Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

Genesis

---

The Varkas estate was quieter in the morning.

Not softer—never that.

Just… sharpened.

Like a blade waiting to be used.

I noticed it the moment I stepped onto the grounds, the air cool against my skin, carrying the faint hum of power that never truly left this place. Wolves moved through the estate with purpose—guards, servants, pack members—all of them aware of their place.

All of them aware of him.

I adjusted the sleeve of my blouse, smoothing out a crease that didn’t exist.

Control.

Always control.

Genesis Walker did not fidget. She did not hesitate.

She certainly did not think about the way her chest had tightened the moment Lucien Varkas had looked at her.

I walked forward.

---

“Stop.”

The command was sharp.

Female.

I paused, not because I had to.

Because I chose to.

Slowly, I turned.

She was exactly what I expected.

Tall. Beautiful. Immaculate in a way that was almost aggressive. Her posture screamed authority, her gaze sharper than most wolves I had encountered.

Not a servant.

Not an outsider.

No

This was someone who believed she belonged here.

Her eyes moved over me, assessing, measuring, judging.

And finding me lacking.

Interesting.

“You’re new,” she said, her tone clipped.

Not a question.

I inclined my head slightly.

“Yes.”

Her gaze narrowed.

“And yet, you’re walking the inner grounds without escort.”

There it was.

Territory.

Not the land

Him.

I let a small pause settle between us before answering.

“I was told to report directly,” I said calmly.

A lie.

A simple one.

But lies didn’t need to be elaborate to be effective.

They just needed to be delivered without hesitation.

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

“By who?”

I held her gaze.

“The Alpha.”

Silence.

Sharp. Immediate.

The kind that carried weight.

I watched the shift in her expression subtle, but there. A flicker of something beneath the surface.

Not surprise.

Something darker.

Possessive.

Ah.

Now I understood.

“Name,” she demanded.

“Genesis Walker.”

She took a step closer.

Too close.

Close enough that most would have lowered their gaze.

Stepped back.

Submitted.

I did neither.

Her eyes hardened.

“You’ll address me as Selene,” she said. “Future Luna of this pack.”

Future.

Not current.

Noted.

I let my gaze soften just slightly, not submission.

Something more calculated.

Acknowledgment.

“Of course,” I said.

Selene studied me for a long moment, as if trying to peel something back.

She wouldn’t succeed.

No one ever did.

“You should learn quickly how things work here,” she continued, her voice lowering just enough to feel like a warning. “This pack has structure. Order. Boundaries.”

I said nothing.

She stepped closer still, her voice dropping further.

“And people who don’t understand their place… don’t last long.”

A threat.

Finally.

I met her gaze fully.

Calm.

Unmoved.

“I learn quickly,” I said softly.

Something flickered in her eyes again.

Annoyance.

Good.

Before she could respond

The air shifted.

Subtle.

But undeniable.

Every instinct in my body recognized it before my mind caught up.

Power.

Heavy. Dominant. Unyielding.

Lucien.

The space behind Selene went still.

Not silent.

Still.

Like the world itself had paused.

Selene straightened instantly, her posture sharpening into something more refined. More composed.

More… eager.

I didn’t turn right away.

I didn’t rush.

Because rushing meant reacting.

And I never reacted.

Not unless I wanted to.

“Selene.”

His voice was low.

Controlled.

But there was something beneath it now.

Something I hadn’t heard yesterday.

Sharp.

Her expression softened immediately as she turned toward him.

“Lucien,” she said, her tone shifting into something smoother. “I was just—”

“I didn’t ask.”

The words cut cleanly through the air.

She stopped.

Just like that.

I turned then.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

And there he was.

Lucien Varkas stood a few steps behind her, dressed in dark tones that made him look even more severe in the morning light. His expression was as unreadable as it had been the night before.

But his eyes

His eyes were on me.

Not Selene.

Not the space between us.

Me.

That same tension coiled low in my chest again.

I crushed it instantly.

Buried it beneath layers of control so practiced it was second nature.

Selene noticed.

Of course she did.

Her jaw tightened ever so slightly as she glanced between us.

“Is there a problem?” Lucien asked.

The question was directed at Selene.

But his gaze never left mine.

“No,” she said quickly. “I was just explaining the structure of the pack to—”

“Unnecessary.”

A pause.

Sharp. Final.

Selene’s lips parted slightly, as if to argue

Then closed.

Because even she knew better.

Lucien stepped forward.

One step.

Then another.

And just like yesterday, the air shifted with him.

Predator.

Selene moved aside instinctively as he approached, though she masked it well.

I didn’t move.

Of course I didn’t.

He stopped in front of me.

Close.

Not as close as yesterday.

But close enough.

“Report to the west wing,” he said, his voice even. “You’ll be working there for now.”

“Understood.”

A beat passed.

Then—

“Look at me.”

Again.

Not a request.

Slowly, I lifted my gaze.

Our eyes met.

And there it was.

Stronger this time.

That same pull.

That same wrong, dangerous recognition that refused to stay buried.

His expression didn’t change.

But something in his eyes did.

Sharpened.

Focused.

As if he were trying to understand something that didn’t make sense.

Good.

Let him wonder.

“Has anyone assigned you quarters?” he asked.

“No.”

A pause.

“I’ll have it arranged.”

Selene stiffened beside us.

Barely noticeable.

But I saw it.

Of course I did.

“Thank you, Alpha.”

Silence lingered.

Heavy.

Then

“You’re dismissed.”

I inclined my head and turned.

Walking away without hesitation.

Without rushing.

Without looking back.

Even though I could feel his gaze on me.

Burning.

Unrelenting.

---

I didn’t slow until I was out of sight.

Didn’t let the mask slip until I was alone in the quiet corridor of the west wing.

Only then did I exhale.

Slowly.

Carefully.

My fingers curled slightly at my sides, grounding myself in something physical. Something real.

This was fine.

Everything was proceeding exactly as planned.

I had entered his world.

Gained his attention.

Positioned myself close enough to begin.

And yet

My jaw tightened faintly.

Something was off.

Not with the plan.

With him.

Lucien Varkas was not reacting the way I had expected.

Not entirely.

There was control—yes.

Distance—always.

But beneath that…

Something else.

Something that made him watch me just a little too closely.

Something that made my instincts sharpen in response.

Dangerous.

Not because of what it was.

But because of what it could become.

My nails pressed lightly into my palm.

Focus.

I didn’t have the luxury of distraction.

Not now.

Not when I was this close.

Lucien Varkas was not my mate.

He was my target.

And Selene—

A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched my lips.

Selene would be useful.

Jealousy was predictable.

Predictable things were easy to manipulate.

Easy to break.

I straightened, smoothing my expression back into perfect composure.

There was work to do.

A role to play.

And a kingdom to dismantle.

One careful move at a time.