Chapter 17
A Dangerous Proposition
Selene's pulse thundered as Ronan's fingers brushed against her jaw. His golden eyes burned into hers, a silent challenge, daring her to deny the pull between them.
She should shove him away. She should remind him that she wasn't his.
But she didn't move.
Ronan's smirk deepened, sensing her hesitation. "You fight me, but your body betrays you."
Selene exhaled sharply, stepping back—putting distance between them. "You mistake restraint for surrender, Alpha."
Ronan chuckled, low and dark. "You mistake your choices for freedom."
Her jaw tightened. "I don't belong to you."
His expression turned unreadable. "Perhaps not yet."
She hated how his words sent a shiver down her spine.
But before she could respond, a knock at the door broke the tension.
Ronan turned, his mood shifting in an instant. "Enter."
A warrior stepped in, his face grim. "Alpha, we found something."
Selene frowned. "What is it?"
The warrior hesitated, glancing at her.
Ronan sighed. "Speak."
The warrior cleared his throat. "One of the rogues was captured. He was carrying a message from Darius."
Selene stiffened.
Ronan's gaze darkened. "Where is he?"
"The dungeon."
Without another word, Ronan strode toward the door.
Selene hesitated for only a second before following him.
This war was about her. She needed to hear what Darius had to say.
---
A Message from the Enemy
The dungeon was cold, the air thick with the scent of blood and damp stone.
The captured rogue sat chained to the wall, his face bruised, his breathing uneven. Despite his wounds, his lips curled into a smirk the moment he saw them.
"Alpha Ronan," he drawled. "And the beta he's so desperate to keep."
Selene tensed.
Ronan's expression remained calm, but his golden eyes glowed with barely restrained fury. "If you want to live, you'll speak quickly."
The rogue chuckled. "Darius sends his regards. He wanted me to deliver a message."
Selene crossed her arms. "Then deliver it."
The rogue's smirk widened. "He says he'll be seeing you soon."
Silence stretched thick between them.
Ronan's fingers twitched at his sides. "That's all?"
The rogue's grin didn't falter. "Not quite." His gaze flicked to Selene. "He also said to tell you that he doesn't intend to take you."
Selene frowned. "What?"
The rogue chuckled, voice laced with amusement. "He intends to make you come to him willingly."
The air in the room grew suffocating.
Ronan took a slow step forward, his aura turning suffocating. "That will never happen."
The rogue's smirk didn't waver. "Are you sure? Because if there's one thing my Alpha knows… it's how to break a strong woman."
Ronan moved so fast Selene barely had time to react.
One second, the rogue was smirking. The next, Ronan's claws were buried in his throat.
The rogue gasped, blood spilling from his lips.
Ronan's voice was cold. "Tell your Alpha—" He twisted his claws deeper. "She's already mine."
With a final, brutal movement, he ripped the rogue's throat out.
Selene inhaled sharply.
The room was silent except for the dripping of blood onto the stone floor.
Ronan exhaled slowly, wiping his hand on the rogue's torn shirt. Then, without looking at her, he turned and walked out of the cell.
Selene swallowed hard before following him.
This war wasn't just about territory or power anymore.
It was about her.
And Darius wasn't going to stop.
---
A Proposition
Back in the fortress, the air was thick with tension.
Selene paced the room, her mind racing. "He's playing a game."
Ronan watched her from where he leaned against the table. "Yes."
She clenched her jaw. "He wants me to come to him. He wants to make me choose him."
Ronan's eyes flashed with something dark. "That will never happen."
Selene stopped pacing and turned to him. "And what if it does?"
Silence.
Ronan pushed off the table, closing the distance between them. "You think you'd survive under him?" His voice was low, dangerous. "You think he wouldn't break you?"
Selene met his gaze. "I think you underestimate me."
His jaw tensed.
Then, suddenly, he laughed—a short, humorless sound.
"You want to play this game, Selene?" He stepped closer, his scent overwhelming. "Fine. Let's play."
She narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"
Ronan leaned in, his breath hot against her ear. "You want to make a choice? Then you'll have both of us chasing you."
Her breath caught.
He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. "You'll see exactly what it means to be wanted by an Alpha."
Selene's pulse pounded.
This was a dangerous game.
And Ronan had just raised the stakes.