MOIRA

“Huh?” I blinked, unsure I heard correctly.

His eyes returned back to amber-gray. He flexed his jaw then pointed to the open door. “Get in.”

I wanted to protest and ask why he called me mate but instead I got in like I was asked to.

Alpha Draven didn’t have a single scratch on him. He hadn’t even shifted. His coat moved slightly in the night breeze as if nothing unusual had happened. A wounded wolf whimpered trying to crawl away not far from where I once stood.

Alpha Draven grabbed him by his neck and lifted him like he weighed nothing.

“Who sent you?”

The wolf didn’t answer. Jamie’s grip tightened. The wolf cried out in pain.

“Who,” Jamie repeated calmly, “sent you?”

Still nothing. The wolf just cried and shut his eyes tight as if he had resigned himself to his fate. For a moment I thought he might kill him. Instead, Alpha Draven dropped the man.

“Run,” he said coldly.

The wolf didn’t hesitate. He scrambled to his feet and disappeared into the trees.

Alpha Draven got inside and said, “Drive.” He paused for a moment then added. “They were amateurs.”

He sounded like this was a regular occurrence. Almost like it was the same as changing a tire. Great. I’m getting married to a man who attracts assassins.

My mind raced at the thought. If the attackers came for me alone then I’d be dead already. I glanced up at Jamie. He looked perfectly calm again as if breaking bones in the forest had been nothing more than an inconvenience.

We arrived at his territory shortly before midnight. The northern pack lands looked colder than the royal capital but it was bigger and better.

The stone fortress that served as Alpha Draven’s residence rose from the mountainside like it was carved from shadow. Torches burned along the walls giving the place a medieval look.

Warriors stood guard at every entrance armed with the latest tech. Their eyes followed me the moment I stepped out of the car.

The whispers started instantly.

“That’s her?”

“The omega?”

“The prince’s rejected mate?”

I straightened my shoulders and ignored them. Let them stare and gossip all they want. I had spent my entire life being looked down on so this, this wasn’t new.

Alpha Draven walked beside me through the fortress gates. His presence alone kept the crowd from getting too close. Several elders approached the moment we entered the main hall.

One of them bowed slightly. “Alpha. Everything is prepared.”

Jamie nodded once. My stomach twisted again. I knew he was referring to the wedding but I tried not to show I was panicking the fuck out.

I followed them into a smaller ceremonial chamber. The room smelled like burning sage and moonflower oil. The High Priestess stood beside a stone altar.

She looked older than the one at the palace, but her eyes were just as sharp. It was almost like it was the same woman but he had aged a few years in the amount of time it had taken us to make the drive.

Her eyes settled on me. Her eyes were unreadable and her expression blank. “Come forward.”

I did. Alpha Draven stepped beside me. The air around him felt heavy and thick.

The priestess raised her hands.

“The Moon Goddess has already marked the bond,” she said. “Tonight we stabilize it through union.”

My heart raced.

She gestured toward our wrists. “Join hands.”

I hesitated but Alpha Draven didn’t. His large hand covered mine. The contact sent an unfamiliar heat through my skin. I stiffened immediately as my body responded in ways I didn’t expect.

My wolf stayed silent which wasn’t shocking given I’d never heard her before. I just thought it would be something to make an appearance during what could arguably be the biggest night in my life.

The priestess began chanting in lycanic but the dialect was ancient. The silver mark on my wrist began to glow brighter.

Alpha Draven’s eyes shifted to my arm. He tightened his grip on my hand. The warmth intensified until a strange pressure filled my chest.

It wasn’t pain I was feeling but it wasn’t pleasant either. My thoughts went haywire like they had been dropped in a powerful blender.

Why does this feel strange? I wondered, trying to count my breath. The chanting grew louder. The priestess suddenly pressed our wrists together. Bright silver light burst between us.

I gasped. The sensation shot through my body like lightning. Alpha Draven’s grip tightened instantly and then the light vanished.

The priestess lowered her hands. “It is done.”

That’s it? Just like that. I was expecting a big flare at the end or something.

Slowly it occurred to me I was now married. My life had changed forever in less than ten minutes. Alpha Draven released my hand slowly. I stepped back instinctively. Distance felt safer.

The priestess studied us for a moment. “The bond is stabilized,” she said. “But it may take time to fully settle. You can’t be apart or it will cause both of you escruciating pain.”

Alpha Draven nodded once then he turned toward the door. “Come.”

I blinked. “Where?”

“Our chambers.”

My stomach did a flip. I almost forgot I was married now and married couples shared a room. The realization made my pulse quicken again.

I followed him through several corridors inside the fortress. The castle felt enormous and strangely quiet which was different from Alpha Adan’s pack house with its everyday parties and noises you can hear a mile away.

We stopped outside a large wooden door. Jamie opened it. The room inside was bigger than my entire living quarters back at Alpha Adan’s pack.

I stopped in the doorway. Jamie stepped inside and noticed I hadn’t moved.

“You’re standing in the hall.”

I crossed my arms. “I noticed.”

He waited but I didn’t move. Finally he sighed. “You think I’m going to attack you?”

“I think you’re a stranger who just married me tonight.”

His expression didn’t change. “You’re free to sleep on the floor if you want.”

“Ouch.” I sucked in air through my teeth. “That’s not very gentlemanly.”

“I’ never said I was a gentleman.”

Before I could respond he had taken off his shirt and was preparing to get some sleep. He didn’t care or stop to look at me once. I walked to the large armchair near the fire.

“You’re serious?”

He didn’t respond as he got into bed and turned around. Fuck!! He doesn’t even care. I didn’t like that we were too close and I felt like running outside last minute.

After what felt like eternity, I walked toward the bed and sat on the edge of it. The mattress dipped under my weight. Alpha Draven was quiet and I believed he was sleeping.

Then something strange happened. The silver mark on my wrist suddenly burned. I inhaled sharply trying not to panic.

“What was that?” Alpha Draven sat upright. His eyes dropped to my wrist.

“It’s nothing.” I lied.

Then the heat intensified. My chest tightened as I took in deep breaths. My breathing was uneven.

“Nobody said this would be torture.” I scoffed.

Alpha Draven sighed. He got out of bed and walked toward me quickly. My instincts screamed to move away. But the burning sensation worsened when he stepped back.

My body leaned forward involuntarily. Why the fuck does it feel worse when he’s far away? Alpha Draven stopped directly in front of me. The moment he did, the burning eased a bit.

I frowned. “Don’t tell me—”

“The bond requires proximity,” he said.

I stared at him. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

He took a few steps backwards and the mark pulsed again. Pain shot through my wrist making me wince. I grabbed it instinctively.

“Fine,” I muttered. “Stand there then.”

Alpha Draven shook his head. “That won’t solve it.”

Before I could ask what he meant, the pain came back sharp like a pulse in my veins.

I lost my balance and my body moved forward straight into him. His arms caught me in what I could only assume was an unconscious act.

My hands pressed against his hard chest. It felt warm and solid. I noticed the burning in my wrist faded completely.

Neither of us moved. Then Alpha Draven spoke quietly. “There’s something strange about this bond.”

My stomach twisted. “Strange how?”

His amber-gray eyes locked onto mine. “My wolf thinks you belong to me.”

“That’s because we’re married.”

“No.” He shook his head slowly. “That’s not what I meant.”

Before I could respond, a violent knocking shook the door. A guard’s voice shouted from outside.

“Alpha! The crown prince has arrived! He wants an audience with you immediately.”

My blood turned cold. Alpha Adan? Here? What could he possibly want?

Jamie’s eyes hardened instantly. He stretched to get his shirt and put it on in one movement. Then the guard added something that made my heart stop completely.

“He brought soldiers.”

ALPHA DRAVEN

The moment the guard said Adan, my patience ended. He had no right to be there so late. I released Moira and put on my shirt. I made a mental note to slap him for making me put on my shirt again.

As I walked to the door, I noticed her scent still clung to my chest where she had fallen against me. My wolf settled inside my head like it had finally found silence after years of noise.

I didn’t like that but I wasn't complaining. Nothing about this situation made sense.

I decided to focus on the current thorn in my side— Adan. Moira followed behind me. We can’t be far apart. I almost forgot.

I knew she wanted to speak but she stayed quiet until we got to the hall.

I turned to watch her for a moment. The mark on her wrist still pulsed. My wolf stirred again.

Mine!!! The word moved through my mind quietly. I ignored it.

The fortress hall was already tense. Warriors stood along the walls with their hands near their weapons. The air smelled like iron and hostility, two of my favorite things.

Adan stood in the center of the hall with five royal guards behind him. They were armed and prepared. That alone irritated me.

Adan knew better than to walk into my territory like this. His eyes met mine as I walked towards him, brimming with rage. Before he could say anything, I slapped the smug look off his face. His guards made a move but stopped when he put up a hand. They were lucky.

“That’s for making me put on my shirt again.” I growled angrily. “Now tell me why you’re here before you lose your men.”

He smiled. “I wanted to congratulate you. You’re a little too tense for a man who just got married.” he said.

“You have five minutes.”

He sighed. “We had an agreement.”

Yes, we did. The memory replayed in my mind. Adan’s plan had been simple. Marry the girl, stabilize the bond, then he would come to collect her from my hands. Simple enough.

The omega Luna would quietly disappear into royal custody, locked away somewhere no one cared about.

I had agreed at the time.

When I turned around, Moira had a look of hurt betrayal on her face. I ignored the look and whispered to her, “Go upstairs. Lock yourself in our room.”

I pulled off my silver ring and pushed it into her finger. It would nullify the effect of the bond for a while acting as a tether like I was there with her. “Don’t let anyone in.”

She turned and ran up without hesitating. One of the royal guards made a move and lost his arm immediately. I checked my sword to make sure it wasn’t bloody.

Adan took a step forward. “This isn’t what we agreed, uncle.”

I didn’t respond.

His smile looked sinister. “Don’t tell me you’ve already grown attached.”

Silence stretched between us. The guards behind him didn’t move but they were tense. Good. They were smart after all. The one handed man had managed to cover up his stump.

“Uncle. Let’s not waste time.” Adan scoffed. “You never wanted the girl anyway.”

That’s true. An omega bride was as useless as a pen in a fight. But my wolf moved again. Protective. I couldn’t get Moira’s scent out of my lungs.

I folded my arms. “The terms changed.”

Adan blinked once. Then his expression hardened. “What?”

“I’m keeping her.”

The hall went silent. One of Adan’s guards shifted his stance but didn’t move. Adan stared at me like he thought he misheard. “That wasn’t the agreement.”

I shrugged. “It is now.”

His voice sharpened. “You gave your word.”

“I did.”

“And now you’re breaking it?”

“Yes.”

Adan stepped closer. I could smell the anger coming off his aura. “You took the girl because I allowed it,” he said coldly. “That was temporary.”

“No,” I said calmly. “That was permanent.”

His jaw tightened. Behind him the guards waited for a signal. I smirked. This was getting interesting.

Adan lowered his voice. “You’re making a mistake, Uncle.”

“I know.”

“She’s an omega.”

“I noticed.”

“She’s weak.”

“Yes.”

“She’s useless.”

My wolf growled quietly inside my head. I ignored that too. “Your five minutes are up. It’s time to go, Adan.”

Adan’s smile faded. He looked like I’d said something impossible to believe. He gestured for his guards to get Moira but my warriors blocked their path.

“You’re starting a fight with the crown prince… over an omega?”

I tilted my head. “You’re in my house.”

Adan cussed. “Fuck! Well if you want her so bad then you can keep her.”

“But understand something,” he continued. “She’s still my mate.”

He nodded for his guards to leave. They were walking towards the door when he stopped and turned. “You’ll never fully claim her while that bond exists.”

Adan leaned closer with a grin. “You’re babysitting my problem.”

I wanted to bash his pretty face in but I growled instead and said, “ Goodnight, nephew.”

They left and the fortress became quiet once again. I wanted to channel my frustration at some training dummies in the arena but something pulled at my attention.

Moira.

I turned toward the stairs leading to my chambers. My wolf stirred again. Something was off. I walked back to the room and noticed the door was slightly open. I told Moira to lock it.

I pushed it wider to find the room was empty. The window stood open letting in a gust of cold air.

I picked up the scent of wolves in the room. My wolf exploded with fury. Someone had been here and whoever it was took Moira.

MOIRA

I sat there, tied up in the dark room. They left my eyes open, but I couldn't see anything.

My hands burned from the tightness of the rope around the chair. I looked around, hoping for some form of light.

Still dark.

I sucked in a breath. The mark burned hotly, seething like my wrist was on fire.

I couldn't even see it, so I just stayed there, taking deep, short breaths, hoping that the pain went away.

I thought of Jamie and where he might be, and if he'd even noticed I was gone. I thought of their encounter and how that had shaped how I saw him.

What deal had they made that had to do with me?

Why did he want me to leave and go back to the room?

What exactly had they ended up talking about?

I didn't even get the chance to find out, and now I am here. At the thought, I heard a door jam shut.

“Well, well, well,” The voice filled the room immediately, loud and boisterous.

“Who are you? Let me go.” I pulled at the rope, the burn searing even deeper now.

Jamie had to be very far away, so I was very far away from home.

A laugh escaped his lips as he started a small, slow clap.

“Who do you think you are, asking to be let go? The new Luna, huh? You think one wrong move, putting your arse as the alpha's wife makes you more than you are?” The warmth radiated off him.

He was close.

“No, you're nothing but a useless liability. Useless is what you are.” I felt fury fill me, raw in my chest.

“I'm not useless.” I spat, scrambling to control myself.

Where was my wolf when I needed her?

Where was my wolf when I needed to prove myself?

Not even make a whisper, no sound.

“Yes, you are. Look at you. Tied, held against your will, and you can't even fight. I don't even see a chance of fighting. I can't even see your wolf. That's how useless you are.” His voice was loud and it filled my ears in the darkness.

My chest squeezed with the weight of his words. Maybe he was right.

“Just wait, you'll see that I'm not as useless as you think.” Laughter, but this time, more than one.

More men? Where had these people taken me?

I waited, letting the laughter pass away.

When they were done, the same voice spoke again.

“I'm not going to bother turning the lights on because you don't even need to see us. We're going to keep you here till your use is known.” So someone had sent them then.

There was a higher-up they reported to.

“But for now, you can have a little fun, can't we?” I felt my rage quickly turn to fear. I clenched my fists.

I remembered the burn in my wrist and sucked in a sharp breath.

“No, no, let me go! Let me go!” I tugged at the rope, pushing out the chair. It started a rocking motion, the sounds spelling the beginning of my doom.

I felt the warmth radiate towards me. Oud Cologne.

The rest of the men had gathered round me. Soon, I felt my clothes begin to rip.

“No! Let me go!” I screamed, pulling at the rope, hoping for something. Anything.

And still, my wolf said nothing.

They tore away slowly at my clothes, rip after rip after rip, and I slowly felt the burn in my wrists begin to dim.

It got less and less, and calm began to return to me. He would find me.

Jamie was going to find me here.

They wouldn't get to-

I just needed to distract them a little more.

“No, no, wait. I need to say something before you all continue.” My voice was raw, almost pleading.

There was a pause. Absolute silence, to hear what I had come up with.

This had better be good.

My brain searched for something solid enough. A good enough distraction to keep them at bay, at least till he got here.

“I just wanted to say, before you take me, that- Uh-”

Blank.

The one time I needed it, my brain had gone blank.

“Uh…” The silence was earth shattering. The room was silent, all of them confused.

“Are you going to say something, or should we just go ahead with what we want to do?”

“Uh, I just wanted to say that your voice really turns me on. You should talk more. It helps. At least it won't hurt as much as it ought to.”

The other two men burst out laughing. At least that had stopped them for a little while.

The pain had begun to dim more and more by now, so he had to be very, very close.

I had never been so thankful to have forgotten something in my life.

I had been taking off the ring and putting it back on as a nervous tic.

“Yes, I meant what I said. Say more, that way it would be less rape and more consensual, if you get what I mean.”

I forced myself to hold back my laughter.

As I waited, the main voice that had been making fun of me was silent. Awfully silent.

I couldn't tell if he was amused or if he actually bought my story.

I needed him to, because that way I could keep him talking long enough and Jamie could come find me.

He was close now, close enough that I could smell him.

“You like my voice, huh? You slut.” A hand ran up my thigh, and the laughter had ceased now.

Things were getting very serious, but at least I had a little more control.

“Yeah, I'll talk. I'll talk nice and slow. Are you ready?”

The rips weren't done by the men anymore.

I felt large, cold, foreign hands rummaging all over my body.

“You like that, don't you?” He asked. I was quiet.

He was tearing my clothes apart, slowly. and calling me names as he did.

My fingernails dug into my palm as I waited for that moment when the door would burst open.

He’d gone almost halfway through my top when we heard the crash.

The crash that would save my life and bring me out of here.

“Where's Moira?” His voice sent waves of relief washing through me. It filled the room immediately.

A whimper followed it. So much for big, strong, captors.

The lights came on, and I saw all three of them. Young, small, boyish-looking men.

I and Jamie locked eyes, and there it was.

Rage.

“Untie her immediately.”