

But she wasn't out of tricks.

With a sharp inhale, she twisted her hips, yanking her leg up and kicking him square in the side.

Kieran grunted, stumbling back just enough for her to lunge forward. She didn't waste a second. With a burst of speed, she threw herself at him, aiming for his ribs...

But Kieran was faster.

He caught her wrists mid-strike, spinning her around so quickly she barely had time to register the movement before her back slammed against a tree.

His hands were on her wrists, pinning them above her head. His body was pressed against hers, heat radiating from him like fire.

Selene gasped, her breath catching as their bodies collided.

For a second, neither of them moved.

His scent wrapped around her, dark, rich, intoxicating.

His grip was firm but careful, as if he was testing how much she could take before she broke.

Selene's heart pounded, but she lifted her chin, refusing to look away. "You enjoy this, don't you?" she spat.

Kieran's lips curled. "More than I should."

His voice was smooth, dark velvet laced with amusement. His thumb brushed the inside of her wrist, almost absentmindedly, and heat bloomed where he touched her.

Selene shivered.

"Let me go."

Kieran tilted his head, considering. "Why would I do that?"

"Because if you don't," she whispered, voice laced with quiet fury, "I'll make you regret it."

Kieran laughed. Actually laughed.

A deep, rich sound that sent a pulse of something wicked through her veins.

"Oh, little wolf," he murmured, leaning in until his lips were just a breath away from her ear. "You have no idea what you're dealing with."

Selene clenched her jaw, refusing to let him see how deeply his presence affected her.

She had to get away.

She had to-

But Kieran suddenly stepped back, releasing her wrists like she'd burned him.

Selene staggered slightly, caught off guard by the sudden freedom. She blinked up at him, breathing hard.

Kieran just watched her, his golden eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

"Run back home, little wolf," he said softly, but there was an edge to his voice. A warning. A promise. "But know this-" His gaze darkened. "You're mine."

Selene's stomach twisted.

And she realized, with a sinking feeling, that she had made a mistake.

A terrible, terrible mistake.

Because the moment Kieran Moretti had laid eyes on her...

He had decided never to let her go.