The stranger didn't fully disappear.
I could still feel him somewhere beyond the fortress walls. Watching. Measuring. Waiting.
"Who was that?" I asked quietly.
Lucien's expression was unusually serious. "Trouble."
"That doesn't help."
"That was Alpha Darius," he said. "Leader of the Nightfall Territory."
My stomach tightened. Another Alpha. Another powerful man drawn by the mark.
"What does he want?"
Lucien didn't answer immediately. His silence told me enough.
"You."
The word settled heavily in my chest.
"Not like Kaiden," Lucien continued. "Kaiden wants to reclaim what he rejected. Darius… he collects power. And right now, you might be the rarest power alive."
I hated how that sounded.
Not Selene.
Not a person.
Power.
A weapon.
A prize.
"I won't be owned," I said firmly.
Lucien gave a small approving nod. "Good. Because Darius doesn't ask twice."
As if summoned by his name, a slow clap echoed from the fortress entrance.
"Well said."
We both turned.
Darius stepped into the light like he belonged there. Tall. Dark hair. Eyes like polished obsidian. His confidence was different from Kaiden's dominance or Lucien's control. This was calculated charm wrapped around danger.
"I prefer women who know their worth," he said.
My instincts screamed danger.
"What do you want?" I asked.
His smile widened slightly. "Straight to the point. I like that."
Lucien moved slightly in front of me. Protective. Silent warning.
Darius didn't seem impressed.
"I came to see if the rumors were true," he said. "An Omega forcing Alphas to kneel… I had to see it myself."
"I'm not a show," I replied coldly.
"No," he agreed softly. "You're an opportunity."
Kaiden's growl suddenly echoed from the treeline.
Darius smiled wider.
"Oh good," he said. "All the important players are here."
And suddenly I understood.
This wasn't just about survival anymore.
This was a power game.
And I was the center of it.