Chapter 3 – The Alpha’s Gamble

Kieran stared down at the severed head at his feet, the rogue’s lifeless eyes frozen in terror. A slow smirk curved his lips, though something inside him twisted at the sight.

She had done it. Alone.

Just as he had ordered.

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the gathered wolves, some in awe, others in disbelief. Selene had not only survived—she had thrived in the challenge he had set for her.

Kieran dragged his gaze back up to her. She stood before him, blood streaking her jaw, her clothes torn in places, but her posture was unwavering. Unyielding.

Damn her.

She hadn’t just returned to the pack.

She had returned to claim what was once hers.

“Not bad,” Kieran said finally, his voice slow and taunting. He knew his pack was waiting for his verdict, for him to cast her out again or grant her another chance.

Selene tilted her head, her silver eyes gleaming with challenge. “I don’t need your approval, Kieran. I just need my place back.”

The crowd fell silent. Bold words. Reckless words.

Kieran’s smirk widened. “Your place?” He took a slow step forward, closing the distance between them. “Tell me, Selene, what place is that? You abandoned your pack, your title, your mate—” His voice dropped to a low growl. “And you think you can waltz back in like nothing happened?”

Selene didn’t flinch. If anything, she lifted her chin higher. “I didn’t abandon anything. It was stolen from me.”

A sharp breath was drawn somewhere in the crowd, but Kieran didn’t care. He only saw her.

The woman who had once ruled beside him.

The woman who had betrayed him.

“You’ve proven you can fight,” Kieran said, his voice cold. “But strength alone doesn’t earn you a place in this pack. Loyalty does.”

Selene’s lips parted slightly, but she quickly masked whatever emotion flickered across her face. “And what would I need to do to prove my loyalty?”

He leaned in, just enough that she could feel the heat of his breath. Just enough to rattle her.

“Stay,” he murmured, his voice dropping lower, more dangerous. “For good.”

A challenge.

If she was truly loyal, she would stay, commit to the pack once more, with no escape.

Selene didn’t waver. “Is that an order?”

Kieran’s smirk was slow, calculated. “A test.”

Selene held his gaze for a long moment. Then, to his surprise, she smiled.

“Fine,” she said simply. “But don’t expect me to beg for your favor, Alpha.”

Gasps whispered through the crowd.

Kieran felt something dark and primal twist inside him.

The game had begun.

And he had just made the biggest gamble of his life.

---

Later That Night – Bloodmoon Manor

The moon hung high over the estate as Kieran stood in his office, staring into the flames of the fireplace. He should have been satisfied. He had forced Selene into a corner, made her choose between exile and submission.

And yet…

He wasn’t satisfied at all.

A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.

“Come in,” he called.

The door opened, and Damon stepped inside, his expression wary. “You should’ve never let her stay.”

Kieran sighed, running a hand through his hair. “She’s earned the chance.”

Damon scowled. “She’s dangerous, Kieran. You know that.”

Kieran chuckled darkly. “Of course, I do.”

That was exactly why he needed her close.

Because if there was one thing he had learned over the years…

You keep your enemies where you can see them.

And Selene Vale?

She was the most dangerous of them all.

Damon exhaled sharply and crossed his arms. “You think she’s going to fall in line after everything that happened? After what you did to her?”

Kieran’s grip on the whiskey glass in his hand tightened. He didn’t need Damon reminding him of the past—not now, not when Selene was back under his roof, threatening to undo everything he had rebuilt.

“I don’t expect her to fall in line,” Kieran admitted, swirling the amber liquid before taking a slow sip. “I expect her to fight.”

Damon scoffed. “And you think that’s a good thing?”

A ghost of a smirk touched Kieran’s lips. “I think it’s inevitable.”

Damon shook his head in frustration. “You should have exiled her the moment she walked into that hall.”

Exile.

The thought had crossed Kieran’s mind. He had played with the idea of tossing her out, ensuring she never stepped foot on Bloodmoon land again. But something had stopped him. Something darker.

He wanted her here.

Where he could watch her.

Where he could break her.

“I need to know why she came back,” Kieran said, setting his drink down. “And what she wants.”

Damon’s jaw ticked. “You know what she wants. She wants revenge.”

Kieran’s smirk faded. “Then let her try.”

---

The Warrior’s Return – Selene’s Quarters

Selene stood in the dimly lit room assigned to her, peeling off her bloodied jacket and tossing it onto the floor. The scent of rogue blood clung to her skin, mixing with the scent of the past—him.

Kieran’s presence was everywhere in this damn house.

The heavy oak furniture, the scent of pine and firewood, the distant murmurs of his wolves outside her door. It was suffocating. Familiar. Dangerous.

She caught her own reflection in the mirror. A ghost of the woman she used to be stared back at her, silver eyes gleaming with something she couldn’t name.

Maybe Damon was right. Maybe she should have never come back.

But she hadn’t returned for them.

She had returned for him.

For revenge.

A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She tensed, fingers twitching toward the dagger she had strapped to her thigh.

“Come in,” she called, voice steady.

The door opened, and Nadia, one of the few wolves who had ever been loyal to her, stepped inside. The young warrior’s dark curls were pulled back into a braid, her sharp eyes scanning Selene’s wounds.

“Are you insane?” Nadia hissed, shutting the door behind her. “You walked back into the fire, Selene. You should have stayed gone.”

Selene smirked, ignoring the sting as she wiped dried blood from her cheek. “And miss all this fun?”

Nadia’s expression darkened. “He’ll never trust you.”

“Good,” Selene murmured, gripping the edge of the table. “Because I don’t trust him either.”

Nadia let out a breath. “Then why are you really here?”

Selene’s gaze flickered to the window, where the moon hung heavy in the sky. Her heart thudded once, twice, before she spoke.

“Because Kieran thinks he’s won,” she said softly.

Nadia frowned. “And?”

Selene’s lips curled into a wicked smile.

“He doesn’t know he’s already lost.”