Chapter 4 – A Dangerous Beginning

The night stretched between them, thick with unspoken tension. Selena's heart still pounded from their conversation, Kieran's last words lingering in her mind.

And the real danger had only just begun.

She barely had time to process it before the sound of footsteps broke the silence. Heavy, deliberate.

Selena turned just as Grayson emerged from the shadows, his golden eyes gleaming in the dim moonlight. His expression was unreadable, but the sharpness in his gaze sent a warning.

"You're making a mistake," he said, his voice low.

She folded her arms. "Is that a threat?"

"It's a fact." He stepped closer, towering over her like a predator circling its prey. "You think standing beside Kieran will protect you? The pack doesn't trust you. And if you're not careful, neither will he."

Selena refused to let him intimidate her. "Then I'll earn their trust."

Grayson chuckled darkly. "Earn it? You don't understand how this works. Around here, trust isn't given. It's taken."

A shiver ran down her spine, but she masked it with a smirk. "And you think I can't take it?"

His gaze flickered with something unreadable. Amusement? Respect? Or just calculation?

"We'll see," he murmured before turning on his heel and disappearing into the night.

Selena exhaled slowly, forcing her heartbeat to steady.

This was only the beginning.

The Pack's Cold Welcome

The next morning, Selena barely had time to catch her breath before she was thrown into the heart of the pack.

Kieran hadn't been lying—she was expected to meet them all, stand before them as his supposed mate, and somehow survive the tension that crackled in the air like a brewing storm.

Selena stood beside him in the clearing, surrounded by dozens of wolves in human form. Their eyes burned with suspicion, some with outright hostility. The pack was massive, more than she'd expected, and not one of them looked happy to see her.

Whispers buzzed through the crowd.

"She doesn't belong here."

"A human? Is he serious?"

"She won't last a week."

Selena clenched her fists, keeping her expression neutral. Let them talk. She wouldn't back down.

Kieran's deep voice cut through the murmurs. "She is here under my protection. That is all you need to know."

Silence fell, but it was the uneasy kind.

Then, a woman stepped forward. Tall, muscular, and with piercing dark eyes that locked onto Selena like a hawk spotting prey.

"I'm Lyra," she said. "Beta."

Grayson stood beside her, arms crossed, clearly waiting for the show to begin.

Selena lifted her chin. "Nice to meet you."

Lyra's lips curled in something between a smirk and a sneer. "We'll see about that."

She stepped even closer, now just inches away. "You're weak. We can all see it. A human in a pack of wolves? That's a joke. And weak links get cut."

Selena's pulse pounded, but she refused to break eye contact. "Then I guess I'll have to prove I'm not a weak link."

Lyra studied her for a moment, then suddenly swung.

Selena barely had time to react before the punch connected with her stomach. Pain exploded through her ribs as she staggered back, gasping.

The pack erupted into laughter.

But Selena wasn't done.

She straightened, wiped her mouth, and smirked. "That's all you got?"

Lyra's grin widened. "Maybe you're not completely spineless."

Kieran finally spoke, his voice edged with warning. "Enough."

Lyra backed off, but the message was clear.

Selena wasn't welcome here.

And if she wanted to survive, she'd have to fight for it.

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