The alley behind Club Obsidian smelled like damp pavement and city smoke, but all Hayley could focus on was the man standing in front of her.
Damien Wolfe.
Rogue Alpha. Ghost. A man who should not exist.
And yet, here he was telling her she was in danger.
Hayley crossed her arms, keeping her expression impassive. "You're going to have to do better than cryptic warnings."
Damien's gaze flickered with amusement. "I thought you'd be smart enough to figure it out."
Her wolf bristled. Arrogant bastard.
She took a step closer, tilting her head. "Enlighten me, then."
Damien studied her for a moment, as if weighing how much to say. Then he exhaled.
"There's a power shift happening in Ravenshade. Someone wants control of this city. And you" He met her gaze. "You're in their way."
Hayley felt the weight of his words settle in her chest.
She knew Ravenshade was dangerous, but this felt different. This wasn't about a rival pack flexing for territory or a vampire clan testing their limits. This was something bigger.
She kept her voice steady. "Who?"
Damien's jaw tightened. "I don't know yet."
A muscle in her cheek twitched. "You seem to know a lot for someone who claims ignorance."
His lips curled into a smirk. "You think I'd be here if I had all the answers?"
She hated that he had a point.
Silence stretched between them. Somewhere in the distance, a car horn blared, followed by the muffled sound of laughter. The world continued as if nothing had changed.
But everything had.
Hayley exhaled. "So why are you here, Damien? What do you want?"
His smirk faded. "To keep you alive."
The words were simple. But there was weight behind them.
Hayley didn't like the way they made her feel.
"I can take care of myself."
"I don't doubt that." Damien's voice was quiet. "But even the strongest wolves can be outnumbered."
Hayley clenched her fists. She didn't need saving.
But she wasn't reckless enough to ignore a threat when it was staring her in the face.
"So what are you suggesting?" she asked.
Damien's blue eyes darkened. "An alliance."
Hayley barked a laugh. "You want me to trust you?"
"I want you to survive."
Something about the way he said it sent a shiver through her.
She had spent years building her strength, proving she deserved to be Alpha. She had never needed anyone.
But now, standing here, she had a terrifying realization.
She might not have a choice.
Hayley leaned against the alley wall, arms crossed. "You expect me to just accept this?"
"I expect you to use your instincts."
She narrowed her eyes. "And what do your instincts tell you about me?"
A slow, knowing smile tugged at Damien's lips. Too knowing.
"That you don't trust easily," he murmured. "That you don't like losing control. That right now, you're trying to decide if you should walk away… or if you should test me."
Hayley's breath caught.
Damien was dangerous. Not just because of his past but because he saw too much.
She took a slow step closer, meeting him toe-to-toe. "And what if I did test you?"
Something flickered in his gaze, heat, amusement, challenge.
"I'd pass."
The air between them shifted, thick with tension.
Hayley's wolf prowled beneath her skin, both intrigued and irritated by him. Damien wasn't just some rogue Alpha. He was playing a game.
And damn it, she was starting to enjoy it.
But she couldn't afford distractions.
She exhaled sharply. "Fine. You want an alliance? Prove you're worth it."
Damien arched a brow. "How?"
"There's a pack in Ravenshade that's been stirring trouble. The Bloodfangs." She smirked. "Think you can keep up?"
Damien's expression turned wicked. "Try me."
The night was still young when Hayley and Damien slipped into the streets, moving like shadows through the city. by
The Bloodfang Pack was small but vicious. They had been causing trouble for weeks extorting smaller packs, ambushing lone wolves, testing the limits of the supernatural truce.
They needed to be reminded who ruled this city.
Damien walked beside her, his movements effortless. Controlled. Deadly.
Hayley had spent her life surrounded by wolves, but Damien was something else. He didn't move like a man who took orders.
"Where's their base?" Damien asked.
"South side," she said. "An old shipping yard."
Damien nodded, but there was something unreadable in his expression.
"What?" she asked.
He glanced at her. "You're not the type to handle problems quietly. If they've been causing trouble for weeks, why haven't you put them down yet?"
Hayley smirked. "Who says I wasn't waiting for the right moment?"
Damien chuckled. "Clever."
She shot him a sideways glance. "You keep analyzing me like that, I might start to think you're interested."
His smirk widened. "And if I was?"
Hayley's stomach did something stupid.
She rolled her eyes. "Then I'd say you have terrible timing."
Damien only laughed.
They reached the shipping yard just after midnight.
The place was mostly abandoned rusting cargo containers, dim floodlights, and the faint scent of wolves in the air.
Hayley inhaled deeply, sorting through the different scents. Four, maybe five of them nearby.
"Easy," she muttered.
Damien's eyes gleamed. "Disappointed?"
She smirked. "I like a challenge."
Then, before he could respond, she moved.
She hit the first Bloodfang before he even saw her coming, a sharp kick to the ribs, a brutal elbow to the jaw. He crumpled without a sound.
The second one lunged. She dodged, sweeping his legs out from under him.
A low growl rumbled behind her Damien.
She turned just in time to see him slam a wolf into the side of a shipping container. Hard.
Damn.
For someone who had been off the grid for years, he fought like he hadn't missed a day.
Within minutes, the Bloodfangs were on the ground broken, bruised, and very aware that they had made a mistake.
Hayley crouched beside the last conscious one. "You have two choices," she said coolly. "Run. Or die here."
The wolf scrambled to his feet and bolted.
Hayley stood, brushing dust off her jacket. "Well. That was fun."
Damien smirked. "Told you I'd keep up."
She exhaled, watching him carefully.
Maybe, just maybe…
This alliance wouldn't be a mistake.