đ Episode 2: The Pull of the Alpha
The morning sun filtered through the tall glass windows of the Blackthorn Grand Hotel, scattering rays of gold across the marble floors. For most people, it was just another day. For Lila Hayes, it felt like she was walking on borrowed time.
Her shift had ended an hour ago, but her mind hadn't stopped replaying what she'd seen the night before: Ethan Blackthorn's eyes glowing molten gold, his voice dropping into something more primal than human. She hadn't told anyone. How could she?
Who would believe her?
Her mother's voice echoed in her head, the one she'd left behind in the quiet hospital room: Don't push yourself too hard, honey. You've already got enough on your plate.
Lila shook the thought away. She couldn't afford distractionsânot when bills were due.
And yet, distraction had a name. Ethan Blackthorn.
---
By the time she slipped into the café across the street for a quick breakfast, the image of him still clung to her like a shadow. She ordered a coffee, ignoring the curious glances of the barista when she dropped two crumpled singles on the counter.
As she waited, her phone buzzed. A message from the hospital. She swiped it open.
> Urgent: Please call regarding your mother's treatment plan.
Her stomach tightened. Another bill, no doubt. She pressed the phone to her chest, forcing herself not to cry here in public.
"Miss Hayes."
The voice froze her blood.
She turned slowly.
Ethan Blackthorn stood there, impeccable as always in a black suit that hugged his tall frame. Sunlight caught the sharp lines of his cheekbones, but it was his eyesâstorm-gray, unreadable nowâthat made her breath falter.
"What⊠what are you doing here?" she managed, her fingers tightening around the coffee cup.
His gaze swept over her, slow and assessing. "I believe I asked you the same question last night. Only this time, you aren't trespassing."
Heat rushed to her cheeks. "I wasn't trespassing. I was justâ"
"Listening," he finished for her. His tone was calm, but the edge beneath it made her shiver.
She glanced around, noticing how the café had gone oddly quiet. As if everyone had instinctively decided to stay out of his way.
"What do you want?" she asked softly.
His lips curved in a ghost of a smile. "To make sure you didn't hear too much."
The words sent a chill down her spine.
"I didn't," she lied quickly.
His eyes lingered on her face, studying her like she was some puzzle he couldn't solve. Finally, he tilted his head. "You're a terrible liar."
Before she could respond, he stepped closer. Close enough that the faint, intoxicating scent of cedar and smoke wrapped around her. Close enough that her heart raced so fast, she worried he could hear it.
"Stay away from conversations that aren't meant for you," he said softly, but there was steel in his tone. "For your own safety."
She swallowed hard, her instincts torn between running and leaning closer. "Are you threatening me?"
"No." His eyes flickeredâjust for a moment, that same molten gold she'd seen before. "I'm warning you."
---
The next few days passed in a blur of work and exhaustion. Ethan didn't appear again in the lobby, but his presence haunted her anyway.
Every time the front doors opened, her pulse spiked. Every time a guest in a sharp suit passed by, she caught herself holding her breath, half-expecting it to be him.
And the dreams didn't stop.
Wolves under the moon. Golden eyes. A low, commanding voice whispering her name in the dark.
She woke each morning with her sheets tangled and her body aching as if she'd been running for miles.
---
On the fourth night, the hotel erupted in chaos.
Lila was delivering fresh linens to the executive floor when a commotion broke out near the private elevator. Shouts, the sound of shattering glass.
She froze as a man stumbled into the hallwayâhis eyes wild, his teeth bared in a way that didn't look human.
Before she could scream, Ethan appeared, moving faster than her eyes could follow. One moment the intruder was advancing on her, the next Ethan had slammed him against the wall with inhuman strength.
"Get out," Ethan snarled, his voice more growl than words.
The man's body convulsed, his eyes flashing unnaturally. Then, with a speed just as impossible, he broke free and fled down the hall, disappearing before security even arrived.
Lila stood trembling, clutching the linens to her chest.
"What the hell was that?" she whispered.
Ethan turned to her slowly. His eyes glowed bright gold now, no longer hidden.
Her breath caught.
"Go to your room," he said firmly.
"Not until you tell me what's going on." Her voice shook, but she forced herself to meet his gaze.
For a long moment, he just stared at her, as if waging an internal battle. Finally, he exhaled, running a hand through his dark hair.
"You don't belong in this world, Lila," he said quietly, though his tone carried the weight of command. "If you stay close to me, you'll be in danger. That man wasn't after the hotel. He was after you."
Her blood ran cold. "Me? But⊠why?"
His jaw tightened, his eyes burning into hers.
"Because you're mine."
---
Lila's heart stuttered violently.
"What⊠what do you mean, yours?" she whispered, barely able to form the words.
Ethan stepped closer, the air thick with something she couldn't name. His gaze dropped to her lips before locking onto her eyes again.
"You'll know soon enough," he said, his voice low and rough, as though the admission cost him.
Before she could press for answers, the sound of approaching footsteps broke the moment. Ethan straightened, the mask of the cold billionaire sliding back into place.
"Go back downstairs. I'll handle this."
Lila wanted to argue, to demand the truth. But something about his tone made her obey.
Still, as she retreated down the hallway, her pulse racing, one thought echoed in her mind:
Whatever Ethan Blackthorn was hiding⊠she was already too deep to turn back.
---
That night, her dreams were worse. She wasn't just running anymore. This time, she was being chased. And when she stumbled, golden eyes caught herâstrong arms lifting her into the safety of a shadowed embrace.
---
âš End of Episode 2