THE ALPHA'S CURSED HEART

The Girl In the Blood Moon

The night smelled of rain and wolves.

Ava Blackthorn crouched beneath the roots of a fallen oak, her breath shallow, her pulse a frantic drum. The forest around her pulsed with life-crickets crying, the wind moaning through hollow trunks-but beneath it all, she could sense something darker. A presence that made her wolf stir, restless and hungry.

They were coming.

The scent of warriors carried on the wind-iron, smoke, and the distinct spice of dominance. The Alpha's soldiers. The last thing she wanted.

She pressed her palm against her chest, feeling the faint shimmer of the cursed mark beneath her skin. It burned softly, like a living brand. Every heartbeat whispered danger. Every breath felt stolen. For years, she had hidden from packs, from love, from fate itself. Because anyone who loved her-anyone who touched her heart-never lived to tell the tale.

The curse always collected its debt.

But tonight, the moon was full-red, pulsing like a wound in the sky-and she could no longer hide.

A low growl broke through the trees. Then another. Heavy paws crushed dead leaves. She stilled, her silver eyes flashing through the dark as figures emerged between the shadows. Warriors in black, their eyes glowing amber in the night. And at their center-him.

Kael Draven.

The Alpha of the Darkridge Pack. The beast every rogue feared. The kind of man who could kill a wolf with a single command.

Even before she saw his face, she felt him. The pull. The invisible thread that connected his heartbeat to hers. When his gaze finally locked on her hiding place, the air thickened, trembling between them. He stepped forward, tall and broad-shouldered, rain dripping from his hair as the moonlight carved his features from shadow. Eyes like molten gold. Mouth hard, beautiful, and cruel.

For a moment, she forgot to breathe.

"Come out," he said, his voice deep enough to vibrate through her bones. "I can smell your fear."

Ava stayed frozen. She didn't fear him. She feared what he would become once he touched her. She had seen it too many times-the spark of love turning into screams.

Kael's nostrils flared. "You're not a rogue," he murmured, confused. "You smell like moonlight."

Then he moved. In a blink, he was there-fingers closing around her wrist, dragging her from the shadows. The moment his skin met hers, lightning flashed through her veins. The curse awoke.

Ava gasped, eyes wide, a violent shiver racking her body. The air trembled with a power that made the other wolves step back.

Kael's jaw tightened. "What the hell are you?"

"Someone you should've never touched," she whispered, her voice low, trembling with fear and something far more dangerous-desire.

The bond snapped into place with brutal finality. Mate.

Kael's hand loosened, but he didn't let go. He stared at her like a man seeing sunlight for the first time after years in darkness. "The Moon Goddess must be playing tricks on me," he said. "You're mine."

Ava's eyes glistened with defiance and pain. "Then you're already dead."

The words hung between them, heavy with prophecy.

Thunder rolled across the heavens as if the gods themselves had heard her warning. And far above, the blood-red moon began to bleed brighter-its light curling around them like fate tightening its chains.