The first thing Nora felt was cold. Not the harsh bite of winter wind or the damp chill of the forest floor where she had collapsed, but something deeper, seeping into her skin as if the air itself was made of ice.
Her lashes fluttered open. For a moment, she thought she was still dreaming. The ceiling above her was impossibly high, carved with strange symbols that shimmered faintly in the dim glow of silver flames burning in sconces along the walls. She lay on a massive bed draped in velvet black, the sheets softer than anything she had ever touched.
Panic slammed into her chest. This wasn't her pack. This wasn't anywhere she knew. She pushed herself upright, groaning as pain shot through her ribs and thigh. Her body still bore the cuts and bruises from her escape, though someone had cleaned and bandaged the wounds.
Her heart pounded. Who would touch her? Who would dare heal her?
A sound made her flinch. A door creaked open at the far end of the chamber.
He entered.
The man was tall—towering, in fact, with a presence that seemed to command the very air around him. His hair was dark as midnight, his eyes an impossible shade of crimson that glowed faintly in the torchlight. He wore a tailored coat of black and silver, every stitch regal, every line of his body radiating effortless dominance.
Nora's breath hitched. Her wolf stirred uneasily.
"Awake at last," the stranger murmured, his voice low, velvety, and unnervingly calm. "I wondered how long it would take you."
Her throat went dry. "W-where am I?"
He smiled, though it was not a kind smile—it was sharp, like the glint of a blade. "You're in my castle. My territory. Safe… for now."
Her fingers tightened in the sheets. "Who are you?"
He stepped closer, the faint sound of his boots against stone echoing in the silence. His eyes never left her face, as if studying every flicker of fear she showed.
"I am Blade Adrian. King of the Vampire Court. Ruler of these lands for the last thousand years." He inclined his head slightly, though the gesture carried more intimidation than courtesy. "And you, little wolf, crossed into my domain half-dead. You should be grateful I didn't leave you to rot."
Vampire.
The word sent a rush of dread down her spine. She had heard the stories—wolves who strayed too far were drained and discarded like husks. Vampires were ruthless, merciless, predators who saw Omegas as little more than blood and playthings.
Her heart hammered so loudly she was sure he could hear it. "Why… why didn't you?"
His crimson gaze flickered, an unreadable emotion passing across his face. "Because the moment you collapsed at my feet, I smelled it." He leaned closer, and she froze, his breath cold against her ear. "The bond."
Nora's entire body went rigid.
No. No, it couldn't be. She had just been rejected, broken, her bond with Lucas torn to shreds. It was impossible that fate would twist her into another mate-bond so soon—especially with a creature like him.
"You're lying," she whispered.
He chuckled, low and dark, the sound curling around her like smoke. "Am I? Your wolf knows the truth. She's trembling inside you right now, fighting between fear and recognition."
Her nails dug into her palms. He was right—her wolf had gone wild the moment he entered, not with terror alone but with… something else. Something dangerous.
Nora shook her head fiercely. "No. I don't accept it. I don't want this."
Blade straightened, watching her with an intensity that made her skin prickle. "It doesn't matter if you accept it. The bond exists. I have waited a thousand years for fate to choose, and it brought me you. A broken little Omega."
Tears stung her eyes. "I won't be your toy. I won't be your prisoner."
His expression hardened, the smile fading into a shadow of cold steel. "Prisoner? No, wolf. You are not my prisoner. You are mine. And I do not share what is mine."
The room seemed to shrink around her. His words wrapped like chains around her already fractured soul. She had run from one monster only to land in the claws of another.
Yet… something in his voice was different from Lucas. Lucas had rejected her, despised her. Blade's tone was not of hatred, but possession—dark, dangerous, suffocating.
Her lips trembled. "Why me?"
For the first time, his gaze softened, almost imperceptibly. "Because you are the only one fate dared to give me. And I will not let you go."
Nora's chest tightened. The pain of rejection still throbbed inside her, raw and unhealed, and now this new bond loomed before her like a storm.
She wanted to scream. She wanted to run. But she was too weak, and he stood between her and freedom.
Blade reached out, brushing a lock of hair from her face with a touch surprisingly gentle for someone so fearsome. His fingers were cool, almost soothing against her fevered skin.
"Rest, Nora," he murmured, his voice dipping into a command. "You are safe here. No wolf will harm you again."
Her eyes widened. "You know my name?"
He gave a faint smile, one that did not reach his eyes. "I make it my business to know what belongs to me."
Her heart stuttered. Belongs.
The word echoed in her mind long after he turned and strode toward the door, leaving her trembling on the bed, caught between terror and something she refused to name.
When the heavy doors closed, silence fell.
Nora curled into herself, pressing her face into her hands. She should have been relieved she wasn't dead, but instead she felt trapped in a new nightmare.
And yet, deep inside, her wolf whispered a single, traitorous word.
Mate.