Selena's pov.

Make you mine?"  He said the words like he had never used them in his life then looked at me again with those eyes, a darkening blue like an ocean set to drown me. 

Perhaps I wouldn't mind. 

I shuddered at the effects of the mate bond, making me desire one of the men that had brought ruin to the southern werewolf packs. 

And of all of them the very worst. 

Ian Silvermoon. 

A giant of a man with pitch black hair, shoulders as long as valleys and a chest so broad it could pass as a bed where I'd lay my head and.... 

Enough 

My wolf that had been quiet for years was finally rising, to think what would make Razor speak to me would be a mundane mate bond? 

And to him of all people? 

The Southern packs could have won the war, but his arrival flipped the tables so hard that within a few months many packs had surrendered. Those that didn't had their pack razed to the ground. 

My pack refused to surrender. 

I lost everything and everyone I loved. 

Now this was my chance to avenge them. 

"Well, I'm your mate aren't I?" I said clicking my tongue against the roof of my mouth, "...or are you bothered by my slave status?"

He looked at me like I grew a second head, I've heard of several slaves been lifted because they're mate was of high status. 

Though I've never heard of any of them being made anything more than a concubine. 

I planned to change that. 

Most of my wounds had healed but I had that girl he asked to take care of me put me in this backless dress anyway and it was with wicked intent. Surely he too must be experiencing the heat reeling into the room because of the bond, I was an my shackles were doing their best to hinder that. 

"How did you come to the conclusion that we're mates?" He said standing up and heading to the window, as he did the words settled into my chest as gently as granite. 

Surely he wasn't denying the electric pulse we both must have felt when we touched? How he naturally held me without question. 

But staring at his annoyingly chiseled side profile I saw the face of a man that was as cool as a cucumber, he didn't look like he had just discovered something as life altering as his mate. 

No... That can't be... 

I got up, going closer but keeping some distance. 

This man had killed thousands of my people without blinking, I didn't want to be within arms reach and be next. 

"Then why have me brought up here? Into your personal chambers?"

He didn't look at me, just gripped the frames of the window. 

"I don't have to explain myself to you, all you have to do is that I don't approve of the way the slaves are being treated in this pack, so I'll be severing your contracts, then you have your freedom and-" 

I scoffed. 

Now he finally looked at me again. 

"Did you just scoff at me?" His eyes began to gradually turn a shade of gold the transition almost startling but I kept my facade of calm. 

"Can you hear yourself?" I couldn't hide the cold bitterness in my voice, It just came leaking through just like the blood that had spilled from my people. 

"... Even with our freedom there is nothing left for us in this world, Very few Southern packs still stand today. Many of them have been turned to rubble, the ones that remain are mere shells that are barely holding on. I don't have enough fingers to count how many time a slave was able to buy or snatch their freedom before they came back here telling us horror stories about how many of them just get captured and sold again...there's nothing for us out there, you Northerners made sure of it!"

My chest was rising and falling so fast, so much blood felt like it had pooled up in my head ready to explode. Breathing felt laborious but necessary all through it all he looked at me through the sickening silence. 

"The fourth Grand war took something from all of us," he said. 

I scoffed again, tasting saltiness on my lips... Tears? When was the last time I cried? 

"But you guys won, didn't you?"

His approached me, "Won? I was forced into a war thinking that I was at least protecting my people not to knowing that I was just working to benefit Some greedy old man who wanted land... I've lost friends family... Watching them drop like flies, and all for what?" He was now close enough that I couldn't help but inhale his scent. He probably couldn't scent me because of the silver shackle on my neck. 

But my mind swam through his words, I've never had to think about the other side. I had just generalized all of them as monsters because that made it easier to hate them. 

In the end the war had been because of a ridiculous boundary dispute that turned into something far worse. 

"Right now..."he continued, "I'm working to free all the slaves from their contracts to reestablish the southern packs,"

My eyes widened, I couldn't help it. "Why? So you'll sleep better at night?" My words came out harsher than intended. 

"Maybe," he responded to his eyes to fixate on mine. His gigantic frame eclipses everything as he inched closer, "...all I know is that I need someone who will strengthen my standing further, I don't have the privilege of settling for anything else."

I was now sure he was hiding something, Ian Silvermoon was arguably the leader of the Five Grand Alpha's how much more influence did he need?Was he really being sincere about all of this... What use would it be to lie? 

As I was thinking of all of this he placed his hand under my chin took a deep breath and began; "I, Ian Silvermoon, Grand Alpha of the Silvermoon pack reject you Selena as my mate, do you accept my rejection?"

I had never felt more sure of a response in my life. 

"No."