Chapter 10

Chapter 10

~Lucien~

Damon stood in front of my desk, his face red with anger, his chest heaving like he’d just run a marathon.

“You’re being unreasonable, Father,” he said, his voice tight. “Completely unreasonable. You don’t see what’s happening here because you’re too blind to notice.”

“Enlighten me then,” I said calmly, leaning back in my chair. “What exactly am I not seeing?”

“Her!” Damon pointed at Selena without even looking at her. “She’s not who you think she is. She’s manipulative. Calculating. She’s playing you like a fool.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“Yes!” Damon slammed his hand on my desk. “She’s trying to seduce you, Father. Can’t you see that? She’s doing all of this—working here, dressing like that, acting so perfect—just to get back at me.”

Before I could respond, Selena’s voice cut through the room.

“That’s not true,” she said firmly, setting down her pen. “I’m just good at my job. The Alpha recognized my skills and gave me an opportunity. The only reason you have a problem with it is because you’re jealous.”

Damon’s head whipped around to glare at her. “Shut up. This conversation doesn’t concern you.”

“You just made it concern me by accusing me of things that aren’t true,” Selena replied, her voice steady and calm. She stood up from her chair. “You can’t handle the fact that I’m succeeding without you. That I’m moving on with my life while you’re stuck being bitter.”

“I said shut up!” Damon took a step toward her.

“That’s enough,” I said sharply, my Alpha voice filling the room.

But Selena wasn’t done. She looked Damon directly in the eye, her expression fearless.

“You know what your problem is, Damon? You’re nothing like your father. Alpha Lucien is reasonable. Calm. He thinks before he acts and treats people with respect.” She paused, letting her words sink in. “Maybe if you tried to be more like him, you wouldn’t be so miserable all the time.”

The room went completely silent.

I stared at Selena, genuinely impressed. She’d just put my son the future Alpha, a man most people were afraid to contradict—firmly in his place. And she’d done it with grace and confidence, without raising her voice or losing her composure.

Damon’s face had gone from red to almost purple. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, clearly searching for a response and finding none.

“I need to go try on my dress for this afternoon,” Selena said, her voice returning to its normal polite tone. She looked at me. “With your permission, Alpha Lucien?”

“Of course,” I said, unable to keep the hint of a smile off my face. “Take your time.”

Selena walked toward the door, her head held high. As she reached for the handle, Damon suddenly moved to follow her.

“Where do you think you’re going?” I asked, my voice cold and commanding.

Damon stopped, turning back to face me. “I’m not done talking to her.”

“Yes, you are.” I stood up from my desk, letting my full Alpha authority fill the room. “You will not follow her. You will not harass her. You will leave her alone. Is that clear?”

“Father, you can’t seriously—”

“Is. That. Clear?” I repeated, each word deliberate and heavy with power.

Damon’s wolf forced him to submit, his head bowing slightly even though I could see him fighting it. “Yes, Alpha.”

“Good. Now get out of my office.”

Damon shot me one last furious look before storming out, slamming the door behind him so hard the walls shook.

I sat back down, running a hand through my hair. My son was spiraling, letting his jealousy and wounded pride control him. And he was right about one thing—I was being unreasonable.

But not in the way he thought.

I was being unreasonable because I should have sent Selena away the moment I realized I was attracted to her. Should have put distance between us instead of pulling her closer. Should have protected both of us from this complication.

Instead, I was taking her to a horse racing event. Buying her dresses. Finding excuses to spend more time with her.

Because I didn’t want to let her go.

A few hours later, we arrived at the Silver Ridge racing track. The place was crowded with pack leaders, business associates, and wealthy spectators. The afternoon sun was bright, and the excitement in the air was palpable as people gathered around the betting booths.

“Lucien!” A voice called out.

I turned to see Marco, Alpha of the Shadow Creek pack, walking toward us with a wide grin. He was one of my business partners, and I’d known him for years.

“Marco,” I greeted him with a handshake. “Good to see you.”

“And you brought the lovely Selena again,” Marco said, his eyes moving to her appreciatively. “You’re becoming quite the fixture at these events, my dear.”

“It’s a pleasure to be here,” Selena replied gracefully.

“Have you placed your bet yet?” Marco asked, gesturing toward the horses being paraded in front of the crowd. “I’ve already put my money on the red player.”

I studied the horses carefully. There were five of them, each with a different colored saddle red, blue, green, yellow, and black. They all looked strong, well-trained.

But something felt off. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but none of them jumped out at me as a clear winner. They all seemed… odd.

“I’m not sure yet,” I admitted. “They all look decent, but I can’t decide.”

“Well, don’t take too long,” Marco laughed. “The race starts in ten minutes!” He clapped me on the shoulder and walked off to join some other pack leaders.

I continued studying the horses, trying to see something that would help me make a decision. But the more I looked, the more uncertain I became.

“You should bet on the blue player,” Selena said quietly beside me.

I looked at her in surprise. “The blue one? Why?”

“Look at him,” she said, nodding toward the blue-saddled horse being walked by his handler. “See how he’s moving? His head is up, his steps are confident. But more importantly, look at his breathing. It’s steady and calm.”

I watched the blue horse more carefully, seeing what she meant.

“Now look at the others,” Selena continued. “They look nervous .”

I stared at her. “How do you know all this?”

“I have an interest in horses,” she said with a small smile. “I used to volunteer at a stable when I was younger. You learn to read their body language, the blue player is the only one who looks genuinely ready to race. He’s less nervous than the others.”

I looked back at the horses, seeing them through her eyes now. She was right. The blue horse did look calmer, more focused.

“Alright,” I said, making my decision. “Blue it is.”

I placed my bet just as the announcement came that the race would begin in two minutes. Selena and I made our way to the viewing area, finding a good spot along the railing.

The horses were loaded into the starting gates. The crowd fell silent with anticipation.

Then the bell rang, and they were off.

The race was intense. The red horse took an early lead, just as Marcus had predicted, and I could hear him shouting encouragement from somewhere in the crowd. But as they rounded the first turn, the blue horse began to gain ground.

“Come on,” Selena whispered beside me, leaning forward against the railing.

The blue horse pulled ahead on the final stretch, his stride powerful and sure, crossing the finish line a full length ahead of the others.

The crowd erupted in cheers and groans, depending on who they’d bet on.

I turned to Selena, genuinely amazed. “You were right.”

She grinned. “I told you. He was less nervous than the others. That makes all the difference.”

“I’m impressed,” I said honestly. “Very impressed.”

“Thank you, Alpha Lucien.”

As we stood there, both smiling, I heard voices behind us. Female voices, speaking in loud whispers that were clearly meant to be overheard.

“Did you see her dress? So inappropriate.”

“I know, right? She’s obviously sleeping with him. How else would she get all this special treatment?”

“Poor thing probably thinks she actually has a chance with the Alpha. How pathetic.”

“She’s just his toy. He’ll get bored of her eventually.”