C2

"I’m here to receive one of the regional honors."

I mirrored Kael’s stance, pressing my spine against the cold obsidian of the Ironclaw Lift. I couldn't decide what burned more: the crushing disappointment of potentially missing my induction into the elite scouting ranks, or the fact that Kael Thornridge the Alpha of the very Dominion I bled for clearly had no idea who I was.

"Whoops," he rumbled.

He studied me for a heartbeat, his eyes narrowing. I felt a flicker of hope that maybe he’d recognize my stats from the Redridge Territory’s ice hockey league, or see the potential everyone said I had. But his gaze wasn't perceptive; it was predatory. It was the look of a wolf who had spotted something interesting in the brush, and 'whoops' was all the apology I was going to get.

"What did I expect?" I muttered, though only loud enough for a shifter's ears. "You were born at the peak of the mountain. You don't know what it’s like to claw your way up from the frozen base, one bloody fingernail at a time."

"Is that right? You think I don't value the climb?"

He was staring so intensely that I realized I'd spoken louder than I thought. I swallowed hard, realized this was my moment the goal of the entire night. I needed to make him remember the name Rowan Ashcroft. But before I could pitch my worth to the Dominion, he tilted his head, his nostrils flaring slightly.

"Actually, I was too busy wondering how much force it would take to snap the silk ties on that dress."

Heat flooded my face, racing from my throat to my hairline. I shouldn't have been surprised; the outfit was a calculated risk. Declan had practically forced me into this sleek, charcoal-grey leather-silk hybrid. It was a modern reimagining of traditional pack formalwear, featuring a double-slider silver zipper that traveled from the swell of my chest down to the hem, with a matching one tracing the curve of my spine. It was designed so I could adjust the neckline and the back to whatever level of provocation I desired. Declan had suggested I leave it low enough that a bra would be impossible, claiming every male in the Citadel would be scenting me all night.

"I suppose when you carry the Thornridge name, 'inappropriate' isn't a word that exists in your vocabulary."

The words were out before I could censor them. Kael’s dark brows shot up, and his jaw flexed, the muscle jumping beneath his groomed beard. Up close, he was devastating. His cheekbones were high and rugged, saved from being 'pretty' by the sheer masculinity of his scent heavy wood, mountain musk, and a sharp hit of ozone.

And his eyes. They were a haunting shade of storm-cloud grey, so piercing I wondered if they were a byproduct of his Alpha lineage. I almost stepped closer to see if they glowed in the dim light of the lift, before remembering my place.

"I guess I didn't realize I was being offensive," he said, his expression shifting from surprise to a slow, wicked silkiness. He knew I’d been staring at him like a pup at a legend. "But then again, the Alpha’s privilege is a heavy burden."

"I’m sure I overstepped"

"If I'm already being labeled a tyrant," Kael interrupted, his voice dropping an octave, "I might as well tell you what was actually crossing my mind."

I knew I should stay silent. I knew I should turn away. "What were you thinking, Alpha?"

He pushed off the wall. In two predatory strides, he was in my space, caging me against the steel and obsidian. He was so close I could feel the radiant heat of his body, smelling the raw power that rolled off him in waves.

"I was wondering if the Ironclaw Lift would stay stuck long enough for me to see exactly how that zipper works... and find out if the rumors about Redridge wolves being fire-blooded are true."

His eyes dropped to the valley of my chest, lingering on the silver tab of the zipper. "Especially the parts you've chosen to keep hidden."

Great Mother.

This was the reality of the high-stakes world of the Dominion. It wasn't just about ice hockey or power—it was the raw, unchecked dominance he radiated. I should have been appalled. I should have felt hunted.

But the frantic thudding in my veins wasn't fear. It was a challenge.

The lift jolted suddenly, resuming its climb.

"I suppose the Fates saved you." Kael didn't back away immediately. He let his teeth graze his lower lip, a dark, fleeting look of hunger crossing his face. "A damn shame."

The doors slid open at the sixty-third floor. Without another word or a backward glance, Kael stepped out into the light of the Moonspire Citadel, leaving me breathless in the corner of the lift. He moved as if our encounter had never happened, as if he hadn't just threatened to unravel me.

I stumbled out a moment later, my head spinning.

"Alpha! We fixed the dampener on the lift," I heard a guard say, bowing as Kael approached.

So he’d been in contact with them the whole time? He’d been playing with me just to kill the boredom.

"Rowan! There you are!" Declan Voss was pacing by the entrance to the hall, looking like he was ready to shift right there on the carpet. "Was that...? Did you just share a lift with Kael Thornridge?" His eyes were wide, vibrating with frantic energy. "Did you speak? Did you tell him about the stats?"

I watched Kael disappear into a sea of high-ranking wolves and Dominion officials.

"Rowan?"

"It doesn't matter, Declan." I smoothed my dress, feeling the cold metal of the zipper against my skin. "Let’s just get inside. We’re late."

"You look lethal, by the way. Well worth the panic attack." Declan ushered me into the Bloodmoon Gallery just as the horns sounded the start of the ceremony.

I needed a new strategy. If I wanted to survive the Thornridge Dominion, I couldn't just be a good athlete. I had to be a predator. Because if I wasn't careful, Kael Thornridge was going to tear me apart.

"Keep the mask on," Declan hissed. "High-ranking blood headed our way."

My face ached from three hours of forced smiles and champagne-fueled small talk. Every executive in the Nightfall Broadcast had stopped by to offer a generic 'congratulations' and a limp handshake. I was exhausted, my feet throbbing in my heels.

But when I saw who was approaching, my exhaustion vanished. "Is that Magnus Thornridge?"

"Rowan Ashcroft." Magnus, the Alpha's kin and a pillar of the Dominion, extended a hand. "Impressive work on the ice this season. Your award was hard-earned."

I was stunned. The chair of the entire Moonfang Network knew my name. I’d spent my life dreaming of this recognition. "The honor is mine, Mr. Thornridge. To be recognized by this pack, by leaders such as yourself... it’s everything I’ve worked for."

Magnus waved off the formality with a rugged laugh. "Call me Magnus. In this territory, we don't stand on 'Mister.' Even my father prefers the direct approach."