Hayley's pulse thrummed in her ears as she locked eyes with the stranger.
He was seated at the bar, one hand wrapped around a glass of whiskey, his posture exuding effortless confidence. Like he had been waiting for her.
Her wolf bristled. Who the hell is he?
Hayley didn't hesitate. She strode toward him, cutting through the crowd like a blade. Whispers followed in her wake Silverfang's Alpha was here. Alone. But she ignored them. Right now, the only thing that mattered was the man watching her like he already knew how this night would end.
She stopped beside him, close enough to catch his scent against cedarwood, electricity, and something forbidden.
"You've been following me," she said coolly.
The man chuckled, taking a slow sip of his drink before setting it down. "That's an interesting accusation."
"Is it wrong?"
He tilted his head, studying her. Up close, his eyes were an even deeper shade of blue, sharp with intelligence and amusement. He was handsome in a way that felt almost dangerous like a wolf in human skin.
"No," he admitted. "It's not wrong."
Hayley folded her arms. "Then you'd better start explaining."
Instead of answering, he extended a hand. "Damien Wolfe."
Her breath hitched.
She knew that name.
Every Alpha did.
Damien Wolfe was a legend. A ghost. The rogue Alpha who had walked away from his own pack and disappeared years ago.
She had thought he was dead.
Her wolf tensed, instincts screaming danger.
"You look surprised," Damien said, smirking.
Hayley quickly masked her reaction. "I thought you were a myth."
"I get that a lot."
Her fingers twitched at her side. She didn't trust him. Couldn't trust him. But she couldn't deny the way her pulse reacted to his presence.
"I'm not here for games," she said. "Why were you watching me?"
Damien leaned in slightly, lowering his voice so only she could hear.
"Because, Hayley Blackwood… someone is trying to destroy you."
Hayley didn't flinch, but her mind raced.
She had enemies. That wasn't new. But something about the way Damien said it low, certain, deadly serious made the hairs on the back of her neck rise.
"You'll have to be more specific," she said, keeping her tone even. "Who?"
Damien studied her, as if deciding how much to reveal. Then he exhaled.
"The same people who sent that rogue after you."
Her stomach clenched. The rogue. The one who had died before he could deliver his message.
She had burned the body without hesitation. Had she made a mistake?
"How do you know that?" she demanded.
Damien smirked. "I make it my business to know things."
His cryptic response only irritated her more.
"Why should I believe you?" she challenged.
His smile faded. When he spoke again, his voice was softer. "Because you don't have a choice."
Something about the way he said it sent a chill through her.
Before she could press for more, a low growl sounded behind her.
Hayley turned to find three vampires watching them from across the club, their eyes glowing red under the neon lights, their hunger barely concealed.
Damn it.
Club Obsidian might have been neutral ground, but that didn't mean old grudges disappeared.
"They don't look happy to see you," Damien murmured.
Hayley smirked. "They're just mad I killed their friend last week."
Damien let out a low, amused laugh. "You really are trouble, aren't you?"
Before she could respond, the vampires moved.
They came at her fast blurs of speed and fangs but Hayley was faster.
She ducked under the first strike, spun, and slammed her elbow into the closest vampire's ribs. The crack of bone was satisfying.
The second one lunged. Hayley caught him midair, using his own momentum to throw him across the bar. Bottles shattered. People screamed.
The third vampire was smarter; he didn't attack her.
Instead, he went for Damien.
For a brief second, Hayley considered letting him handle it himself.
Then Damien moved.
Too fast.
Before the vampire could reach him, Damien caught him by the throat. With one effortless motion, he threw the leech across the room.
Hayley barely masked her shock. He wasn't just a wolf. He was something more.
And that scared her.
Damien turned back to her, his expression unreadable. "We should go."
For once, she didn't argue.
They slipped out before security could interfere, stepping into the cool night air.
She exhaled, shaking off the adrenaline. "That was fun."
Damien arched a brow. "You have a strange definition of fun."
She smirked, but it faded quickly. "Talk."
Damien leaned against the alley wall, studying her like she was a puzzle. "You're in danger, Hayley. Someone wants you out of the way."
Her wolf growled. "Then let them come."
Damien shook his head. "It's bigger than that. They don't just want you dead. They want to erase you."
A cold sensation ran down her spine.
She didn't know what that meant. But she knew one thing: she wasn't going down without a fight.
And for some reason, Damien Wolfe was now tangled in it all.
She just didn't know if he was her ally… or her biggest threat.