The words Lucas spoke hung heavily in the air.
"They're asking for her."
My heart began to pound loudly in my chest. My mind instantly filled with questions.
Why would someone from Nightfall Pack come here?
And more importantly… why were they asking for me?
Kael's expression hardened. The calm look he had moments ago disappeared completely.
"Who is it?" he asked.
Lucas hesitated before answering.
"It's Alpha Damon's messenger."
The name alone made my stomach tighten.
Alpha Damon.
My former Alpha.
The man who rejected me under the full moon in front of the entire pack.
"What does he want?" Kael asked coldly.
Lucas glanced briefly at me.
"He didn't explain. He only said the Alpha demands to see the girl."
Demands.
The word made Kael's eyes darken with anger.
"He doesn't get to demand anything from my territory," Kael said sharply.
Lucas nodded.
"That's what I thought."
I stood frozen in place, unsure what to say.
Why would Damon suddenly want to see me after rejecting me so easily?
Kael turned toward me.
"Stay here," he said.
"I'll deal with this."
Before I could respond, he walked out of the room with Lucas following closely behind.
The door closed behind them with a quiet click.
Silence filled the room.
I slowly walked toward the window and stepped onto the balcony.
From here, I could see most of the pack compound.
Warriors were moving around the courtyard, their patrols steady and organized.
Blackwood Pack truly looked powerful.
But my mind was far away.
Memories of Nightfall Pack flooded back.
The humiliation.
The whispers.
The moment Damon rejected me as if I meant nothing.
Why would he suddenly care now?
A sharp female voice interrupted my thoughts.
"So you're the girl."
I turned around quickly.
A tall woman stood in the doorway.
Her long silver-blonde hair fell perfectly over her shoulders, and her icy blue eyes examined me carefully.
She was beautiful.
But the look on her face was anything but friendly.
"Who are you?" I asked cautiously.
She crossed her arms.
"You don't know?"
Her lips curved into a small, mocking smile.
"I'm Selene."
The name immediately sounded familiar.
My heart dropped.
Selene was the woman Damon had chosen over me.
The woman he claimed was a better mate.
But why was she here?
"You're far from your pack," I said carefully.
Her smile disappeared.
"I could say the same about you."
She stepped further into the room, her heels clicking softly against the wooden floor.
"So this is where Kael brought you," she said while glancing around.
"Interesting."
"What do you want?" I asked.
Her eyes returned to mine.
"To see the girl who caused all this trouble."
"I didn't cause anything," I replied quietly.
Selene laughed softly.
"That's what you think."
She stopped only a few steps away from me.
Her eyes suddenly turned sharp.
"You should leave."
My brows furrowed.
"What?"
"You heard me," she said coldly.
"Leave Blackwood Pack and go back where you came from."
"That's not your decision," I replied.
Her expression darkened.
"Oh, but it is."
Before I could react, she leaned closer and whispered something that made my blood run cold.
"You don't belong here."
Her words were soft, but the hatred behind them was clear.
"You think Kael brought you here because he cares about you?" she continued.
"You're just a problem he hasn't gotten rid of yet."
Anger slowly rose inside me.
"Then why are you here?" I asked.
Selene's eyes flashed.
"For the same reason Damon sent that messenger."
My stomach tightened again.
"What reason?"
She straightened, brushing imaginary dust from her sleeve.
"To take you back."
My breath caught.
"What?"
Selene's smile returned, this time colder than before.
"You didn't really think Damon would let another Alpha keep what belongs to him, did you?"
"Belongs to him?" I repeated.
"He rejected me."
Selene tilted her head slightly.
"Yes… he did."
Her eyes darkened slightly.
"But things have changed."
"Changed how?"
Before she could answer, the door suddenly opened.
Kael walked in.
The moment he saw Selene standing in the room, his entire body went rigid.
"Why," he said slowly, "is the Nightfall Luna in my house?"
Selene turned toward him with a calm smile.
"Relax, Alpha Kael."
"I only came to deliver a message."
Kael's silver eyes narrowed dangerously.
"What message?"
Selene's gaze shifted briefly toward me before returning to him.
"Alpha Damon says the girl belongs to Nightfall Pack."
Her smile widened slightly.
"And he's coming tomorrow to take her back."