5: My eyes on you

Lena.

Dinner was a surreal experience. My mother laughed and glowed, playing the part of besotted fiancée while I sat across from Kieran Volkov, watching his every move like he might sprout fangs at any moment.

He was the perfect host—attentive, charming, commanding. The staff moved around him with reverence that bordered on worship. When he spoke, everyone listened. When he made subtle gestures, things happened without words being exchanged.

And through it all, those silver eyes kept finding mine across the table—not with suspicion or threat as I'd expected, but with something far more unsettling. Something almost like fascination.

"Lena was just accepted to the graduate biology program at Stanford," my mother announced over dessert, giving me a proud smile. "Full scholarship."

My mom lied. Yes I was smart and I got the scholarship but my mom didn't let me go. Why? Actually my mom was playing all nice but that wasn't her true self.

My mom is fully depending on me and only me. She's wasting all my salary on herself and her shopping.

I worked two part time jobs to pay the rent and bills and electricity and my college tuition fees. I look pale like a sick old lady who  doesn't eat properly because of her selfishness.

Yes! She's using me and treating me like a servant. I wish I had the courage to cut the ties with her but I couldn't.  She's my mother after all.

"Impressive," Kieran said, raising his wineglass slightly in my direction. "Though not surprising, given your academic record."

Kieran didn't seem believed my mom. Obviously he already knows the truth.

Does he even know about her gambling issues? How much she had lost my money and I had to double shift working to pay off her debts?

His expression remained pleasant, but something flickered in those silver depths. "I make it a point to know everything about my future family members."

"Everything?" I challenged.

"Lena," my mother chided, "don't be rude."

Kieran's mouth curved slightly. "It's quite alright, Claire. I appreciate directness." He turned his attention back to me. "Your tenacity reminds me of someone I once knew."

There was a softness in his voice I hadn't heard before—almost wistful. For a moment, he seemed less like the intimidating Alpha King and more like... a man. It disappeared so quickly I almost thought I'd imagined it.

After dinner, my mother excused herself to make phone calls about her gallery, leaving me alone with Kieran.

The gallery she pretended she owns while she only worked there as assistant for couple of hours every week pretending she's a wealthy lady so she can meet wealthy men and date them.

I hated her lies but I had to close my eyes and my ears and pretend that I know nothing about it.

An awkward silence settled between us as the staff cleared the dishes.

"Would you care to see the grounds?" Kieran asked suddenly. "The gardens are particularly impressive in the moonlight."

I hesitated, surprised by the invitation. "I... sure, I guess."

Outside, the night air was crisp and clear, the vast estate stretching before us in silvery moonlight. Kieran walked beside me, his tall frame making me acutely aware of my own smallness. Despite his imposing presence, he moved with fluid grace, adjusting his long stride to match mine.

"What are you?" I finally asked as we reached a stone pathway that wound through precisely trimmed hedges. "What is this place? What do you want with my mother?"

Kieran didn't seem surprised by my direct questions. He was quiet for so long I thought he might not answer.

"I am a werewolf," he finally said, his deep voice matter-of-fact. "An Alpha werewolf, to be precise. The Alpha King of the Northwestern territories."

I stopped walking, staring at him. "Excuse me?"

"You heard correctly." His silver eyes held mine steadily. "Werewolves exist, Lena. We always have. We've simply become better at hiding in plain sight."

I waited for him to laugh, to tell me he was joking. When he didn't, I shook my head in disbelief. "Right. And I'm Little Red Riding Hood."

"Your skepticism is expected," he said calmly. "Would you like proof?"

A chill ran down my spine. "What kind of proof?"

Without warning, his eyes flashed brighter—not just silvery, but luminous, glowing from within. Then his face began to change—bones shifting beneath the skin, features elongating slightly, teeth sharpening to points. It lasted only seconds, but it was enough.

I stumbled backward, nearly tripping on the stone path. "Oh my God."

He returned to normal—or what passed for normal with him—and watched me carefully. "Now you see."

"Werewolves aren't real," I said automatically, though the evidence stood right in front of me.

"And yet, here we are." Kieran gestured around the moonlit garden. "My pack has existed for centuries, hidden from human society but very much a part of this world. There are others like us across the globe, each territory ruled by an Alpha."

My mind raced, trying to process the impossible. "The auction. Those men with the yellow and silver eyes..."

"Other supernaturals. Werewolves, yes, but also vampires, fae, and others you have no names for." His jaw tightened. "A black market for rare commodities—including pure-blooded humans like yourself."

"Pure-blooded?" I repeated.

"Humans untouched by supernatural genetics. Rare in this modern age of intermingling." He paused, his silver eyes studying me with unexpected intensity. "Valuable for various reasons."

The way he looked at me made my heart stutter. Not predatory, exactly, but... possessive? I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly cold despite the mild night.

"And my mother? Is she...?"

"Completely human," Kieran confirmed. "And unaware of our true nature."

I looked up sharply. "You're marrying her without telling her what you are?"

"For now," he said, his voice softening. "The truth will come after the ceremony. She'll understand when the time is right."

"And if she doesn't?" I challenged. "If she's terrified? If she wants to leave?"

Kieran turned away, looking out over the vast gardens. "That won't happen."

"You can't know that!"

"I can." He glanced back at me, something almost vulnerable in his expression. "The mating bond ensures compatibility. Your mother and I are... well-matched in many ways. She will adapt."

"Mating bond?" I repeated, the term sending new alarms through me. "What exactly are you planning to do to my mother?"

He came closer and slower leaned to my ears that made my heart race in my chest. I gulped nervously trying to stay still. Then he huskily said" I will fuck her day and night. Until she give me a heir."