Chapter 4– The Devil’s Ride
The scent of leather and cigar smoke filled the air.
Selene sat rigid in the back seat of the black SUV, her wrists still raw from the silver cuffs. The seats were too soft, too luxurious—mocking her with their comfort. Across from her, lounging like a king on his throne, sat Alpha Damian Wolfe.
The man who had just bought her.
Outside the tinted windows, the city blurred past—towering skyscrapers, neon-lit streets, and the distant glow of the full moon. This was no rogue wasteland. This was his domain.
His wolves controlled everything here.
Including her.
Selene clenched her fists in her lap, resisting the urge to speak first. Let him break the silence. Let him wonder what she was thinking.
But Damian was patient. Too patient.
He sat with one arm draped lazily over the leather seat, his jacket unbuttoned, revealing the sharp cut of his black shirt. The top buttons were undone, exposing the inked lines of a tattoo curling over his collarbone.
His fingers tapped against his knee—a slow, deliberate rhythm. Measuring her. Testing her.
Finally, he smirked.
“You’re quiet.”
Selene’s gaze flicked to him, cold and unyielding. “What do you want me to say? ‘Thank you for buying me, Alpha’? Should I bow, too?”
A low chuckle. “Would you?”
Her jaw tightened. “Go to hell.”
His smirk widened, amusement flashing in his dark eyes. “Not the response most give me. You’re bold.”
“You mean I’m not afraid.”
A pause. Then—he moved.
Too fast. Too smooth.
Before she could react, he reached across the space between them and grabbed her wrist.
Not hard. Not rough. But firm.
A test.
Selene froze, her pulse pounding.
Damian leaned in slightly, his scent—smoky, rich, edged with something primal—filling the small space. His grip was warm against her chilled skin.
His voice dropped lower. “Are you sure about that?”
Selene swallowed. Don’t react. Don’t flinch.
She forced herself to meet his gaze. Defiant. Unshaken.
“Let. Me. Go.”
His lips curled at the edges. “Then do it.”
A challenge.
She yanked her wrist back.
He didn’t stop her. He let her go instantly.
The car was silent except for the steady hum of the tires on the road.
Selene exhaled slowly, her fingers curling into her lap. He was playing games. And she wasn’t about to lose.
Damian leaned back, watching her like she was something interesting.
“You’ll learn soon enough, Selene,” he murmured. “I don’t take what isn’t given.”
Her stomach twisted. “Is that supposed to make me feel safe?”
He tilted his head. “No.”
The car slowed. A heavy metal gate groaned open.
They had arrived.
Selene’s breath caught as she glanced outside.
A fortress.
Not a mansion. Not a home. A prison dressed in wealth.
Towering stone walls. Balconies like watchtowers. Guards stationed at every entrance. An empire built on blood and power.
The SUV stopped in the circular driveway.
Damian opened his door and stepped out first, his broad frame silhouetted against the estate’s golden lights. He didn’t look back as he spoke.
“Out.”
Selene hesitated.
Then, lifting her chin, she stepped into his world.
The moment she crossed the threshold, she felt them.
Other wolves. Powerful ones.
She didn’t need to see them to know they were watching. From the balconies. The hallways. The shadows of the grand marble foyer.
Damian’s pack.
The ones who followed him. The ones who killed for him.
The door closed behind her with a final thud.
Selene turned slowly, taking it in.
Everything was designed to intimidate.
Tall ceilings. Cold marble floors. Massive paintings of wolves and battles lining the walls. Velvet curtains so dark they looked like the night itself.
And at the center of it all—him.
Damian stood at the foot of the grand staircase, watching her. Waiting.
She swallowed hard but refused to let her fear show.
His lips twitched. “Do you know where you are?”
Selene’s voice was steady. “Hell.”
A low chuckle. “Close.”
He stepped closer, and the air in the room thickened.
“You belong to me now.”
Her pulse pounded. “I don’t belong to anyone.”
His gaze darkened. “We’ll see.”
Damian led her through the estate, past halls lined with heavy doors and flickering sconces. Every inch of this place screamed power.
The farther they walked, the more Selene understood.
This wasn’t just a home.
It was a kingdom.
They stopped in front of an ornate door. Damian pushed it open.
Selene stepped inside.
A bedroom.
Large. Lavish. But not warm. Not delicate. Not a place for a Luna.
This was a cage.
She turned to him. “What is this?”
“Your room.”
She folded her arms. “What if I don’t want it?”
Damian’s eyes flashed. “Then try leaving.”
Silence.
Selene held his gaze. She knew better than to test him too soon.
Instead, she changed tactics. “Why did you buy me?”
His answer was infuriatingly simple. “Because I could.”
Her nails dug into her palms. “That’s not an answer.”
“No,” Damian agreed. “It’s a fact.”
Selene wanted to hit him. Wanted to wipe that smug expression off his face.
But instead—she turned away first.
He watched her for a moment longer, then turned to leave.
“Rest,” he ordered. “Tomorrow, we talk.”
The door clicked shut.
Selene exhaled slowly.
She was alone.
For now.
But she wasn’t safe.
Not in Damian Wolfe’s world