The forest did not release them easily.
Ayla stumbled as Kael pulled her through the trees, his grip firm but careful, as though he feared breaking her even while shielding her from everything that hunted them. Branches snapped behind them, distant howls echoing like a promise of pursuit. The Blood Moon followed overhead, relentless and watchful.
She had stopped questioning reality.
There was no room left for disbelief—only survival.
Kael moved with lethal efficiency, navigating the forest as if it were an extension of his own body. Every so often, he paused, head tilting as he listened to sounds Ayla could not hear. Each time, his jaw tightened further.
They're spreading out, he muttered.
Who? Ayla asked, breathless.
Everyone.
That answer terrified her more than any explanation could have.
They burst through the tree line into a wide clearing surrounded by towering stone pillars half-swallowed by ivy and age. Torches flared to life as they entered, illuminating a massive compound of wood, stone, and iron nestled against the mountainside.
Walls rose high around it.
This wasn't a home.
It was a fortress.
Ayla stared as the gates groaned open, wolves shifting into human form as they ran to meet them. The moment Kael crossed the threshold, the gates slammed shut behind them with a thunderous finality.
Safe.
For now.
Her legs finally gave out.
Kael caught her again, lifting her effortlessly into his arms as her vision blurred. She should have protested—should have been mortified by how easily he carried her—but exhaustion crushed her resistance.
Don't, she murmured faintly, fingers curling weakly into his shoulder.
I've got you, he said, voice rough.
The words sank into her chest in a way she didn't understand.
He carried her through the compound, ignoring the stares that followed them—some curious, some wary, some openly hostile. Ayla felt them all, felt the weight of being an outsider in a place that hummed with ancient power.
She didn't belong here.
And yet… something inside her stirred as they passed beneath carved symbols etched into stone—moons, claws, sigils that made her skin warm where Kael held her.
He entered a large chamber and kicked the door shut behind them.
Only then did he set her down.
Ayla swayed, catching herself on the edge of a heavy wooden table. The room smelled like him—pine smoke and steel—with maps spread across the walls and weapons mounted like trophies.
An Alpha's war room.
Sit, Kael ordered, pulling a chair toward her.
She obeyed, too tired to argue.
Kael dragged a shirt over his head and tossed it to her. Wear this.
Her cheeks burned as she slipped it on, the fabric warm from his body, far too big for her. It fell to mid-thigh, the scent of him wrapping around her like a second skin.
She looked up to find him watching her intently.
What? she asked.
His gaze darkened. Nothing.
It was clearly something.
Before she could press him, the door opened and Rowan strode in, fully dressed now, his expression grim.
The scouts are reporting movement along the eastern ridge, Rowan said. Two rival packs at least. Possibly more.
Kael cursed under his breath. The Council?
They'll feel it by now, Rowan replied. A Blood Moon marking doesn't go unnoticed.
Ayla stiffened. Marking?
Both men turned to her.
Kael exhaled slowly, raking a hand through his hair. We need to talk.
Yes, she snapped. You think?
Rowan raised a brow. She's got spirit.
Kael shot him a look. Out.
Rowan hesitated. Kael—
Out.
Rowan left, closing the door behind him.
Silence settled heavily between them.
Kael leaned back against the table, arms crossed, studying her with an intensity that made her pulse spike. What you saw tonight, he began, was real.
No kidding, Ayla said sharply.
We're werewolves, he continued evenly. Packs rule this land from the shadows. Laws govern us. The Council enforces them.
And me? she demanded. Where do I fit into this nightmare?
Kael's gaze softened—just slightly. You're the problem.
Her stomach dropped.
Excuse me?
You were marked by the Blood Moon, he said. That hasn't happened in generations.
She swallowed. Marked how?
Kael hesitated.
Because the truth was dangerous.
By becoming my mate, he said finally.
The word hit her like a physical blow.
Your—no, she shook her head violently. Absolutely not. I don't even know you.
His lips twitched despite himself. The bond doesn't care.
I'm human!
Not entirely, he replied.
Heat flared beneath her skin again, as if in response.
Kael's eyes flicked to her throat.
Don't, she warned instinctively.
He froze.
Good.
Because the urge to touch her—to feel her pulse beneath his fingers, to mark her with his teeth—was clawing at him violently.
The bond will grow stronger, he said quietly. Especially under the Blood Moon.
And if I refuse? she asked.
His jaw clenched.
Then the bond will consume you, he said. Slowly.
Her breath caught.
That's not fate, she whispered. That's a threat.
Kael pushed off the table, stepping closer. I didn't make the laws.
But you enforce them, she shot back.
Before he could respond, a horn sounded—deep, resonant, ancient.
Kael stiffened.
That's the Council call, he said grimly.
Ayla's heart pounded. What does that mean?
It means, he said, meeting her gaze, they're coming for you.
The horn's call reverberated through the compound, low and commanding, vibrating through stone and bone alike.
Ayla felt it in her chest.
The sound was not merely heard—it was felt, resonating deep within her, stirring something restless and unfamiliar. Heat bloomed beneath her skin again, sharper this time, curling through her veins with alarming intensity.
Kael turned toward the window, his expression darkening as shadows flickered across his face. That horn hasn't sounded in over twenty years.
Is that bad? Ayla asked, though she already knew the answer.
It means the Alpha Council has convened, he replied. Immediately.
Her stomach twisted. Because of me.
Yes.
The word fell between them, heavy and undeniable.
Outside, the compound had erupted into motion. Wolves shifted into human form as they rushed across the courtyard, some armed, others clearly preparing for conflict. Ayla caught glimpses of wary faces, sharp glances thrown in her direction whenever Kael wasn't blocking their view.
She felt like a spark dropped into a room soaked in oil.
Kael moved toward the door, then stopped, his hand resting against the wood as though bracing himself. He turned back to her, eyes hard.
Listen carefully, he said. What happens next will decide whether you live freely… or become property.
Her breath caught. Property?
The Council doesn't recognize choice, he continued. Only law.
That's not a law, she snapped. That's slavery.
His jaw tightened. To them, it's survival.
He opened the door.
The corridor outside was lined with guards—men and women alike, all radiating power and readiness. Rowan waited at the end, his face grim.
They're assembling at the stone ring, Rowan said. All seven seats.
Ayla's heart pounded violently. Seven seats?
Seven Alphas, Rowan replied. Each one rules a territory. Each one answers only to the Moon.
And you? she asked Kael.
I am one of them, he said.
That stopped her cold.
You're on the Council, she whispered.
Yes.
And they're still coming for me?
Kael met her gaze steadily. Especially because of that.
They stepped into the open courtyard, the Blood Moon looming overhead like a watching god. Ayla's steps slowed as they approached the stone ring at the heart of the compound—a wide circle of ancient rock etched with symbols that glowed faintly red.
The air crackled with power.
Seven figures stood around the ring.
They were not wolves now, but men and women whose presence felt immense, ancient, and dangerous. Each bore the unmistakable mark of an Alpha—predatory grace, lethal confidence, and eyes that glowed faintly with the moon's light.
Ayla's skin prickled under their combined attention.
This is her? one of them asked, a tall man with iron-gray hair and eyes like frost. The marked one?
Yes, Kael said.
Another Alpha—a woman with sharp features and braided dark hair—circled Ayla slowly, studying her like a specimen. She looks human.
She isn't, Lyra said from behind them.
Ayla flinched.
Lyra stepped into the ring, her expression smug. I felt the surge myself. The Blood Moon chose her.
Murmurs rippled through the Council.
That is impossible, the frost-eyed Alpha said. The Blood Moon hasn't marked a mate outside the packs since the last covenant.
And yet it has, Lyra replied sweetly.
Kael's patience snapped. Enough.
The Council turned toward him as one.
She is under my protection, he said, voice ringing with Alpha authority. Until we determine what she is, no one touches her.
The braided-haired Alpha laughed softly. You forget yourself, Kael Nightborne.
I forget nothing, he shot back. Including the laws you hide behind when they suit you.
The frost-eyed Alpha stepped forward. The law is clear. A Blood Moon–marked mate belongs to the Alpha chosen by fate.
Kael didn't blink. She is not an object.
No, the Alpha replied coldly. She is a weapon.
Ayla's breath hitched.
A weapon? she repeated.
The Alpha's gaze slid to her. The Blood Moon does not mark without purpose. Whatever power sleeps in you is old. Dangerous. And coveted.
Her knees weakened.
Kael shifted subtly, placing himself between her and the Council.
You will not cage her, he growled.
Lyra's lips curled. Then claim her.
The word slammed into the clearing like a thunderclap.
Ayla's head snapped up. Claim me?
Silence followed—thick and oppressive.
The braided-haired Alpha nodded slowly. It is the simplest solution. The Alpha completes the bond, marks her fully, and binds her to his pack.
No, Ayla said instantly. I won't—
If you don't, the frost-eyed Alpha interrupted, the Council will.
Kael's eyes burned gold.
You will not, he snarled.
Then you leave us no choice, the Alpha replied. The girl will be taken into Council custody until her power awakens fully.
Ayla's heart raced. You mean prison.
Protection, the Alpha corrected.
Kael laughed—low and dangerous. You've never protected anything you couldn't control.
The Blood Moon flared brighter overhead.
Ayla gasped as pain sliced through her chest, sharp and sudden. She doubled over, clutching herself as heat surged violently beneath her skin. The stone ring glowed brighter in response.
She's reacting, one of the Alphas said. The bond is destabilizing her.
Kael was at her side instantly, catching her as she swayed. Easy, he murmured, his voice rough. I've got you.
The contact eased the pain—just slightly.
The Council noticed.
That settles it, the frost-eyed Alpha said. The bond has already begun.
Lyra smiled triumphantly. You don't have much time, Kael.
Kael's gaze flicked between the Council and the woman trembling in his arms.
He made his decision.
She leaves with me, he said. Tonight.
And the bond? the Alpha asked.
Kael lowered his head, his breath brushing Ayla's hair. I will not mark her.
Gasps echoed through the ring.
You defy the Moon? Lyra demanded.
I defy you, Kael replied. There is a difference.
The frost-eyed Alpha's expression hardened. Then hear the Council's judgment.
The air went deathly still.
Kael Nightborne, the Alpha intoned, you are granted three nights.
Three nights.
To either complete the bond and claim the marked mate… or surrender her to the Council.
Ayla's heart shattered.
Three nights to decide her fate.
And if I do neither? Kael asked quietly.
The Alpha's eyes glowed red. Then we declare you rogue.
The word echoed like a death sentence.
Kael straightened slowly, his grip tightening protectively around Ayla.
So be it, he said.
The Blood Moon pulsed violently overhead.
And the war had officially begun.