RAFE POV

The cell was exactly what I thought it would be.

Stone, damp and cold, chains thick and silver-laced, bolted to the wall, clasped tight around my wrists. The smell of mildew, stale water, and my own blood.

My left eye was swollen, nearly shut from the guard's fist, my ribs ached with every breath, but the pain was just light, the only thing that mattered was the bond.

It was still there, a steady and humming warmth in my chest, Luca was alive. He was scared, but alive.

I focused on it, letting it feed my anger, using the anger to burn through the cold and the hurt.

They'd thrown me in here hours ago, after the fight in the tunnels. I'd taken three of Caleb's goons down before a fourth got a lucky hit with a silver-weighted club. The world had gone dark, and I'd woken up here.

The door was solid iron, with a small slot at the bottom for food. No window. The only light came from a flickering torch somewhere down the hall, casting weak, dancing bars of orange through the grate.

I'd tested the chains, they were solid. The silver in them burned if I pulled too hard, tearing my skin. I had to stop testing.

Instead, I listened and breathed deep, sorting through the scents. Damp stone rat droppings the musky, wild smell of rogue wolves. And underneath it all, faint but crushed violets and moonlight, Luca. He was above me. Not far away.

The bond tugged gently in that direction. Up.

I pulled at the chains again, ignoring the fresh burn. I had to get to him, the thought of Caleb anywhere near him, breathing the same air, made my wolf snarl inside my head.

The sound of boots echoed down the hall. Heavy, confident. Not the slow steps of the guard who brought the watery sop they called dinner.

The boots stopped outside my door, and a key turned in the lock.

I straightened up as much as the chains allowed, squaring my shoulders. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me beaten.

The door swung open.

Caleb stood in the doorway, a smirk already on his face, he'd cleaned up. The bruise I'd given him on his jaw, had started fading. He leaned against the doorframe, looking me over like I was a piece of meat at a market.

"Comfortable?" he asked.

I said nothing. I just stared back, letting my Alpha energy roll off me, even chained. It wasn't much, but the air in the cell grew heavier.

Caleb's smirk didn't falter. He stepped inside, the door staying open behind him. "I just came from seeing your little mate. He's adjusting well."

A growl ripped from my throat before I could stop it. "You stay away from him."

"Or what?" Caleb spread his hands, laughing.

"You'll rattle your chains at me?" He took another step closer, well within striking distance if my arms were free.

"He's fascinating you know, I offered him a place at my side." He smiled, drawing his words slowly.

"A chance to be more than an Omega. He told me to shove it." He sounded almost admiring.

"Stupid, but brave."

Relief battled with fury. He'd said no. Of course he'd said no. But Caleb knowing he'd said no was dangerous.

"He'll never be yours." I said, my voice low and rough.

"See, that's where you're wrong." Caleb crouched down in front of me, his dark eyes level with mine.

"He'll be exactly what I need him to be,

because I have you."

Fear and cold trickled down my spine. "What?"

"The Moon Trial is tomorrow, if he passes, the rogues keep him, they'll protect their precious Lunar Omega. If he fails..." Caleb's smile turned vicious.

"They will give him to me, so I made him a new offer, a simpler one, all he has to do is fail the trial. And in exchange, I let you live, and even set you free."

The world narrowed to Caleb's smug face, I felt like punching the smirk out of his ugly face.

He'd backed Luca into a corner with my life as the bargaining chip. Luca would do it, I knew he would. He'd sacrifice himself in a heartbeat.

"He won't believe you." I spat out.

"He doesn't have to believe I'll let him go, he just has to believe I'll kill you if he doesn't obey." Caleb reached out, and before I could jerk back, he tapped a finger against the silver chain around my right wrist. It sizzled against my skin.

"And I will, it would be easy and it would be a shame, for a made Alpha like you, to be snuffed out." He said, clicking his teeth.

The words landed like blows, a made Alpha. He knew, of course he knew. He'd probably read the same records I was looking for in the archives.

The shock must have shown on my face. Caleb's eyes lit up. "Oh, you didn't know? You thought you were just special?" He laughed, a mean, cruel sound.

"You're a science project Rafe, my father's little experiment, he took the power of a dead rogue Alpha and stitched it into a weak Beta pup."

"He created you, a custom-built Alpha, designed for one purpose." He leaned in, his voice dropping to a poisonous whisper.

"To control the Lunar Omega, to be his leash."

My breath seized abnormally, the memory of the bite in the forest, the instant, overwhelming need to claim Luca... was that even me? Or was it just my programming kicking in?

No. The feelings were too real. The bond was too real. I shut the doubt down, clinging to the warmth in my chest. Luca.

"You're lying." I snarled, but it sounded weak.

"Am I?" Caleb stood up, looking down at me with pity.

"Why do you think your bond formed so fast? So perfectly? It's what you were made for, you're not his fated mate, you're his handler." He walked toward the door.

"Think about that while you're sitting here. Tomorrow, your little Omega is going to fail his test to save your pathetic life, and then he'll be mine, because that's what you made him do, his sacrifice will be your fault."

He stepped out into the hall.

"Wait!" The word tore out of me.

He paused, glancing back.

"Don't make him do this." I said, the plea tasting like ash.

"He doesn't deserve your games."

Caleb's expression softened into something truly terrifying, something almost like sympathy. "It's too late for that, the game is already in motion."

The only move left is his." He signaled to someone in the hall. "Make sure he's ready for the trip."

Two large rogues stepped into view. They carried a thick, black hood and a set of heavier manacles between them.

Panic kicked in."Ready for what? Where are you taking me?"

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.