CHAPTER 4

(Séraphine’s POV)

Night came faster than I expected.

I didn’t eat. Didn’t sleep. I just sat by the window, watching the moon rise above the trees — the same moon that once meant freedom. Now it only reminded me of the life I lost.

Every now and then, I caught myself thinking about his offer. Two years as his mistress. Two years in this place, under his rules, under his eyes. It sounded like hell.

But what if hell was exactly where I needed to be?

Because Cullen wasn’t just any Alpha. He was the Alpha — the one who wiped out the Silver Moon Pack. The one who killed my father. The one whose name made warriors tremble.

And now I was in his home.

Alive.

That had to mean something.

I turned my gaze back to the contract lying on the table. I’d picked it up again earlier, read every line carefully. Beneath the arrogance and control, I noticed something strange — a weakness.

He needed me alive.

He could’ve killed me a hundred times, but he didn’t. Instead, he made rules, created conditions, wrote down every boundary he wanted me to obey. It wasn’t just control. It was fear. Maybe not of me — but of what I could become if he didn’t cage me properly.

That was my chance.

If he thought I’d bend, I’d make him believe it. I’d let him think I was giving in, while I learned everything I could about this place — his guards, his secrets, his mind.

And when the time was right, I’d destroy him the same way he destroyed my pack.

I reached for the pen beside the contract. My hand hovered above it for a long moment. My heart beat fast — too fast.

This wasn’t surrender.

This was strategy.

I signed my name slowly, the ink dragging across the paper. “You wanted a mistress, Alpha,” I whispered. “You just got a traitor in disguise.”

The knock came not long after. “Alpha wants to see you,” a voice said from outside.

I folded the contract neatly and opened the door. The guard’s eyes flicked to my face — I wasn’t wearing the mask. He looked startled.

“He said—”

“I know what he said,” I interrupted. “Lead the way.”

He didn’t argue. He just turned and walked.

The halls were quiet, dimly lit. Every sound echoed — my footsteps, my breath, the slow, deep rhythm of my heartbeat. By the time we reached Cullen’s office, my pulse was a steady drum.

The guard opened the door and stepped aside. I walked in.

Cullen was standing by the fire again, hands in his pockets. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, veins visible along his forearms. He didn’t look up immediately. When he did, his eyes went straight to my uncovered face.

“So you decided to break the first rule already,” he said calmly.

“I decided to stop hiding.”

“From me?”

“From myself.”

He studied me for a moment, his expression unreadable. “I thought I made myself clear.”

“You did,” I said, stepping closer. “And I thought about it. All of it. The contract. Your offer.”

His brows lifted slightly. “And?”

“I signed it.”

That got his attention. He turned fully now, eyes narrowing. “You did what?”

“I signed it,” I repeated, holding the paper out. “Two years. I’ll play your little game.”

He took the paper from me, scanning it like he didn’t quite believe it. “You changed your mind fast.”

“Maybe I just realized it’s better to live than rot in a cage.”

He smirked slightly, though I could tell he didn’t buy that completely. “Smart choice.”

I tilted my head, letting my tone go cool. “Don’t mistake survival for submission, Alpha.”

For a second, something flashed in his eyes — a mix of curiosity and warning. He stepped closer, close enough that I could feel his breath.

“You’ll learn,” he murmured. “One way or another.”

“Maybe,” I said. “Or maybe you will.”

The silence between us thickened again. It was always like that — heavy, charged, as if every word we didn’t say was louder than the ones we did.

He finally broke it by taking the signed contract and placing it back on the desk. “Your room will be guarded from now on. You’ll get what you need. But remember — you belong to me while you’re here.”

I met his gaze and gave a small, defiant smile. “If that helps you sleep at night.”

Then I turned and walked out before he could say another word.

I didn’t look back, but I felt his eyes on me until the door closed.

Outside, I exhaled slowly. My hands were cold, but my mind was clear. The plan had started. I was inside his world now — close enough to learn everything.

He thought he’d captured me.

But he just gave me the perfect position to destroy him.

And if I had to play the part of his mistress to make that happen, then so be it.

Because by the time my two years were over…

Either Cullen would set me free — or I’d make sure he never ruled again.