The metal chains hurt Lyra's wrists like snakes biting them. "Get those off me!" It hurt her to twist and pull because the metal was hot.
Wolves could not handle silver.
Plus, it made them weak, slow, and human. "Stop fighting," Kael said. His sound was like a sword cutting through the night.
"You'll only hurt yourself more." Lyra gave him a really mean look. "Good. Pain tells me you're the enemy."
One of his warriors—a woman with short black hair—stepped forward. "Alpha, she's hurt." The chains are too tight."
"Then she should stop struggling," Kael responded without looking at Lyra's torn wrists. Monster, Lyra thought. What kind of mate treats their other half like this? But her wolf whimpered inside her head.
Even through the pain, the tie pulled at her heart. Part of her wanted to touch him, to make him smile instead of snarl. Stupid wolf, she told herself. He's going to destroy us. "Walk," Kael ordered. Lyra planted her feet.
"No."
His ice-blue eyes flashed with anger. "I wasn't asking." He nodded to two of his troops. They grabbed her arms and started pulling her forward. Lyra kicked and fought, but the silver made her weak as a newborn baby.
"Let me go!" she screamed. "I didn't ask for this bond!" "Neither did I," Kael said bitterly. "But the Moon Goddess rarely gives us what we want."
They walked through the dark forest for hours. Lyra's feet tripped over roots and rocks. The metal chains made everything fuzzy, like she was drunk.
Her wolf couldn't help her anymore.
The other warriors stayed silent, but she felt their eyes watching her. Judging her. She heard their whispered words.
"She smells like dirt and blood."
"Look at those scars. What kind of life has she lived?" "The Alpha deserves better than a wild animal." Each word cut deeper than the metal chains.
Lyra had always known she was different, broken. But hearing it from strangers made it worse somehow. Kael walked ahead of them all, never looking back.
His shoulders were straight, proud. Everything about him screamed power and control. How can someone so beautiful be so cruel? Lyra wondered. Because he was beautiful, even if she hated saying it. Tall and strong, with dark hair that caught the moonlight.
The kind of man who could have any woman he wanted. Instead, he got stuck with her. Good, she decided. I hope I ruin his perfect life. As dawn broke through the woods, they reached a massive stone wall. Guards stood at metal gates, armed with swords and crossbows.
Beyond the wall, Lyra could see houses made of dark stone and wood. "Welcome to Bloodmoon territory," Kael declared. "Your new home." "This isn't my home," Lyra spat. "I don't have a home." "You do now."
He finally turned to look at her. "Like it or not, you're my Luna. That makes you part of this pack." The gates opened with a loud creak. More dogs came out to stare at her. Men, women, children—all of them strong and well-fed. Their clothes were clean, their hair combed. They looked nothing like the dirty, desperate rogues Lyra was used to.
And they all stared at her like she was a bug under a rock. "Is that really the Luna?" a young woman whispered. "She looks half-dead," someone else said. "What was the Moon Goddess thinking?" Kael raised his hand, and everyone fell silent. "This is Lyra Blackthorn, daughter of the Silverfang Pack. She is your Luna now. You will treat her with respect." His words said one thing, but his tone said another. Even Lyra could hear the disgust he was trying to hide. They walked through streets made with smooth stone.
Every building was beautiful, clean, organized. Nothing like the wild woods where she'd lived alone for ten years. These people have never been hungry, she realized. Never slept in the rain or eaten raw rabbit. The thought made her angry. What right did they have to judge her? Finally, they stopped in front of the biggest building—a house made of black stone with towers reaching toward the sky. Guards stood at every door. "The packhouse," Kael explained. "Where the Alpha lives. Where you'll live now." Inside, the house was even more impressive. Thick rugs covered marble floors. Paintings hung on walls lit by crystal lamps.
Everything sparkled with wealth and power. Lyra's wet feet left tracks on the perfect floor. She was glad. "Take her to the Luna's chambers," Kael told the female fighter. "Clean her up. Find her proper clothes." "Yes, Alpha." As the woman reached for Lyra's chains, Kael held up a hand. "Leave those on. She hasn't won trust yet." Earned trust? Lyra wanted to laugh. From the man who took me? The Luna's rooms were bigger than any place Lyra had ever seen.
A bed big enough for five people sat in the center, covered with silk sheets. Windows showed a view of the entire pack area. "I'm Beta Sara," the dark-haired woman said. "I'll help you get ready." "Ready for what?" "The Luna ritual. Tonight, the pack will officially accept you as their boss." Lyra stared at her. "And if I refuse?" Sara's face didn't change. "The Alpha doesn't give his mates a choice in pack matters." His mates? The words hit Lyra like a slap. "How many mates has he had?" "You're his first. But..." Sara hesitated. "But what?" "There was someone else.
Someone he cared about before you. She died three years ago." Lyra's heart twisted with a feeling she didn't want to name. Jealousy? Over a dead woman? This bond is making me crazy, she thought. Sara brought hot water and soap. "You need to wash. The ceremony—" "I'm not doing any ceremony," Lyra interrupted. "I'm not staying here." "The silver chains say otherwise." Lyra looked down at her arms.
The metal had burned deep marks into her skin. Even if she could break free, she was too weak to run far. But I have to try. Sara left her alone to wash. Lyra studied the windows, but they were too high to jump from safely. The door was locked from the outside.
She was stuck.
Hours passed.
Sara returned with a dress—white silk covered in silver stitching. Beautiful and expensive. The kind of thing a Luna would wear. "Put it on," Sara ordered. "No." "It wasn't a request." Two more women entered the room. Warriors, by the look of their muscles and scars. They grabbed Lyra and pushed her into the dress while she fought and cursed. When they were done, Lyra looked in the mirror and didn't recognize herself. The dress fit perfectly, showing off curves she'd forgotten she had. Her dark hair had been braided with silver bands. Someone had even painted her lips red. She looked like a Luna. She felt like a fake.
"Time for the ceremony," Sara announced. They led her through passageways filled with pack members. Everyone stared. Some looked curious. Others seemed disappointed. A few whispered behind their hands. The great hall was packed with hundreds of wolves. They stood in perfect rows, all facing a raised stage where Kael waited.
He'd changed into formal robes—black leather decorated with silver and red. He looked like a king. When he saw her, something flickered in his eyes. Surprise? Approval? It was gone too fast to tell. "Bring her forward," he ordered. Lyra walked up the steps to the platform. Her legs shook, but she kept her head high. These people might control her body, but they couldn't break her spirit. Kael took her chained hands in his. The moment their skin touched, lightning shot through her whole body.
The mate bond flared to life, making her gasp. His hands were warm, gentle despite his cold words. For just a second, she saw something soft in his eyes. Then it was gone. "Pack members of Bloodmoon," he announced in a voice that carried to every part of the hall. "I present Lyra Blackthorn, your new Luna." The crowd mumbled. Not cheers exactly, but acceptance. "Do you, Lyra Blackthorn, swear to protect this pack with your life?" She opened her mouth to say no. To tell them all exactly what they could do with their event.
But the words wouldn't come. The mate bond squeezed her heart like a fist. Her wolf whined with desperate need. Every impulse screamed at her to please him, to make him happy. Say yes, her wolf begged. Say yes, and maybe he'll be kind to us. "I..." Lyra fought against the bond's power over her mind. Kael's grip on her hands tightened. His voice dropped to a whisper only she could hear. "Fight it all you want. The bond will win. It always does." "I swear," she heard herself say.
The crowd cheered. Kael lifted their joined hands above their heads like they'd won some great win. But Lyra felt like she'd just lost everything that mattered. As the ceremony finished and pack members came forward to congratulate them, Kael leaned close to her ear. "Welcome to your new life, little rogue. Try not to embarrass me too badly."
Before she could answer, a commotion broke out near the hall's entrance. Guards were bringing in a man covered in blood and dirt.
He wore the colors of a different pack. "Alpha!" the messenger gasped. "Urgent news from the border!" Kael freed Lyra's hands and stepped forward. "Speak."
"The Silverfang Pack... they're preparing for war. Alpha Torin says you stole his daughter. He's gathering friends to attack Bloodmoon." Lyra's heart stopped. Her father was coming for her? After ten years of silence, now he wanted to play the protective parent? Kael's face turned deadly. "How many warriors does he have?" "Three hundred, sir. Maybe more."
A murmur of fear spread through the crowd. Even Bloodmoon couldn't fight those chances. Kael's cold eyes found Lyra's face. "Looks like your father still cares about you after all."
But something in his smile made her blood turn to ice. "Too bad he's walking into a trap."