Chapter 2: In The Shadow Of The Beast

(Sera’s POV)

My heart is still racing when I walk away from him.

It’s not supposed to be like this. I’m not supposed to feel anything, especially not for someone like him. But here I am, my pulse erratic, my breath shallow, and my mind spinning in every direction. Lucian Hale, the Alpha of Silvermist Pack. The man who exudes power like a weapon, the one who’s not afraid to use it, and yet somehow... somehow, I can’t shake the thought of him.

Maybe it’s because of the way he looked at me, or maybe it’s the fire in his eyes that’s dangerous enough to burn everything in its path. But whatever it is, it stirs something deep inside me. Something I’ve kept buried for years.

I can’t afford to be distracted. Not now. Not when my mission is clear. I came here for a reason, and that reason isn’t to get tangled up in some Alpha’s games. I’m not interested in playing by their rules. And I’m certainly not here to fall for someone who thinks he can control me.

But the thing is, I didn’t come here to destroy Lucian. Not exactly. I came here to find the truth. To find the one responsible for my father’s death. The one who betrayed my family. I know the Silvermist Pack played a role in it. I just need to find out how and why.

Lucian’s presence makes everything more complicated, though. He makes it harder to focus, harder to breathe, and harder to hold onto my rage. I want to hate him. I want to hate everything about him, the way he carries himself like he owns the world, the way his eyes linger on me like I’m a puzzle he’s desperate to solve. But I can’t. I can’t hate him. Not yet.

I move through the halls of the Silvermist Packhouse, my footsteps quick and deliberate. I need to clear my head, to recalibrate. I know the other candidates are still in the training area, but I don’t have time for them. I don’t have time for anything except what I came here to do.

I turn a corner and nearly bump into someone. I look up, expecting to find one of the pack members, but instead, it’s Kade.

He’s standing there, arms crossed, looking as if he’s been waiting for me. His dark eyes watch me with a kind of intensity I can’t quite place.

"You seem... distracted," he says, his voice low and steady.

I raise an eyebrow. "And what does that mean?"

Kade steps closer, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "It means you’ve been watching the Alpha a little too closely."

I freeze, my heart skipping a beat. "I’m not here to entertain anyone, Kade. Least of all Lucian."

He doesn’t seem convinced. "I’m not talking about entertainment. I’m talking about something else. There’s something about the way you look at him... like you’re trying to figure him out. Like you’re waiting for him to do something wrong."

I take a step back, trying to put some distance between us. "You don’t know anything about me."

Kade holds up his hands, as if in surrender. "Maybe not. But I know enough to see when something’s off."

I want to argue with him, but I can’t find the words. He’s right, in a way. There is something off. I can’t help it. Lucian stirs something in me, something I’m not sure I want to feel. But I can’t let that interfere with my plans. I can’t let him be a distraction. Not when the stakes are so high.

"I didn’t come here to talk about Lucian," I say, my voice sharper than I intended. "I’m here to do what I came for."

Kade’s gaze softens just a fraction, but it’s enough to make me pause. "I know. But be careful, Sera. The more you stay in this pack, the more you’ll get tangled in its politics. And the more you’ll get tangled with him."

I don’t respond, not because I don’t have anything to say, but because I don’t know what to say. Kade’s words hang in the air between us, heavy with meaning. I want to brush them off. I want to tell him that I’m stronger than that. But the truth is, I’m already tangled up. The moment I set foot in this packhouse, I became a part of something much larger than I realized.

Before I can speak, Kade turns and walks away, his broad back disappearing into the shadows of the hallway. I stand there for a moment, still processing what he said. His words are a warning, I know that much. And yet, there’s something else behind them. Something I can’t quite figure out.

I don’t know if Kade is trying to protect me or if he’s just looking out for his Alpha. Either way, I can’t let his warnings get to me. I’m not here for them. I’m here for me. For my family. For revenge.

But as I walk toward the training grounds, my thoughts keep drifting back to Lucian. The way his gaze follows me, the weight of his presence, the fire that burns in him. I can’t shake the feeling that I’m in deeper than I ever thought.

The training grounds are just ahead, and I can already hear the sounds of wolves sparring. I push the door open, stepping into the open space, but my eyes immediately find him. Lucian. Standing at the edge of the arena, his broad shoulders stiff, his jaw clenched. He’s watching the trials, but there’s something about the way he watches them. It’s not just a leader overseeing his pack. It’s more... personal.

His eyes meet mine across the yard, and for a moment, everything around us falls away. The other candidates, the sounds of the sparring, the tension in the air, it all fades to the background. It’s just him. And me.

I don’t look away. I refuse to.

Lucian’s expression doesn’t change, but I feel it... the pull. Like we’re tethered to each other, even when we don’t want to be. I take a deep breath and force myself to look away first, focusing on the candidates as they train.

But I know one thing for sure: I’ll never be able to escape him. Not now. Not ever.

And as much as I hate to admit it, a part of me doesn’t want to.