Nicole stared at the message on her window, her breath catching in her throat.
You were not chosen.
The words smeared slightly in the condensation, but the message was unmistakable. It hadn't been there when she went to sleep. Someone or something had stood outside her house in the middle of the night.
She jumped back from the window, heart hammering against her ribs. Her first instinct was to scream, to wake her mom, but something deep in her bones whispered no. Not yet. Not unless she wanted to drag her mother into this and maybe get her killed.
Nicole tore open her closet and grabbed her hoodie. Her phone vibrated as she pulled it from her nightstand.
1 New Message – Unknown Number
> Don't trust him. Not all wolves protect their mates.
She stared at the screen, her fingers trembling. Before she could respond, the number disappeared it just vanished. Not even in her history.
Nicole didn't wait. She slipped out the back door and into the cold morning mist, heading straight for the woods.
By the time she reached the edge of the tree line, Amon was already there — sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree like he'd been waiting for her.
"You felt it," he said, not even turning.
Nicole stopped a few paces back, arms crossed. "They were at my window."
Amon's shoulders tensed.
"And they left me a message. On the glass."
He stood slowly, turning to face her. "What did it say?"
"That I wasn't chosen."
Amon's face darkened. "That wasn't meant for you. It was a threat."
"From who?"
"Marco," he said flatly. "He's the son of a rival Alpha. His family broke from the original bloodline decades ago. They believe in the Old Ways, taking mates by force. Breaking bonds."
Nicole's throat went dry. "So what, he thinks I belong to him?"
"No," Amon said. "He thinks I don't deserve you. That your mark is weak. Unworthy."
Her voice sharpened. "Because I'm human."
Amon looked away. "Because you're powerful."
Nicole blinked. "What?"
"The blood moon didn't just mark you," he said. "It chose you. That kind of tether doesn't happen between a wolf and a human unless there's something more inside you. Something dormant."
Nicole stepped back, shaken. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying…" He looked at her, pain flickering in his eyes. "You're not just a girl who wandered into the woods. You're something they want."
"And you're not telling me everything," she said bitterly.
"No," he admitted. "Because if I did… you might run. And this time, I wouldn't be able to stop you."
The trees rustled overhead, and a new scent hit the air sharp and metallic.
Amon stiffened.
Nicole caught it too, and she turned. "What is that?"
"Blood," Amon growled. "Fresh."
He took off into the woods, and Nicole followed despite the burn in her lungs. The scent grew stronger, coppery and thick, and they broke through the trees into a narrow clearing.
What they found stopped her cold.
A deer or what was left of it lay in the dirt, torn open, its throat ripped out.
Nicole gagged, turning away.
Amon crouched beside it, eyes narrowing. "This wasn't a hunt."
"What do you mean?"
He looked up at her, face grim. "This was a warning. A mark. Marco's wolves are in our territory."
Nicole's skin prickled. "So they're close?"
"They're watching."
Amon stood slowly, tension thrumming through his body. "And they know about you now."
Nicole wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep the tremble out of her voice. "What do we do?"
"I need to take you to someone," he said.
"Who?"
"My father."
The words felt like ice.
Nicole didn't move.
"You want me to meet the Alpha?"
Amon nodded. "You need protection, and he's the only one who can extend the bond to the pack. If something happens to me… they'll defend you."
She didn't like the way he said if.
Still, she nodded. "Okay. Lead the way."
They walked deeper into the woods than Nicole had ever gone. The trees grew taller, thicker, the sunlight barely reaching the mossy floor. Time blurred.
Eventually, they reached a steep incline that opened into a hidden valley, and there, half-camouflaged by the forest, stood a massive stone structure like a fortress built into the earth.
Amon glanced back at her. "Don't speak unless he speaks to you first. And don't lie. He'll know."
Nicole's heart pounded as he pushed the heavy wooden doors open.
The inside of the Alpha's lodge was dimly lit, the walls lined with weapons and furs. The scent of smoke and pine lingered in the air. Several figures moved in the shadows. They were wolves in human form, their eyes sharp and alert.
A tall man with silver in his beard stood near the hearth, back turned. His presence alone made Nicole's stomach twist.
Amon stepped forward. "Father."
The man turned.
Alpha Cassian.
He looked at Nicole like he was looking through her.
"So," he said, voice deep and heavy, "this is the girl who carries your mark."
Nicole fought the urge to look away.
Cassian stepped closer. "Human. Female. Untrained. And yet… the mark holds."
He reached out without warning and touched her collarbone. The second his fingers grazed her skin, a wave of heat exploded through her chest.
She gasped.
Amon stepped forward immediately. "Enough."
Cassian's eyes flicked to his son. "She's tied to you, Amon. But this bond... it's old magic. Ancient. And it comes with a price."
Nicole spoke, against all advice. "What kind of price?"
Cassian's gaze landed on her, sharper than before.
"If you stay marked," he said slowly, "you won't stay human."
Nicole stood frozen, her breath caught in her chest like a live wire.
"You won't stay human," Cassian had said. His voice was calm, too calm and it terrified her more than any howl in the dark ever could.
"What does that mean?" she asked, forcing her voice to stay steady.
Cassian didn't blink. "It means the bond you share with my son is not just symbolic. It's alchemical. It changes you. It's already begun."
Amon moved to her side. "She hasn't shifted. There's no sign of change."
Cassian gave a small, knowing smile. "Not all shifts are physical. Not at first. But the mark always demands balance. It will rewrite her. Piece by piece."
Nicole backed away. "I didn't ask for this."
"And yet, here you are," Cassian said. "Marked under the blood moon the first in fifty years. That kind of power doesn't ask permission."
Nicole swallowed hard. "So what, you're saying I'm becoming… one of you?"
Cassian didn't answer directly. "I'm saying, if Marco takes you, he'll use you to fracture the balance. And if that happens, we all fall."
Amon's expression turned to steel. "He won't touch her."
"Then protect her properly," Cassian said sharply. "Bring her into the Circle. Let the pack see her. Let them feel the bond. If you're serious about this girl about keeping her you need them to stand behind you."
Nicole glanced between them, anxiety rising. "I thought I was just here to be safe. I'm not ready for… whatever that means."
Cassian's eyes bore into her. "You don't have time to be ready, girl. War doesn't wait for you to feel brave."
They left the Alpha's house in silence.
Nicole could feel dozens of eyes on her. The wolves watching from the trees, from the rooftops, from the dark.
"I don't like him," she said finally, her voice quiet.
Amon didn't deny it. "No one does. But he's a good Alpha. And right now, that's what matters."
"Do you believe him?" she asked. "About me changing?"
Amon hesitated. "I don't want to."
"That's not an answer."
"I know."
Nicole hugged herself, watching their breath fog the air as they walked. "This whole thing is insane. I moved here to escape chaos not become the center of it."
"You didn't become the center of anything," he said gently. "You are the center. You just didn't know it yet."
They returned to the edge of the forest, near the back of Nicole's house. Morning had bled into late afternoon and golden light filtered through the leaves.
Nicole paused. "Wait. Someone's in the house."
Amon inhaled slowly, his pupils dilating. "Your mom's car isn't here. But someone else is."
Nicole tensed. "Do you think—?"
Amon nodded once. "Stay behind me."
They crept toward the house, sticking to the tree shadows. Amon kept low, his shoulders flexing with tension. He pressed a hand to the porch railing and froze.
He held up two fingers.
Two heartbeats.
One upstairs.
One near the kitchen.
"Do you have a weapon?" he whispered.
Nicole almost laughed. "I have a pocket knife. And pepper spray."
Amon didn't smile. "Stay low. Don't move unless I tell you to."
He crossed the back porch silently, then cracked the door open.
Inside, the house was quiet. It was way too quiet. Nicole knew that silence. It was the kind that meant something was very, very wrong.
Suddenly glass shattered.
Amon bolted inside.
Nicole followed instinctively, knife in hand.
She rounded the corner just in time to see a figure cloaked in a dark hoodie slam into Amon and crash into the table. A blur of movement. Then a low growl.
Amon shifted partially not full wolf, but close. His eyes burned gold, fangs protruding.
The intruder swung a silver blade. Nicole couldn't believe it, silver.
Nicole gasped.
Amon caught the man's wrist and twisted hard. The knife clattered to the floor.
The stranger hissed. "You shouldn't have marked her, mutt."
Nicole froze. That voice… she knew it.
It was the guy from school. The one from the bonfire.
The one who stared at her like she was prey.
Amon slammed him into the wall. "Get out. Before I tear your throat out."
The guy didn't flinch. "It's already too late. She's been seen. Marco knows."
Amon growled. "Then Marco can die like the rest."
The guy smiled . There was blood in his teeth and then vanished into smoke. Like fog had sucked into the air.
Nicole stood stunned. "What the hell was that?!"
Amon turned, breathing hard. "A Shadowborn."
"A what?"
"They were human once. Warped by the old Alpha bloodlines. Twisted by dark magic. Loyal to no one but themselves."
Nicole's legs almost gave out. "So now there's shadow people coming into my house?"
"This isn't going to stop," Amon said. "Not until the bond is sealed."
"What does that mean? Sealed?"
He looked at her. "It means claiming. In front of the pack. It means you stop being a question — and become a threat."
Nicole stared at him, her voice barely a whisper. "And what if I don't want that?"
Amon stepped close, his voice low and dangerous. "Then you die. Or worse you're taken."
That night, Nicole didn't sleep.
She stood by her window, staring at the woods where it all began.
Her mark burned under her skin, and her reflection in the glass didn't feel like her anymore.
She didn't know who she was becoming.
But she did know one thing:
She wasn't going down without a fight.
The following morning came with a sky veiled in storm-gray clouds. Ravenshade's woods looked darker, deeper like they knew something was coming.
Nicole barely touched her toast.
Across from her, Amon paced her living room like a predator with a ticking clock. "They'll want to see you today. The Circle. My pack."
Nicole blinked. "I thought they'd want to tear me apart."
"Some will." His eyes met hers. "But the ones who matter will need to feel it, the bond between us. Otherwise they'll never follow me when it counts."
"And if they don't feel it?"
Amon exhaled. "Then I'm alone. And so are you."
Nicole set the plate aside. "What do I even say to them?"
"You don't." His tone softened. "You stand. Let them see you're not afraid."
"I am afraid."
"Good." He reached for her hand, warm and grounding. "Fear means you're not foolish. But don't show it."
The meeting wasn't held in a building it was in the woods.
Deep, old forest wrapped in moss and silence. They hiked down a winding trail until the path opened to a circular grove, ringed by stones and ancient ash trees. The wind whispered like it carried secrets.
They were already waiting.
A dozen wolves in human form older men, sharp-eyed women, even a boy no older than fifteen. Some stood, arms crossed. Others sat like royalty waiting to be amused.
Nicole's stomach churned.
Cassian stood in the center, calm and unreadable. His gaze flicked to her, then to Amon. "You're late."
"Not late," Amon said evenly. "Prepared."
Cassian's lips twitched. "We'll see."
Amon gestured for Nicole to step forward.
She did, slowly, feeling every pair of eyes latch onto her like claws. One woman in particular. She was lean, statuesque, with braided silver hair stepped forward and sniffed the air.
"She's marked. But not claimed."
"She carries the bond," Amon said.
"And yet not your bite?" she asked sharply.
Nicole stiffened.
Amon's jaw clenched. "It's not the old ways anymore, Elira."
"They may not be old," Elira snapped, "but they're still wolf."
Cassian raised a hand. "Enough."
Nicole's fingers curled into fists. She didn't understand everything being said — but she understood the feeling behind it. Doubt. Resistance. Disgust.
"I didn't ask for this," she said, louder than she meant to. "But I'm not going to hide."
The Circle went still.
"I don't know what's happening to me," she continued. "I didn't grow up in your world. But I won't let myself be hunted. I won't be a pawn. And if you think I'm going to roll over and wait to be 'claimed' like property, then go ahead reject me."
A beat of silence.
Then a laugh.
From the shadows behind the stone circle, a figure emerged. Not Cassian. Not Amon.
Someone new.
He looked young maybe nineteen. He had nice hair with wild dark curls and a smile that didn't reach his eyes. His presence was electric. Dangerous.
"Elira," he said smoothly. "I like her. She's got more fire than your warriors."
"Dorian," Cassian growled. "You weren't invited."
"Since when do I need an invitation?" Dorian tilted his head, eyes glinting at Nicole. "So you're the blood moon girl."
Nicole took a step back. Something about him screamed trouble.
"Leave her alone," Amon warned.
Dorian grinned. "Touchy. I didn't come to fight." His gaze swept the Circle. "I came to warn."
Cassian's eyes narrowed. "About what?"
"Marco isn't waiting. He's already gathered two rogue packs. He's moving west toward Ravenshade."
Gasps rippled through the Circle.
Cassian tensed. "That's suicide."
Dorian shrugged. "Unless he has help."
"From who?" Amon asked.
Dorian's smile faded. "Someone in your ranks."
Silence fell like a blade.
A traitor.
Nicole's heart thudded. "You mean… someone in this pack is working with Marco?"
Dorian nodded slowly. "He knew about the bond. The blood moon. About her. That kind of intel doesn't come from shadows." He looked at Amon. "It comes from family."
Amon's face turned to stone. "Get out, Dorian."
"I'm not the enemy," Dorian said quietly. "But war is coming. And she," he pointed at Nicole, "is the reason it'll start. Or the reason it might end."
With that, he vanished back into the trees, leaving the Circle shaken.
Cassian spoke first. "We find the traitor. We lock down the territory. No outsiders in or out."
"And the girl?" Elira asked.
Amon pulled Nicole closer. "She stays with me. Under protection. Until the claiming."
Nicole didn't breathe.
Claiming.
Cassian didn't object.
Elira didn't argue.
Which meant one thing:
It was already decided.
Later that night, back in her room, Nicole stared at the bite mark on her wrist. Faint, but visible. It pulsed when she thought of Amon. When he touched her, it burned.
Outside her window, the forest called. There was a distant howl echoing through the dark.
Not friendly.
Not safe.
She turned to Amon, who sat near her door like a guardian shadow. "Do you believe Dorian?"
His eyes stayed on the trees. "I believe someone sold us out."
"And when they find me… when Marco finds me?"
Amon looked at her then — eyes wolf-gold and full of promise.
"They'll have to go through me first."
Nicole couldn't sleep.
The forest outside her window rustled with uneasy movement the kind that wasn't wind, wasn't animals. It was watching. Waiting.
When the glass shattered, she was already moving.
The window exploded inward with a growl and a blur of black fur not a wolf, not a man, but some half-shifted beast, wild and snarling. Nicole screamed, backing into the dresser.
Amon was on his feet before the intruder hit the ground. In one motion, he shifted, bones snapping, fur rippling and launched.
The two wolves collided midair.
A crash that shook the floor.
Nicole dove for the corner, heart hammering. She reached for the nearest weapon she could find. She found Amon's silver dagger, left on the nightstand.
The intruder got one slash across Amon's side before Nicole lunged forward, blade in hand. She didn't think, she just moved.
She stabbed it.
Hard.