CHAPTER 5

(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 did.

I took a deep breath, tied my hair up, and slipped on the black mask he demanded I wear. The moment it touched my face, anger burned through me again. It wasn’t just cloth — it was a reminder that he owned my freedom, even my face.

Two guards escorted me down the long hallway. The walls were lined with paintings of the Phoenix Pack’s past Alphas — all men who looked like they were born to rule and destroy.

When we reached the office, Cullen was already there, sitting behind his desk, his eyes on some papers. He didn’t look up when I entered.

“You called,” I said.

His eyes finally met mine — calm, cold, unreadable. “Sit.”

I stayed standing. “I prefer to stand.”

A faint smirk touched his lips. “Always difficult.”

“Always honest.”

He leaned back in his chair. “You signed the contract.”

“I did.”

“Then you understand the rules.”

“I understand them,” I said. “Doesn’t mean I respect them.”

He raised a brow. “Careful, Séraphine. You’re walking on fire.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have invited me into the flames.”

He chuckled softly — that deep, controlled laugh that made the air feel thicker. “Tell me something,” he said. “Why did you agree? I know you hate me. You could’ve chosen death.”

I looked straight at him. “Maybe I wanted to see what kind of man kills hundreds and still sleeps at night.”

His jaw tightened, just slightly. “Careful what you look for.”

“I already found it,” I said. “A monster with a pulse.”

For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The tension between us felt sharp enough to cut.

Then he stood, walked around the desk, and stopped in front of me. I didn’t move. He was close enough that I could feel his warmth, smell the faint trace of whiskey and smoke on his skin.

“You’ll learn to behave,” he said quietly. “You’ll learn what happens when you test me.”

“And you’ll learn I don’t scare easily.”

Something flickered in his eyes — interest, maybe even respect. Then he stepped back. “You’ll have your own room, your own meals, your own guard detail. I’ll give you what you need, not what you want. Stay out of trouble, and you’ll keep your privileges.”

I laughed softly. “Privileges? You mean captivity with furniture?”

He smirked. “You can call it what you like.”

“I call it pathetic,” I said, turning to leave.

“Séraphine,” he said, voice low but firm. I froze.

When I looked back, his gaze locked with mine — strong, steady, dark.

“Whatever game you think you’re playing,” he said, “remember who wrote the rules.”

I smiled under the mask. “Then you better remember who breaks them.”

I walked out before he could reply.

That night, I stared out the window of my room. The forest beyond the mansion looked peaceful, but I knew monsters hid in peace too.

Somewhere out there, a few survivors from my pack might still be alive — if I could find them, if I could reach them.

So I made myself a promise.

I’d play his game.

I’d act like the obedient captive he wanted.

I’d wear the mask.

Smile when he watched.

Obey when he ordered.

But inside, I’d be waiting.

Watching.

Planning.

Because someday soon, the Alpha who thought he owned me…

would fall to the woman he spared.