Damien Cross stood at the Blackwood border looking exactly like Nora remembered—tall, handsome, with those green eyes that used to make her weak in the knees.
Now they just made her angry.
He wasn't alone. Beside him stood Sienna, wearing a smug expression, and behind them were three pack warriors. They all stopped at the boundary line, smart enough not to cross into Blackwood territory without permission.
Nora stood next to Kael on their side of the border, arms crossed. She could feel Kael's power radiating beside her, could sense his wolf barely contained beneath his skin.
"Trespassing is a serious offense," Kael said coldly. His voice carried authority that made even Damien's warriors shift uncomfortably. "State your business or leave."
"I'm here for Nora," Damien said. His eyes found her, and something like relief washed over his face. "Thank the Goddess. You're safe."
"Safe?" Nora laughed. She couldn't help it. "Safe from what?"
"From him." Damien glared at Kael. "Everyone knows what Blackwood Alphas do to unmated she-wolves. I'm here to bring you home before—"
"Before what?" Nora interrupted. "Before he treats me like garbage? Humiliates me in front of everyone? Breaks a sacred mate bond because his ex-girlfriend came back? Oh wait—you already did all that."
Damien flinched. "Nora, I know I hurt you—"
"You destroyed me," Nora corrected. Her voice was steel. "You rejected me, Damien. In front of our entire pack. You chose her." She pointed at Sienna, who had the decency to look uncomfortable. "So why are you here?"
"Because I made a mistake." Damien took a step forward. Immediately, Kael growled low in his throat, and Damien froze. "I was confused. Sienna and I have history, and when she came back, I thought... But I was wrong, Nora. You're my true mate. The Moon Goddess chose us for each other."
"The Moon Goddess also gave you a brain," Nora said. "But apparently you don't use that either."
Behind Damien, one of his warriors snorted before quickly covering it with a cough.
"I reject your rejection," Damien said desperately. "I take it back. Come home, and we'll complete the mating ceremony properly this time."
"You can't take back a rejection," Kael said flatly. "The bond is broken. It's done."
"I'm an Alpha," Damien said, puffing out his chest. "I can do whatever I want with my mate."
"She's not your mate anymore," Kael said. Each word was precise, deadly. "She accepted your rejection. By law, your bond is severed. And if you don't leave my territory in the next sixty seconds, you'll be dealing with more than a broken bond."
Sienna finally spoke up. "Damien, maybe we should go. She clearly doesn't want you anymore."
"Shut up, Sienna," Damien snapped. Then, to Nora: "Is that it? You're just going to throw away four years together because I made one mistake?"
"One mistake?" Nora's voice rose. "You didn't forget our anniversary, Damien. You didn't accidentally hurt my feelings. You stood in front of the Goddess and our pack and rejected me. You told everyone that Sienna was the one you really wanted. That was your choice. Now live with it."
"So what, you're with him now?" Damien's eyes flicked to Kael with barely concealed jealousy. "You move on that fast?"
"What I do is none of your business anymore," Nora said.
"The hell it isn't!" Damien's control finally snapped. "You're mine, Nora! I don't care what some piece of paper says. I don't care what ceremony we did or didn't complete. You're MINE!"
Power exploded from him. Alpha command, trying to force Nora to submit. Three days ago, it would have worked. She would have dropped to her knees, unable to resist.
But now?
Nora felt the command wash over her like water. It didn't even make her blink.
Damien's eyes widened in shock.
"Impossible," he whispered. "How are you resisting?"
"Because she's not yours," Kael said. He moved slightly in front of Nora, protective. "She's a free wolf. And from the looks of it, she's far more powerful than you realized."
Nora stepped around Kael. She met Damien's eyes and let her wolf rise to the surface. Just a little. Just enough to let him see the silver streaks in her fur, the amber glow in her eyes.
Damien actually stepped back.
"Nora... what are you?"
"Someone you never deserved," Nora said simply. "Now leave. And don't come back."
"This isn't over," Damien said, but his voice shook. "You're still a member of Silver Moon Pack. You can't just—"
"Actually," Kael interrupted, "she can. Nora came to Blackwood of her own free will. She's under my protection now. And if Silver Moon has a problem with that, Alpha Cross, you're welcome to take it up with the Council."
The Council. The governing body of all werewolf packs. They handled disputes, enforced laws, and maintained peace. Going to the Council was essentially declaring war.
Damien knew it. His jaw clenched.
"Fine," he said finally. "But when you get tired of playing house with the Blackwood monster, don't come crying back to me."
"I won't," Nora promised. "Trust me."
Damien looked at her for a long moment. Something like genuine pain crossed his face. Then he turned and walked back into Silver Moon territory. Sienna followed, but not before shooting Nora a look of pure hatred.
The warriors lingered a moment longer, then followed their Alpha.
When they were gone, Nora let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her whole body was shaking.
"You did good," Kael said quietly.
"I wanted to rip his throat out," Nora admitted.
"I know. I could smell it. But you controlled yourself." Kael turned to face her. "That's real strength, Nora. Not the ability to hurt someone. The ability to choose not to."
Nora nodded, but she wasn't really listening. Her mind was racing.
"He's going to come back," she said. "Damien doesn't give up that easily. And he's going to bring trouble."
"Let him try," Kael said. "By the time he makes his next move, you'll be ready for anything he throws at you."
"How can you be so sure?"
Kael smiled. "Because in one day, you've already unlocked your Luna wolf and resisted an Alpha command. Do you know how rare that is? Most wolves train for years to resist Alpha power. You did it naturally."
"So what does that mean?"
"It means," Kael said, "that you're going to be extraordinary. And every wolf in this territory is going to know it."
As if on cue, Nora heard movement in the forest. She turned to see dozens of Blackwood wolves emerging from the trees, all staring at her with wide eyes.
They'd witnessed the confrontation. Heard everything.
An older wolf stepped forward and bowed his head. "Luna," he said respectfully.
Nora blinked. "I'm not—"
"You resisted an outside Alpha's command," the old wolf said. "You carry the mark of a Luna wolf. And you stand under our Alpha's protection. In Blackwood Pack, that makes you Luna."
One by one, the other wolves bowed their heads.
Nora looked at Kael in panic. "I can't be your Luna. I'm not your mate. I'm not—"
"You're a Luna wolf," Kael said gently. "That's not about being someone's mate. It's about who you are. Let them show you respect, Nora. You've earned it."
Nora turned back to the wolves, all bowing to her, and felt something shift inside her chest. Something powerful and warm and right.
For the first time in her life, she felt like she belonged.
"Thank you," she said to them.
The old wolf smiled. "Welcome home, Luna."
But as the Blackwood wolves dispersed back into the forest, Nora caught Kael's expression. He was watching her with an intensity that made her breath catch.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing," Kael said. But his voice was rough. "I just... I think I may have underestimated what you're going to become."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
Kael was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "I don't know yet."
And something in his tone made Nora's heart skip a beat.
This was getting complicated.
Very complicated.Nora stepped around Kael. She met Damien's eyes and let her wolf rise to the surface. Just a little. Just enough to let him see the silver streaks in her fur, the amber glow in her eyes.
Damien actually stepped back.
"Nora... what are you?"
"Someone you never deserved," Nora said simply. "Now leave. And don't come back."
"This isn't over," Damien said, but his voice shook. "You're still a member of Silver Moon Pack. You can't just—"
"Actually," Kael interrupted, "she can. Nora came to Blackwood of her own free will. She's under my protection now. And if Silver Moon has a problem with that, Alpha Cross, you're welcome to take it up with the Council."
The Council. The governing body of all werewolf packs. They handled disputes, enforced laws, and maintained peace. Going to the Council was essentially declaring war.
Damien knew it. His jaw clenched.
"Fine," he said finally. "But when you get tired of playing house with the Blackwood monster, don't come crying back to me."
"I won't," Nora promised. "Trust me."
Damien looked at her for a long moment. Something like genuine pain crossed his face. Then he turned and walked back into Silver Moon territory. Sienna followed, but not before shooting Nora a look of pure hatred.
The warriors lingered a moment longer, then followed their Alpha.
When they were gone, Nora let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her whole body was shaking.
"You did good," Kael said quietly.
"I wanted to rip his throat out," Nora admitted.
"I know. I could smell it. But you controlled yourself." Kael turned to face her. "That's real strength, Nora. Not the ability to hurt someone. The ability to choose not to."
Nora nodded, but she wasn't really listening. Her mind was racing.
"He's going to come back," she said. "Damien doesn't give up that easily. And he's going to bring trouble."
"Let him try," Kael said. "By the time he makes his next move, you'll be ready for anything he throws at you."
"How can you be so sure?"
Kael smiled. "Because in one day, you've already unlocked your Luna wolf and resisted an Alpha command. Do you know how rare that is? Most wolves train for years to resist Alpha power. You did it naturally."
"So what does that mean?"
"It means," Kael said, "that you're going to be extraordinary. And every wolf in this territory is going to know it."
As if on cue, Nora heard movement in the forest. She turned to see dozens of Blackwood wolves emerging from the trees, all staring at her with wide eyes.
They'd witnessed the confrontation. Heard everything.
An older wolf stepped forward and bowed his head. "Luna," he said respectfully.
Nora blinked. "I'm not—"
"You resisted an outside Alpha's command," the old wolf said. "You carry the mark of a Luna wolf. And you stand under our Alpha's protection. In Blackwood Pack, that makes you Luna."
One by one, the other wolves bowed their heads.
Nora looked at Kael in panic. "I can't be your Luna. I'm not your mate. I'm not—"
"You're a Luna wolf," Kael said gently. "That's not about being someone's mate. It's about who you are. Let them show you respect, Nora. You've earned it."
Nora turned back to the wolves, all bowing to her, and felt something shift inside her chest. Something powerful and warm and right.
For the first time in her life, she felt like she belonged.
"Thank you," she said to them.
The old wolf smiled. "Welcome home, Luna."
But as the Blackwood wolves dispersed back into the forest, Nora caught Kael's expression. He was watching her with an intensity that made her breath catch.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing," Kael said. But his voice was rough. "I just... I think I may have underestimated what you're going to become."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
Kael was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "I don't know yet."
And something in his tone made Nora's heart skip a beat.
This was getting complicated.
Very complicated.