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"Partners?" She let out a hollow laugh. "I'm not some tool to be used."

Seraphina spun on her heel and bolted deeper into the mansion, her sundress fluttering behind her as she raced through opulent rooms, desperately seeking an exit. She spotted French doors leading to a terrace at the back of the house and lunged for them.

She never made it.

One moment she was running, the next Iverson was in front of her, moving with impossible speed. His hands clamped around her wrists.

"That was rather disappointing." He clicked his tongue. "I'd hoped you might be more reasonable."

"Let go of me!" She struggled against his grip, but it was like fighting against steel.

"I'm afraid we need a more secure location for our discussion." He dragged her toward an elevator tucked discreetly in a side hallway, swiping a keycard before punching a code into the panel.

The doors slid open with a soft chime that seemed obscenely pleasant given the circumstances. Seraphina fought every step, but his strength made her efforts futile. The elevator descended smoothly, opening onto a stark white corridor that looked more like a laboratory than a home.

"Third door," he said, more to himself than to her, pulling her down the hallway.

The room was small and clinical with a single metal chair bolted to the floor in its center. Seraphina's vision from the plane was materializing before her eyes.

"Please don't do this," she pleaded as he forced her into the chair.

"I didn't want to resort to this," he said, securing metal cuffs around her wrists. "But since you refuse to be cooperative, you leave me no choice."

Seraphina tested the restraints, finding them unyielding. "You'll never get away with this."

"I'm a United States Senator with connections in every branch of government." He straightened his tie. "I already have."

As the door closed behind him, Seraphina slumped in the chair, momentary despair washing over her.

Within minutes, the door to the small room swung open with a metallic clang. Senator Iverson strode in, carrying a metal chair. He'd removed his suit jacket, and the sleeves of his crisp white shirt were rolled up to his elbows, revealing tanned forearms corded with muscle.

"Have you calmed down enough for a civilized conversation?" He pulled open the metal chair and sat across from her, his legs spread wide in a display of dominance.

Seraphina tested the handcuffs once more, wincing as the cold metal bit into her wrists. "What exactly is there to discuss when I'm chained to a chair?"

"Our partnership, of course," he drawled, leaning forward slightly. "Your visions combined with my influence—we could reshape the world."

"World domination? Seriously?" Seraphina kept her voice level despite the panic bubbling underneath.

Iverson chuckled. "I prefer to think of it as global restructuring. And just so you know, you're not the first Luna I've tracked, but you're certainly the most promising."

Seraphina's mind raced. Her vision showed her refusing him, and that path led to disaster. She needed to try something different, and just maybe, it would lead to a better outcome.

"You know," he continued, leaning forward further, "I've been alive just as long as your precious Orion. Four centuries of watching him squander the power he never deserved."

"Four hundred years?" Seraphina widened her eyes in feigned surprise.

"Our packs were rivals. I should have been the one to rise to power." His jaw tightened. "But Orion played to the masses, cultivating their loyalty with his bleeding heart and noble gestures." He spat the last words like they tasted bitter.

"So this is about revenge?" Seraphina asked.

"This is about claiming what should have been mine all along." His eyes glinted with cold ambition. "With your visions guiding me, I'll finally take everything from him."

Seraphina remembered her vision of Orion's death and swallowed hard. She had to play this carefully.

"You know," she said, her voice softening to a conspiratorial tone, "Orion wanted to use my powers too. That's why he took me from my house. He said he had plans for me."

Iverson straightened, interest piqued. "Go on."