~NYRA~
"Nyra!" My uncle's voice roared with fury.
Nina tipped her head in acknowledgment, but not submission.
"Knox! Take that human to the dungeons."
Knox shoved past the frozen warriors, fists locking onto the chains that bound my mate. Nina lunged, a snarl ripping from me—but Aaron was there in an instant, blocking me with steady eyes and iron resolve.
"Easy," he muttered, his voice low, meant only for me.
The shift ripped through me—bones snapping, fur retreating, skin knitting itself raw. I staggered, trembling, breath ragged.
Aaron tore his shirt over his head and shoved it at me. "Here."
I dragged the fabric down, refusing to meet the eyes that seared into me. Some wide with shock. Others narrowed with disdain.
"Everyone else," Uncle thundered. "To my office. Now."
---
The office was suffocating. Elders crammed shoulder to shoulder, the air thick with judgment and dominance so sharp it pricked my skin. I stood at the far end, back straight, Aaron guarding the locked door behind me.
"It's a miracle," an older woman whispered, eyes shining. "The Moon Goddess has blessed her with a different mate."
"Blessed?" another elder spat. "She's cursed us. A human? It's an abomination."
Murmurs rose, sharp and cutting.
"They can't have pups," one hissed.
"She's Alpha blood," another countered. "She might still bear pups."
"Or none at all," the first snapped back. "And a pack without heirs is a pack that dies."
Their words sliced into me like silver, cold and merciless. My chest tightened, but I kept my chin high. I was Alpha-born. I would not bow.
Uncle's gaze cut through the noise, pinning me. "You know what this means, Nyra."
"It means nothing," I growled. "I never asked for him."
"It means everything," he snarled back. "The Moon Goddess chose. And you will accept him."
A chorus of voices swelled—some eager, some reluctant, all suffocating.
"If she refuses, strip her from the pack," one elder barked.
"No," another said. "Let her accept him. If pups come, we'll call it divine. If not…" His eyes slid over me like a blade. "…then we'll know the Goddess has abandoned her."
The room stilled. Every gaze burned into me. My pulse thundered, but I kept my voice cold.
"And if I don't accept him?"
Uncle leaned forward, Alpha power pressing down like a storm. His words were soft, deadly.
"Then you will not have a pack."
My jaw clenched. "If I accept him, my Alpha rights are mine?"
"We'll… discuss that," he dismissed.
The same dismissal he always gave. Not today.
"No." I stepped forward, eyes blazing. "Me finding my mate was the only excuse left. Now that I've found him, there's no more confusion about my claim."
"This proves she's not a Luna," one elder muttered.
"But what of pups?" another pressed.
"If none come, Aaron succeeds her," an elder declared.
My blood roared, but I forced myself to stay calm.
"Still, you must accept him."
"I will." The words cut from me like steel. I slammed the door open, the sound echoing down the hall.
Aaron followed fast, tension radiating off him. "Where are you going?"
"To him."
His eyes narrowed. "You're accepting him?"
"If it makes me Alpha," I said without hesitation, "then yes."
---
The dungeon door groaned open.
He knelt, wrists shackled high, shirt torn and sticky with blood. Even like that—especially like that—his spine was straight, eyes burning as though surrender was a foreign concept.
Impressive. For a human.
Nina purred, prowling beneath my skin, desperate to tear the chains off and press him into us. But I forced her back, nails biting into my palms.
He is my undoing. A disaster in my life.
"You," he rasped.
"Expected someone else?" My voice was flat, edged with steel.
His jaw tightened. "Why did you save me?"
I stalked closer, my steps echoing against the stone. "Just thought it would be fun."
His jaw flexed. "To save me twice?" he sneered.
I bent, deliberate, until my face hovered inches from his. I could hear his heart hammering, smell the copper of his blood, the salt of his sweat. His pulse stuttered when I leaned closer.
"Trust me," I whispered. "I would give anything to kill you right now."
"Do it." His challenge sliced through the air between us.
My fingers itched to reach for his throat—or his face—I couldn't decide.
Instead, I tilted my head. "I have a proposal for you."
"Proposal?" He chuckled low. "Moments ago, you wanted me dead."
"If you want to survive, you'll listen."
"Do I look like I'm afraid of death?" he shot back.
No. And that shit irritated me most. His defiance, even when chained.
I crouched before him, meeting his glare head-on. "Death?" My hand lifted, two fingers pressing under his jaw, forcing his head back. "It doesn't frighten me. But you… you should be terrified."
"Of what?" he spat.
I leaned closer, close enough to feel his breath brush mine. "Of what I could make you."
His defiance simmered beneath exhaustion. "If I had a blade, you'd already be dead."
I chuckled low, sliding my fingers from his jaw to his throat—not squeezing, just reminding him how easy it would be. "Glad we're on the same page."
I pressed a little harder, subtle pressure against his windpipe. But he didn't bend. Not even a flicker in his eyes.
I don't know what to call him. Fool. Or brave.
"Ours," Nina purred.
The word detonated inside me. My stomach lurched, and for a split second, I forgot how to breathe.
"Not ours," my strained voice echoed.
"Liar," she hissed.
His gaze flicked to my trembling fingers, curiosity sparking behind his defiance.
I curled my hand tighter around his throat, forcing the tremor still.
"If you want to keep fighting me," I whispered in his ear, lips grazing the curve of it, "you can. But remember—every wolf here would tear you apart inch by inch. Skin by skin. Bone by bone. Until you are nothing but a bleeding mess begging for death. And even then…" My breath ghosted down his neck. "…death would not be your mercy."
His jaw tightened, teeth clenching so hard I thought they might crack. The muscles in his throat flexed under my grip. A flicker of something—fear, maybe—passed in his eyes before his defiance snapped back into place.
Leaning back, I let my hand slip from his throat to the torn edge of his shirt, smoothing the fabric.
"But," I said softly, "if you cooperate with me, I promise you protection. And everything you'll need."
My thumb brushed against the split in his lip. My gaze lingered—his lips parted on their own. Smooth. Tempting.
I tore myself back with a sharp breath, clearing my throat, and turned toward the door.
"Wait."