Chapter 8 Blackthorn Alpha’s Pack

KATNISS

Everyone warned me about Hassan Blackthorn.

Nobody warned me about the silence that followed when he entered a room.

It wasn't a normal, respectful quiet.

It was a suffocating, heavy drop in atmospheric pressure that made your knees want to buckle. The massive obsidian arches of the Blackthorn stronghold loomed overhead, casting long, predatory shadows over the polished stone floors.

In the Ashbourne Pack, we valued diplomacy.

Our halls were filled with the soft music of corporate galas, the chatter of politicians, and the sweet scent of expensive perfumes designed to mask our true beasts.

But here?

The Blackthorn Pack smelled of raw iron, heavy leather, cold steel, and absolute, unyielding discipline. Soldiers stood at perfect attention along the black corridors, their eyes tracking my movements like weapons locking onto a target.

"Keep your head up, Katniss," Hassan murmured, his deep baritone cutting through the silence without breaking it. He walked half a step ahead of me, his tailored black suit looking sharp against the brutalist architecture of his home. "They are testing your scent. If they smell fear, this alliance is dead before the sun sets."

"I don't sweat under pressure, Blackthorn," I hissed back, forcing my shoulders to square as my silver-gray eyes swept over the armed guards. "But a little fucking warning about the welcoming committee would have been nice."

"This is the warm welcome," a dry, mocking voice called out from the end of the grand council chamber.

A tall, broad-shouldered wolf with sharp amber eyes and a scarred jawline leaned against a massive oak table. He wore a dark military tactical vest over a plain black shirt, radiating an intense, lethal authority that could only belong to one man.

Kael Thornridge. Hassan’s Beta and the second-in-command of the most feared military force in the supernatural world.

"Beta Thornridge," Hassan acknowledged, his voice an even, unreadable rasp as he took his seat at the head of the long table. He gestured to the empty leather chair to his right, the seat reserved for a Luna. "Sit, Katniss."

I didn't hesitate. I pulled the heavy chair out and sat down, meeting Kael’s piercing amber gaze without flinching.

Hassan glanced at Kael, then at the map spread across the table. "I have an emergency border briefing with the Gamma vanguard. Look after our guest, Kael. And do not test my patience."

With a subtle shift of his shoulders, Hassan rose and exited the chamber through a side door, leaving the two of us entirely alone. The heavy click of the lock resonated through the room like a gunshot.

"So," Kael started, crossing his massive arms over his chest as he walked slowly toward my side of the table. "The Ashbourne heiress. The golden girl who was supposed to marry Damien Ravenscar in less than forty-eight hours. You’ve got a lot of fucking nerve showing up in our territory, Lady Katniss."

"I go where my pack's survival dictates, Beta," I replied coldly, my tone dripping with absolute certainty. "And right now, that survival is tied to this contract."

"A contract," Kael scoffed, a dark, dangerous chuckle escaping his throat. "You think you can just march in here, whip up a handwritten piece of garbage, and use my Alpha as a goddamn meat shield? We know your pack's history. You people talk, you negotiate, you sign pretty treaties. We bleed. We don't play political games with jilted brides."

"I am not a jilted bride, you arrogant bastard," I snapped, my silver eyes flashing violently as a raw wave of fury hit my chest.

The phantom memory of my past life—the betrayal, the cold silver blade—burned behind my eyelids.

"Damien Ravenscar is a snake who is planning a hostile takeover of my family's land. I didn't run here because I'm scared. I came here because I am smart enough to know that a unified front between Blackthorn and Ashbourne completely castrates his military advance."

Kael stopped pacing, leaning down until his sharp face was inches from mine. The scent of ozone and crushed pine rolled off him. He wasn't trying to insult me, I realized. He was protecting his Alpha. He was checking for a blade in the dark.

"I don't give a shit about Ravenscar," Kael said in a deadly, quiet whisper. "My only job is to ensure that whatever drama you're running from doesn't bring a multi-front war to our doorsteps. Hassan is ruthless, yes, but he cares about his people. Every single wolf in this territory would die for him because he earned their loyalty, not because they fear him. If you hurt him, or if you bring ruin to this pack, I will personally tear your throat out. Understood?"

I stared back at him, the realization sinking in heavy and deep. I had spent my first life surrounded by sycophants and liars who followed Damien out of greed or fear.

But looking at Kael, and seeing the absolute, unyielding devotion in his eyes, I realized Hassan wasn't just a tyrant. He was a true leader. His people didn't serve a monster; they served a king.

"I didn't come here to ruin you, Kael," I said, my voice dropping into a fierce, steady register. "I came here to win. And if you want to keep your Alpha safe, you'll stop growling at me and start looking at the border maps."

The heavy oak doors opened, and a trio of high-ranking Blackthorn elders walked into the room, followed closely by Hassan. One of the older wolves, a graying Alpha named Elder Vance, slammed a folder onto the table, his face twisted in deep disapproval.

"This is madness, Alpha Hassan!" Vance barked, ignoring my presence entirely. "The Ravenscar alliance is recognized by the Alpha Council! Forcing our way into the middle of this union is a direct violation of territorial neutrality. Why are we risking our enforcers for an Ashbourne girl whose own inner wolf is completely silent? She is defective! She cannot even lead her own people, let alone ours!"

The word defective echoed through the chamber, sharp and insulting. A hot, volatile shame flared in my chest, my hands clenching into fists under the table. They knew. They all knew my wolf was dormant.

Great.

I opened my mouth to lash out, to defend my honor, but a sudden wave of raw, paralyzing power flooded the entire room, instantly crushing the oxygen from the air.

Hassan stepped forward, his dark gray eyes flashing a lethal, predatory silver. The absolute, suffocating dominance radiating from him made Elder Vance instantly take a step back, his jaw snapping shut in pure, primal submission.

"Watch your fucking tongue, Vance," Hassan rumbled, his voice low, dark, and utterly terrifying. He stood right behind my chair, his large hand coming down to rest firmly on the back of my seat, a possessive, dangerous gesture that made my breath catch. "You will not insult her in my presence again. Katniss Ashbourne brought me a strategic blueprint that secures our eastern flank for the next decade. Her wolf's condition is none of your goddamn business."

Vance swallowed hard, bowing his head quickly. "My apologies, Alpha. I only meant—"

"I don't care what you meant," Hassan interrupted coldly. "The contract is signed under pack law. The alliance is absolute. Anyone who questions her authority questions mine. Am I making myself clear?"

A chorus of tense, submissive murmurs echoed from the elders. Even Kael looked impressed, a slow, approving nod passing between him and his Alpha.

An hour later, the briefing concluded, and the room emptied out, leaving only Hassan and me standing near the massive stone hearth. The crackle of the fire cast long, dancing shadows across his sharp jawline.

I turned to face him, crossing my arms as I looked up into his unreadable gray eyes. "Why did you do that?"

Hassan adjusted the lapel of his black suit, his expression completely Returning to that cold, impenetrable mask. "Do what?"

"Don't play dumb, Hassan," I said, a frustrated, breathless laugh escaping my lips. "You could have let them interrogate me. You could have used my dormant wolf as leverage to demand more silver-tech from my father. Instead, you shut them down. You defended me. Why the hell would you protect a woman you just met, especially when our contract explicitly says no emotional entanglements?"

Hassan took a slow, deliberate step toward me, his massive frame completely trapping me between his heat and the warmth of the hearth.

The intoxicating scent of cedarwood and heavy ozone flared between us, making my skin prickle with an intense, chaotic energy.

He leaned down slightly, his dark gray eyes drilling straight into my soul, stripping away every single defense I had left.

"Because… you are my future Luna."