The penthouse apartment was nothing like Luna had expected.
Instead of the gothic mansion or dark castle she'd half-imagined for a vampire's lair, Victor had brought her to a sleek, modern space high above Manhattan's financial district. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a breathtaking view of the city lights, and the interior was decorated in minimalist whites and grays that spoke of expensive taste and unlimited resources.
"This is your home?" Luna asked, still feeling unsteady on her feet. The spirit wolf had retreated somewhere deep inside her consciousness, but she could feel its presence like a warm, watchful weight in her chest.
"One of them." Victor moved to a wet bar in the corner, his movements precise and controlled. "Would you like something to drink? You've had a significant shock tonight."
Luna almost laughed. "A significant shock? Victor, I just found out I'm not human, got attacked by some kind of supernatural military unit, and watched you tear a man's throat out with your bare hands. I think 'significant shock' might be understating things a bit."
Victor paused in pouring what looked like very expensive whiskey. "Fair point. Would you prefer 'complete upheaval of your understanding of reality'?"
"That's better." Luna sank onto a white leather sofa that probably cost more than her annual salary. "Now please explain to me how any of this is possible. Start with the part where you claim I'm some kind of werewolf royalty."
Victor handed her a crystal tumbler and settled into the chair across from her. Even sitting casually, he radiated a kind of predatory awareness that made the hair on the back of Luna's neck stand up.
"Your father was Alexander Silvermoon, Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack and one of the most powerful werewolves in North America," Victor began. "Your mother was his true mate, Isabella. They ruled together for nearly a decade before they were murdered."
Luna's hand tightened on her glass. "Murdered? By whom?"
"That's... complicated." Victor's expression darkened. "There are several theories, but no definitive proof. What matters is that you, their only child, disappeared the night they died. The pack searched for years, but you had simply vanished."
"Because I was adopted by the Blackwoods," Luna said slowly. "But how could they have hidden what I was? Surely someone would have noticed if a five-year-old was turning into a wolf."
"Werewolf children don't typically experience their first transformation until puberty," Victor explained. "And there are ways to suppress the awakening, to keep the wolf dormant. Expensive ways that require connections to the supernatural underground."
Luna set down her glass with a sharp click. "You're saying my adoptive parents knew what I was?"
"I'm saying someone paid them very well to keep you hidden and your wolf spirit suppressed." Victor leaned forward, his red eyes intense. "The question is who, and why they've decided to let you awaken now."
"Maybe because someone tried to kill me tonight?" Luna's voice was sharp with sarcasm, but underneath it was real fear. "Maybe my mysterious benefactor decided I needed supernatural powers to survive whatever's coming."
"Perhaps." Victor was quiet for a long moment, studying her face. "There's something else you need to know, Luna. Something about tonight, about why I was there."
"You mean it wasn't a coincidence that Manhattan's resident vampire just happened to be in the right place to save me?"
Victor's smile was rueful. "You're very perceptive. No, it wasn't a coincidence. I've been watching you for months."
Luna shot to her feet, nearly spilling her drink. "You've been stalking me?"
"Protecting you," Victor corrected, rising as well. "The Silver Moon Pack isn't the only supernatural faction that's been looking for Alexander Silvermoon's lost daughter. Some of us wanted to find you to restore you to your rightful place. Others..." He paused. "Others wanted to find you to eliminate the threat you represent."
"What threat? I'm a lawyer! The most dangerous thing I do is cross-examine hostile witnesses!"
"You're the last of the royal Silvermoon bloodline," Victor said quietly. "Your pack has been rudderless since your parents' death, fractured into smaller groups that war with each other instead of presenting a united front. But if you were to return, if you were to claim your birthright..."
"I'd unite them," Luna finished, understanding dawning. "I'd make the werewolves a unified political force again."
"Exactly. And that terrifies certain... interested parties."
Luna began pacing, her mind racing. "The hunters tonight. They weren't just trying to capture me for study. They were trying to eliminate a future threat."
"Very good." Victor's voice held a note of approval that shouldn't have warmed her as much as it did. "You're already thinking like a leader."
"I'm thinking like a lawyer," Luna corrected. "I'm used to complex situations with multiple hostile parties." She stopped pacing and turned to face him. "So where do you fit into all this, Victor? What's your angle?"
Something flickered across Victor's perfect features—surprise, perhaps, or admiration. "Direct. I like that."
"Answer the question."
Victor moved to the windows, looking out at the city lights. "I represent the Ravencrest bloodline, one of the oldest and most powerful vampire families in North America. We've been at war with the werewolf packs for over two centuries."
Luna felt something cold settle in her stomach. "At war."
"Brutal, bloody conflict that has cost both our species countless lives and weakened us in the face of external threats." Victor turned back to her, his expression serious. "Threats like the hunters you encountered tonight."
"So you saved me because..." Luna's legal mind was already putting the pieces together, but she wanted to hear him say it.
"Because I have a proposition for you, Luna Silvermoon." Victor reached into his jacket and withdrew a document that looked far too official for Luna's comfort. "A contract, if you will."
Luna's blood ran cold. "What kind of contract?"
"A marriage contract." Victor's voice was carefully neutral. "A political alliance between the Ravencrest vampire clan and the Silver Moon werewolf pack, sealed by the union of their heirs."
The document seemed to burn Luna's fingers as she took it. The letterhead was embossed with symbols she didn't recognize, but the legal language was crystal clear. This wasn't some supernatural fairy tale—this was a real, binding agreement outlining the terms of her marriage to Victor Ravencrest.
"You want to marry me," she said flatly.
"I want to end a war that's destroying both our peoples," Victor corrected. "Marriage between our bloodlines would create an alliance strong enough to face the growing human threat, to protect both vampires and werewolves from those who would see us all caged or dead."
Luna stared at the contract, her hands shaking slightly. "And you think I'll just agree to this? Marry a man I met three hours ago to solve some supernatural political crisis I didn't even know existed until tonight?"
"I think you're intelligent enough to recognize the logic of the arrangement," Victor said carefully. "And I think you're compassionate enough to want to prevent the deaths of thousands of innocent supernatural beings."
"Don't." Luna's voice was sharp. "Don't try to manipulate me with guilt. I've spent seven years dealing with corporate executives who think they can pressure me into bad deals for the greater good."
Victor's smile was genuine this time. "Forgive me. You're right, of course. Let me be more direct." He stepped closer, and Luna caught that intoxicating scent again—danger and winter air and something uniquely him. "This marriage would benefit both of us, Luna. You need protection and resources to reclaim your pack. I need a political alliance to secure my family's position in the changing supernatural landscape."
"A business arrangement," Luna said slowly.
"Exactly. No emotional complications, no romantic expectations. Simply two intelligent people making a mutually beneficial agreement."
Luna looked down at the contract again. The terms were actually quite generous—she would retain her independence, her career, even her own residence if she chose. The marriage would be largely ceremonial, designed to formalize the alliance between their peoples rather than create a traditional domestic partnership.
"What about the fact that we're supposed to be natural enemies?" she asked. "Werewolves and vampires don't exactly have a history of successful relationships."
"Which is exactly why our union would be so symbolically powerful," Victor replied. "If the heirs of Silvermoon and Ravencrest can find peace, so can our peoples."
Luna was quiet for a long moment, weighing options and calculating risks the way she would for any major contract negotiation. The lawyer in her appreciated the straightforward nature of the arrangement. No messy emotions, no unrealistic expectations, just a clear exchange of benefits and obligations.
The woman in her was terrified.
"I need time to think about this," she said finally.
"Of course." Victor inclined his head. "Though I should mention that time may be a luxury we don't have. The hunters will be looking for you, and there are werewolf factions that might not welcome your return. Marriage to me would place you under the protection of vampire law as well as pack law."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning anyone who wants to harm you would have to go through me first." Victor's eyes flashed red for just a moment. "And I assure you, that would be... inadvisable."
Luna felt a strange flutter in her chest that had nothing to do with her wolf spirit. There was something compelling about Victor's quiet confidence, his obvious power, the way he'd protected her without hesitation tonight.
Which was dangerous thinking. This was a business arrangement, nothing more.
"I'll consider your proposal," she said formally. "But I won't be pressured into a decision."
"I wouldn't dream of it." Victor moved toward what appeared to be a guest bedroom. "You're welcome to stay here tonight. It's warded against supernatural intrusion, and I'll know immediately if anyone tries to breach the perimeter."
Luna nodded, exhaustion suddenly hitting her like a physical weight. "Thank you."
She was halfway to the bedroom when Victor's voice stopped her.
"Luna."
She turned back to find him watching her with an expression she couldn't quite read.
"For what it's worth," he said quietly, "I'm sorry this choice has been forced upon you. You deserve better than to have your life upended by circumstances beyond your control."
Something in his tone made her chest tighten. "Are you speaking from experience?"
Victor's smile was sad. "We all have our burdens to bear, princess. Some of us just bear them longer than others."
Luna wanted to ask what he meant, but the look in his eyes warned her away from that particular conversation. Instead, she simply nodded and continued toward the bedroom.
It wasn't until she was alone, staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, that she noticed the mark.
Just below her left ear, barely visible unless she tilted her head at the right angle, was a small symbol that looked like it had been drawn in silver ink. It was intricate, beautiful, and definitely hadn't been there this morning.
Luna's blood turned to ice as she realized what it was.
A vampire mark. Victor's mark.
He'd marked her as his without her knowledge or consent, probably during one of those moments when he'd carried her or touched her hand. The marriage contract wasn't really a proposal at all—it was a formality to legitimize something he'd already done.
Luna gripped the marble countertop, fury and betrayal warring with something that felt disturbingly like relief. She was bound to Victor Ravencrest now, whether she signed his contract or not.
The question was: what exactly did that binding mean?
And why did some part of her—some deep, instinctive part that might have been her awakening wolf—feel like it belonged there?