Chapter 2

By the time I got there, the tension in the estate's main hall was razor-sharp.

Damian sat alone on the sofa in the middle of the room. No one stood behind him.

A rolled document lay on the table in front of him.

The Betas of the six major packs stood across from him, each with his pack's crest pinned to his chest.

The wolf at the center, their leader, looked about Damian's age.

That was Lucian, Damian's childhood friend and once the wolf he trusted most in the pack.

He was also the mastermind behind this "siege."

He was the one who'd reached out to the six packs, handed them Frostmoon's defense plans, and stabbed Damian in the back.

The instant Damian saw me burst in, his eyes went wide.

His stern composure cracked.

As if completely oblivious to the danger around me, I trotted over to Damian and threw my arms around his arm.

"Damian, I'm back!"

"Didn't I tell you to leave with Theodore?" Damian kept his voice low, but there was a hint of anger in it. "Why did you come back?"

"Because I didn't want to go alone!" I said, as if it were perfectly reasonable. "I can't stand being apart from you. Is that so wrong?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Damian's brows knitted together.

He looked at Theodore, who'd followed me in. "Theodore, get Serena out of here!"

"No! Whatever happens, I'm staying with you." I hugged Damian's arm even tighter and met his gaze without backing down. "I haven't even gotten on your case about lying to me yet!"

"Serena, what am I going to do with you?"

Damian looked at me helplessly and finally let out a heavy sigh.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Lucian watched the scene with great interest.

"You really are a lucky wolf, Damian! Even now, you've got a little beauty here to play out a till-death-do-us-part drama with you.

"So this is the she-wolf you picked up in the wastelands? Not bad-looking. And that figure..."

As he spoke, Lucian's gaze slid over to me, slimy and lingering.

The wolves from the six packs turned their eyes on me too, not bothering to hide the contempt in their voices.

"She really is pretty. No wonder Damian's been hiding her."

"She's just arm candy. All she knows how to do is have a good time. Only Damian would treat her like a treasure."

"A she-wolf like that will go with whoever pays her, if you ask me."

Damian frowned. He stepped forward, shielding me behind him and blocking the eyes sizing me up.

"Serena is my mate. None of you have any right to pass judgment on her."

Lucian chuckled, unbothered.

"Serena, Damian can't even save himself. He won't be able to keep you much longer.

"Why not come with me instead?"

I poked my head out from behind Damian.

When he saw me looking at him, the scorn and mockery in Lucian's eyes grew even stronger.

"Damian, looks like your 'treasure' isn't anything special after all!

"How about this? She spends one night with me, and I'll call off the fighting for a day. Deal?"

The moment he finished, the room erupted in jeers.

"Lucian!"

Damian lunged forward and grabbed Lucian by the throat, as if he was about to snap his neck.

Their guards shifted at once and surrounded us.

If Damian made one wrong move, they'd rush in and tear him to pieces.