Chapter 3 ILL-TIMED PASSION
The Archive key card felt like fire in my palm. Lukas had slipped away into the shadows, but I remained, frozen behind the marble column, waiting for Dorian’s guards to clear the main hall. The Law of the Shadow Age. The truth that Dorian had sealed his own power had fundamentally changed my plan.
Just as I prepared to move, the booming voice of Elder Marius, the Head of the Council, echoed down the corridor, freezing my heartbeat. Several Council members followed Marius; their faces tight with anxiety and objection.
"Volcan! We have been patient long enough! Rumors of your vulnerability are spreading. The future of the Pack is at risk. You must either choose a mate by dawn, proving the stability of your lineage, or the Council will call for a Challenge!"
(THE ABRUPT DISPLAY OF PASSION AND THE COUNCIL'S SHOCK)
A tense silence descended. Dorian's response was low, laced with contempt, but undeniably resolute.
"I have already chosen my mate, Elder," Dorian’s voice cut through the tension. "The lineage is secure. The future Luna has been selected."
Marius's brows furrowed. "Who? From which noble family? To whom did you swear your fealty?"
"She is my assistant," Dorian declared, without the slightest hesitation. He raised his voice for the rest of the Pack to hear. "Serra."
My name. I heard my own name as if it were a foreign language. The sudden surge of my suppressed Red Alpha power trembled at this unexpected revelation, threatening to shatter my disguise. Ignoring Marius and the accompanying Council members, Dorian walked slowly towards me, pulled me from the safety of the column, and wrapped his arms around my waist.
"She is the mate who proves I am incapable of making a weak choice," Dorian roared.
The old Council members exchanged bewildered glances. This wasn't a decision; it was an insult. Choosing a Beta as the High Luna was an open challenge to the Council's authority.
"This is ridiculous!" Marius's voice rose in anger. "This undermines the foundations of the Pack! Volcan, retract—"
Dorian cut Marius off. His gaze left the Council and locked onto mine. His face reflected not the anger of the moment, but the savage hunger of an Alpha desiring his mate. In front of the stunned, furious audience, he suddenly pulled me close and pressed his lips against mine.
The kiss was not an act of affection; it was a loud declaration of possession. The pressure on my jawline was his effort to control the force of the kiss. The scent of rosemary and fuel overwhelmed my senses. While the Wolf inside me instantly wanted to submit to this dominance, my human side fought fiercely.
He finally pulled back. His breath mingled with mine, hot and dangerous. His eyes were the color of flame, glowing with triumph, yet beneath his surface was concealed a calculated rage.
"Are you satisfied, Elder?" Dorian asked, his tone mocking. "I assume an Alpha does not require a lengthy Council meeting to choose his mate."
Marius’s face was purple with disbelief. His eyes flickered to me—the hapless assistant caught in this sudden, fiery union. Apparently, the Council had been forced to accept this crisis of passion as a display of Dorian's ultimate power.
(THE PRIVATE STUDY: SHARED ENEMY)
Dorian seized my arm and practically dragged me into his private study. The door slammed shut behind us. The thick wood cut off the stunned whispers of the Pack.
"What do you think you’re doing?" I asked, tearing off the Beta mask with a sudden movement. My voice was low and furious. "You’ve ruined us! Now everyone will scrutinize me because they believe in this 'irresistible attraction'!"
Dorian calmly removed his jacket and tossed it onto a chair. The muscles in his arm tensed. "It was my cover, Serra," he corrected, his voice dangerously serene. "The only way to prevent the Council from questioning me was to show my choice was based on a passion that was irrational but irresistible. Them choosing a Beta would lead to suspicion of me. Now, they will suspect not me, but my weak choice."
He pushed a parchment across the mahogany desk. The contract was simple, stark, and terrifying.
"Sign it," he commanded. "This is the contract of our engagement role. To the outside world, you are the Luna I couldn't resist. Inside, you are the biggest risk under my surveillance."
Dorian reached across the desk, his eyes locked on mine. "I won't tell you the truth, and you won't tell me the truth. We have no common ground, Serra, only a common enemy: anyone who desires my power. This engagement is my way to keep you in plain sight. Your way is to gain access to me."
"What does the contract entail?" I asked, my throat tight.
"Simple. You will reside in my private quarters throughout the engagement. And you will obey me." Dorian emphasized this part. "The only story circulating outside is that you desire me wildly and broke all the rules because of it. That puts anyone who tries to separate you from me into the position of a traitor."
My hand gripped the edge of the desk. There was a knock on the door. The Council’s next move.
"We don't have much time. Sign it. Either you sign and survive, gaining access to me for your mission, or I hand you over to the Council as a spy and watch them torture you. The choice is yours."
I looked at him defiantly, the anger in my heart fueling the power of the Red Alpha within. I grabbed the pen. Yes, this was a trap. But it was also the key to his power constraint.
"I sign," I said, my voice resolute. "But remember, Dorian. My reason for hating you is not a lie. That hatred is real. And I will be the one who hurts you the most."
A predatory delight appeared on Dorian's face. He reached across the desk and gently cupped my chin. This touch was now less about authority and more about a terrifying promise of intimacy and danger.
"That's what I was looking for," Dorian murmured, his voice filled with passion and threat. "Hatred. Tonight, everyone will see how much I desire my Luna. Welcome to my life, Luna. Be ready to play the role."