Lucas’s POV

 

Five fucking years. I’ve built empires, torn down corporations, and made more money than most people could fathom. Blackwood Enterprises is a juggernaut in the business world, with assets spread across industries that would make the strongest alphas in the country cower.

 

But no amount of money, no level of power, could silence the gnawing void clawing at my chest. The gaping, festering wound that never healed.

 

Her. My mate.

 

Selina Carter. The woman I’d cruelly rejected and cast aside like she was nothing. Like she hadn’t been everything.

 

And I was supposed to be the one with all the power.

 

I gripped the edge of my mahogany desk until my knuckles turned white, the polished wood creaking under the pressure. The city skyline sprawled out before me, a glittering sea of lights trying to distract me from the darkness swirling in my mind.

 

But nothing could distract me from the truth.

 

I’d spent the last five years burying myself in work, drowning in violence, dominance, and ruthlessness. My father was dead now, his once-formidable grip over the pack shattered the moment his heart failed him. The elders had wanted me to settle down with some politically advantageous female, someone of pure bloodline and status.

 

I told them all to go fuck themselves.

 

I didn’t need a mate. I didn’t need anything but power. Or at least, that’s what I kept telling myself. The beast inside me never agreed. My wolf was restless, savage, and consumed by the scent of the mate I’d so callously driven away.

 

Every woman I tried to bed left me cold. Their touch was nothing but ash compared to the fire that once scorched my skin whenever Selina was near. But it was too late. She was gone. And I was left to rot in my own misery, pretending I’d made the right choice.

 

Pretending I still craved her with every fucking breath I took.

 

A sharp knock on the door snapped me out of my brooding. I didn’t bother answering. Whoever dared to interrupt me would either have something important to say or find themselves thrown out of my goddamn office.

 

Grant strode in, his expression tense. He was the only man I trusted enough to barge into my space without permission. I’d kept him at my side for years, his loyalty proving itself time and time again.

 

“Sir, we have a problem,” Grant said, his voice calm and clipped, the way it always was when he was bracing himself for chaos.

 

“There’s always a problem, Grant. Spit it out.”

 

“Carter & Co. has launched an aggressive campaign against our subsidiaries. Multiple hostile takeovers over the last month. Whoever’s running this operation is exceptionally skilled.”

 

I narrowed my eyes, the name sinking into me like a dagger. “Carter & Co.?”

 

“Yes, sir. A fairly new company that’s been making waves in the legal and business world. Their tactics are brutal. Precise. And from what I can see, their target is us.”

 

My pulse quickened, the beast inside me stirring.

 

“Who owns it?”

 

Grant hesitated, his gaze flickering with something too close to fear. “Selina Carter.”

 

The room dropped into a suffocating silence. Blood thundered in my ears, my fists clenching at my sides.

 

No. That couldn’t be right.

 

“Are you sure?” My voice was low, deadly. The kind of tone that usually had men trembling.

 

Grant nodded. “I triple-checked. It’s her. And from what I’ve gathered, she’s built her empire from the ground up. She’s… formidable, sir. And from the way she’s targeting us, I’d say this is personal.”

 

Personal. Fucking hell.

 

I should’ve known she wouldn’t just disappear. I’d tried looking for her once—out of desperation, guilt, and obsession. But every trail led to a dead end. The woman was a ghost. A figment of my worst mistake.

 

But now, she was back. And she was coming for me.

 

“How much damage has she done?” I snapped, my voice colder than the night air.

 

“Several of our assets have been compromised. Two of our smaller subsidiaries have already been taken over, and three more are under siege. She’s systematically attacking every company we have ties with, making it impossible for us to maintain control.”

 

I let out a dark, humorless laugh. Selina had always been brilliant, her mind sharp and quick. But this? This level of calculated, ruthless precision?

 

My cock stirred at the thought of her, the woman I’d once claimed as mine now standing against me like an avenging queen. Even now, with rage burning through my veins, I couldn’t deny the desire thrumming beneath the surface.

 

My wolf clawed at my chest, demanding I hunt her down, drag her back, and never let her go. But this wasn’t just about possession. It was about power. And Selina was making it very clear she wouldn’t be satisfied until she tore mine apart.

 

“Find out everything about her,” I ordered, my voice a low growl. “Every contact, every asset, every weakness. And if anyone’s helping her, I want their heads on my fucking desk.”

 

Grant nodded sharply, but his gaze lingered on me for a moment. “Should I also arrange a meeting, sir? To… discuss terms.”

 

Terms? The idea of negotiating with her was laughable. If she thought she could declare war on me, she was about to learn what true ruthlessness looked like.

 

“Forget negotiations,” I snarled. “She wants to come for me? Fine. I’ll drag her ass back here myself.”

 

Grant swallowed, but his professionalism remained intact. “Understood, sir. I’ll have everything prepared by the end of the day.”

 

“Good. Now get the fuck out of my office.”

 

He left without another word, the door closing with a quiet click. The silence that followed was thick and suffocating, the rage simmering beneath my skin like molten lava.

 

Selina Carter. The woman I’d cast aside. The woman I’d condemned to a life of suffering.

 

And now she was back. Stronger. More powerful. More dangerous.

 

A dark, twisted part of me couldn’t wait to see her again. To taste the fury I’d ignited in her and bend it to my will.

 

Because no matter how powerful she’d become, no matter how sharp her claws, she was still mine.

 

And this time, I wasn’t letting her go.