Chapter Two

The gates of the Shadowmoon estate loomed before me like the entrance to hell itself.

Marcus had barely said two words during the hour-long drive, and I'd spent the entire time rehearsing what I would say to Dante. How I would maintain control. How I wouldn't let him see how much this place still affected me.

But the moment the car pulled through those iron gates, every carefully constructed wall I'd built crumbled.

Nothing had changed.

The mansion still sprawled across the hilltop like a sleeping beast. The gardens were still immaculate. The fountain in the circular driveway still featured a massive wolf carved from black marble, water pouring from its open jaws.

I'd scrubbed those steps once. On my hands and knees while other pack members walked past without a second glance.

"We're here," Marcus said unnecessarily.

I grabbed my bag—a single duffel that held everything I owned—and stepped out of the car. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the estate, and I could feel eyes watching me from the windows.

The pack knew I was back.

And they were probably wondering why the hell their Alpha King had brought back his rejected mate.

"This way." Marcus gestured toward the main entrance.

The double doors swung open before we reached them, and a woman appeared. She was tall, blonde, and gorgeous in a predatory way that immediately put my wolf on edge.

"So you're the famous Aria." Her smile was all teeth, no warmth. "I'm Vanessa. Dante's... friend."

Friend. Right.

The way she emphasized the word made it clear she was much more than that.

"Nice to meet you," I lied, forcing a polite smile.

Vanessa's eyes raked over me, assessing, judging. "You're smaller than I expected. I thought the Alpha King's mate would be more... impressive."

Selene snarled in my head. Let me out. I'll show her impressive.

"Former mate," I corrected coolly. "He rejected me, remember?"

"Oh, I remember." Vanessa stepped closer, her voice dropping. "Everyone remembers. You were the weak little omega who fainted when he rejected the bond. Quite the spectacle."

My hands clenched into fists, but I kept my expression neutral. "If you'll excuse me—"

"Vanessa."

The single word cracked through the air like a whip.

Dante stood at the top of the grand staircase, his presence commanding every inch of space. He'd changed from his suit into dark jeans and a black t-shirt that did absolutely nothing to hide the muscular build underneath.

His golden eyes locked onto Vanessa with clear warning.

"I didn't realize you'd be stopping by," he said, his tone glacial.

Vanessa's confident demeanor faltered slightly. "I thought I'd welcome your... guest."

"She's not a guest. She's my contracted Luna." Dante descended the stairs, each step deliberate. "And you're leaving. Now."

"Dante, I was just—"

"Now, Vanessa."

The command in his voice made even me flinch. This wasn't a request. It was an Alpha order, laced with enough power that Vanessa's wolf would have no choice but to submit.

She shot me a venomous look before turning on her heel and stalking out the door.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Dante stopped three steps above me, using the height advantage to its fullest. "Ignore her. She doesn't matter."

"Could've fooled me," I muttered.

His eyes narrowed. "What was that?"

I lifted my chin. "Nothing. Where's my room?"

"Our room."

My stomach dropped. "Excuse me?"

"Did you not read the contract?" Dante descended the final steps, stopping so close I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. "You'll share my residence and my bed for the duration of our agreement."

"I read it. I assumed you'd have the decency to give me my own space."

"You assumed wrong." He reached out, his fingers brushing a strand of hair from my face. The touch sent electricity racing down my spine, and I hated my body's immediate response. "We need to convince the pack this is real, Isabella. That means we share everything."

I jerked away from his touch. "Don't call me that."

"It's your name."

"My name is Aria. Isabella is what you called me when you rejected me."

Something flickered in his eyes—regret, maybe, or pain—but it was gone before I could identify it.

"Fine. Aria." He stepped back, gesturing to Marcus. "Show her to our room. Dinner is in an hour. Don't be late."

He turned and walked away, leaving me standing in the foyer with my heart racing and my wolf howling for things I couldn't give her.

Marcus cleared his throat. "This way, Miss Kane."

I followed him up the grand staircase, down a hallway lined with portraits of past Alphas, until we stopped in front of massive double doors at the end of the corridor.

"The Alpha's suite," Marcus said, pushing them open.

The room was enormous. A California king bed dominated the space, covered in black silk sheets. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the forest. A sitting area with leather couches occupied one corner, and three doors led to what I assumed were a bathroom and closets.

"Your belongings will be unpacked shortly," Marcus said. "If you need anything, there's a phone by the bed. Dial zero for the house staff."

He left before I could respond, closing the doors with a soft click.

I dropped my duffel bag and walked to the windows, pressing my forehead against the cool glass.

What the hell had I gotten myself into?

The door opened behind me.

"We need to talk."

I didn't turn around. "I'm not sleeping in your bed, Dante."

"Yes, you are." His footsteps approached. "The pack has wolves with enhanced senses. They'll know if we're not sharing a room. They'll know if the bond isn't... active."

I spun to face him. "The bond is broken. You rejected me."

"I know what I did." His jaw clenched. "But a rejected bond can be rekindled if both parties are willing."

"I'm not willing."

"You don't have to be willing." He moved closer, backing me against the window. "You just have to pretend. Can you do that, Aria? Can you pretend for six months?"

His scent surrounded me—pine and smoke and something uniquely him that made my wolf purr despite my anger.

"Why did you really bring me back?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "You could've found any she-wolf to play Luna. Why me?"

Dante's hand came up, his palm resting against the window beside my head. "Because you're mine."

"I'm not—"

"You are." His other hand gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. "You've always been mine, Aria. The rejection doesn't change that. The distance doesn't change that. And the fact that you hate me... doesn't change that."

"You're delusional."

"Maybe." His thumb traced my bottom lip, and I hated how my breath caught. "But in six months, we'll see who's really in control here."

He released me and stepped back, his expression returning to its usual cold mask.

"Dinner. One hour. Wear something appropriate." He headed for the door, then paused. "And Aria? Welcome home."

The door closed, and I was alone again.

I slid down the window until I was sitting on the floor, my hands shaking.

This was a mistake. A terrible, horrible mistake.

But twenty million dollars was freedom.

And if I had to spend six months in hell to get it... then so be it.

I just had to make sure I didn't lose myself in the process.

***

Exactly one hour later, I stood outside the dining room doors, smoothing down the simple black dress I'd found hanging in the closet. It fit perfectly, which meant Dante had already had someone size me up.

Controlling bastard.

I pushed open the doors and froze.

The dining table seated at least thirty people, and every seat was filled.

Dante sat at the head, his eyes finding mine immediately. He stood, and everyone else followed suit.

"My Luna has arrived," he announced, his voice carrying through the room. "Aria, come."

It wasn't a request.

I walked the length of the table, feeling every pair of eyes tracking my movement. Some were curious. Some were hostile. A few were outright disgusted.

I recognized some faces from three years ago. They'd laughed when Dante rejected me. They'd watched me fall apart and done nothing.

And now they had to call me Luna.

Dante pulled out the chair to his right—the Luna's seat—and waited.

I sat, and he leaned down, his lips brushing my ear. "Smile, little wolf. They're watching."

I smiled. It felt like breaking glass.

Dante sat, and everyone else followed.

"This is my Beta, Marcus," Dante gestured to the man on his left. "You've met. And this is my Gamma, Vincent."

A dark-haired man with scars crisscrossing his face nodded at me. "Luna."

The word felt wrong coming from him.

Dante continued introducing pack members, but I stopped listening after the first few. There were too many names, too many faces, too many people who remembered the weak omega I used to be.

"Now," Dante said, his hand moving to rest on my thigh under the table. "Let's eat."

I nearly jumped at the contact, but his grip tightened—a warning to stay still.

Servers brought out course after course of food I barely tasted. Conversation flowed around me, pack business and territory disputes and things I had no context for.

Dante's hand never left my thigh.

"So, Luna," a female voice said from across the table. "What have you been doing these past three years?"

I looked up to find a she-wolf with red hair and a cruel smile watching me.

"Working," I said simply.

"Working?" She laughed. "How... quaint. Most Lunas don't need to work."

"I wasn't a Luna," I reminded her. "I was rejected."

The table went silent.

Dante's hand squeezed my thigh hard enough to bruise. "Aria and I have reconciled," he said, his voice cutting through the tension. "The past is irrelevant."

"Of course, Alpha," the she-wolf said, but her eyes promised this conversation wasn't over.

The rest of dinner passed in uncomfortable silence.

When the final course was cleared, Dante stood. "Aria is tired from her journey. We'll be retiring early."

I wanted to argue, but the look in his eyes told me not to push.

We walked back to the suite in silence, his hand on the small of my back like he owned me.

The moment the bedroom door closed, I rounded on him.

"Don't ever touch me like that again."

"Like what?" He shrugged off his jacket, unbuttoning his shirt. "Like you're mine?"

"I'm not yours!"

"You keep saying that." He pulled the shirt off, revealing a torso covered in tattoos and scars. "But your wolf doesn't agree."

He was right, and I hated it.

Selene was practically begging to go to him, to touch him, to—

"Where am I sleeping?" I asked, desperate to change the subject.

Dante gestured to the bed. "There."

"And you?"

"Also there." He unbuckled his belt, and I quickly turned around.

"I'm not sleeping next to you."

"Then sleep on the couch." I heard the zipper of his jeans. "But know that come morning, everyone in this house will know we didn't share a bed. And they'll question why their Alpha and Luna aren't acting like mates."

I squeezed my eyes shut. "This is ridiculous."

"This is the deal you agreed to." The bed creaked as he got in. "Now get changed and get over here. I don't bite. Much."

Twenty million dollars. Six months. I could do this.

I changed in the bathroom, pulling on the silk pajamas that had also mysteriously appeared in my size. When I emerged, Dante was already under the covers, his eyes closed.

I climbed into the opposite side of the bed, staying as far from him as possible.

"Goodnight, Aria," he murmured.

I didn't respond.

But as I lay there in the darkness, inches from the man who destroyed me, I made myself a promise.

This was temporary. A business arrangement. Nothing more.

I wouldn't let him break me again.

Even if my wolf was already singing for him.

Even if my traitorous body wanted nothing more than to close the distance between us.

I was stronger than I used to be.

And Dante Russo was about to learn that the hard way.