The night after their confession should have felt like peace.
It should have been theirs alone two souls bound under the moon, no longer denying what had burned between them from the beginning.
But peace was not for them. Not yet.
The pack was restless. Aria felt it the next morning in every glance that lingered too long, every whisper that trailed in her wake. Damien's wolves respected him, yes, but respect could not erase their doubts. An Alpha tied to a human, a human with strange powers no wolf could explain was a risk.
And in the shadows of the forest, someone else had been watching.
The summons came at dusk. A howl deep, commanding, arrogant rolled across the valley, carrying a weight that made even the bravest of wolves stiffen. It wasn't Damien's voice. It was another's.
Viktor.
The rival Alpha.
Damien's eyes burned gold the moment the sound reached him. His wolves gathered in the clearing, tense and growling, but Damien raised a hand, silencing them.
"He's come," Damien said, his voice grim. "And he won't leave without blood."
Aria's heart lurched. "What does he want?"
Damien's gaze slid to hers, sharp and unyielding. "You."
The words struck like a blow. Around them, murmurs rippled through the pack. Some were angry, some afraid. A few too many were unreadable.
Before Aria could respond, another howl answered closer this time, echoing through the trees. Then shadows stirred at the treeline, and wolves emerged. Massive, dark-furred, with eyes glinting like steel. Viktor's pack.
And at their head, Viktor himself.
He was taller than Damien, broader through the shoulders, his black hair tied back, scars crisscrossing his arms like trophies. His eyes cold and predatory locked on Aria the moment he stepped into the clearing.
"There she is," Viktor said, his voice a low rumble. "The bloodline I've been searching for."
Aria's skin crawled under his stare, and she instinctively moved closer to Damien.
Damien's growl vibrated through his chest, his hand brushing her back in a silent promise. "You'll not lay a hand on her."
Viktor smirked. "So protective. But we both know she doesn't belong to you, Damien. A power like hers isn't meant to rot in the shadows of your little pack. She belongs with me. With my wolves. Together, we could rule these forests and beyond."
Aria found her voice, steady despite the fear pressing against her ribs. "I don't belong to anyone."
Viktor's smile turned sharp. "You'll change your mind. You'll see what we could be." His gaze flicked back to Damien. "Unless, of course, you'd rather settle this the old way."
The tension snapped taut. Every wolf in the clearing froze, breath caught, ears pricked. The challenge had been spoken.
A duel. Alpha against Alpha.
Damien's body went rigid, his golden eyes blazing. "You're a fool if you think you can take me."
Viktor's teeth flashed in a grin. "Then prove it. Tomorrow night. Blood moon rising. Winner takes all." His eyes slid to Aria again, lingering in a way that made her stomach twist. "Her most of all."
The clearing erupted growls, protests, snarls. Wolves surged forward, only to be held back by Damien's bark of command.
"Enough!" Damien's voice thundered, silencing the chaos. He stepped forward, his body radiating dominance. "You want a challenge? You'll have it. But understand this, Viktor you won't be walking away."
For a moment, the two Alphas locked eyes, golden against steel. The weight of destiny pressed down on the clearing, suffocating in its inevitability.
Then Viktor threw back his head and laughed a harsh, cruel sound. "We'll see, brother."
He turned sharply, his wolves following him back into the trees like shadows dissolving into the night.
The moment they were gone, the clearing erupted again. Wolves spoke over one another, panic and fury twisting their voices. A duel meant danger, blood, and possibly the death of their Alpha.
Aria's heart hammered as she looked at Damien. He stood tall, unshaken, but his hand still trembled where it brushed hers.
She caught it, holding on tight. "You don't have to do this."
His eyes softened only for her. "Yes, I do. If I don't, he'll keep coming for you. For us. This ends tomorrow."
"But Damien..."
He cut her off with a fierce look. "No more running, Aria. I'm fighting for you. For us. And I will win."
His words rang with certainty, but in the shadows of his eyes, she saw it the fear he had confessed to her under the moon. Not fear of Viktor. Not fear of losing a fight.
Fear of losing her.