Chapter 3

It was days before they announced my marriage to the Alpha—almost three years ago—when I was pushed into that lake. It was winter, and the water felt like needles.

I remember her hand—my twin sister’s—shoving me backward, with an expression I could never decipher. Anger? Jealousy? Fear? I never knew. But still… I hold no resentment. That moment gave me hope.

The water swallowed me whole. The world went silent and heavy, and I thought I would die there, in the depths.

But before the darkness could take me, I saw him. He dove in without hesitation. His eyes found mine in the void—eyes that seemed to glow even underwater. And when he touched me, there was no pain. No screaming. No burning. Only warmth. And peace.

I felt the bond the instant he touched me, as if something inside me had awakened. Then everything went black. When I woke, the lake was empty. Only the sorcerers who served my family were there.

That was also the day I felt my wolf for the first—and only—time. After that, I remained powerless, voiceless. The useless daughter, hidden away, dreaming of a man whose face I could no longer recall—only the green lights that shimmered along his body, familiar and warm.

I was tired of waiting for the makeup artists. My parents had vanished, and Lana had snuck in disguised so no one would notice our resemblance.

I walked through the corridors to pass the time. My footsteps echoed on the polished marble, and the golden light of the setting sun cast reflections along the walls. The place felt as empty as my home.

That was when I noticed a monumental door, half-open, carved in solid wood with spiral engravings. Curiosity got the better of me.

I approached and, through the crack, glimpsed a luxurious office where three men were talking and laughing.

They were triplets—identical as drops of water—each one devastatingly handsome.

The one closest to the door, with black hair and brown eyes, held a glass of red wine with an air of careless amusement. Beside him, the other two carried the same presence—three times the same sin, cunning and smiling.

"Everything’s ready," one of them said with an ironic grin. "When he comes to meet us, we’ll give him this and ruin his reputation. He’s kept that incorruptible stance for too long, but no one stays untouchable forever. Just one drop of this will do."

He raised a small vial filled with a lilac liquid that shimmered in the light.

"It’d be better if he just died already!" another exclaimed brutally.

"Let’s not forget he has divine origins," the third murmured calmly. "Wolves of his lineage don’t die easily. The chances of survival are high, so it’s wiser to ruin his image. That way, we can end the fear he inspires in everyone."

I stepped back silently, my heart pounding. Conspiracies among the great families were nothing new, but I couldn’t get involved. I didn’t even want to know who they were talking about. Who could possibly have divine blood?

They’d get themselves in trouble soon enough.

My fate was already sealed. Soon, I would be presented to Alpha Samuel Kan—and that was all I should focus on.

I returned to my room, my heart hammering.

The walls now felt like a prison, their jeweled decorations and perfumed flowers only masking the dread pulsing inside me.

I sat at the edge of the bed and ran my fingers over the golden wedding invitation that lay beside the box. My name, next to his, looked like a sentence. The letters bound two destinies that were never meant to touch.

But my thoughts… were only on the one man who had marked my life.

"I wonder if he’s alive… and if he remembers me."

Moments later, an army of people burst in—makeup artists, hairdressers, seamstresses—all working frantically to adjust the dress.

It was dazzling, fit for a grand wedding… or a nightmare.

Two hours later, I was ready. Beautiful. Flawless. And utterly desperate.

Outside, a crowd was gathering. I watched them from the window, trying to ignore the knot in my stomach.

They said Samuel Kan still hadn’t arrived.

The ceremony was to begin in minutes—and he simply hadn’t shown up.

Every second that passed was torture.

"He didn’t keep his word! I want to leave!" I exploded when my parents entered the room. "I won’t be a bride abandoned at the altar!"

My mother tried to calm me with a trembling voice, but the look exchanged between her and my father said it all.

Had he changed his mind?

Was this my chance to escape?

"I don’t want to get married anymore!" I cried, but no one seemed to hear me.

My parents were blinded by greed.

I tried to run, but my father’s strong hand grabbed my arm. Pain shot through me, forcing him to let go quickly—he knew I had to be conscious for the wedding.

The heavy dress tangled around me as he dragged me back and shoved me onto the bed.

"You’re not going anywhere!" he roared. "Even if he comes tomorrow, you’ll wait!"

"I’m not a toy!" I sobbed, tasting the salt of my tears. "Tell him I won’t marry! I don’t want to marry someone who’s going to kill me!" I shouted, panicking. The calm acceptance I’d clung to for so long shattered in an instant.

The slap came fast—sharp—cutting through the air and through me.

"Just behave and don’t ruin everything!" he barked before leaving.

In that moment, I understood. I wasn’t a daughter. Not even a person.

I was a transaction.

When they left, I pretended to give in.

But the moment the door closed, I ran to the window.

The garden below was silent. The night was perfect, the rows of pine trees dividing the main entrance—where the guests arrived—from the secluded wing where I was kept.

Everyone must have been busy waiting for the groom.

I climbed onto the ledge, my heart racing. A tall, sturdy pine stood beside the window—my only chance.

I jumped, grabbing a branch. Pain burned through my arms, but I held on.

With effort, I climbed down until I was close enough to drop, landing hard on the wet grass.

My bare feet met the cold ground, and I ran as fast as I could, the dress tearing with every step, the icy air slicing my skin.

The mansion disappeared behind me as I darted between bushes and pines in the darkness. But when I reached the farthest part of the garden, something made me stop.

Among the shrubs, a man lay on the ground.

His breathing was ragged. One hand clutched his chest.

The night hid his face… At first, I thought of running. It was my chance. But he looked like he was dying.

I stepped closer, slowly—and there he was, trembling, his eyes flickering from red to green to black. It was surreal.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

"Stay back… please!" he pleaded, staring at me in panic. But I couldn’t read his expression—it was like a beast was looking right through me. Yet something about him… wouldn’t let me walk away.

I reached out to touch his forehead—but his hand shot up, gripping my wrist with such speed my eyes widened in shock. And then, with one pull, he yanked me against his body.

Chapter 4

There was less than an hour left before Alpha Samuel Kan’s wedding, yet the groom felt no joy. Instead, a weight pressed on him — a mix of anxiety and melancholy. It had been years since he’d last seen Maya, the woman he had finally found again after so long.

Hours before the ceremony, he was in his office, surrounded by the leaders of the family’s companies.

While the elders discussed the details of the event with enthusiasm, Samuel barely listened.

His mind was far away — with Maya. The woman he was certain had been the one he’d waited for all this time. The elders, of course, had no idea.

For a long time, they had demanded that Kan marry and finally produce heirs to continue his hybrid bloodline, but he had always refused, for reasons he kept locked in his heart. There was someone he had been waiting for.

More than a hundred years had passed since the wolves had been cast into that new world.

There, he had built an empire of power and influence among humans, who advanced further each year into modernity.

"A centenarian wolf still without heirs! This is outrageous!" one of the elders barked.

Samuel barely reacted. Heirs, power, lineage — none of it mattered. All he wanted was to find his true mate, the only one his heart recognized as his Luna.

Over the years, the elders had tried to convince him to accept an aristocratic marriage, and he knew that sooner or later he would have to give in — but his hope had been rekindled.

When he met Maya, he knew instantly: his Luna had been reborn. It was her.

The goddess had kept her word. Samuel found her alive, though without memories of her former life — a fragile teenager, with no trace of the power she once possessed. For that reason, he hid his identity and forced her family to do the same.

He wanted her to live in peace, free from the burden of a past she couldn’t remember.

Samuel carried a curse left by the blade that had taken his mate’s life. A cut on his right ear, which never healed, glowed with a poisonous green light.

Once a year, he had to endure the pain to resist the venom forged to kill gods.

Each burning reminded him of her — reminded him that he still had to wait.

"Samuel Kan is finally getting married," his father announced solemnly. "Soon, we’ll witness the rebirth of what was once forgotten."

Samuel only nodded, emotionless.

When the meeting ended, he rose, ending the discussion with firm authority.

"I’m tired, gentlemen. I have other matters to attend to with my brothers — one last meeting before the wedding."

The elders bowed and left the room.

Samuel walked to the adjoining hall, where his three brothers were waiting, laughing as if nothing in the world could touch them.

"I see you’re enjoying yourselves," he said with a faint smile, though he knew they were plotting something.

He still remembered their last punishment — days imprisoned underground, face-to-face with creatures from the underworld. They would never forget that terror, but neither would they stop provoking Kan, even knowing his leadership was untouchable.

"We came to apologize, brother," one of them said, bowing his head in false submission.

"That’s all right," Samuel replied with irony. "Today is my wedding day — the day when many things will realign."

The three exchanged confused glances.

"We thought you’d only marry once your mate reincarnated," another said.

Samuel smiled coldly.

"I won’t wait any longer. My legacy is at risk. I must do what a leader is bound to do."

The brothers poured him a drink. He watched them cautiously, sensing the trace of magic in the liquid — yet he drank as always, proud of the fact that as a demigod, such things had no effect on him.

"You’re giving up centuries of waiting?" one taunted. "And what if the goddess truly brings her back? Will you abandon your destined mate?"

"She will return," he replied calmly. "But there are more urgent matters now."

Samuel would never reveal that Maya had already been reborn. Protecting her was his priority — and this marriage was part of that protection.

He lifted the glass to his lips but hesitated. Something felt wrong. His sense of security wavered for a split second, then he grabbed the bottle and drank directly from it. Laughter echoed through the room.

Then the floor began to spin. A strange heat pulsed through his veins.

"What is this? The bottle too?" he muttered, dizzy, staring at his brothers.

"The seller was right — the effect is immediate. Amazing," one said with glee.

"A potion for demigods. The glass had the one meant for wolves — a diversion. We knew you’d notice. But the potion for hybrids, for those with divine blood, is harder to detect," another explained, amused. "It awakens uncontrollable desires… and only fades once they’re satisfied. The best part? It also suppresses the mate bond for a while — though you hardly need that, do you?"

Samuel’s mind began to blur. They dragged him into a locked room, where three women waited for him.

His instincts surged, his body burning from the inside out. But the memory of Maya made him fight it.

She was the only one.

The only one for whom he would break curses and wait centuries if he had to.

And so, in one final act of desperate will, he vanished — leaping out the window with monstrous agility. Neither poison, nor destiny, nor desire would make him yield before holding her in his arms again.

But he didn’t expect to be found — by the one person he could never have imagined.

Chapter 5

Samuel Kan

With a guttural roar, I broke free from the women restraining me and leapt through the window in my wolf form, making them stumble back in fear.

The potion my brothers had given me would have a weaker effect, but still — my time was short. I had to find a place to wait it out. I still had a chance.

For a brief moment, I thought I saw a shadow perched atop a tree — or perhaps… a woman? But it didn’t matter now.

I kept running through the trees, stumbling with every step. My blurred vision made the escape difficult, and I knew my brothers would soon send someone after me. I needed a place to hide and activate a magical barrier.

My wolf form was imposing, common among war wolves. My size and silver-gray fur made me an easy target. It was hard to hide among the bushes, especially under the potion’s influence. I shifted back into human form and lay hidden beneath the shield I could create.

Suddenly, a loud crack echoed behind me. A branch broke just a few meters away — someone was following me.

I crouched low among the foliage, feeling the potion seize my body. With all my strength, I focused on forming the barrier.

Slowly, the protective magic surrounded me. No one outside would be able to hear, see, or sense me. It was my only chance to stay safe from my brothers.

“It’s done…” I muttered to myself, letting out a groan of pain. My chest burned from the potion, and I needed to suppress it somehow.

As I focused on purging the poison from my body, a soft sound echoed through the garden between the trees and shrubs.

It wasn’t the heavy stomp of boots I expected from my brothers — but light, hesitant steps, as if someone was approaching with care.

My vision was still hazy from the potion, but I managed to make out the silhouette of a woman. She wore a voluminous white dress, though its details were impossible to discern.

Confusion clouded my thoughts. How could she see me? The barrier should have been active, blocking all visual contact. I frowned, suspicious.

“Sir… are you all right?” she asked softly, approaching slowly.

I shook my head, warning her to stay away. But who was she? An accomplice of my brothers? She shouldn’t have been able to touch me — the barrier would protect me.

Or so I thought. To my astonishment, she stepped through the invisible shield without hesitation, crouching beside me.

“Impossible…” I muttered, my breath unsteady. She didn’t hear when I told her to stay back.

“Heavens… what happened to you?” her voice trembled, filled with genuine concern. “Do you need me to call for help?”

I could sense my brothers drawing near. The woman beside me clearly didn’t recognize me — and judging by her fear, she had nothing to do with them. I grabbed her wrist and yanked her inside the barrier before they could find her — or me.

Darkness and the potion’s haze clouded my vision, but my sharp hearing picked up their rushed footsteps.

She struggled in panic at my sudden movement, but I held her tight in my arms.

“You’re insane! What are you doing?” she screamed, thrashing and kicking weakly. Her strength was pitiful — the weakest I had ever felt.

“He must’ve come this way! The girls said he jumped out the window!” one of my brothers’ voices echoed through the forest as their men spread out to search.

The woman suddenly went still, silent against my chest as she watched the shadows moving around us. It almost felt as though she, too, was running from something.

The barrier worked perfectly, shielding us from my brothers. But how had she managed to enter it?

Never before had anyone been able to cross my magical camouflage barrier — let alone see me through it.

This woman was different. Something inside me told me she wasn’t who she appeared to be. If she were a wolf, she could’ve easily escaped my hold. Was she… human? A human here? But even humans couldn’t see me, much less pass through the barrier.

As long as I was under the potion’s effects, my brothers might have a chance to get what they wanted. But I wouldn’t yield. My magic shield protected me, and I could keep it active as long as I wished.

Still, the wedding must have already begun long ago. I didn’t know how late I was. Maya must be terrified, thinking I had abandoned her. Each passing second gnawed at me, the anguish of not being by her side consuming my chest.

I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling the ache of longing and frustration burn within me.

Then, a soft moan of pain broke the silence. It was the woman I’d trapped within the barrier. Her weak, pleading voice stirred something strange inside me — pleasure, guilt, and confusion all at once.

“Hey…” she whispered desperately. “Are you going to kill me? Let me go! Help! Someone, help me!”

She screamed as loud as she could, but her cries were useless. The barrier blocked every sound, isolating her from the world outside.

Panic overtook her eyes as she realized she was trapped.

“Who are you?” she asked. I let her move slightly away, though I kept her within the shield. But I could feel the loss of control creeping in — I couldn’t have a woman here, not now. Yet if I let her go, I would be found.

Another growl tore from my throat. The potion’s effect was reaching its peak. A burning red light radiated from my body, engulfing me completely.

The potion consumed me, driving me from reason — and now, I wanted her. She had become my escape, the release I didn’t want but couldn’t resist.

“Unlucky you, crossing my path…” I snarled, my voice rough and distorted. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the crimson glow of mine.

In that moment, she was my prey.