"I am summoning Dr. Adrian Sterling immediately."

My father’s voice cut through the fog in my mind.

I sat up, the gold-leaf ceiling of the Ashbourne royal palace spinning into focus.

"Wait," I said, pressing a hand to my sternum.

The agonizing void of the severed mate bond was completely gone. A warm, steady hum pulsed in its place, knitting my fractured soul back together.

"How is this possible?" I asked.

King Victor stepped to the edge of the mattress, his face lined with exhaustion. "Alexander Nightbane. He transferred half his wolf energy to stabilize your core. He is resting in the adjoining suite."

"Alexander Nightbane," I repeated, rolling the syllables over my tongue.

"You know him?" my father asked.

"I know the name," I corrected, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. "Ethan hated him."

King Victor scoffed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Is that so?"

"Ethan paced our living room constantly, complaining about him," I explained. "Alexander was the rival Alpha who always outmaneuvered him in border disputes and trade agreements. Ethan despised him for always being one step ahead."

A deep, rumbling laugh shook my father’s shoulders. "Of course he did. Alexander was the match I originally chose for you. But you ran off with that weakling before you even met him."

The heavy oak door connecting the suites clicked open.

Alexander leaned against the doorframe. The tailored black suit from the council hall was gone, replaced by a loose white shirt. He looked pale, dark circles bruising the skin under his eyes.

"Are you recovering?" Alexander asked, his voice rough and low.

I stood up, my bare feet hitting the cold marble floor. "I should be thanking you. You saved my life."

He shook his head, taking a slow step into the room. "I don't need your gratitude, Olivia. I just need you to heal."

His knee buckled.

I lunged forward. My arms caught his waist just as he collapsed. The sheer weight of him drove us both against the edge of the mattress.

"You drained yourself," I said, gripping his shoulders to keep him upright. "Tell me how to transfer the energy back."

A dry chuckle vibrated in his chest. He didn't pull away.

"Keep it," Alexander muttered, his forehead resting against my collarbone. "I don't need it right now. Though my rut is fast approaching."

I stiffened, my hands freezing on his arms. "Then you need your strength. You need to be with your fated mate."

"I would," he replied, his tone laced with dark amusement. "But unfortunately, she never liked me."

I looked down at his dark hair, a sudden wave of fierce protectiveness washing over me.

"Then I will help you find her," I declared.

He tilted his head back, his piercing gaze locking onto mine.

"I will prove to her that you are worth entrusting her life to," I promised, my voice firm. "I will make her see the Alpha you truly are."

The corner of his mouth twitched upward. "Really?"

"Yes," I insisted. "Whoever she is, choosing you will be a far better decision than the one I made."

Alexander held my gaze for a long, silent beat. The air between us crackled with an unseen tension.

"Then choose me," he said.

My mouth opened, but no sound came out. The oxygen vanished from the room.

King Victor’s booming laughter shattered the silence.

"His fated mate has always been you, Olivia," my father announced, slapping a hand against the bedpost. "The Goddess paired you two years ago."

I stared at Alexander. The missing puzzle pieces slammed into place. The instant comfort of his touch in the council hall. The warm energy currently humming through my veins, recognizing its true master.

"Since you just promised to help him," my father continued, a sly grin spreading across his face, "why not marry him today?"

"Today?" I choked out, my pulse hammering in my ears.

"He will inherit my throne," King Victor stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. "And you will step up as the new Luna of the royal court."

Alexander pushed himself upright, his hands gently framing my face. "Only if you want this, Olivia. I will not force you."

"I want this," I whispered, the truth of the words surprising me.

"Good," my father barked. "Get dressed. The high priest is already waiting in the chapel."

Two hours later, the scent of burning sage and melted wax filled the royal chapel's antechamber. A knot of nervous anticipation tightened in my gut.

I stood before the arched wooden doors, wearing a simple white silk gown my father's attendants had rushed in. The fabric clung to my skin, a stark contrast to the heavy, suffocating dresses Ethan used to force me into.

Footsteps echoed on the stone floor.

Alexander stepped out of the shadows. Color had returned to his face, his Alpha aura radiating power once more. He wore a ceremonial black tunic embroidered with silver threads.

He reached for my hand.

I pulled back, crossing my arms over my stomach.

"You need to know the truth before we walk out there," I said, my fingernails biting into my palms.

Alexander stopped, dropping his hand to his side. "I know everything I need to know."

"No, you don't," I argued, my voice cracking. "Ethan wasn't lying about the poison. Three years of sterilization potions destroyed my body."

I forced myself to look him in the eye, bracing for the disgust.

"I may never be able to give you an heir," I confessed.

The silence stretched between us, thick and heavy.

Alexander closed the distance in two strides. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest. His chin rested on the top of my head, his warmth enveloping me completely.

"Having pups was never the reason I chose you," Alexander murmured, his voice a soothing rumble against my ear.

I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting the sting of tears.

"If it brings you sorrow, I will find a cure," he vowed, his grip tightening. "And I will make every single person who poisoned you pay in blood."

He pulled back just enough to frame my face, his thumbs wiping away a stray tear.

"But right now, my Luna," he said, his gaze burning with absolute certainty, "we stop letting the past trap us."

Alexander reached into his tunic pocket and pulled out a heavy velvet box.

He snapped the lid open, revealing a massive black diamond ring stamped with the royal seal—the exact ring my mother wore before she died.