Lucien's POV
The forest was still, suffused with the eerie glow of the blood moon, when I caught sight of her. Selene. The wolf princess, stubborn, defiant, and dangerously naïve. How she had wandered so carelessly into my grasp, I couldn't help but smile. Fate, it seemed, still favored those who walked blindly into traps.
She struggled the moment I reached her, twisting and biting at my hold, but she was no match for me. I could feel her panic radiating through her, sharp and intoxicating, and I let her struggle briefly before tightening my grip.
"You'll forgive me, Princess," I said, my voice smooth, almost gentle, though the steel beneath it was lethal. "I would not have it any other way. You see, some pieces cannot be left to move freely. They must be placed where they belong. And you…" I let the word linger, savoring it, "…are essential to the game."
