The days that followed were treacherous with silence.
Though Dominic had kissed her, though he had allowed himself that brief surrender to the bond, Seraphina could feel the distance he rebuilt brick by brick. He was present—his hand at her back during court, his gaze following her more often than before—but the walls of his control held firm. He would not touch her again. Not yet.
And Lyanna?
Lyanna prowled the court like a viper. Every smile she gave Dominic was laced with poison meant for Seraphina, and every bow she gave Seraphina was sharpened mockery. The wolves of Blackthorne watched in careful silence, their eyes darting between the Luna they had been commanded to obey and the princess they had always assumed would one day reign beside their Alpha.
Something would break. Seraphina could feel it.
---
It happened at dusk.
The fortress was bathed in amber light, the air thick with the hum of cicadas. Dominic had been called to a council meeting, leaving Seraphina to walk the gardens alone. She trailed her fingers over roses black as midnight, petals soft against her skin, when the sound of footsteps reached her ears.
"Out here, all alone?" Lyanna's voice was sweet, too sweet.
Seraphina turned. The princess emerged from the hedges, draped in silk the color of fresh blood. Behind her, two of her attendants lingered, their eyes sharp, not friendly.
"Princess." Seraphina inclined her head with icy grace. "Do you often skulk in gardens after dark?"
Lyanna's smile was slow, serpentine. "I came to warn you. Being Luna is dangerous. Some wolves… don't take kindly to outsiders."
Seraphina arched a brow. "Is that a threat?"
"It's a truth." Lyanna circled her, like a predator around prey. "Dominic belongs to his people. To me. You're nothing but a pretty distraction. Do you know what wolves do with sirens when they catch them near their shores?"
Seraphina stood her ground, her chin lifting. "Perhaps. Do you know what sirens do to wolves who wander too close to the sea?"
For a moment, Lyanna's smile cracked. But it returned, sharper this time. "We'll see which of us the Alpha chooses when it truly matters."
Then—faster than Seraphina could react—Lyanna's attendants lunged.
One grabbed Seraphina's wrists, wrenching them behind her back. The other pressed a blade, gleaming silver, against her throat. The scent of wolfsbane filled her lungs, sharp and choking.
Lyanna stepped close, her perfume cloying, her voice a whisper in Seraphina's ear. "I could end you now, little siren. A cut, a spill of blood, and Dominic would have no bond left to bind him."
Seraphina's pulse thundered, but she forced herself to meet the princess's gaze without flinching. "Then do it. Prove to him what you really are."
For a fraction of a second, hesitation flickered in Lyanna's eyes. But the blade pressed harder, a bead of blood welling at Seraphina's throat.
And then—the growl.
It shook the earth. Low, primal, deadly.
Dominic.
He emerged from the shadows, his wolf so close to the surface that his eyes glowed molten gold, his teeth bared in a snarl that promised death.
"Release her."
The attendants froze, trembling under the weight of his aura. Lyanna, to her credit, held her ground, though her lips parted in shock. "Dominic, this isn't—"
"I said," his voice was thunder, his power radiating like a storm, "release. Her."
The attendants dropped Seraphina at once, retreating in terror. Lyanna stumbled back, the silver blade clattering to the stones.
Dominic was on her in a heartbeat, his hand wrapped around her throat, lifting her to her toes. His wolf roared through him, the bond between him and Seraphina burning like wildfire. "If you ever touch her again, I will rip you apart, princess or not."
Lyanna gasped, her nails clawing at his wrist. "She… she's nothing—"
"She," he growled, voice trembling with barely restrained violence, "is my Luna."
The garden went still. The words hung in the air, undeniable, irrevocable.
Seraphina's breath caught. For the first time, he had claimed her.
Dominic dropped Lyanna with a snarl, stepping back as though disgusted to touch her. She crumpled to the ground, coughing, her attendants rushing to drag her away. But not before her eyes met Seraphina's one last time—eyes filled with fury, humiliation, and a vow of vengeance.
---
Later, in the sanctuary of their chambers, Dominic's hands shook as he poured himself a glass of dark liquor. His chest rose and fell with the force of his breaths.
Seraphina stood near the window, the moonlight painting her skin in silver. The cut at her throat stung, but it was shallow. What hurt more was the storm in her chest—the fear, the relief, the wild heat of the bond after what had just transpired.
"You shouldn't have been alone," Dominic muttered, his voice rough.
Her laugh was soft, bitter. "Am I your Luna, or your prisoner?"
He turned sharply, his eyes flashing. "You're mine."
The words silenced her.
He crossed the room in two strides, seizing her wrists, pulling her flush against him. His scent crashed over her, intoxicating, and her body melted before her mind could resist.
"Do you know what it does to me," he growled, his forehead pressing against hers, "to see another's hands on you? To smell your blood in the air?"
Her lips parted, breathless. "Tell me."
"It makes me want to tear the world apart," he confessed, voice breaking, "and claim you so deeply no one would ever dare touch you again."
The bond pulsed, alive, urging completion. Her hands slid to his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart. "Then stop fighting."
His mouth crashed to hers, hungry, desperate, as though the restraint he'd held for weeks had finally shattered. Their kiss was fire, devouring, and this time he did not stop. His hands roamed, gripping, claiming, as though he could anchor himself in her body alone.
When he lifted her, carrying her to the bed, there was no hesitation left. The bond had won.
---
The night was a blur of fire and surrender.
Seraphina woke in the early hours, her body sated, her soul thrumming with the echo of the bond's consummation. Dominic lay beside her, his arm draped possessively over her waist, his breath warm against her neck.
For the first time, she felt not just his touch, but his acceptance.
And yet, as dawn broke, shadows stirred beyond the walls of their chamber. Lyanna had been humiliated, and wolves did not forgive so easily.
Seraphina knew this was only the beginning.