Elena didn't scream when the silver cuffs clamped around her ankles. She didn't flinch when the guards pulled her like a broken doll through the muddy path leading to the Moonlight Fortress. Her heart had already done all the screaming — the moment Alpha Kael looked into her eyes and decided not to kill her… but to keep her.
The Moonlight Fortress wasn't a castle.
It was a cage made of stone, secrets, and shadows.
The doors slammed behind her as the guards dragged her through cold, endless halls. The scent of blood lingered in the air — not old blood. Fresh.
"This way," a soldier barked.
They stopped in front of a narrow, iron door. One of the guards unlocked it, and with a shove, Elena was tossed inside.
She hit the floor hard, her shoulder scraping against the rough stone.
"Your new home," the guard sneered. "Pray he forgets you."
The door slammed shut.
Elena lay still for a moment, her breath shallow, her wrists burning where the silver had seared her skin. The cell was dark and smelled of damp moss, old sweat, and hopelessness.
"Why am I still alive?" she whispered to no one.
She didn't understand it — the way Kael had frozen when their eyes met. The fire that had passed through her veins, the strange ache in her chest that wasn't fear… but something worse.
Longing?
No. Impossible.
He was her captor.
He had destroyed her life.
She curled up on the floor, hugging her knees as the cold seeped into her bones.
---
Elsewhere in the fortress…
Kael stood in his chamber, staring at his reflection in the tall mirror. His hands were clenched, his jaw tight.
"She's my mate," he growled.
"But she's also a murderer… isn't she?"
He had been ready to kill her. He had wanted to. But the second he touched her, the bond awakened. The Moon Goddess never made mistakes… but this time, Kael felt betrayed.
"How could the Moon Goddess choose her for me?" he muttered.
He slammed his fist into the wall, cracking the stone.
"She's weak. Human. Worthless."
Yet every heartbeat echoed her name.
---
Back in the cell…
Elena wasn't alone anymore.
The door creaked open and someone stepped inside. She expected another cruel guard, but instead saw a young woman in a maid's uniform, holding a tray of food.
"I brought you something," she said softly, setting the tray down. Her eyes were kind… but scared.
Elena sat up, wincing. "Who are you?"
"My name is Lyra. I work in the Alpha's house."
"Why is he keeping me alive?" Elena asked, her voice breaking.
Lyra hesitated, then leaned closer.
"Because you're his mate."
Elena froze. "That's impossible. I'm… I'm human."
Lyra looked around nervously and whispered, "So was his mother. And she died because of it."
Elena's heart sank.
"What does that mean?"
"It means…" Lyra whispered, "if the pack finds out, they'll want you dead. And if the Alpha lets you live… they'll turn against him."
Elena's blood ran cold.
"So I'm a prisoner… and a secret."
Lyra nodded. "And in this place, secrets don't last long."