It started with thunder.
A sudden summer storm rolled through the city, soaking the streets and fogging the windows of Lucien's penthouse. He was out, handling a council dispute. Sera, curled on the couch in his shirt, stared out into the night—restless.
Her body still tingled from the night before. The way he had taken her. Claimed her again. But now, beneath the pleasure… something darker pulsed.
The voice hadn't stopped whispering.
"You were born to end the alphas…"
She shook her head, clutching her mug tighter. She didn't want to think. She just wanted to feel Lucien's hands again. His scent. His warmth.
Then lightning flashed—and a shadow appeared on the rooftop across from her.
A man.
Watching her.
Sera shot to her feet. Heart racing. Was she imagining things?
She blinked.
He was gone.
But an hour later… someone knocked.
The Visitor
She opened the door halfway. Rain soaked the marble hallway.
A man stood there—tall, lean, dressed in black. Dripping wet. Eyes a chilling silver.
Not wolf.
But something else.
"Who are you?" she asked, her voice firmer than she felt.
He tilted his head, studying her like a puzzle he already knew the answer to.
"You're exactly what I expected."
She didn't move. "I'm calling Lucien."
"I wouldn't. He doesn't know what you are. But I do."
She tried to shut the door—he stopped it with two fingers. Calm. Controlled.
"I'm not here to hurt you, Sera. I'm here to warn you."
Her name on his lips sent a cold spike down her spine.
"There's a reason your powers are waking up. You were never meant to mate a wolf. Your blood… is older. Wilder."
He stepped back, respectful but menacing.
"When it rises, they'll all fear you—even Lucien. And when that happens…"
He smiled, sharp and chilling.
"Find me."
He vanished into the rain, leaving her breathless and shaking.
Lucien's Return
Lucien slammed the door open an hour later, soaked and furious.
"I felt something," he growled. "What happened?"
She told him everything—the shadow, the silver-eyed man, the warning.
Lucien's face turned to stone.
"Veylor," he spat. "They sent him."
"Who is he?"
Lucien ran a hand through his wet hair, pacing.
"He's not part of any pack. Not wolf. Not anything with rules. He's from the before. From the bloodlines we wiped out. A chaos breed."
"And what does he want with me?"
Lucien turned to her, eyes glowing, jaw clenched.
"You."
What She's Becoming
That night, Sera couldn't sleep.
Lucien held her, arms wrapped protectively around her waist, but she felt the pull in her blood—darker and louder now.
She slipped out of bed just before dawn and went to the bathroom.
Her reflection stared back.
And this time… the gold of Lucien's mark was still there, glowing faintly on her neck.
But now… beneath it… a second mark was forming.
Deep crimson.
Sharp.
Unnatural.
She backed away, breath catching.
Because deep in her gut, she knew what it meant.
Lucien had claimed her.
But something else had chosen her.