LUCA

The cavern was a giant, gaping mouth of stone, and I was standing on its tongue.

Torches flickered on the walls, throwing wild shadows, all around, on ledges and balconies carved from the rock, were the Kindred Rogues.

Hundreds of them. Men, women, their eyes reflecting the firelight, watching me in complete silence. They smelled of pine, wet earth, and a wild, untamed magic.

In the center of the cavern floor was a wide circle drawn in pale, glowing dust. That was where I stood, the Moon Trial ring.

Kael, the rogue leader, stood just outside the circle. He was a big man with scars across his face.

"The circle is charged with lunar ash." he said, his voice echoing.

"It will amplify what is in you, if you are what you claim to be, the moon's power will answer, you will make the ash glow with your own light, you have until the moon reaches the shaft above." He pointed upward.

High in the cavern roof, a narrow shaft was cut, a perfect beam of cold, white moonlight shone straight down, inching slowly across the stone floor toward the edge of my circle. It was a timer.

My heart was trying to beat its way out of my chest, I had to fail.

I had to let the light reach me and do nothing, that was the deal. Fail, and Rafe lives.

I looked for him, desperate. I couldn't feel the bond clearly in here, with so many other wolves and the strange energy of the ash.

Then I saw him.

A commotion at the far entrance, rogues parted. Caleb walked in, looking pleased with himself, and behind him, two rogues shoved a figure forward.

Rafe.

His hands were bound behind his back, a bruise colored his face, but his head was high, his eyes scanning the cavern until they found me. They locked onto mine.

A rogue beside him held a long, wicked-looking silver knife, not at his throat, but resting against his shoulder. The threat was clear.

Caleb stopped near the circle, just outside the ring of watching rogues, he gave me a small, cold smile. A reminder.

Fail, and he lives.

Kael followed my gaze, his expression unreadable. "The Alpha son is here to witness, but it does not change the trial."

He raised his voice. "Begin."

Nothing happened, i just stood there, my hands at my sides, I tried to look confused and weak, I let my shoulders slump. See? Nothing here, Just a broken Omega.

The moonlight crept closer, but the ash circle remained dull.

From the balconies, a low murmur started. Doubt.

I kept my eyes on Rafe, it's okay, I tried to tell him with my look. I'm doing this for you.

But his face was cold, he shook his head, just once. A sharp, clear motion. No.

He knew. He knew what deal I'd made.

The moonbeam touched the outer edge of the ash circle.

The moment it made contact, the ash didn't glow. It burned.

A line of silver fire raced around the entire circle, sealing me inside with a ring of cold flame. A wave of energy slammed into me. It was the moon's power, pure and demanding. It didn't ask for my magic. It clawed at it, trying to rip it out of me.

I gasped, doubling over, it felt like hooks in my bones,were pulling dangerously.

"The circle seeks the truth!" Kael called out. "It will pull what is hidden into the light!"

The pain was incredible, it wasn't physical. It was deeper. It was in my soul. My wolf howled inside me, terrified.

The silver pool of my power, which I'd kept so still, began to churn violently, forcing it's way to the surface.

I couldn't hold it back, the circle was too strong.

A whimper escaped my lips. My body started to glow, a faint, unstable silver light flickering under my skin, the ash around my feet began to brighten.

The rogues above leaned forward, a collective breath held.

"No." I choked out, fearfully.

I couldn't pass, I had to fight it, I tried to shove the power back down, to clamp a lid on it.

Resisting the pull was worse. It felt like tearing myself in two. A scream ripped from my throat. The light flared brighter against my will.

I looked at Rafe, tears of pain and frustration in my eyes, I was losing.

The circle was going to force my power out, and I would pass the trial, and Caleb would kill him.

Rafe's eyes were blazing, he was straining against the rogues holding him, the bond strained and muffled, suddenly screamed with a single, clear emotion from him. Not fear for himself.

Pride.

And then, a command, not through the bond, but through the sheer force of his will, his lips forming the words across the distance.

"LET GO."

He didn't want me to fail for him. He wanted me to fight.

The moonbeam hit my boots.

Extra agony exploded, the circle's pull became all-consuming. My control shattered.

With a cry that was part sob, part roar, I stopped fighting. I stopped thinking about deals and threats. I thought of Rafe. Of the bond. Of the cedar-and-storm scent of him. Of the feel of his hands on me. Of the way he looked at me like I was everything.

I reached for that feeling, that connection, and I threw it into the circle.

Not my power. My love.

The effect was instant.

The silver light didn't just flare. It erupted. It burst from me in a silent, shockwave of pure, radiant moonlight.

The entire ash circle blazed like a fallen star, so bright the torches seemed to dim. The light shot up the shaft in the ceiling, a pillar of silver connecting earth and moon.

The cavern was dead silent, then erupted into noise.

Gasps.

Howls of awe.

Kael took a step back, his scarred face stunned.

The pain vanished, the pulling stopped.

I was panting, glowing, standing in the center of a beacon.

I had passed. Spectacularly.

My triumphant horror snapped to Caleb. His smug smile was gone, replaced by cold, furious shock.

His eyes cut to the rogue with the knife at Rafe's shoulder. He gave a sharp, almost invisible nod.

"No." I screamed bitterly

Time seemed to slow.

The rogue's arm tensed.

The silver blade lifted.

LUCA

The roaring in my ears wouldn't stop.

It was the sound of hundreds of Kindred Rogues howling, stamping their feet, beating their chests. Approval. Awe. It echoed in the giant cavern until the stone itself seemed to vibrate.

I stood in the center of the ash circle, which was now just dull, grey powder again. My whole body hummed. The lunar power that had erupted from me was settling under my skin like a warm heartbeat.

Kael, the scarred leader, stepped into the circle, he didn't smile, but his eyes held a fierce respect.

He raised a hand, and the roaring slowly died to a restless murmur.

"Luca Throne has passed the trial!" he announced, his voice carrying across the cavern.

"The moon's mark is upon him, the Lunar Omega is real."

More howls filled the cavern, the rogues were celebrating. But it didn't feel real, to me I felt like a lightning strike had gone through me and left only smoke and sparks behind.

My eyes darted to where Caleb had been standing. He was gone, like he vanished into thin air.

Two rogues, a man and a woman with stern faces entered the circle. "Come with us." the woman ordered softly.

I had no choice, my legs felt like water. I let them guide me out of the cavern, down a side tunnel, away from the noise. They took me to a small room carved into the rock.

It had a cot, a bucket of water, and a torch in a sconce. It looked like a cell, but cleaner than I expected.

"Wait here, and don't move an inch." the male rogue commanded.

"The council will speak with you soon."

"Where's Rafe?" I asked, my voice cracking.

They didn't answer, rather they went out the door, a heavy slab of oak reinforced with iron and swung it shut.

I sank onto the cot, my head in my hands, the glow was fading from my skin, leaving me feeling cold and empty.

I'd done it, but at what cost? I'd shown my power to everyone, Caleb had seen it, and now Rafe was somewhere in this maze, probably in a worse cell, because of me.

I don't know how long I sat there, perhaps long enough for the torch to burn lower.

When suddenly I heard the sound of a struggle, outside the door..

My head snapped up, staring intently at the door.

The lock rattled, and the door flew open.

Two large rogues shoved someone inside. Someone tall, with broad shoulders and brown hair.

Rafe.

They threw him into the room with enough force that he stumbled, catching himself against the far wall.

He whirled around, fists up, a snarl on his lips. The door slammed shut behind him.

He was breathing hard. His shirt was torn. A fresh cut bled over his eyebrow. But he was here alive with me, in the same room.

"Rafe." I breathed.

He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the dim light,when they found me. The snarl vanished, replaced by pure, stark relief.

"Luca." He called gently

We crossed the room at the same time, he grabbed my arms, looking me over like he was checking for breaks.

"Are you hurt? What did they do to you?"

"I'm okay, they just... put me in here." My own hands were on his chest, feeling the solid beat of his heart. "Your head..."

"It's nothing." He swiped at the blood with the back of his hand, his eyes never leaving my face.

"I heard the howling. I felt... something through the bond, what happened?" He questioned.

"The circle... it pulled the power out of me, like tearing it from my bones, I couldn't stop it." I shuddered at the memory. "It was like the moon reached down and grabbed me."

His thumb stroked my cheek. "But you controlled it."

"No," I whispered, the truth spilling out. "I didn't. I let go. I thought of you. And it just... exploded."

Something flashed in his eyes. Wonder. Fear. He pulled me into a rough hug, his face buried in my hair. "You're incredible." he murmured, his voice soothing and thick.

We stood like that for a long moment, just holding on. The bond, which had been filled with panic, swelled into a warm, humming river of relief. He was here. We were together. For now.

He finally pulled back, but kept his hands on my shoulders. His expression turned serious as he looked around the room. "This is a test."

"What?"

"Putting us together. It's another trial." He let go of me and walked to the door, running his fingers along the seam.

"They want to see what the bond does, if it makes us weak, if we lose control, if it's a strength or a liability."

The warmth I'd felt chilled instantly. He was right. This wasn't kindness. It was observation.

"So what do we do?" I asked, hugging myself.

He turned from the door, his gaze landing on me. The torchlight made his hazel eyes look like dark gold. "We give them nothing to see."

"How?"

"By acting normal." He came back to me, but didn't touch me. He sat on the edge of the cot and pointed to the bucket. "Is that water clean?"

The shift was so sudden it took me a second, he was right, we couldn't just stand here clinging to each other. That's probably what they wanted.

"I think so," I answered, walking toward the bucket. I dipped a corner of my shirt in it, wringing it out. "Here, for your cut."

He took the cloth from me, our fingers brushed, a spark shot up my arm. The bond pulsed, hungry for more contact. I saw his jaw tighten. He felt it too.

He pressed the cloth to his brow, wincing slightly. "Talk to me," he said, his voice low. "About anything, not about bonds or trials or Caleb. Just... talk."

I sat on the floor, leaning my back against the stone wall opposite him. What did people talk about? My mind was blank. "I... I don't like cauliflower."

He stared at me for a second, then a slow smile spread across his face. It was the first one I'd seen since the forest. It lit up his whole face, even with the cut and the bruise. "What?"

"It's the worst vegetable," I said, the absurdity of it making me feel a little hysterical.

"It smells like feet when you cook it, and it has no purpose."

He let out a short, surprised laugh. "I'll never feed you cauliflower."

"Good." I nodded, smiling happily.

"I hum when I'm nervous." I blurted out.

"Random songs just to drive my aunt crazy."

"I know," he said softly.

"You were humming that day behind the stables, before your shift."

Suddenly the door lock rattled interrupting our small talk.

We both froze.

But the door didn't open. Instead, a small narrow slot at the bottom one I hadn't noticed slid open.

Two wooden bowls were pushed through, followed by two cups.

Kael's cold voice came from the other side of the door.

"The power of the bond, is it a chain of or a lifeline?"

"Only the night will tell." He chuckled.

RAFE

Everything became quiet after Kael's words, leaving us alone again. Luca stood by the bed, his back towards me, his shoulders were hunched and frail, he looked smaller than I'd ever seen him.

I shifted closer to him, I didn't know what to say, so I just put my hands on his shoulders and hugged him.

"I'm scared." he mumbled into my skin, his breath warm and shaky.

"I know." I held him tighter.

"I'm here, I got you baby."

We stood there for a long time, just holding each other in the dark, the candles were gone. The only light was a faint grey glow from a crack under the door.

Slowly, the hug changed, It wasn't just comfort anymore, it was a need. A desperate need to feel that we were real, that we were here, together.

Luca tilted his head back. In the dim light, I saw the track of a single tear down his cheek. I wiped it away with my thumb.

He kissed me.

It wasn't like last time, the last time was fire and need. This was slow. Sad. Searching. His lips were soft against mine, asking a question.

Are we still us?

I answered by kissing him back. Gently I poured every promise I couldn't say out loud into that kiss.

We moved to the bed without breaking apart. It was a slow, quiet move. We helped each other out of our clothes, our hands fumbling but careful. There was no rush. No frenzy.

When we were both naked, we lay down facing each other on the furs. I traced the line of his jaw, his collarbone with a light-feather kiss.

"Talk to me." I whispered.

He shook his head, his eyes glistening. "I don't have any good words right now."

"Then don't talk."

I kissed him again, I kissed his eyelids, his temples, the corner of his mouth. He shuddered, his hands coming up to tangle in my hair.

I loved him with my mouth, slow and thorough, until he was gasping, his back arching off the bed.

His pleasure was a bright, warm wave through the bond, cutting through the cold fear for a moment.

When he came back down, breathing hard, he pulled me up to him. He wrapped his legs around my hips, guiding me to him. Our eyes locked.

"Look at me," he breathed. "The whole time."

I lifted him over slowly upon my chest, and lined my cock, behind his rectum, slowly I pushed inside him, we both gasped.

It felt different. Deeper. It wasn't just our bodies. It was our souls touching in that dark, sacred place.

I moved, a slow, rocking rhythm that had him clutching at my back. His face was so close to mine. I could see every flicker of feeling in his eyes.

"You're real." he whispered, his voice cracking. "You feel so real."

A knot tightened in my throat. I couldn't speak. I just kissed him, swallowing his words, his breath, his fear.

We moved together slowly, there were no loud cries. Just broken breaths and whispers against sweat-slick skin.

"I won't let them take you." I promised into the hollow of his shoulder.

"I don't care what I am." he gasped, his nails pressing into my skin.

"As long as I'm yours."

"Always."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

The pleasure built slowly, a heavy pressure that wasn't just physical. It was the weight of everything we were fighting, turning into heat between us.

The bond was a conduit, carrying his trust, my devotion, our shared terror, mixing it all together until we couldn't tell where one ended and the other began.

When we finally fell over the edge, it was quiet. A trembling release that felt more like relief than triumph.

I held him through it, and he held me, and for a few perfect seconds, there was no Caleb, no Goddess, no prophecy. Just us, tangled together in sweet pleasure.

We lay like that for a long time, catching our breath, his head was on my chest, my arm around him. Our hearts beat against each other, slowly returning to normal.

The fear started to creep back in. The reality of the stone walls, of Kael's words.

Luca's finger traced a lazy circle on my chest, right over the bond. "What are you thinking about?" he murmured.

I stared up at the dark ceiling. The secret I'd been holding felt like a poison stone in my chest, he'd just given me everything, his trust, his body, his scared heart. He deserved my truth, even if it broke us.

"Luca." I said, my voice sounding strange in the dark.

"Hmm?"

I took a deep breath. The words were the hardest I'd ever had to say.

"My power," I began, the confession ripping out of me. "It feels like a lie."

His tracing finger stopped. He went very still.

"What do you mean?" he asked, carefully.

"Everything Caleb said. About me being... made." I forced myself to say it. "It's true. I feel it. When I use my Alpha strength, it doesn't feel like it comes from here." I tapped my own chest.

"It feels borrowed, like I'm wearing someone else's skin."

He was silent for so long I thought maybe he'd fallen asleep. Or that he was too disgusted to speak.

Then he pushed himself up on one elbow. He looked down at me. In the near-darkness, his eyes were serious.

"Does it feel like a lie," he asked softly, "when you hold me?"

"No." The answer was immediate. "That's the only thing that feels completely real."

A small, sad smile touched his lips. He leaned down and kissed me, slow and sweet.

"Then that's the only power that matters," he whispered against my lips.

He laid his head back down. I held him, my mind reeling. He hadn't pulled away. He hadn't screamed. He'd just... accepted it.

The relief was so profound it made my eyes sting.

Maybe, just maybe, we could lie together and make something true.

Just as that thought settled, a sound sliced through the quiet a long, mournful howl from somewhere deep in the mountain.

It wasn't a rogue, it was a sound of pure, ancient grief. And it was followed by a single, clear voice that seemed to come from the stones themselves.

The voice, cold and echoing, spoke only three words that seeped into our room,

"The Seer wakes."