The bonfire blazed high, licking at the night sky, its heat oppressive and cruel. The scent of burning cedar, sweet wine, and wolf musk rolled thick through the clearing. The crowd was restless with excitement, faces lit in orange glow, eyes bright with hunger for the spectacle about to unfold. I stood among them, invisible as always, but this time the weight of my invisibility crushed me. My heart beat too loud in my chest, every thud like a hammer driving me further into despair. Caius stood at the center, dressed in ceremonial black trimmed with silver. His dark hair gleamed in the firelight, his jaw proud, his shoulders squared. He looked like every dream I had once wrapped around myself like a blanket. But tonight, every inch of him belonged to her. Liana. She stepped forward in scarlet silk, the fabric flowing like blood down her perfect body. Jewels glittered in her hair, catching the firelight, her lips curved into that victorious smile that had haunted me since last night. She was radiant, untouchable, and completely aware of it. I wanted to look away. I couldn't. Betrayal stung harder and more painful that a bee's sting, yet all I could do was stand and watch. The elder priest raised his hands, calling for silence. His voice carried through the crowd like thunder. "Tonight, under the blood moon, the bond between Alpha Caius and Liana of the Greenstone pack shall be forged. May their union strengthen this pack and bless our lands." The words hit me like a blade. Liana of the Greenstone pack. My stepsister. The girl who had taken everything from me. And I was forced to stand here and watch as if I were nothing. "Step forward, bride and groom," the priest commanded. They moved together, side by side, his hand brushing hers, their smiles matching. He had smiled at me once like that soft, reassuring, gentle. Now, I saw nothing but arrogance in his expression. The ceremony began. Chants rose from the pack, deep and guttural, a rhythm I had grown familiar with hearing at every mating ceremony vibrated in my bones. My stomach turned with each verse, each step that brought them closer to sealing what should have been mine. The elder dipped his fingers into a silver bowl filled with crushed moon herbs, smearing the paste across their wrists. "Tonight, you will mark each other. Bite to bond, blood to seal, and flesh to claim. Speak your vow." Caius's voice was strong, commanding, proud. "I vow to protect you, to lead beside you, and to honor our bond until death." Liana's was sweet, dripping with false humility. "I vow to stand with you, to serve beside you, and to honor our bond until death." The crowd roared its approval. My ears rang with it. Then Caius tilted his head, baring his neck. Liana's fangs glistened in the firelight as she leaned in. Her teeth sank into his flesh with a wet, tearing sound. He growled, deep and primal, holding her tighter as the bond took root. My stomach lurched, bile rising in my throat. When she pulled back, blood trickled down his collarbone, and she licked it with a moan that made the crowd cheer louder. Now it was his turn. He grabbed her neck, tilted her head back, and bit down hard into the curve of her shoulder. Her scream tore through the clearing half pain, half pleasure and my knees almost buckled. That scream was supposed to have been mine. The bond was sealed. The elder raised his arms again. "It is done. The union is blessed!" The pack howled as one, the sound tearing through the night like a storm. Wolves shifted, their bodies shimmering with silver light as they celebrated. My father stood near the front, pride in his eyes, not a single glance spared for me. I wanted to vanish into the earth. But the ceremony wasn't over. A feast followed, tables groaning under roasted boar, venison, and honey wine. Liana sat at Caius's side, glowing in her triumph. Every time she laughed, her hand tangled in his hair while his lips brushed her skin, I died a little more. I walked up to my father with the little courage I had left "Father...." my voice cracked, shaking, raw. "Please. Don't do this. Father, please. I can't-" "Enough Rain!" He barked, loud enough that the people around us stopped to stare. " you are going with them, you will serve your purpose. And if ever you step your feet back here you will be severely punished" The words hit harder than a hammer to a nail. Liana's laugh slipped like venom into my ear. She pressed herself against Caius's side, her hand resting on his chest as she smirked at me. "Don't worry, sister. I'll make sure you're useful. Someone has to lace my dresses, clean my shoes, fetch my water and tend to my cubs when I have them. And who better than you?" Tears blurred my vision. My throat burned. "Please," I whispered, softer this time, broken. "Please don't let them do this." But my father turned away, raising his cup, joining the cheer. Their laughter filled my ear and my father's betrayal felt worse. He loved me once. He cared so much that I was assigned every servant to tend to my needs. Not until my mother died. And Grace and Liana came. The night dragged on, endless, suffocating. Eventually, the fires dimmed, the songs grew slower, and preparations for departure began. We were leaving. Tonight. The rule was clear. Once marked, the mate must be carried back to the Alpha's pack before the night ended, before the bond settled too deep to break, so the park members could officially welcome their Luna. Caius's pack lay far beyond the forest to the east. The carriages were loaded with trunks of silk and jewels, gifts from my father to show off our pack's wealth. My own meager belongings fit into a single small bag an afterthought. I climbed into the second carriage, the one assigned to servants. The wood was rough, the cushions thin, the air heavy with dust. Still, it was more than I deserved, at least in their eyes. Liana and Caius rode ahead, their carriage lavish, curtains drawn for privacy I didn't want to imagine. The wheels groaned as we set off, the night air sharp and cold against my damp cheeks. Trees blurred past, shadows deepening as the forest swallowed us whole. What was the need that of spending so much time in the thing when all they could do was shift into their wolves and reach his pack faster than we could ever on the carriage. But just again it was tradition. It wasn't long before the carriage lurched suddenly, tilting to the side with a violent jolt. The driver cursed, pulling the horses to a stop. One of the knots holding the wheels steady had come loose. "Damn it," the driver muttered, hopping down to check the damage. Liana shoved open her curtain, her voice sharp as a whip. "What's going on? Why have we stopped?" The driver bowed his head. "A knot came loose, my lady. It'll take a few minutes to fix." Liana scowled, then turned her head, her gaze falling on me like poison. "Rain. Make yourself useful for once. Fetch me some water. I'm thirsty." I hesitated, glancing at the dark forest that loomed on either side of the road. Her lips curled, mocking. "What's the matter? Afraid of the dark?" Caius's chuckle joined hers, low and cruel. "Go on, Rain. You heard her." My throat tightened, but I forced my legs to move. The cold air bit into my skin as I stepped down from the carriage. The forest was alive with sounds crickets, the rustle of unseen creatures, the distant echo of an owl. The night felt heavier here, thicker, like it was watching me. I wrapped my arms around myself, my steps hesitant as I moved toward the trees in search of water. The road behind me grew quiet. Too quiet Then suddenly........ I could run away. The thought came bursting into my head like a wild hurricane that it almost made me dizzy. If I was ever going to get the chance now would be the time. But if I leave I would become a lone wolf, I don't know how to hunt, my wolf instincts were as good as dead and since I haven't shifted once I'll become prey. But. I could still leave. It's not like anybody would really care. My feet stopped, planting me to the ground as i weighed my options, looking back I could still see the faint light from the lamp on the carriage but the forest in front of me was dark and unpredictable. Yet, my heart thundered in my chest like it was begging to free.

My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag. I took one sharp breath, another, and then my body moved before my mind caught up. My legs surged forward, pounding against the earth. I ran. Branches tore at my arms, roots clawed at my feet, but I didn't stop. My lungs burned, my heart hammered, and still I pushed harder. The forest closed in around me, wild and merciless, but it was better than what I left behind. Better than Caius. Better than Liana. Better than being their pet. The night air whipped against my face, sharp and cold. My robe snagged on thorns, ripping, but I hardly felt it. All I could hear was the drum of my pulse and the frantic thud of my footsteps. Then came another sound. Heavy. Thudding. Behind me. I froze mid-stride, stumbling as the ground shifted under my feet. At first, I thought it was just my imagination, the sound of my heartbeat filling my ears. But then it came again......louder. Closer. A growl. Not a wolf's. Deeper. Rougher. My blood turned to ice. I risked a glance back. Through the trees, a massive shadow moved, its hulking form crashing through brush and snapping branches like twigs. The stench of musk and rot filled the air, and my chest seized with terror. A bear. Not just any bear, a black eastern bear usually caught and used for wars. It was huge, towering, its eyes glinting with wild hunger. Panic shot through me. My legs moved before my mind caught up, pumping as fast as they could. I tore through the undergrowth, branches slapping my face, scratches burning across my skin. The roar shook the ground beneath me, rattling through my bones. It was chasing me. My wolf whimpered inside me, small and useless. Shift. Please, shift, I begged her, but nothing came. No strength, no claws, no fangs-just me, weak and broken, prey to the monster at my back. The forest blurred. My vision swam with tears, my throat raw from gasping. I didn't know where I was going, only that I had to keep moving. Then the ground vanished beneath me. One second I was running, the next I was airborne. I screamed as my body pitched forward over the edge of a small cliff, my arms flailing, nothing to grab. The world spun, trees and sky and rock tumbling together, until I hit the ground with bone-jarring force. Pain exploded in my skull, white-hot and blinding. My breath ripped from my lungs. The last thing I saw was the night sky spinning above me, the moon a cold, pitiless eye staring down. Then everything went black. I don't know how long I was out for, or if the bear had finally gotten me and is now keeping me as his midnight snack but my head felt like it was about to explode. My consciousness was gradually coming back and when I finally woke up, it was to pain all over. A searing ache in my head, the taste of copper in my mouth, every limb heavy and trembling. My eyes fluttered open, but the world was a blur of shadows and movement. I tried to lift my hand to my head, but something stopped me. Something cold and hard biting into my skin. Bars. Iron. I was in a cage. Fear surged through me, sharp and dizzying. I shifted weakly, trying to sit up, but the movement sent waves of agony through my skull. My vision doubled, then cleared just enough for me to see the clearly. The cage was small, barely large enough for me to curl into. My knees were drawn to my chest, my robe torn and filthy, my hair damp and matted with blood. My breathing was shallow, ragged. And the cage was moving. No, being dragged. The earth trembled with each thud my head colliding with the floor of the cage with each movement, I could swear it was about to split open and maybe my miserable life will once again end. Lifting myself up as much as I could, I turned my head and froze. Two massive animals that looked like wolves, but were much larger than any wolf I had ever seen. They pulled the cage by thick iron chains clenched in their jaws. Their coats gleamed in the moonlight, one dark as midnight, the other silver-shot, their muscles rippling beneath fur. Their eyes glowed faintly, feral but intelligent, like they knew exactly what they were doing. They weren't ordinary wolves. And They weren't from my pack either. I tried to speak, to demand they stop, but all that came out was a broken rasp. My throat burned, my lips cracked. I gripped the bars, fingers shaking. "Where... where are you taking me?" My voice sounded weak, pitiful, lost beneath the steady drag of chains. The wolves didn't answer. They only moved faster, their paws thudding like drums against the forest floor. Fear and confusion tangled inside me. Who were they? Why me? Where was I going? I would have actually loved being eaten by the bear than being in this situation right now. My head throbbed harder, the world tipping sideways again. The iron rattled, the chains groaned, and my body sagged against the bars. I felt like nothing more than cargo, an object. A successful hunt. The bear had chased me, but something else had found me. Something worse. And deep inside, my wolf whispered one word, low and trembling, as if she already knew what awaited us. My eyes grew larger in realization. Lycans. I think I may have fainted again because now I woke to the jolt of movement. And when I tried to move, I realized I couldn't. My arms were bound in front of me, the rough scrape of rope biting my wrists. Cold iron pressed against my back. My breath hitched, foggy and shallow, as the reality sank in. I was still inside the iron cage, my body slumped awkwardly against its bars, and the whole thing was being dragged across the forest floor. The growl of chains rattling echoed through the night. Two massive wolves flanked me, their fur dark as shadows, muscles flexing with every pull. Soldiers. Their eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight, gleaming with cruel satisfaction. Panic clawed up my throat. I tried to push myself upright, but my limbs were too weak, trembling from the fall and blood loss. My head spun. My tongue was heavy and dry. Where were they taking me? The forest smelled of damp pine and smoke, and faintly, fire. The scent of a camp. As the cage jolted to a stop, the wolves shifted into men, voices rough. "She's light," one of them muttered. "Half-dead already. Won't last long." "Doesn't matter. The Alpha will want to see her before anything." Alpha. The word sent a chill down my spine, deeper than the cold of the cage. A shadow stirred ahead of us. A tent, set apart from the firelight. And from it, a scent rolled out, sharp, wild, powerful. It struck me like a punch to the chest, burning in my lungs. My wolf, buried and half-silent all my life, stirred weakly against my ribs as if waking for the first time. The flap of the tent pulled back, and he stepped out. Tall. Broad-shouldered. His hair was tousled like he'd been sleeping, his chest bare under a dark cloak. But his eyes, amber fire locked on me, sharp enough to flay me alive. The soldiers bowed their heads instantly. "Alpha Darius. We found her laying beyond the boundaries of the woods half dead. Thought you'd want her brought in." His gaze never left mine. It was like being pinned in place by a predator, stripped bare under his stare. Darius moved closer, each step silent, deliberate. He stopped right before the bars of the cage. For a long moment, he just breathed me in, nostrils flaring. His jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists at his sides. Then, low and dangerous, his voice came out in a growl that made my heart stop. "Mate."

"She's a wolf, Darius. She can't possibly be your mate." One of the soldier's voice cut through the night air, harsh and defiant, but it barely registered to me. My pulse was roaring in my ears, louder than the crackle of the campfire, louder than the rattle of my cage. Mate. That was what he'd said. The word still hung in the air like a brand, burning through me. My heart lurched painfully inside my chest, and my wolf, the weak, broken thing that she was-stirred restlessly against my ribs, as though answering some silent call. Darius didn't flinch. His eyes, molten gold under the firelight, stayed locked on me. He didn't even look at the soldier who had dared to question him. He just inhaled again, sharp, deliberate, and the air around us shifted. "She is mine," he growled, each syllable vibrating with a dangerous certainty. The two soldiers exchanged looks. One of them, the taller one with scars running down his jaw, probably his Beta from the looks of the fort name calling,stepped forward, his tone cautious but insistent. "Alpha, think. She's weak. A half-breed. Probably cast out from whatever pack didn't want her. She's not worthy of you. Not worthy of your bloodline." A low sound rolled from Darius's chest, something primal and terrifying. The kind of sound that made the hair on my arms rise and my stomach twist with dread. "Are you questioning me?" he asked softly, too softly. The scarred soldier stiffened, bowing his head at once. "Never, Alpha. I just-" "Enough." Darius's voice cracked like a whip. "Do you think I do not know my own mate when I scent her?" Silence fell over the camp. Even the night seemed to hold its breath. "Forgive me Alpha," the man muttered bowing his head. I wanted to speak, to deny it, to tell him he was wrong. That I couldn't be his mate. That he must have made a mistake. But the words lodged in my throat, strangled by the weight of his stare. Darius crouched low before my cage, bringing himself eye-level with me. Up close, the sheer force of him was suffocating. His scent, earth and sweat, smoke and something darker wrapped around me, filling every breath. My fingers tightened against the iron bars, more for balance than defiance. "Your name?" he demanded. As much as I didn't want to respond I found myself opening up upon one his commanding tone. My lips trembled, my voice hoarse. "Rain." Something flickered in his eyes. Not softness no, never that, but something fierce, something dominant. "Rain," he repeated, tasting the sound of it on his tongue. And by the gods my insides turned, I felt hot all over. The second soldier shifted uncomfortably. "Alpha, what do you want us to do with her?" Darius still on his knees inspecting like I was some animal that his trap caught. "She comes with me." "But-" The growl that ripped from his chest was so violent, so sharp, the wolves around the camp instantly lowered their heads, baring their throats in submission. Even the scarred soldier dropped to one knee. "I said," Darius snarled, "she comes with me." The finality in his tone left no room for argument. My stomach dropped. My breath hitched in terror. He didn't even know me, and yet he now owned me just like that. Claimed me in a way Caius never had, not with this kind of unshakable certainty. I curled into myself, pressing back against the cold bars, wishing they could swallow me whole. I'd already been betrayed, humiliated, cast aside. Now I was caged and caught in the grip of another Alpha, a stranger, a danger, a wolf or worse a Lycan Alpha whose very presence rattled the deepest part of me. And he called me mate. He rose to his full height, cloak shifting around him like a shadow come alive. His gaze swept the soldiers before landing back on me. "We leave at dawn for my brothers' territory. The royal summit waits for no one." His tone brooked no hesitation. "Clean her. Dress her. She will be brought to my tent before we ride." Shock rippled through the soldiers. One dared to mutter, "Alpha-" "Do you intend to defy me twice in one night?" Darius's voice cut like a blade, and the man dropped to his knees, throat bared in instant submission. Darius turned away, dismissing them as though they were insects, his focus already moving elsewhere. "See to it now," he ordered. The cage jolted, chains rattling as they dragged me again, this time not deeper into the woods but toward the campfire where crude tents circled like teeth around prey. My heart thudded erratically, every step making my stomach twist tighter. I squeezed my eyes shut, teeth gritted against the wave of helplessness rising inside me. I'd been cast out once already, stripped of my place and dignity. Now, it seemed, I had fallen straight into another snare. But this one... this one was far more dangerous. Because Darius didn't just want me near him. I could instantly feeling him almost rejecting the pull between us. Not that I minded, because I never expected to be mates to anyone let alone an alpha. The tent smelled of fire-roasted meat, leather, and Him. His scent was intoxicating and draining, like being high from wine on a full moon. It was addictive Across from me, he reclined in his chair, broad shoulders stretched beneath the dark leather of his cloak. A small table separated us, set with plates of roasted meat, bread, and fruit. He ate in silence at first, the scrape of his knife and the occasional crackle from the fire filling the tent. Every now and then, I felt his gaze flick to me, sharp and assessing, before he returned to his food. Finally, he set his knife down. "Eat." The command startled me. My lips parted, but no words came out. I shook my head. Golden eyes pinned me in place. "You will need strength for the road. Tomorrow is not a short journey." Still, my throat refused to work. My stomach twisted too tightly to even think of food. "I said-eat." This time, his voice dropped lower, carrying that same unyielding Alpha tone that made his soldiers drop to their knees earlier. My trembling hand reached out. I tore a small piece of bread and forced it into my mouth. It tasted like ash on my tongue, but it was enough to make him look away again, satisfied for now. For a while, the silence stretched. Too heavy. Too unbearable. Then his voice came again, low and even. "What is your name?" I hesitated confused, he had just asked me my name minutes ago. But instead of remaining silent I answered with my voice barely audible. "Rain." "Rain," he repeated, And yet again I was a pool of heat and moist. If he could smell me from there he definitely hid it too well "Strange name for someone who smells like-" He paused, looking up at me with undeniable heat in his eyes. I shifted in my seat feeling hot under his gaze. His knife tapped lightly against the rim of his plate. "Where were you headed when my soldiers found you?" The truth clawed at my throat, but I kept my eyes on the table. "Nowhere." He tilted his head, studying me in a way that made my skin prickle. "No wolf runs for nothing." I said nothing. My tongue was a stone in my mouth. Darius leaned back in his chair, still watching me. "Do you always refuse questions?" My jaw clenched. "Do you always expect answers?" Already regretting my response as my wolf whimpered. The corner of his mouth curved, not quite a smile, more a flicker of interest. He drank from his cup slowly, eyes never leaving me. "Sharp tongue for someone in your position," he murmured. Heat flared in my cheeks, but I bit down on my lip to stop a reply. He set the cup aside, his tone shifting, firmer now. "At dawn, we ride to my brothers' territory. The royal summit begins by midday. You will not leave my side." My stomach churned, but I nodded, because I didn't have a choice. "Good," he said, his voice like closing steel. Then he gestured to the food again. "Eat more. You'll need it."