RAINA

"Please, stay still, my lady," the maid said, her hands were gentle but the water was too warm. I flinched as the rough cloth brushed over a bruise along my ribs, one of many. Steam filled the air, carrying the faint scent of donkey milk and rose oil. I couldn't remember the last time I had been bathed by anyone other than myself, much more with rose oil and donkey milk.. didn't even know that was a thing.

The room glowed in soft gold light from a chandelier that hung like a thousand stars hanging from the ceiling. Every corner was too beautiful, too polished, too unreal. I didn't belong here.

I was a slave, cursed at birth , not a lady as the servant had called me. And yet here I was, half-naked in a tub carved from marble, three servants kneeling beside me as if I were something precious, and two others standing by holding the large white cotton towels.

Something I had never imagined could happen to me.

My heart raced with every stroke of the cloth. The scent of the soap reminded me too much of Luna Fran's chambers, and my stomach twisted. Was this a trick? Had they decided to humiliate me before executing me for daring to cross the Supreme Alpha's path?

"Why are you doing this?" I whispered.

The maid hesitated. "Orders from the Supreme Alpha himself," she said softly.

My chest tightened. Zane.

I remembered his eyes; dark, burning, endless. The way the world seemed to still when they met mine. The way my breath caught and my wolf stirred restlessly, as though she recognized him. But that couldn't be right?, this isn't a movie where the poor orphaned girl marries the prince, this is real life, my life.

When the maids were done, they dressed me in a soft white nightgown that felt like clouds against my skin. I couldn't stop touching the fabric, half afraid it would vanish. My hair ... white as snow was brushed until it shimmered. Then they left me alone in the room so large I could have fit the Moonshire kitchen inside it twice over.

The bed looked too big, the sheets too clean. I sat on the edge, my body trembling. I was supposed to be happy about this, after all, this meant they hadn't killed me. But all I could think was why?

Why would the Supreme Alpha, ruler of all packs, take an interest in a cursed half-blood like me?

The maids had whispered as they worked, glancing at me as though afraid to speak too loud. I caught fragments of their gossip. "She smells strange..." "The Supreme has never brought anyone to the east wing before..."

I wrapped my arms around myself, pulling the blanket up. The ointment they had rubbed into my bruises tingled, but my heart hurt more. I had to leave, escape now or face eminent death.If I stayed, I would be killed for sure, or worse, become a pawn in whatever game these powerful wolves played. The door creaked, and my breath froze. A shadow appeared - tall and broad.

My wolf whimpered before I could even see his face. The air changed; it thickened, charged like electric.

It was him

"Why are you here?" My voice was barely a whisper. He didn't answer, only the sound of his breathing, slow, like a predator stalking prey. I turned my head slightly, and there he was. Alpha Zane.

The Supreme Alpha of all the clans. He stood partly in shadow, only the faint glow of moonlight revealing the sharp line of his jaw, the cold perfection of his expression. His eyes glimmered like the moon itself.

"You shouldn't be out of bed," he said quietly, though his tone was more command than concern.

"I.....I didn't know this bed was mine," I stammered.

His gaze swept over me, lingering on my large breast. I saw the conflict flash behind his eyes, like he was fighting something within himself. The air between us felt tensed. Then he turned and stepped back into the shadow. "Rest." And just like that, he was gone.

I stared at the door long after it closed. My pulse hammered against my ribs, my breath shallow. Something in his voice... in his eyes... stirred a part of me I didn't understand.

But my fear was stronger, because I knew what men like him did when they felt something they shouldn't.

I waited until the castle went silent, until even the crickets outside stopped chirping. Then I slid off the bed and tiptoed to the door. The floor was cold against my bare feet. My heart pounded so hard I was sure someone would hear it.

The hallway stretched before me, long, lined with portraits of Alphas past. The lights flickered weakly. I crept through the shadows, hugging the walls. My hands trembled with every step I took.

I needed to find Diego. He was the only one who might help me. I slipped past guards, holding my breath as they passed, then darted into the side passage I had remembered from earlier when we arrived. The scent of roasted meat drifted faintly from the kitchens far below. The castle was so vast I could easily get lost in it.

Finally, I found the hallway leading to the guest quarters where the Moonshire pack stayed. My stomach clenched as I heard voices ahead-laughter, clinking glasses. I moved quietly, keeping to the shadows until I reached the door I believed was Diego's.

I knocked softly.

"Diego," I whispered. "It's me."he didn't answer.

I knocked again and still no reply. I panicked, maybe he wasn't here. Maybe......

The door behind me creaked open.

"Looking for someone?"

The familiar voice made my blood run cold. I turned around slowly. Alpha Dirke stood there, dressed in a robe of dark velvet, a cruel smile on his lips. His eyes gleamed with malice.

"Well, well... the little half-blood thinks she's a princess now."

I took a step back, clutching my hands together. "I......... I was just......."

"Just what?" His tone dripped with mockery. "Sneaking around the Supreme's castle like a thief? Or trying to seduce him with your cursed stench?"

My throat tightened. "Please, Alpha, I wasn't....."

He moved faster than I expected, closing the distance between us. His hand shot out, gripping my chin hard enough to make me wince.

"Listen to me, you filthy mistake," he hissed. "You will stop whatever charade you are pulling. The Supreme may pity you now, but he'll learn what you are soon enough. And when he does, I'll make sure he rips your heart out himself."

His breath was hot and sour against my face. My wolf whimpered, but I forced myself not to cry.

"I don't understand," I whispered. "Why are you doing this?"

He laughed, low and cruel. "Because your father should never have been Alpha. The Moon Goddess punished him for defying her and you are the proof of his sin. You shouldn't even exist." His fingers dug deeper into my jaw until I tasted blood.

"I will make sure your death redeems our pack," he growled. Suddenly, the air shifted: electric, thick, and violent.

Dirke froze, his grip slackened.

A growl-not human, not even fully wolf rumbled from behind him, deep and lethal.

"What the hell is happening here?

Dirke paled instantly and released me. He turned, bowing so fast his head nearly hit the floor. "My Lord! Forgive me, I......."

I stumbled back, clutching my aching jaw.

Alpha Zane stood at the end of the hall, his expression unreadable, but his eyes... they burned into mine. He took a step forward, and I felt the pull again, the invisible string tying me to him. My knees nearly buckled.

"What did you do to her?" Zane's voice was calm, but every word carried power.

"N-nothing, my Lord. I found her wandering......."

"She doesn't answer to you here," Zane cut in sharply. "Leave."

Dirke hesitated, his face twitching. "But, my Lord, she......"

"Now."

Dirke bowed lower, muttered something I couldn't hear, and hurried off. His scent lingered; bitter and hateful.

I stood frozen, every muscle tense. My breath came shallow and quick.

Zane approached me slowly, his gaze never leaving me. "You shouldn't have left your quarters," he said, but his tone lacked the harshness I expected.

"I... I thought I was being set up," I whispered.

His jaw tightened. "By who?"

I didn't answer. My throat was too dry, my body trembling too much.

He stopped in front of me, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating off him. His eyes flicked briefly to the faint bruise still on my jaw, and something in his expression changed, something protective.

My wolf whimpered again, louder this time, and to my horror, I felt tears sting my eyes.

"Why do you fear me?" he asked quietly.

"Because everyone does," I breathed.

The silence between us was suffocating.

Zane's eyes darkened, and his voice dropped lower. "They hurt you often, don't they?"

I swallowed hard. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters," he said, so firmly it startled me.

For a heartbeat, I saw it, the flicker of something human behind the Supreme Alpha's mask. Then he turned away, his shoulders rigid.

"Go back to your quarters," he said finally. "Before I forget I'm trying to be merciful."

He started to walk away, but I couldn't move because my wolf was howling inside me, calling his name, not with fear, but with longing. I pressed a hand to my chest, breathless. Something was wrong. The pull was stronger now, almost painful.

He paused, as if hearing it too. Then he turned his head slightly, and for the briefest moment, our eyes met again. Something ancient sparked in the space between us, something neither of us could fight.

And then suddenly we both heard a crash. It echoed from deeper inside the castle. A low growl followed, distant but fierce.

Zane's head snapped toward the sound, his posture shifting instantly into that of the predator, the Alpha, the ruler.

"Stay here," he commanded.

But before I could answer, he was gone, disappearing down the hall like a shadow swallowed by darkness. I pressed my back against the cold wall, shaking.

And deep inside, my wolf whispered what I didn't dare admit out loud.

He's not just watching you, Raina.

He's bound to you.

ZANE

"My Lord, the crash came from the West wing."

"Patrol the area, keep your eyes peeled".

The echo of the crash still lingered in my mind. The lower chamber was quiet now, the bulb dangling from the ceiling flickered, shadows bending along the golden walls as if the palace. I paced the length of the corridor, my black leather boots making a tap tap sound on the marble floor.

I scanned the area with my sharp eyes, sniffed the air to make out any strange presence, but there was none. There was no trace of the disturbance I had heard earlier.Because I was hosting the leaders of the ten clans in my castle I had intensified the security system of the castle because whenever powerful Alpha's gather in a place, there always is a chance of a coup or rebellion, so I declared a curfew after 1:am for the period they were here.

I sniffed the air again, nothing, only faint traces of her... that strange, undefinable scent of hers which was neither wolf nor human.

Raina.

My wolf stirred within me. Mate.

I clenched my jaw. "Enough," I muttered under my breath, forcing Dante's voice back into the dark corners of my mind.

The door creaked open behind me. Beta Mark entered first, calm as always, his eyes sharp. Behind him came Grandaline, my sister, her gown dragging across the cold floor, her expression unreadable but her presence commanding.

"Well," she said, folding her arms, "the great Supreme Alpha pacing the floor like a restless pup. Should we be worried?"

"Don't start, Grandaline," I replied, my tone harsher than intended.

Mark's gaze swept the chamber. "The guards reported no intruders. Whatever caused the sound must have been nothing. Perhaps a servant."

"Perhaps," I said, though I didn't believe it. Something had shifted. I could feel it in my bones.

Grandaline arched an eyebrow. "Or perhaps you're simply... distracted." She smirked "You canceled the mating ceremony before the presentation even began. The entire council is whispering, do you even realize how that looks?"

I turned away, staring at the stairs that led to the lower chamber where Raina slept. "I had my reasons."

"Reasons?" she asked "Do these reasons happen to have white hair and blue eyes?"

Her words cut deeper than they should have. My wolf rumbled in the back of my mind, a low, possessive growl. I forced my composure, crossing my arms. "I found nothing but a frightened girl who should never have been in my path."

Mark exchanged a look with Grandaline before stepping closer. "Zane... you called off the ceremony before any of the clan daughters were presented. That's not like you. The Council is demanding an explanation."

I met his gaze, I knew I had to tell them the truth "Dante marked her."

The silence that followed was so heavy I could hear the blood rushing in my ears.

Grandaline's smile faltered. "What did you just say?"

"My wolf marked her," I said slowly, the weight of the confession hanging between us. "The half-blood girl from Moonshire. He claims she's our fated mate."

Mark swore under his breath. Grandaline took a step back, shaking her head. "That's impossible. You? of all Alphas...... mated to a cursed half-blood? Zane, do you know what this means?"

I did. I had been thinking of nothing else since that moment in the hall when her scent struck me like lightning. Since the look in her eyes; terrified, broken, and yet... something else. Something that called to the part of me I had buried long ago.

"I know," I said quietly. "Which is why I am not accepting it. She is too weak, she can never absorb me- even her betters couldn't."

Mark frowned, "But Dante........."

"Dante is wrong" I cut him off sharply. "She can't be my mate. It's forbidden by the laws of the Council. Alphas don't mate with half-bloods. The union would disgrace the Howlers and weaken the throne."

Grandaline laughed softly, but there was no amusement in it. "The Moonshire pack has been losing influence since Dirke took over. You think it's a coincidence that his pack brought that girl here? Perhaps this is their plan; some twisted scheme to forge an alliance through pity."

Her words struck a nerve. I turned around to face her, my voice dropping to a dangerous low. "You think I can't tell the difference between truth and deceit?"

"I think," she said, meeting my glare, "that you're letting your wolf cloud your judgment."

Dante snarled from within me, but I shut him out. My control was all that kept this conversation from descending into chaos.

Mark stepped forward again, his tone level but cautious. "You said she's half-blood. That makes her vulnerable: to manipulation, to curses, to lies. You know Dirke's reputation, he would do anything to regain power."

"I know," I said. "Which is why you will investigate, quietly ofcourse. Every connection she has, every whisper and gossip from Moonshire, I want to know it all. If this is a trap, I'll find out before the Council does."

Mark nodded. "And if it's not?"

I hesitated for a moment. I heard her voice again.....small, trembling. I didn't mean to cross your path, my Lord. Please don't hurt me. If this is real then I might have to find another way to discard of her. The supreme Alpha must never be perceived to be weak.

I pushed the memory of her enchanting small voice away. "If it's not," I said, "then I'll decide what to do with her myself."

My sister Grandaline approached me, her expression softening for the first time. "Brother, you've led the packs through blood and fire. Don't let a slave girl, especially a cursed one undo that."

I looked at her, seeing the concern beneath her arrogance. "I won't," I said. "I can't afford to." But even as I said it, Dante stirred again, you lie to yourself.

I turned sharply toward the open door, the air shifting. The faintest trace of her scent: soft, faintly wild, like rain on stone, drifted down the corridor. My wolf surged forward, clawing for control.

She's close Dante growled.

"Zane?" Grandaline's voice pulled me back.

I straightened, forcing my heartbeat to steady. "You will investigate her personally," I told Grandaline "Watch her, find out whatever Dirke is planning and report back to me."

Grandaline nodded, her expression cold again.

"As you wish my Lord"

Mark bowed curtly "I will question the Moonshire warriors and see what rumors they are spreading."

As they turned to leave, I stayed by the window, staring out at the moonlit courtyard below stretching in it's vastness and spilling to the woods beyond The castle walls. The castle was silent, the night heavy with the scent of the magic of the moon which every wolf draws it's essence.

I starred at my reflection on the glass window, it looked strange and weary. Just yesterday I was nervous about finding my mate, meeting her, marking her. Now, I was nervous to accept her, if the half-blood is really the one. My eyes glowed faintly gold...my wolf's mark of claim. I pressed my palm to my chest, as if I could smother the bond pulsing beneath the skin.

"She can't be my mate," I whispered to myself again, rags swelling up inside me.

She is, Dante growled, she is fated, ours and if you dare deny her, you will lose more than your throne.

A shiver ran through my spine. For the first time in years, I felt fear, I, Zane of Howlgroove, Alpha Supreme, suddenly afraid. Outside the chamber, a door creaked open, I heard voices and footsteps approaching me very quickly. Grandaline appeared with a guard running towards me. Startled, I moved toward them, my instincts sharpening, my strides quick and swift. The scent of my purposed mate Raina was stronger now, I could smell her fear, something is wrong.

I stood still at the middle of the long corridor , Grandaline and the guard bowed , they looked charged.

"What is it?" I demanded.

"My Lord... there is movement in the east wing, she has broken curfew." Grandaline replied, her breathing heavy as if she was trying to catch her breath.

My eyes narrowed. "Who?" I asked feigning ignorance, but I already knew who she was talking about .

she hesitated. "The half-blood, my Lord. Raina."

The castle seemed to tilt for a moment. Dante roared in triumph, his voice shaking through my mind. Go to her, she is afraid, she needs you.

I didn't move, I hoped at that moment that I could wish this whole day away.

Mark strutted in taking in the situation, he knew I had already been briefed by Grandaline. He bowed low "Your orders, my Lord?"

I wish I could order her to be thrown out, killed, disappear. But, I couldn't, I almost felt responsible for her now, for her safety, for her happiness and I didn't even know why.

I turned toward the dark hall where her scent led and for a moment I thought I saw her standing Infront of me-white hair shinning like silver beneath the moonlight.

"Find her," I said at last, my voice low and dangerous. "But do not harm her."

Mark nodded, signaling the guards to follow him. Grandaline looked at me for a moment with motherly concern, shook her head sadly and walked away towards the upper Chambers.

As they disappeared down the hall, I stood alone in the silence, Dante's growl rumbling like thunder beneath my skin. You can't run from fate, he whispered, you can't turn her away from us, she is ours, forever.

I shook with rage, Dante was wrong, I could, and will. My throne is being threatened by her existence, marking her was no option. Our bond is against the moon goddess's divine laws. Only pure bloods are mate to Alpha's, much more Alpha supreme.

"Watch me try," I muttered, walking towards the entrance of the castle where I could hear the commotion.

RAINA

The echo of Zane's footsteps still vibrated through the marble corridor long after he had vanished from my sight. The air he had left behind was thick like the aftermath of a storm that had decided to hover just above my skin. I stood frozen in front of Diego's door, my heart hammering against my ribs, waiting for it to stop , the trembling, the noise, the way fear had taken a complete hold on me.

I didn't see Diego like I had hoped, only abuse by Alpha Dirke and Zane's timely intervention. I was still shocked by all what was happening to me, it's been a crazy day. All my life i was used to being abused, maltreated by my pack, I had no one to fight for me. But tonight, tonight Alpha Zane did, it felt surreal.

When I finally snapped back to reality, I turned back toward the long, shadowed hall leading towards the lower chamber of the castle where my room is. The silence of the castle unnerved me ..... vast, endless corridors with polished floors that reflected ghostlike versions of myself. My bare feet made no sound, but I swore the walls could hear me breathe.

Zane had told me to stay in my quarters. He had said it with a tone that allowed no defiance. I stopped, my mind swirling with thoughts and emotions. But staying meant waiting. Waiting for punishment , waiting for whatever "preparations" the Alphas made for disobedient half-bloods.

No, I couldn't, not again. I had lived my whole life caged by commands, threats, and cruel eyes that saw me as less than dirt. If I didn't leave now, I never would, this was my chance. I glanced around freightenly, I saw no guards about, the hallways were empty.

So I ran as fast as my legs could carry me.

The corridor stretched before me like a race track. The white robe clung damply to my skin from the earlier bath, and each step made the marble cold against my soles but I didn't care. I passed high-arched windows veiled with red drapes that blew against the wind. Every flickering bulb sent fear down my soul as I ran, my eyes searching for the entrance.

I told myself to breathe quietly, to move carefully. But my heartbeat was so loud It pounded in my ears, echoing in my head and feared that the guards heard it too.

I sprinted down the great curved staircase that led to the entrance lobby. If I could reach the entrance doors... then the golden gate that we had passed through when we arrived... then maybe I could find the road, or even run into the forest beyond the palace walls, then, freedom.

"Don't think, just move," I whispered to myself, my pulse racing. I descended the long stairs quickly, clutching the robe around my waist. My white long hair was still damp from my luxurious bath from earlier, it brushed against my cheeks as I jumped down the stairs.

I reached the ground floor, I stood before the massive double doors in front of me, it had images of the moon carved with the crest of the Supreme Alpha: a wolf mid-howl under a blood moon. The guards that usually stood there were gone, I thanked my luck for that, finally something good is happening to me. I looked around me, no one was around, not a sound.My breath become erratic and shallow as if I was having a heart attack, I felt liquid fear.

"Please," I murmured, my fingers trembling as they reached for the handle of the large entrance door "Just open"

The moment my fingers curled around the cold iron handle, a faint hum rose in the air. The hair on my arms lifted, the security alarm had gone off.

"No, no, no......." I stumbled backward, shielding my ears. "Please, I just wanted......."

The floor vibrated beneath me, I began to shiver as I heard footsteps thundering towards me, I heard shouts, growls, voices, the atmosphere once quiet like a graveyard erupted with chaos. the large entrance doors suddenly started emitting smoke and sealed themselves shut with a loud click.

I turned to run back toward the stairs, but a dozen shapes appeared - tall, broad, silver-armored wolves with tasers, guns, daggers at their hips. Their eyes glowed faintly in the alarm light, feral and pitiless.

"Stop where you are!" one of them barked. His voice cracked like thunder. I froze. My lungs burned, I was sure I would pass out My body refused to move even as every part of me screamed for me to run, instead my feet's wobbled.

"I......I didn't mean to......"

"Your hands where I can see them." the guard ordered. I lifted my shaking hands. They closed in around me, surrounding me like a cage. Someone grabbed my arm; another pulled out a cuff, I gasped, stumbling.

And then the sound of the alarm cut off abruptly, everywhere became silent again. I lifted my now watering eyes to see him marching towards me with so much rage, Alpha Zane.

"What is the meaning of this?"

The guards parted instantly, lowering their heads in a low bow. He emerged through them like a God, tall, broad-shouldered, his black coat swirling around his boots, he towered above them all. His presence filled the hall, and the air seemed to bend under it. His eyes, dark with rage locked on me.

"I told you," he said softly, dangerously, "to rest."

"I.....I wasn't......" My voice cracked. "I only wanted to....."

"To what?" He stepped closer, and I could smell his scent : smoke and pine and the faint metallic tang of dominance. "Disobey me again? Run? From this castle?" His lip curled faintly, and his eyes turned toward the glowing doors with the smoke subsiding now "You thought you could escape me, you wretched slave?"

I flinched. "I didn't mean to ..... please, I was scared.... please" I trembled. I knew this was the end for me, he would surely kill me now.

His wolf stirred. I could feel it - a pulse of energy that brushed my skin like invisible claws. I could feel his control over me, something sparked within me as my wolf stirred again. She only appeared whenever I was close to him, never when I was alone, heck! , I didn't even know her yet, her name, I only felt her presence when close to Zane.

Then, with a quiet breath, he straightened. "Take her back," he ordered the guards. "Now." The guards dragged me up the stairs. My legs barely held me; every muscle trembled, my legs were like Jelly.

The large walls of the castle suddenly felt so small as if it will suffocate me. I swayed as tears blurred my vision, I could still feel his eyes on me; that cold, assessing stare he had even as the doors to my quarters closed behind me with a heavy thud.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

I sank to the floor, my knees hitting the plush rug with a soft thud. My hands shook as I pressed them to my face. "Why," I whispered, "why can't I just be free?"

The air smelled of lavender and donkey milk soap from the earlier bath. The bed lay untouched, it looked too soft, too grand, too alien to me. I slept on a hard bamboo bed back in moonshire, it creaked under my light weight whenever I slept causing me pain. I hated all that was happening to me. The large golden walls, the silk curtains, the, the soft bed. None of it felt real to me, it felt like the prelude to a death sentence.

Because that's what this was, wasn't it? The kindness of an Alpha before the execution.

A sobbed, my tears spilling fast and free. "Why let me live if you're just going to....."

My voice sounded croaked, I curled in on myself, trembling. Every bruise, every scar, every humiliation I had endured in moonshire suddenly felt fresh again. I wasn't meant to exist, Alpha Dirke had said it so to me all my life. I am just a curse, a mistake, an abomination. Maybe this was the Moon Goddess's punishment finally catching up to me to finish me up.

But even through my haze of despair, a question rose in my mind. A strange warmth washed over me. why did his wolf call me mate? I felt it. Every time Zane looked at me, something inside me responded, my wolf stirred, why?.

"Stop it," I whispered fiercely to myself. "He's your captor, not your savior."

The minutes dragged, I was still slumped on the floor of my room, my head rested lightly on the door. I thought of Diego, I wonder where he was? had he betrayed me? Or was he locked up somewhere, paying for my failure? The thought sent a wave of guilt crashing through me. I pressed my forehead against the hard door. The moonlight from the high window spilled across my white robe, creating a silver glow as it reflected against my silver hair.

I was about to doze off right there when I heard Footsteps. Firm and swift coming closer down the corridor. I froze. The door handle rattled once, then stilled. Then I heard muffled voices, low deep tones which I recognized immediately.

Zane and his Beta Mark were standing outside my door. My pulse quickened.

"...she triggered the barrier herself," Mark's voice said. "If she's a spy, that would explain........"

"She's not a spy." Zane's tone was rougher now, quieter. "She's... something else."

"Then what do you want done with her?"

A pause, long heavy silence. I pressed my ear to the door. My hands were cold and slick with sweat. Then I heard Zane speak again, his voice calm but firm.

"Make the necessary preparations, Mark."

The footsteps moved away, fading into silence.

But the echo of his last words continued pounding in my head. The words had been said after a long silence from the Alpha making it sound important, grave. What plans? what preparation?