Is he mine?

Selina’s POV

The first rule of survival: Always stay two moves ahead.

I’d lived by that rule since the day Lucas Blackwood shattered me. It’s what built my empire, kept my son safe, and gave me the armor I wore every time I stepped into a room filled with wolves dressed like men.

But tonight… something in my gut shifted.

The way he looked at me. The heat in his voice. The possessiveness burning just under the surface of that arrogant, alpha smirk. It wasn’t just about power anymore.

He was hunting me. And worse—he’d finally sniffed out something worth killing for.

I stood in Damon’s bedroom, leaning against the doorframe as he played with his building blocks, humming some offbeat tune he probably made up on the spot. His dark hair flopped into his eyes, and he scrunched his nose the way Lucas used to when he was focused.

I hated that he looked like his father. Hated how much I loved it too.

“Mom?” Damon turned toward me with a wide, cheeky grin. “Do you want to see what I built? It’s a trap for monsters.”

I smiled, my chest tightening. “I’d love to see that, baby.”

He beamed and launched into a rapid-fire explanation, but my mind drifted.

I needed to move him. Again. The safehouse wasn’t secure anymore. Not with Lucas circling. Not with his instincts sharpening.

I didn’t know how much longer I could hide Damon from him. And I didn’t know what Lucas would do if he ever found out.

Lucas’s POV

I don’t knock. Not on doors. Not on hearts. And definitely not on fate.

So when I stepped into Carter & Co. headquarters without an invitation, I didn’t expect a warm welcome. Good thing I wasn’t looking for one.

“Mr. Blackwood.” The receptionist’s voice trembled slightly. Poor thing. Probably just out of college and not used to having monsters like me walk through the front door. “Miss Carter isn’t accepting visitors today.”

“I’m not a visitor.” I smiled without warmth. “I’m her reckoning.”

She reached for the phone, but I was already walking past her, heading for the elevator like I owned the place.

Because soon, I would.

The top floor gleamed with quiet power—sleek furniture, cold lighting, and glass walls that overlooked the city like a throne room. But what struck me most was how much it felt like her. Controlled, impeccable, and icy.

Selina had built her empire like a fortress—with style and silence. But even the best fortresses had pressure points.

I found mine in the form of her assistant. Vera, calm and composed. But I saw the flicker in her eyes the second she saw me.

“Mr. Blackwood.” She stood, hands folded. “You’re not on the schedule.”

“Then fix the schedule.”

“She’s in meetings all day.”

“She’ll want to cancel them.”

“Why would she do that?”

“Because I know.”

Vera blinked. Her mask didn’t crack, but I saw her swallow. “Know what?”

“That she’s been keeping a secret.” I leaned in slightly, letting my voice drop. “And I’m not leaving until she admits it.”

Vera’s jaw tightened. She didn’t reply. I just picked up the phone and spoke softly.

Seconds later, the glass doors opened. Selina stood there, framed in the doorway like a queen ready for battle.

“I was wondering when you’d come storming in.” Her voice was cool, but her eyes were sharp. “Security must be losing their touch.”

I stepped into her office without permission, like I always did. “We need to talk.”

“Do we?” She shut the doors behind me with a casual flick of her hand. “Because I think you’re mistaking my tolerance for weakness, Lucas. Again. This is not your company where you walk in and walk out; this is my place. I choose who comes in and out.”

I paced slowly, letting my eyes roam her space. No pictures, no family, just art. Abstract. Stark. Emotionless.

Except… one small sketch on the bookshelf. Crayon. A child’s hand.

I turned toward her. “Who’s D. Carter?”

For the first time in years, I saw her expression falter. Just for a second. Then the ice returned.

“You’ve been digging,” she said smoothly. “How typical.”

“Answer me.”

“Why should I?”

“Because if you don’t, I’ll burn this entire fucking company down just to get the truth.”

She stepped toward me, her heels clicking like gunfire. “You already burned everything once, remember?”

“I didn’t know.” My voice was hoarse. “Selina…” My voice was raw, almost foreign in my own throat. “Is he mine?”

The air between us stilled. Her body tensed—just a fraction. A flicker in her eyes, something I couldn’t read fast enough. But then it was gone, buried under the mask she wore better than anyone.

She blinked slowly. And then—she smiled.

That fucking smile. Sharp, cold, and fucking merciless.

“The child’s not yours, Lucas.”

My heart stopped.

She said it so cleanly, like she was commenting on the weather. Like she hadn’t just shoved a blade between my ribs and twisted it.

“You’re lying.” My voice came out as a growl.

“No,” she said, stepping in close—so close I could smell the ghost of my scent still on her skin. “I met someone. A long time ago. After you made it very clear I wasn’t worth a damn thing.”

I stared at her, refusing to believe a single fucking word.

“You’re lying.”

She cocked her head. “Why does it matter, Lucas? You said I was a mistake. Just a pathetic obsession. Are you telling me you regret it now?”

My pulse thundered. My wolf roared in my blood, clawing at my chest. Everything in me screamed she was lying. That the boy was mine.

But she didn’t flinch and didn't even fucking waver.

“He’s not yours,” she said again, slower this time and crueler. “And even if he was… I’d rather burn the world down than let you near him. Besides, you're not the only one with a dick.”

She turned and walked past me, her heels clicking against the floor like gunshots. I didn’t stop her. I couldn’t move. Because for the first time in five years, I felt powerless.

And I hated it.

No. I knew. I knew that child was mine. I could feel it in my blood. Smell it in the edges of her scent.

She was lying. She was protecting him from me. And now? Now I was going to tear through every piece of her world until she broke. Until she begged me to claim him.

Because if she thought she could keep my blood from me—she didn’t know just how far I was willing to go.