005

Zara POV

The door slammed shut behind Hannah, but the weight of her threat lingered in the air like a storm about to break. My hands curled into fists at my sides. I had known this wouldn't be easy. I had prepared myself for dangers far worse than an envious she-wolf. But the way she had looked at me like I was something she wanted to crush beneath her heel sent a shiver through me.

I had made my first enemy at the Blackstone Pack.

And I had no doubt she wouldn’t be my last.

I exhaled, forcing my shoulders to relax. I didn’t have time to worry about Hannah. Right now, my focus had to be on Cade, He had noticed me. That was the first step, but if I wanted to get close enough to take his ring, I needed more than just his curiosity.

I needed his trust. And trust wasn’t something a man like Cade gave easily.

*_________*

Waking up the next morning, I barely had time to gather my thoughts before a knock sounded at my door. My heart jumped as I hurried to open it, half-expecting Hannah to have returned.

Instead, a tall, broad-shouldered man stood before me. His sharp brown eyes studied me with cool detachment, and the faint scar running down the side of his jaw made him look even more intimidating.

He wore the uniform of a Blackstone warrior, and the sheer dominance radiating from him told me he wasn’t just any guard.

“Alpha Cade has summoned you,” he said. My breath hitched. Summoned? So soon? I forced my face into a mask of calm, even as my pulse thundered in my ears.

“I’ll come,” I said, keeping my voice steady.

The warrior who I assumed was a Beta or at least someone high-ranking said nothing more. He turned on his heel, leading me down the dimly lit corridors of the Blackstone packhouse. The walls were lined with tapestries and dark wood carvings, each one depicting ancient battles and forgotten histories.

I barely had time to take it all in before we stopped in front of a massive set of double doors.

The warrior pushed them open without hesitation.

“Go in,” he said and I stepped inside.

The room was spacious, the heavy curtains drawn against the sunlight. The scent of cedarwood and something darker, something purely him filled the air. A fireplace crackled in the corner. And there, standing near the massive wooden desk, was Alpha Cade.

He wasn’t wearing his mask. My breath caught in my throat. His ember eyes met mine, sharp and unreadable. The scar running down the side of his cheek was faint but there, a mark of battles fought and won. His black hair was slightly tousled, as if he had run his fingers through it absentmindedly.

I had never seen a man like him before. Dangerous. Lethal. And utterly, devastatingly powerful. For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then he spoke out “You came,” Cade said.

I swallowed, forcing my voice to remain steady. “You summoned me.”

A flicker of amusement crossed his face. “You don’t seem afraid,” he noted, studying me like I was a puzzle he was trying to solve.

I held his gaze. “Should I be?”

A slow smirk played at his lips. “Yes.” He moved closer, each step measured, deliberate. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, but I didn’t let my fear show. “I’ve been thinking about you, Zara,” he murmured.

I exhaled slowly, keeping my expression neutral. “Have you?”

Cade tilted his head slightly. “A she-wolf like you… unclaimed, wolfless, yet completely unaffected by the Alphas around you.” His golden eyes gleamed. “It’s intriguing, don't you think?”

I clenched my hands at my sides, my mind racing. He was testing me. Looking for cracks. I couldn’t afford to give him any. “I’ve learned to survive,” I said carefully.

His gaze sharpened. “Survive?”

I nodded. “In a pack that never wanted me. In a world that sees me as nothing.” I met his gaze without hesitation. “I had to make a choice. Let them break me, or learn to endure.” A tense silence stretched between us. Then, Cade let out a low chuckle. “Endure,” he repeated. “I like that.”

The air in the room shifted, Cade wasn’t just looking at me now, he was considering me. Measuring me against something unseen. Then, abruptly, he turned away, striding toward the fireplace. “Do you know why I called you here?”

I hesitated for a second before shrouding out “No ”

He glanced at me over his shoulder. “Because you interest me.” A thrill of fear and something else, something dangerously close to excitement shot through me.

That was good, that meant I was on the right track.

Cade turned fully to face me again, his expression blank. “I have a proposal.”

I inhaled slowly. “What kind of proposal?”

His smirk returned. “You’re a servant here, aren’t you?” I nodded warily.

“Then you’ll serve me now,” he said simply. “You’ll be my personal attendant.” My pulse slammed against my ribs. His… personal attendant? This was more than I could have hoped for.

I had been searching for a way to get close to him, and now he had handed me the opportunity himself, Still, I had to be careful. Too much eagerness would raise suspicion. I hesitated just long enough before responding. “Why me?” Cade’s golden eyes gleamed. “Because I want to see what you do with the opportunity.” There was a challenge in his voice. A test I hadn’t expected.

I straightened my shoulders. “Then I won’t disappoint you.” His smirk deepened, as if he enjoyed the fire in my voice. “I don’t tolerate failure, Zara,” he said, his tone casual but carrying an unmistakable edge. “If you prove to be a mistake, I’ll correct it.”

The unspoken words hung in the air. He would kill me if I gave him a reason to, I swallowed hard, forcing myself to nod. “Understood.”

Cade studied me for a moment longer. Then, he turned toward his desk, picking up a small silver object, his ring.

The ring I had to steal!

My breath hitched as he slipped it back onto his finger, completely unaware of the war raging inside me. I had never been this close to my goal before but now that I was, I realized something terrifying. This wouldn’t be easy. Cade was a man who trusted no one.

If I wanted that ring, I would have to do the impossible.

I would have to make the Alpha King trust me. And if I failed? I wouldn’t live to see another day.