THE ALPHA'S MISTRESS

(Cullen’s POV)The forest was burning and people were running helter skelter.The flames crawled over trees, licking the bark of trees and bone alike, turning everything into glowing ruins. Smoke thickened the air, choking the stars, painting the night sky with red and black. The howls of dying wolves echoed through the valley — long, raw, broken.Cullen Blackthorne walked through it all with slow, steady steps commanding respect and power.His boots crunched over ash and fallen bodies. His eyes were cold, sharp, but the fire reflected in them made him look almost inhuman. He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. His warriors knew what to do.The Phoenix Pack moved like shadows — silent, ruthless.Every swing of a sword, every crack of bone, every scream that died out behind him… it was all part of his vengeance.“Burn it all,” he said. His voice was low but heavy enough to silence the wind.The Silver Moon Pack deserved this. They had destroyed his bloodline, murdered his father, and left

(Cullen’s POV)Morning light cut through the curtains of my office, but it didn’t feel like morning. It felt heavy — the kind of quiet that crawls into your bones after a night of too many thoughts. I hadn’t slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her.Séraphine.Her name had stuck to my mind like smoke after fire. I’d tried to shake it off, but it only burned deeper. She shouldn’t matter — not to me, not after what her pack did to my family. Yet something about her wouldn’t let go.I stood by the window, looking out at the forest that stretched beyond Phoenix territory. It was peaceful now, calm, obedient — everything I’d built it to be. My pack lived by discipline, strength, and silence. I ruled it that way.But peace had never felt so damn loud.A soft knock came at the door.“Come in,” I said.Darius stepped in, his expression sharp as always. “She’s awake.”I didn’t have to ask who. “And?”“She refuses to eat. Tried to fight the guards again this morning.” He crossed his arms.

(Séraphine’s POV)I didn’t sleep that night.I just lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling of the room they gave me. It was too quiet. Too clean. It didn’t smell like home — it smelled like control. Every piece of furniture screamed power, and every corner reminded me whose house I was in.Cullen Blackthorne.The man who burned my world.And now, I was under his roof — his “mistress” on paper, his captive in truth.I pressed my hands over my chest, feeling the steady beat of my heart. I hated that I was alive while my people weren’t. I hated that the reason I was breathing was because he wanted me to.But I wasn’t staying alive for him.No. I had my own plan.If he thought I accepted the offer to survive, he was wrong. I accepted it to get closer — to learn his weaknesses, to find the cracks in his armor. The moment I found them, I’d strike where it hurt the most.The knock on my door came early.“Miss Séraphine,” a guard said from outside. “The Alpha wants to see you.”Of course, he

(Séraphine’s POV)I didn’t plan on seducing him.Not at first.But I needed information, and Cullen wasn’t the type of man who talked because you asked nicely. He guarded his secrets the same way he guarded his power — tight, controlled, and behind tall walls.The only time he loosened was when I got under his skin.So I used that.I waited until late evening, after dinner, when the mansion got quiet. The hallways were empty except for the guards who pretended not to look at me but clearly watched every step I took.Cullen’s office door was slightly open.Perfect.I knocked once and stepped inside before he answered.He looked up sharply.He wasn’t wearing a jacket, just a black shirt with the top buttons undone. His sleeves were rolled, veins visible on his forearms. He looked tired in a way I didn’t normally see. Human, almost.“What do you want, Séraphine?” he asked.Not harsh. Not soft. Just cautious.I stepped in slowly, closing the door behind me, and the air around us changed i

(Cullen’s POV)Kai was laughing.That was the first thing I heard when I stepped into the west courtyard.I didn’t like how it sounded.What is so funny that he is laughing at?.Él was leaning against the railing, relaxed, easygoing — the complete opposite of what Séraphine did to people. But somehow, she was standing close to him, her head slightly tilted, her voice low like she was sharing something quiet.Wrong.Everything about that picture was wrong.Kai straightened when he saw me. “Alpha cullen.”Séraphine didn’t move when she saw me. She just looked at me, her mask in place, but her eyes… sharp. Watching me closely.“Patrol report,” I said to Kai, even though I barely cared about patrols at that moment.Kai cleared his throat. “Everything is stable. No border activity.”I nodded, still staring at Séraphine. She didn’t look guilty. She didn’t look nervous. She just looked… calm,not afraid.Her reaction stayed calm.“What were you two talking about?” I asked,wanting to know what