Hayley's pulse was still racing long after the stranger vanished.
Her wolf was restless, prowling beneath her skin, demanding she chase. But chasing ghosts wasn't her style. If he wanted her attention, he had it. Now it was only a matter of finding out who he was and what he wanted.
With one last glance at the empty street, she turned and kept walking, blending back into the rhythm of the city. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.
And that infuriated her.
***
Back at the Den
The Silverfang Den was located in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Ravenshade, carefully reinforced with security that kept out anyone who wasn't their pack. The moment Hayley stepped inside, she felt the familiar warmth of home wolves talking, laughing, training. Her people.
But even home wasn't a place to let her guard down.
"Alpha," a voice greeted her.
Hayley turned to see Riley, one of her best scouts, waiting by the staircase.
"What is it?"
Riley hesitated. "Liam told me about the rogue. The one who asked for you."
Of course, he did.
Hayley crossed her arms. "And?"
"I don't like it," Riley admitted. "Someone's testing us. Trying to see how you'll react."
Hayley nodded. She didn't like it either.
"Double patrols at the borders," she ordered. "If another rogue steps into my territory, I want to know about it immediately."
Riley nodded. "Consider it done."
She left him with a nod, heading toward her private quarters upstairs. She had barely closed the door behind her before she let out a frustrated breath.
Between the rogue's message and the stranger in the city, something was happening. A shift in the air.
And she hated not knowing what it was.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts again.
"What now?" she muttered. "Come in."
Liam stepped inside, a smirk playing on his lips. "You're going to love this."
She raised a brow. "Doubtful."
He handed her a black envelope, the thick paper embossed with a silver crest.
Hayley frowned. "What is this?"
"A formal invitation," Liam said. "From the Midnight Society."
Her stomach twisted. The Midnight Society was an elite supernatural organization half political, half criminal empire. They only invited people when they wanted something.
She opened the envelope and read the elegant handwriting:
Alpha Hayley Blackwood,
You are cordially invited to an exclusive event at Club Obsidian.
Your presence has been specifically requested by a very interested party.
Midnight. No later.
We'll be expecting you.
Hayley scowled.
"Let me guess," Liam said. "You're going?"
She tossed the letter onto her desk. "Of course, I'm going."
Liam sighed. "Figured. I'll prep a team"
"No," she interrupted. "I go alone."
Liam's eyes narrowed. "Bad idea, Hayley."
"Probably," she admitted. "But if they wanted me dead, I wouldn't be getting an invitation. Someone wants to talk. I want to hear what they have to say."
Liam looked like he wanted to argue, but he knew better.
"Fine," he muttered. "Just don't get yourself killed."
She smirked. "Not planning on it."
By the time midnight rolled around, Hayley was dressed in sleek black, her leather jacket hugging her frame as she stepped out of the cab in front of Club Obsidian.
The bouncer at the door barely glanced at her before stepping aside. They knew who she was.
Inside, the club was a swirl of neon lights, pulsing bass, and supernatural energy. Vampires, witches, wolves all mingling in dangerous harmony.
But Hayley barely noticed any of it.
Because sitting at the bar, watching her with those same piercing blue eyes, was him.
The stranger from the street.
Her heart skipped a beat.
He smirked, raising a glass to her as if they were old friends.
What the hell was going on?
She approached slowly, weaving through the crowd. The closer she got, the more her wolf reacted. Not with aggression but with something else. Curiosity. Recognition.
He didn't move, just watched her with a quiet confidence that made her skin prickle.
"Didn't expect to see you again so soon," Hayley said, stopping a few feet away.
"Didn't expect you to come," he replied smoothly, his voice the same velvet she remembered. "But I'm glad you did."
"Who are you?"
"Someone who knows what's coming."
She narrowed her eyes. "You're not with the Society, are you?"
"No," he said. "But I'm not against them either. Not yet."
Her jaw tightened. "That's not an answer."
"I'm Damien."
She froze. The name sent a strange jolt through her. She'd heard that name whispered before associated with rogue activity, with old bloodlines.
"What do you want with me?"
He leaned in slightly. "To help."
Hayley laughed once, cold and sharp. "You expect me to believe that?"
"No," he said honestly. "But I'm asking you to anyway."
She stared at him, weighing every word, every movement. There was something about him that didn't make sense. Something that didn't fit.
"I don't trust easily," she said.
"Neither do I," Damien replied. "But we don't have time to play it safe anymore."
Before she could ask what he meant, a vampire dressed in a deep red suit approached. His smile was too wide, too practiced.
"Alpha Blackwood," he said with a bow. "The Society welcomes you. Please, join us in the private lounge."
Damien stood up. "I'll see you again."
Hayley didn't answer.
Because something told her she would.