My legs buckled when Marcus said those words about Alpha Caelum's wedding. I grabbed the doorframe to keep from falling as my heart broke into a million pieces.

"Wedding?" I whispered, looking at Caelum's face. "You're getting married?"

The look in his eyes was pure pain, like someone had just stabbed him in the chest. But he didn't deny it.

"Seraphina," he started to say, but I cut him off.

"Get away from me!" I screamed, backing into the house. "All of you, just leave!"

Mom rushed over and put her arms around me, but I could barely feel her touch. Everything felt numb and cold. How could this be happening? How could I find my mate and lose him in the same day?

"Everyone out!" Mom yelled at Caelum and his soldiers. "You've done enough damage!"

But Caelum stepped forward instead of leaving. His face was hard and determined, like he'd made some kind of choice.

"No," he said firmly. "I need to talk to Seraphina. Alone."

"Absolutely not," Mom snapped. "You've hurt her enough."

"She's my mate," Caelum said, and his voice was so strong that it made the walls shake. "I have the right to speak with her."

My heart jumped when he called me his mate, even though I was angry and hurt. Part of me still wanted to run to him and forget about everything else.

"Your mate?" Marcus said from behind him, sounding shocked. "Alpha, that's impossible. You're marrying Luna Elira in two weeks."

"I know what I'm marrying," Caelum growled without taking his eyes off me. "But this doesn't change what she is to me."

The other soldiers started whispering among themselves. I could hear words like "scandal" and "impossible" and "what will the pack say?"

Mom held me tighter. "Sera, you don't have to talk to him if you don't want to."

But I did want to. Even though he'd just broken my heart, I needed to understand what was happening. I needed to know why fate would be so evil as to give me a mate who belonged to someone else.

"Five minutes," I said, wiping the tears from my face. "That's all."

Mom looked like she wanted to argue, but she could see I'd made up my mind. She kissed my forehead and walked to the kitchen, giving us space but staying close enough to help if I needed her.

Caelum's troops moved back too, but I could see them watching through the broken doorway.

"Talk," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "Explain to me how you can be my mate when you're marrying someone else in two weeks."

Caelum ran his hands through his hair, looking more upset than I'd ever seen anyone look.

"It's complicated," he said.

"Try me."

"The marriage to Elira was planned when we were children. It's a political union between our packs. I've never had a choice in the matter."

"But you're the Alpha," I said. "Can't you just say no?"

His laugh was sour and angry. "Being Alpha means putting the pack's needs before your own. Always. This marriage will bring peace between two powerful territories and avoid a war that could kill thousands of wolves."

I felt my anger starting to fade, replaced by something worse - understanding. He wasn't marrying Elira because he wanted to. He was doing it to save lives.

"So where does that leave me?" I asked quietly.

Caelum stepped closer, and I could smell his scent - pine trees and rain and something wild that made my wolf purr inside me.

"It leaves you with a choice," he said. "You can stay here in this village and say we never met. Live a normal life, find a nice Beta to marry, have normal children."

"Or?"

"Or you can come with me to my pack lands. Be near me, even if we can't be together the way we want to be."

My mouth fell open. "You want me to come live in your pack and watch you be married to another woman?"

"I want you where I can protect you," he said furiously. "Your smell is unlike anything I've ever experienced. When word gets about what you are, every unmated Alpha in the region is going to

come for you. Some of them won't take no for an answer."

A chill ran down my spine. I remembered the men who had circled our house earlier, the hunger in their eyes.

"What am I exactly?" I asked. "Everyone keeps acting like I'm some kind of freak."

Caelum's eyes got very serious. "You're what we call a moon-blessed omega. Your DNA is special, ancient. There haven't been any like you for over a hundred years."

"What does that mean?"

"It means your smell can drive any Alpha to madness. It means any children you have will be incredibly strong. And it means you're going to be hunted by wolves who want to use you for their own gain."

My legs felt weak again. "I just wanted to find my mate and be happy. I didn't ask for any of this."

Caelum reached out like he wanted to touch my face, but stopped himself. "I know. And I'm sorry. But I can keep you safe if you come with me. My pack is the strongest in the area. No one would dare try to take you from there."

"Except you're going to be married to someone else," I said, tears starting again. "How is that protecting me? How is watching you with another woman going to make me feel safe?"

"Because even if I can't claim you publicly, you'll still be mine," he said intensely. "My wolf has picked you. That tie doesn't just disappear because of some political marriage."

I stared at him, not believing what I was hearing. "You want me to be your secret? Your secret mistress while you play happy family with your wife?"

"I want you to be alive," he said desperately. "And if this is the only way I can keep you safe, then yes. I want you to be my secret."

The front door suddenly burst open again, and a woman with long black hair and cold blue eyes walked in like she owned the place. She was beautiful in a sharp, dangerous way, and she wore expensive clothes that screamed money and power.

"Caelum," she said in a voice like honey mixed with poison, "what's taking so long? We have important things to talk about our wedding."

My heart stopped. This had to be Elira Voss, his fiancée.

She looked at me with those cold eyes and smiled like a hunter who'd found easy prey.

"And you must be the little omega who's been causing all this fuss," she said sweetly. "How... quaint."

Caelum stepped protectively in front of me. "Elira, what are you doing here?"

"I came to meet my future husband's new pet," she said, walking closer. "I wanted to see what all the excitement was about."

She stopped right in front of me and breathed in deeply.

"Oh my," she said, her smile getting bigger and scarier. "You really are special, aren't you? I can see why Caelum is so... distracted."

The car door slammed behind me, and I jumped at the sound. My hands were shaking as I looked up at the massive stone walls of the Blackthorn estate. It looked like a castle from a scary fairy tale.

"Second thoughts?" Caelum asked softly from beside me.

I wanted to say yes. I wanted to run back to my little town and hide in my mom's kitchen forever. But Elira's threat kept playing in my head. I will make your life a living hell. And then I will kill you.

At least here, with Caelum, I had a chance.

"No," I lied, holding my small bag tighter. "I'm ready."

He studied my face for a moment, and I wondered if he could smell my fear. Probably. Alphas could smell everything.

"Come on," he said softly. "Let me show you where you'll be staying."

As we walked through the front gates, wolves started coming from everywhere. They lined the pathways, looking at me with curious eyes. Some looked friendly. Others looked hungry in a way that made my skin crawl.

"Ignore them," Caelum murmured, putting his hand on my lower back. "They're just curious about the new omega."

But I could hear their whispers following us.

"Is that her?"

"The moon-blessed one?"

"She's so small."

"I heard the Alpha's gone crazy over her."

My cheeks burned with shame. This was exactly what I'd been afraid of - being the center of attention, being talked about like I was some kind of prize.

Caelum led me through a side door into a quieter part of the building. The halls were long and dimly lit, with old paintings of serious-looking wolves on the walls.

"Here," he said, stopping at a wooden door. "This is your room."

He opened it, and I peeked inside. It wasn't huge, but it was bigger than my bedroom back home. There was a bed with soft-looking covers, a dresser, and a window that looked out over the mountains.

"It's nice," I said, meaning it.

"Good." He seemed relieved. "Dinner is at six. I'll come get you."

"Okay." I set my bag down on the bed. "Caelum?"

"Yeah?"

"When is Elira getting here?"

His face went hard. "Tomorrow. She's coming to finish the wedding plans."

My stomach twisted. Tomorrow felt way too soon.

"Will she... will she try to hurt me?"

Caelum stepped closer, and his smell wrapped around me like a warm blanket. "I won't let her touch you. I promise."

The way he said it made me believe him. For the first time since leaving home, I felt a little bit safe.

"Get some rest," he said. "I know this is overwhelming."

After he left, I sat on the bed and tried not to think about how stupid I was being. Coming here was possibly the worst decision I'd ever made. But what choice did I have? Stay home and wait for some other Alpha to take me? At least here, I had Caelum.

A soft knock on my door stopped my thoughts.

"Come in," I called.

A girl about my age poked her head in. She had short brown hair and kind eyes.

"Hi," she said shyly. "I'm Lily. I work in the kitchens. Alpha Caelum asked me to bring you some food."

She held up a tray with soup and bread that smelled amazing.

"Thank you," I said, suddenly realizing how hungry I was. "That's really sweet."

Lily came in and set the tray on the dresser. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Is it true? About you being moon-blessed?"

I sighed. "I guess so. I'm still not really sure what that means."

"It means you're special," she said with joy. "My grandma used to tell stories about moon-blessed omegas. They were like queens among our kind."

"Queens?" That didn't sound right. "But I'm just an omega."

"Not just any omega," Lily said seriously. "Moon-blessed omegas were said to have the power to choose their own fate. They didn't have to follow the same rules as everyone else."

Before I could ask what she meant, heavy footsteps sounded in the hallway outside.

"I should go," Lily said quickly. "Enjoy the food."

She rushed out, leaving me alone with way more questions than answers.

I ate the soup while watching the sun set through my window. When six o'clock came, Caelum knocked on my door right on time.

"Ready for dinner?" he asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

The eating hall was huge and filled with wolves. Conversations stopped when we walked in, and I felt dozens of eyes following our every move. Caelum led me to a table at the front of the room, where several important-looking people were already sitting.

"Everyone," Caelum said in his Alpha voice, "this is Seraphina. She's under my care, and I expect her to be treated with respect."

A few people nodded, but I could see the questions in their eyes. What was I doing here? Why was their Alpha bringing home a strange omega right before his wedding?

Dinner was awkward, with people stealing looks at me when they thought I wasn't looking. I barely ate anything, too nervous to have much hunger.

"Would you like to get some air?" Caelum asked quietly when dessert was served.

"Yes, please."

He led me out onto a balcony that overlooked the mountains. The moon was full and bright, casting everything in silver light.

"Better?" he asked.

"Much." I took a deep breath of the cool night air. "Your pack seems... intense."

He laughed softly. "They'll get used to you. Change is hard for wolves."

We stood in easy silence for a moment, both looking up at the moon.

"Seraphina," Caelum said suddenly.

"Yeah?"

When I turned to look at him, his eyes were sparkling in the moonlight. He reached out and gently touched my face.

"I know this is complicated," he said quietly. "I know I'm asking too much of you. But I'm glad you're here."

My heart started beating faster. "Caelum..."

He leaned closer, and I could feel his breath on my lips. "Can I kiss you?"

I should have said no. He was getting married to someone else. This was wrong on so many levels.

But when I looked into his eyes, all I could think about was how right this felt.

"Yes," I whispered.

His lips touched mine softly at first, then deeper when I kissed him back. It was like rockets were going off in my chest. My wolf was nearly purring with happiness.

When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard.

"Seraphina," he said against my face.

"I know," I said. "I know this is crazy."

"I wish things were different."

"Me too."

We stood there hugging each other under the moonlight, and for a moment, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. This was my mate. This was how it was supposed to feel.

Then a voice like ice cut through the night air.

"How touching."

We sprang apart to see Elira standing in the doorway, her cold blue eyes sparkling with rage.

"I thought I told you to stay away from my fiancé, little omega."

My blood turned to ice. She wasn't meant to be here until tomorrow.

Caelum stepped protectively in front of me. "Elira. You're early."

"Obviously," she said with a cruel smile. "And it's a good thing I am. Imagine what the pack would think if they knew their Alpha was kissing his lover on the eve of his wedding."

"She's not my mistress," Caelum growled.

"No?" Elira's smile got bigger. "Then what exactly is she?"

The question hung in the air like a threat. I could see Caelum fighting for an answer that wouldn't make everything worse.

"I thought so," Elira said when he stayed silent. "Well, don't worry, darling. I have an answer to our little problem."

She clapped her hands twice, and six large soldiers stepped out of the shadows behind her. They surrounded us quickly, blocking any exit.

"What are you doing?" Caelum demanded.

"Protecting our future," Elira said quietly. "Boys, please take Miss Hale to the dungeons. It seems she needs some time alone to think about her choices."

"No!" Caelum stepped forward, but more fighters appeared, surrounding him too.

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be," Elira warned. "Unless you want the whole pack to know about your little midnight romance?"

The warriors grabbed my arms, and I looked frantically at Caelum.

It's okay," he said, his eyes telling me he'd fix this. "This is just temporary."

But as they dragged me away, I heard Elira say to one of her men: "Make sure she doesn't live to see the wedding."

Chapter 5

I slammed my fist into Marcus's jaw so hard he stumbled backward into the wall.

"What did you just say?" I growled, my wolf trying to get out.

Marcus wiped blood from his lip, his eyes wide with shock. "Alpha, I was just reporting what the warriors found. Seraphina's cell is empty. The door was ripped off its hinges from the inside."

My heart stopped. "Empty?"

"She's gone, Alpha. And there's more." Marcus paused. "The three guards Elira placed are dead. Their necks were snapped. "

This couldn't be happening. I'd spent all night fighting with Elira about putting Seraphina in the cells. She'd finally agreed to let me move her to a better room this morning. But if the cell was empty...

"How long?" I asked.

"We think since around midnight. Alpha, there's something else you need to know."

I was already heading for the door. "Tell me while we walk."

Marcus jogged to keep up with my long steps. "The guards weren't killed by claws or teeth. The way their necks were twisted... Alpha, it looked like they were killed by someone with incredible power. Someone who knew exactly how to kill a werewolf instantly."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying whoever saved her wasn't human. And they definitely weren't omega."

We reached the dungeons, and I could smell the death instantly. Three of Elira's best fighters lay crumpled on the stone floor like broken dolls. The metal door to Seraphina's cell had been torn fully off and thrown across the room.

But it was the smell that made my blood run cold.

"Do you smell that?" I asked Marcus.

He sniffed the air, then his face went pale. "Desert sand and lightning storms."

"Darius," I whispered.

My cousin. My childhood rival. The wolf who'd vanished three years ago after challenging me for pack leadership. He was here, and he'd taken my mate.

"Alpha," Marcus said slowly, "how would Darius even know about Seraphina?"

That was a good question. Darius lived in the desert regions, hundreds of miles south. There was no way he could have heard about a moon-blessed omega in our lands unless... "Someone told him," I realized. "Someone wanted him to come here."

"But who would—" Marcus stopped talking as understanding hit his face. "Elira."

Of course. Elira had been acting strange ever since Seraphina arrived. Too calm, too sure. Like she knew something I didn't.

"Find her," I ordered. "Find Elira and bring her to my office. Now."

Marcus nodded and ran off. I stayed in the dungeon, breathing in Seraphina's fading smell and trying not to lose my mind. She'd been here, scared and alone, while I was upstairs talking politics with my future wife.

The worst part was knowing this was my fault. I'd brought her here to keep her safe, and instead I'd put her in more danger than ever.

Twenty minutes later, Marcus pulled a furious Elira into my office.

"How dare you manhandle me!" she screamed. "I'm your future Luna!"

"Sit down," I said quietly.

Something in my voice must have warned her not to push me, because she sat.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"Where is who?"

"Don't play games with me, Elira. Where is Seraphina?"

Elira smiled, and it was the coldest thing I'd ever seen. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Darius was here. He killed your guards and took her."

"How terrible," she said, not sounding upset at all. "I hope she's safe."

I leaned forward across my desk. "You contacted him, didn't you? You told him about Seraphina."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you wanted her gone, and you were too smart to kill her yourself. Too many eyes. But if she went in the middle of the night, taken by a rogue Alpha, well... these things happen."

Elira's smile got bigger. "You're being paranoid, darling."

"Am I?" I stood up and walked around the desk. "Because I think you planned this whole thing. I

think you knew Darius would come for her if he found out about a moon-blessed omega. I think you were counting on it."

"Even if that were true," Elira said easily, "what are you going to do about it? She's gone, Caelum. And our wedding is tomorrow."

"Cancel it."

The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. Marcus gasped behind me.

"Excuse me?" Elira's voice was deadly quiet.

"You heard me. The wedding is off."

Elira stood up slowly, her eyes sparkling with rage. "You can't cancel our wedding over some omega slut."

I grabbed her throat and lifted her off the ground. My wolf was so close to the surface that my eyes were probably sparkling.

"Say that again," I whispered.

Elira clawed at my hand, gasping for air. "Caelum... please..."

I dropped her, and she fell to the floor coughing.

"The wedding is canceled," I said again. "And you have one hour to get off my lands."

"You're making a mistake," she wheezed. "My father won't stand for this insult. There will be war."

"Then there will be war."

Elira stood up, fixing her clothes. "Fine. But you'll never find her, you know. Darius has probably taken her so far into the desert that she'll never see society again. And when he gets tired of playing with his new toy..."

She didn't finish the sentence, but she didn't need to. The inference hung in the air like poison.

"Get out," I said through gritted teeth.

After she left, Marcus and I stood in silence for a long moment.

"Alpha," he said slowly, "what are your orders?"

"Pack light. We're going south."

"Into the wild territories? Alpha, that's suicide. Darius knows that land better than anyone. We'll be walking into a trap."

"I don't care."

"But the pack needs you here. Especially now that you've canceled the wedding. The other Alphas are going to see this as weakness. Some might try to challenge you."

I turned to face my Beta, my oldest friend. "Marcus, do you know what it feels like to have your mate taken from you?"

"No, Alpha."

"It feels like someone ripped your heart out of your chest while it was still beating. It feels like you're dying, but you can't actually die, so you just keep hurting forever."

Marcus's face relaxed with understanding. "She really is your mate."

"She's everything," I said simply. "And I'm going to get her back."

"Even if it means losing your pack?"

"Even then."

Marcus nodded slowly. "How many warriors do you want to take?"

"Just you. If we bring too many, Darius will see us coming from miles away."

"Alpha, that's—"

A howl echoed across the mountains, long and sad. Then another. And another.

"What is that?" I asked, moving to the window.

Marcus joined me, and we both stared out at the trees. Dozens of wolves were coming from the trees, all howling at the same time.

"That's the signal for danger," Marcus said quietly. "Something's coming."

Then I saw them. At least fifty warriors on horses, riding hard toward our gates. They held the black and silver banners of the Voss pack.

"Elira's father," I breathed.

"He's not waiting for a declaration of war," Marcus said grimly. "He's already bringing it to us."

As we watched, more riders emerged on the other side of the valley. Then more from the east. We were being trapped.

"How many packs is that?" I asked.

Marcus was counting the flags. "Five. Maybe six."

"They planned this," I realized. "Elira knew I'd stop the wedding when Seraphina disappeared. She knew I'd choose my mate over politics. They were ready for this."

A new sound reached us - the deep, rhythmic beating of war drums.

"Alpha," Marcus said quickly, "we need to call for help. Send messages to our friends."

But I was looking at something else. A single bike had broken away from the main group and was racing toward our gates. As he got closer, I could see he carried a white flag.

"A messenger," I said.

We ran down to the main gates, where the messenger was already waiting. He was young, maybe eighteen, and he looked frightened.

"Message for Alpha Caelum Blackthorn," he stuttered.

"I'm listening."

The boy cleared his throat and spoke in a shaky voice: "Lord Voss demands the instant return of his daughter and compensation for the insult to his family. You have one hour to give yourself and your pack lands, or we will take them by force."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then every man, woman, and child in your pack will be put to death."

My blood turned to ice. They weren't just coming for me. They were coming for everyone.

"Tell Lord Voss he can go to hell," I said.

The messenger nodded and rode away quickly.

"How long before they attack?" I asked Marcus.

"Maybe an hour. Two at most."

I looked around at my pack lands, at the place I'd called home my entire life. In a few hours, it might all be gone.

"Alpha," Marcus said softly, "there's something else. Something I should have told you earlier."

"What?" "Before Seraphina left, I sent some scouts to watch the borders. They reported seeing strange lights in the sky last night. Coming from the direction of the old buildings. "

My heart stopped. "The Lunar Ruins?"

"Yes, Alpha. The lights were the color of moonbeams, and they were pulsing like a heartbeat."

The Lunar Ruins were sacred ground, banned to enter. Legend said they held the secrets of the moon-blessed race. If someone had taken Seraphina there... "Marcus," I said slowly, "what if Darius didn't take Seraphina to keep her? What if he took her to awaken something?"

Before Marcus could answer, a new howl split the air. But this one was different. It was filled with pain and power and something that made my wolf whimper in fear.

And I knew, with terrible certainty, that it had come from the direction of the ruins.

"Something's happening to her," I whispered. "Something bad."