Chapter 2 A Wolf with No Pack

Selene's bare feet pounded against the wet earth, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Rain lashed against her skin, soaking her thin dress, but she barely felt the cold. Her heart drummed against her ribs, her lungs burning with every desperate inhale.

She had to keep running. She had to keep moving.

Lightning split the sky, illuminating the dense forest in a flash of eerie white. The trees loomed like silent sentinels, their twisted branches clawing at the stormy sky. The wind howled through the night, drowning out the sound of her own thoughts. But nothing could silence the echo of Damien's voice in her mind.

I don't want you. I never did.

The words cut deeper than any blade ever could.

Her mate. Her Alpha. The man who had once vowed to protect her had cast her aside like she was nothing.

Selene clenched her jaw, shoving the pain down. She wouldn't let it consume her not now.

She pressed a protective hand against her abdomen, feeling the faint warmth of life beneath her palm. You're not alone, she reminded herself. I won't let anything happen to you.

The Blood Moon Pack was behind her now. The only home she had ever known. She had spent her entire life within its borders, and now... she was nothing. A lone wolf. A rogue.

A sharp crack echoed through the trees.

Selene skidded to a stop, her heart leaping into her throat. Her body went rigid as she listened, her wolf instincts flaring to life.

Another sound. A rustle. A low, guttural growl.

She wasn't alone.

Her pulse spiked. Slowly, she turned her head.

Glowing amber eyes stared back at her from the darkness.

A rogue.

Selene's breath hitched. She had heard the stories. Rogues were brutal, living only to fight, to kill. Without a pack's protection, she was vulnerable.

The rogue stepped forward, its lips peeling back in a snarl.

Selene swallowed hard. Her wolf was weakened from the rejection, but she had no choice. She had to fight.

With a deep breath, she forced herself to shift. Her body trembled, her bones snapping and realigning, fur covering her skin. Pain shot through her limbs, but she gritted her teeth.

The rogue lunged.

Selene barely dodged in time. Claws slashed through the air where she had stood a moment before. Snarling, she lashed out, her teeth sinking into its shoulder.

The rogue howled in pain, but it wasn't enough.

Another growl sounded. Then another.

Selene's stomach twisted as she realized the truth.

It's not just one. It's a pack.

Fear coiled in her chest. She was outnumbered. Outmatched.

Panic surged through her veins as the rogues circled her, their glowing eyes filled with hunger.

She backed up slowly, her muscles coiled, waiting for the attack.

Then..

A deep, powerful snarl ripped through the air.

The rogues froze.

A presence washed over the clearing, thick and suffocating. A force so strong it made every instinct in Selene's body scream to submit.

The shadows shifted. And then..

A massive jet-black wolf stepped into the clearing.

Selene's breath caught in her throat.

He was enormous, his midnight fur slick with rain, his golden eyes burning with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. Power radiated from him in waves, the kind that made even the most savage of wolves hesitate.

An Alpha.

Not just any Alpha.

Who is he?

The rogue wolves tensed, their ears flattening as they let out wary growls. But the Alpha didn't move. He didn't need to.

His presence alone was enough.

His voice was a low, dangerous rumble. "Leave."

One word. A command.

The rogues hesitated for only a second before scrambling back into the shadows, their instincts recognizing the absolute authority of an Alpha.

Selene remained still, her wolf still poised for a fight. But there was no fight left to be had.

The rogues were gone.

And now, she was alone with him.

Slowly, the black wolf turned his piercing gaze on her.

Selene's wolf shuddered.

A slow, deliberate step forward.

Selene took a step back, her own instincts warning her of the sheer power before her. But there was nowhere to go.

The Alpha shifted.

His transformation was seamless, effortless. Where the massive wolf once stood, now towered a man.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, his muscular frame radiating power even in human form. His dark hair was damp from the rain, strands sticking to his forehead. A jagged scar ran across his left eyebrow, adding to his dangerous aura.

But it was his eyes those golden, unreadable eyes that made her stomach twist.

His gaze swept over her, assessing, calculating.

And then, to her utter humiliation, his lips curled in something between amusement and intrigue.

"You're weak."

Selene bristled. Her wolf bared its fangs, but he didn't look the least bit impressed.

"You wouldn't have lasted another minute," he mused, voice dangerously smooth.

Selene forced herself to shift back, ignoring the sharp ache in her limbs. Rain soaked her thin dress, clinging to her body as she stood before him barefoot, vulnerable, and utterly alone.

Yet, she refused to bow.

Her chin lifted, defiance burning in her gaze.

"I didn't ask for your help," she rasped.

The Alpha's expression didn't change. If anything, his gaze darkened, as if he found her resistance amusing.

"And yet," he said, taking another step forward, "you needed it."

Selene clenched her fists.

She should run. She should get as far away from him as possible.

But she had nowhere to go.

She had spent her life at the mercy of an Alpha who never wanted her.

And now, she stood before one who had just saved her life.

The Alpha tilted his head, as if reading her thoughts.

"You won't survive out here alone."

Selene's breath hitched.

He was right.

She had no food, no shelter. She had been running on nothing but desperation.

Still, she held her ground. "I don't trust you."

The Alpha's lips twitched, almost like he expected her answer.

Then, to her surprise, he didn't issue a demand.

Instead, he offered a choice.

"You have two options," he said. "Come with me, or take your chances alone."

Selene's heart pounded.

Every instinct screamed at her to be wary.

But she wasn't just thinking about herself.

She placed a hand on her stomach.

Her baby's heartbeat was steady. Strong.

I have to survive. For them.

She met the Alpha's gaze, searching for cruelty, for deception.

All she found was quiet certainty.

A new Alpha. A new fate.

A second chance.

Selene took a deep breath.

And then, she made her choice.