Chapter 2 THE ALPHA'S CHOICE

Chapter 2: The Alpha's Choice

The great hall of Blackthorn Manor was a cathedral of shadows and fire. Tall stone columns lined the walls, their surfaces etched with ancient symbols of power and lineage. Torches burned brightly in iron sconces, casting flickering light on banners bearing the Blackthorn sigil - a snarling wolf with eyes of sapphire.

Aric Blackthorn sat upon a throne carved from dark wood and bone, his piercing blue eyes scanning the gathered council. Warriors and advisors, each loyal to his rule, waited in tense silence. His presence was a force, a gravity that commanded submission. Even without speaking, his dominance filled the air like a storm on the brink of breaking.

But today, a storm raged within him.

His mind was still clouded by the memory of the witch's warning, her words threading through his thoughts like poison. Every lie has its price. He pushed the thought aside as his gaze fell upon Bryn, his second-in-command and most trusted friend. Bryn's sharp eyes caught the flicker of unease in Aric's expression.

> "You summoned us, Alpha." Bryn's deep voice broke the silence. "What weighs on your mind?"

Aric's jaw tightened. His decision had already been made, though it churned in his gut like a restless beast. "The prophecy remains a threat," he said, his tone clipped. "But I will not wait for fate to dictate my downfall. I will take a mate - one of my choosing."

Murmurs rippled through the hall. The council exchanged wary glances, knowing the dangers of defying fate. Edrik, an elder with graying hair and a scarred face, stepped forward.

> "A mate is more than a union of power," Edrik cautioned. "It is a bond of the soul. You cannot simply choose-"

Aric's eyes burned with fury. "I will choose."

The silence that followed was absolute.

> "Who?" Bryn asked, his voice steady but curious.

Aric leaned forward, the firelight casting harsh shadows across his face. His lips curved into a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Selene Draven."

The name hung in the air like a blade poised to fall.

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Scene Shift

Selene Draven moved through the corridors of her family's manor with the grace of a predator. Her footsteps were silent on the marble floor, her senses sharp as knives. She had trained for this moment since the day her parents were slaughtered - since the day she swore to end the reign of the man who had taken everything from her.

The news of her betrothal had reached her mere hours ago. The Alpha King had chosen her. The irony tasted bitter on her tongue.

> "Selene."

She turned at the sound of Kian's voice. He emerged from the shadows, his dark eyes searching hers. "You don't have to go through with this," he said quietly.

Selene's laugh was soft, but there was no warmth in it. "And waste the only chance I'll ever have to bring him down? No, Kian. This is the path I've chosen."

> "He's dangerous," Kian warned. "You'll be walking into a den of wolves."

She met his gaze without flinching. "I am the wolf they'll never see coming."

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The Meeting

Blackthorn Manor loomed before her like a fortress carved from shadow and stone. As Selene stepped through its great iron doors, her heart beat a steady, controlled rhythm. She wore a gown of midnight blue, its fabric flowing like water, her every step a calculated move.

Aric awaited her in a private chamber, a room filled with dark wood and the scent of pine and fire. When their eyes met for the first time, the air between them seemed to thicken, charged with an energy neither could name.

He was taller than she'd imagined, his presence as commanding as legend had described. His dark hair framed a face of sharp angles and fierce beauty, but it was his eyes - cold, piercing, and impossible to look away from - that held her breath captive.

> "Lady Draven," he said, his voice smooth but edged with steel.

> "Alpha Blackthorn," she replied, her tone poised and unreadable.

For a long moment, they simply stood, each measuring the other.

> "You know why you're here," he said at last.

> "I've heard rumors," she said, her lips curving slightly. "You need a wife."

His eyes narrowed. "This is not a union of hearts."

> "Good." Her smile didn't falter. "I'm not here for love."

Something flickered in his gaze - approval, perhaps, or curiosity. He stepped closer, and she held her ground.

> "There will be no lies between us," he said.

> "No," she agreed, the lie slipping easily from her tongue.

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The Pact

The agreement was simple: a marriage forged for power, a bond in name only. But as Aric and Selene exchanged vows before the moon and flame, something ancient stirred between them. A pull neither could deny, a connection that defied reason.

And as they walked from the altar, bound by fate and lies, each carried secrets that could burn their world to ash.

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