Chapter 2 THE RETURN OF THE PAST

Chapter Two

Selene woke up to the scent of musk and burning wood. The room was dimly lit by the golden glow of the fireplace, and the sheets beneath her felt like silk. For a brief moment, she thought it had all been a dream-the chase in the woods, the piercing golden eyes that had held her captive, the way her body had burned at his touch. But as she moved, she felt the soreness between her thighs, a reminder that what had happened was undeniably real.

A deep, velvety voice interrupted her thoughts.

"You're awake."

She turned her head sharply, her breath catching in her throat. There he was-the Alpha King himself, Damien Blackwood. His dark hair was slightly tousled, and his chiseled body was bare except for the loose pants slung low on his hips. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his sculpted chest, his golden eyes watching her with an intensity that made her stomach tighten.

Selene swallowed hard. "Where am I?"

"My estate." His voice was smooth, but there was an edge to it. "You ran into my territory last night. That makes you mine."

She sat up, pulling the silk sheets over her naked body. "I don't belong to anyone."

A slow smirk curved his lips. "That's where you're wrong."

Heat pooled in her belly at the way he looked at her, like he could devour her whole. She hated that her body responded so easily to him. He was dangerous. Powerful. Unlike any man-any werewolf-she had ever met.

Selene forced herself to meet his gaze. "I didn't ask to be here."

"No, but you called to me," Damien said, stepping closer. The air between them grew heavy. "I heard your wolf crying out for me. Even now, she's restless."

She flinched. He wasn't wrong. Deep inside her, her wolf was pacing, aching to be near him. It terrified her. She had spent years suppressing her wolf, refusing to submit to the pull of the pack, to the instincts that told her she was meant for something more.

Damien stopped at the edge of the bed, towering over her. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Tell me, little wolf, what are you running from?"

Selene hesitated. Could she trust him? Could she tell him the truth?

Instead, she whispered, "You."

His golden eyes darkened. "Liar."

Before she could react, he climbed onto the bed, caging her beneath him. His scent overwhelmed her, making her head spin. His fingers traced a path down her bare shoulder, sending shivers across her skin.

Selene tried to push him away, but he caught her wrists easily, pinning them above her head.

"You can fight it all you want," he murmured against her neck, his breath hot. "But you were made for me."

She gasped as his lips found the sensitive spot behind her ear. Desire flooded through her, sharp and undeniable. Her body betrayed her, arching toward him despite the war raging in her mind.

"No," she whispered, though it sounded more like a plea.

Damien's grip loosened, his fingers trailing down her arms. "Say the word, and I'll stop."

Selene's breath hitched. She should say it. She should demand that he let her go. But her body betrayed her, craving the heat of his touch, the way his presence ignited something primal inside her.

He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. "You feel it too, don't you?" His voice was low, seductive. "The pull. The need."

Selene's lips parted, but no words came.

Damien growled softly, his wolf barely restrained. "You can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me. Your scent changes when you want me." His hand trailed lower, brushing against her bare thigh, making her shiver.

"Damn you," she whispered, closing her eyes.

A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Oh, little wolf, you're already damned."

Before she could process his words, his lips crashed against hers. It wasn't gentle-it was raw, consuming, filled with a hunger that made her moan against him. His hands roamed over her body, igniting fire in their wake. She melted into him, her nails digging into his shoulders as she lost herself in the sensation.

Just as she was about to surrender completely, a loud bang shattered the moment.

The door burst open, and a towering man stormed in. His scent hit her instantly-earthy, familiar.

"Get your hands off her," the stranger snarled.

Selene's heart stopped. She knew that voice.

"Lucian?" she gasped, pulling the sheets around her.

Damien turned his head slowly, his golden eyes flashing with danger. "You have five seconds to explain why you're in my home before I rip your throat out."

Lucian's jaw tightened. "She's coming with me."

Selene's mind raced. Lucian...the man who had once been her everything, the mate she had rejected. Why was he here? Why now?

Damien laughed darkly. "Oh? And what makes you think you have any claim over her?"

Lucian's gaze softened as he looked at her. "Tell him, Selene."

Her pulse pounded in her ears. She could barely breathe. The past she had buried was clawing its way back.

Damien's gaze flickered between them. Then, realization dawned, and his expression hardened. "You were his mate?" His voice was like a blade.

Selene swallowed. "It's complicated."

Damien's entire demeanor shifted. One moment, he had been the dominant, possessive Alpha who commanded her body like no one ever had. Now, his eyes held something else. Betrayal.

Lucian took a step forward. "She belongs with me."

Damien's growl shook the room. "She belongs to me now."

Selene clenched the sheets tighter. "I-"

Before she could speak, Damien's body convulsed. His bones cracked, shifting under his skin as a roar tore from his throat. His transformation was fast, brutal. Clawed hands became massive paws, and his golden eyes burned brighter as his wolf form emerged.

Lucian didn't hesitate. He shifted instantly, his own transformation just as violent.

Selene gasped, her wolf howling inside her. She was trapped between two Alpha males, both of whom had claimed her in different ways.

This wasn't just about her anymore.

This was war.