The morning light pierced through the floor-to-ceiling windows, but its warmth failed to touch the chilling atmosphere of the master bedroom.
The air was thick with the scent of frozen cedar and dangerous predator—the unmistakable signature of Alpha Silas, the Lycan King and leader of the Silvermoon Pack.
Silas sat at the edge of the bed, his back bare, muscles rippling beneath skin mapped with jagged scars from a hundred battles.
Sienna knelt by the bedside, her professional suit meticulously pressed, her posture stiff.
As a low-ranking Omega, she barely dared to breathe.
Driven by the agonizing pull of the Mate Bond, she reached out with a trembling hand, following the primal instinct to comfort her Alpha, and gently patted his burning back.
"Alpha Silas, it is 6:06 AM," Sienna whispered, her voice laced with the natural submission of her rank. "You have a global corporate summit at 7:30."
Silas's brow furrowed in irritation.
The savage wolf within him let out a low, displeased growl. He snapped his eyes open, his icy amber pupils devoid of any affection.
There was only the raw disdain of a sovereign looking at a peasant.
With a sharp movement, he ruthlessly swatted her hand away.
"Out," he barked. His voice was like shards of ice, vibrating with the irresistible blood-pressure of a True Alpha.
A sharp pang of rejection sliced through the depths of Sienna's soul, but she merely bit her lip and lowered her head. "Yes, my Alpha."
She stood, forcing herself to ignore the ache in her bones as she retreated.
The moment the door clicked shut, the last flicker of light in her eyes died, replaced by a hollow, bitter smile.
For five years, she had been by his side.
Outside that door, she was the most efficient Chief Secretary to the Lycan King who ruled a business empire.
Inside, she was his hidden lover—a tool used to vent his primal urges but never allowed to step into the light.
She was a failure of a lover because she had broken the golden rule: she had fallen in love with him.
She had actually dared to hope that the Mate Bond bestowed by the Moon Goddess would eventually make him accept a lowly Omega like her.
As Sienna approached the executive office doors later that morning, her keen ears caught the low-frequency whispers unique to werewolves.
Amy and Bella, two pack members, were gossiping in hushed tones.
"Have you heard?" Amy whispered anxiously. "There's a dinner tonight at the pack's hotel. That psycho from the Bloodfang Pack is coming."
Bella gasped. "You mean Alpha Lucian? The one who's been obsessed with our high-born Lady Zelda?"
"That's him! Do you think Alpha Silas will make us... entertain that monster?" Amy stopped abruptly as she caught Sienna's scent. "Good morning, Secretary Sienna."
Sienna took a deep breath, masking her Omega fragility with a polished smile.
She patted Amy's shoulder. "Don't worry. Alpha Silas is cold and demanding, but as our leader, he would never allow his pack members to do anything beneath their dignity. He won't let an outsider Alpha bully you."
She knew Silas was a brutal leader, but he was fiercely territorial.
He protected his own. He would never sell out his pack—or so she thought.
Suddenly, a suffocating pressure washed over the floor.
Silas strode in, his tailored suit framing his powerful silhouette like an emperor inspecting his domain.
"Sienna. My office. Now," Silas's voice commanded through their Mind-link, the deep vibrato echoing in her head.
"Yes, Alpha," Sienna replied, head bowed as she followed him into the inner sanctum.
The heavy oak doors slammed shut, severing them from the world.
Looking at Silas's back, Sienna's eyes still betrayed a trace of the infatuation she couldn't fully suppress.
Silas sat behind his broad mahogany desk. He didn't even look up at her, casually flipping through territory merger files.
With a flick of his finger, he gestured toward a leather sofa across the room.
"There's a dress on the sofa. Put it on. You're working overtime tonight," Silas said, his tone nonchalant but carrying a cruel edge.
Sienna's gaze fell on the sofa. It was a gown—dangerously revealing, deep-V, and dripping with provocative intent.
The smile on her face froze.
The last spark of hope in her heart was crushed as if by an invisible hand.
The Bloodfang Pack... Alpha Lucian... entertaining guests...
In the eyes of the pack, he was a protective King.
But in his eyes, she wasn't even a member of the Silvermoon Pack. She was merely a toy—a bargaining chip to be tossed to a rival Alpha for the sake of a business deal.
Sensing her erratic breathing and the spike in her emotions, Silas finally looked up, his golden eyes narrowed in cold scrutiny.
"Sienna? Are you still half-asleep?"
Sienna's thin frame trembled uncontrollably. The intense humiliation clashed with the agony of the Mate Bond.
She forced herself to meet those heartless eyes, her fingertips shaking.
"No," Sienna whispered, her voice rasping and hollow. "I have never been more... wide awake."
To become Silas's only Luna—what a ridiculous dream she had harbored for five years. It was time to wake up.
I reject you, Alpha Silas, she thought, the words a silent vow of war. I reject you.