The morning after the Blood Moon ceremony was heavy with silence. Not the soft, peaceful kind—but a waiting, watching silence, like the air itself was holding its breath. A thin mist curled along the windows of the ancestral home, and the ancient oak table in the dining hall gleamed under the weight of tradition and expectation.
Mira sat beside Ash, her posture rigid, her insides coiling tighter with every clink of cutlery. The Elders had joined them for breakfast—an occurrence that happened only during council matters or sacred transitions. This was both.
Their cold, unreadable gazes burned across the table. Most were dressed in ceremonial greys and silvers, their necks marked with runes of lineage. The head Elder, a gaunt man with hollow eyes and a voice like iron on stone, leaned forward.
"So," he said, breaking the silence. "Has the mating been completed?"
Mira's fork froze halfway to her mouth.
Her heart leapt. She could feel every beat echo in her chest, in her throat, in her ears.
But Ash didn't pause. He reached for his cup and answered, cool and composed.
"Yes," he said. "It's done."
The Elders exchanged smirks. One of them—an older woman whose silver hair was braided with bones of the previous Alpha line—lifted her chin.
"Then the proof will follow." Her voice was sharp. "Bring the sheets."
Mira's spine stiffened. "What?" she whispered under her breath, eyes wide.
Before she could ask anything, a pair of silent maids bowed and left the hall. Her mouth dried instantly. Her palms turned clammy. She looked at Ash, but his face was unreadable, his focus entirely on the food before him.
Moments later, the maids returned—holding a silken white cloth between them.
And there it was.
Blood.
A dark smear at the center. Stark and undeniable.
Gasps rippled across the table. The Elders nodded in grim satisfaction.
"She was untouched before," one of them whispered. "The bond has begun."
Mira felt the blood drain from her face. Her heart stopped, then thundered to life with panic. She looked at the cloth, then at Ash.
Did he…?
Her lips parted. Her throat moved, but no words came.
Was I—? While I slept…?
She wanted to scream. To accuse. But Ash didn't look ashamed. He didn't even glance at the cloth. Instead, he reached toward her and gently nudged her plate.
"Eat," he said, his voice calm. "You'll need your strength."
Mira's entire world tilted. Her vision blurred. Her fingers trembled on the edge of her seat.
But she said nothing.
Not here. Not in front of them.
The moment the door to their chambers closed behind them, Mira spun toward him.
"What did you do?"
Ash turned slowly. He had already removed his ceremonial cloak, his tunic half undone, revealing the sculpted lines of his chest. But Mira's fury was louder than her embarrassment.
"Answer me!" she cried. "Did you touch me while I was sleeping? Did you take it—my purity—like a thief in the night?"
Ash's eyes darkened, but he didn't move. Instead, he stepped toward her slowly, his expression unreadable.
"Would you believe me if I said no?"
"Then explain that!" she screamed, pointing behind her, as if the bloodied sheet still hung in the air. "Explain why the cloth shows—"
"Because I knew they would ask for it," he said, voice like velvet over steel. "Because I knew what proof they needed. So I gave them what they wanted to see."
Mira's brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
Ash exhaled and sat at the edge of the bed, leaning forward, elbows on his knees.
"Our blood," he said softly. "After the bond, it changes. It mirrors. When I cut myself, it smells like you. When you bleed, it smells like me. Even if I hadn't touched you… even if I never will… they will believe what the scent tells them."
Mira's lips parted, her breath catching.
"So… the blood—"
"Was from me," he confirmed. "A small cut. Nothing more. But to them, it's the proof they demanded."
Her knees buckled slightly, and she sank to the floor, hands gripping the hem of her gown.
Relief washed over her in waves. And yet beneath it… confusion. Guilt. Something deeper.
"Why would you do that for me?" she whispered.
Ash didn't answer immediately. He looked down at his hands.
"Because you're not ready. And because they'd tear you apart if they knew the truth."
Mira's throat tightened.
"You lied for me."
Ash stood slowly and knelt beside her, his hand brushing against her trembling fingers. For the first time, his expression cracked. Beneath the hard shell—he looked tired. Worn. And something else.
Worried.
"I didn't just lie for you," he said. "I protected what's mine."
Her eyes flicked to his. There it was again—the claim. The heat behind it. It made something stir in her chest.
"But now they'll expect a child," she whispered. "They'll count the days. They'll wait for signs…"
Ash nodded.
"That's the real challenge," he said. "The blood only buys us time."
Mira swallowed hard.
"And when that time runs out?"
He looked at her then—really looked. As if he were searching for something deep within her.
"Then we decide whether to keep pretending," he murmured, "or finally do what they already believe we have."
A flush climbed up Mira's neck. She turned her face away.
Ash's fingers traced her jaw lightly.
"But only when you say yes, Mira. Never before."
Her eyes snapped to his.
"Why are you being like this? You're supposed to hate me. You were cold. You were cruel."
Ash tilted his head.
"And you were supposed to be just another girl."
That silenced her.
Ash stood then, walking toward the window. The morning light framed him in gold and shadow. Outside, a black hawk circled in the distance.
"Things are moving faster than I planned," he muttered.
Mira rose slowly, still shaken, but steadier now. She followed his gaze.
"What do you mean?"
He didn't answer at first. Then:
"A message came this morning. From the North."
Mira blinked.
"Another pack?"
Ash nodded, jaw tense.
"The Venari. They've heard whispers about you. About your scent. Your blood."
Mira took a step back.
"What about my blood?"
Ash turned then, and his eyes were burning.
"It's not just royal, Mira. It's forbidden. A blend that should not exist. And if the Venari are right… you're not just the Alpha's mate. You're a threat to the old order."
Mira's pulse roared in her ears.
"What… what am I?"
Ash's voice dropped to a whisper.
"We don't know yet. But they're coming to find out."