The dirt path was soft beneath my bare feet. My borrowed shoes were somewhere behind me, maybe in the vineyard, maybe crushed under someone's heel. I didn't care. The night smelled of grapes and smoke and shame.
I only wanted distance—enough that I could breathe without hearing their laughter.
But the farther I ran, the louder the sound in my head became: the snap of a bond breaking and the strange new pulse that had replaced it.
A different heartbeat. Not mine. Not Luca's.
His.
I stumbled to a stop beside an empty trellis. The vines there had been cut back for the season, dry and skeletal against the moonlight. I pressed my hand to my chest. "Stop," I whispered to whatever lived inside me now. "Just stop."
The air behind me shifted. Heavy. Warm.
"I told you not to run."
I turned. Calen stood a few steps away, coat unbuttoned, eyes catching every thread of light. He looked less like a man and more like something the forest had built out of fury.
"I didn't agree to be followed," I said, forcing my voice steady.
"You didn't agree to be humiliated either," he answered.
I hugged my arms around myself. "I'm fine."
"You're shaking."
"I'm angry," I corrected.
He took one step closer. "Good. Anger means you're alive."
The words might've sounded comforting from anyone else. From him they felt like a challenge.
The silence between us thickened. I could hear the faint clatter of the ceremony far behind us—the music had started again, as if nothing had happened.
Calen's gaze moved to the faint bruise at the base of my throat, the mark where the rejected bond had torn away. His jaw tightened. "He did this?"
"It's what happens when someone rejects you."
His eyes darkened. "He's lucky I arrived late."
I laughed once, sharp. "So you could swoop in and claim his leftovers?"
That got his attention. His aura flared, the temperature of the night dropping so fast the vines rustled like frightened birds.
I took a step back, but he stopped himself before I could retreat farther. His hand curled into a fist; the glow faded. "You think I wanted this?"
"I don't know what you want."
He looked at me for a long time, as if trying to decide whether to tell me. Finally he said, quieter, "Control. That's all I've wanted since the day the moon turned on me."
The words meant nothing then, but the weight of them settled deep.
He turned away first. "Come. The council will demand answers."
"I'm not going back there."
"You are if I order it."
"I'm not one of your soldiers."
He glanced over his shoulder. "You are part of my pack."
I wanted to argue, but my throat ached too much. In the end, I followed.
The packhouse stood at the top of the hill, white stone catching moonlight. The vineyard spread below it like a dark sea. By the time we reached the entrance, two dozen eyes were waiting.
Whispers chased us inside.
"…the Alpha brought her…"
"…the rejected girl…"
"…maybe he's cursed her too…"
Calen ignored them. I tried to.
In the hall, the council members waited—five elders in long coats, Luca among them, face pale and furious. Renee clung to his arm like a badge.
"Alpha Calen," Elder Rowan began, voice trembling with forced politeness. "We heard rumors—surely not true—that you've claimed your brother's former mate?"
Calen's gaze swept the room, then settled on Luca. "Former is correct. He rejected her publicly."
"It was my right!" Luca snapped.
"Your right," Calen said slowly, "ends where my authority begins."
The room went still.
Luca straightened, trying to recover. "She's weak. Wolfless. You know what that means for our bloodline."
"Wolfless?" Calen echoed. He looked at me. "Is that true?"
I swallowed. "My wolf never surfaced after the first shift. The healers said it might never."
A muscle in his jaw twitched. "Then they were wrong."
The elders exchanged uneasy glances.
"Alpha," Elder Rowan said carefully, "with respect, we cannot risk the stability of the pack on—"
Calen's eyes flashed gold. "You think stability comes from humiliation and cowardice?"
No one spoke. Even the fire in the hearth seemed to shrink back.
Then, in one breath that felt like thunder, he said it: "Elena Vale is under my protection. She is my mate."
Gasps. Someone dropped a glass.
Renee's hand flew to her mouth. "You can't be serious."
Luca looked ready to explode. "You stole her from me!"
"You threw her away," Calen said flatly. "The moon decided she wouldn't stay discarded."
I wanted to sink through the floor. "You don't have to do this."
He turned to me, voice softer. "It's already done."
The mate mark burned to life along my collarbone—a faint, silver glow that pulsed with each heartbeat. Calen winced, gripping the edge of the table as if the same fire seared him.
The elders stepped back, horrified. "The bond—it's real," one whispered.
Calen's control slipped. Power rolled off him in waves, rattling the windows. The chandelier above us swayed, crystal droplets chiming like distant bells.
"Alpha," Elder Rowan said, panic breaking through his tone, "your aura—"
Calen's eyes went bright gold, almost white. "Get them out," he growled.
No one moved.
The air grew heavier until breathing felt like drowning. My vision blurred. Instinct made me reach for him. My fingers brushed his wrist.
The pressure vanished.
His chest heaved; the gold in his eyes dimmed back to amber. Slowly, painfully, he straightened. "I said—meeting's over."
The elders fled first. Then the spectators.
Soon it was only the three of us—Calen, Luca, and me.
Luca's voice broke the silence. "You'll destroy this pack."
Calen didn't answer. He turned to me instead. "You should rest."
"I'm not staying here," I whispered.
He nodded once, but his eyes said something different—something like try to run, and I'll follow.
Luca stepped forward. "You think she'll save you from the curse? She'll drag you deeper."
Calen's hand shot out, gripping his brother's collar. "Careful."
For a heartbeat I thought he'd kill him. Then he released him just as fast.
"Get out of my sight," Calen said.
Luca stormed from the room, Renee trailing close behind, her glare slicing toward me.
When the door closed, I finally exhaled. "You can't keep doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Using power like a weapon."
He rubbed his temple, looking suddenly older. "It's the only language they remember."
I hesitated. "The curse you mentioned… it's real?"
His lips curved into a humorless smile. "You just saw it."
I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything.
He turned toward the hallway. "There's a guest room at the end. Stay there tonight."
"I—thank you."
He nodded without meeting my eyes and left.
The room was small but clean. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the faint glow still pulsing on my skin. The mate mark. His mark.
Outside, the wind shifted. I caught his scent again—cedar and smoke—drifting through the open window.
For a moment, it steadied me. Then I realized what it meant: he was still awake.
And watching.
I moved to the window. Down in the courtyard, Calen stood alone, moonlight glinting off his hair. His head tilted slightly, as if he could sense me looking.
Our eyes met across the distance.
Something inside me answered his pull, silent but strong.
The mark burned brighter.
I closed the shutters before I could think about what that meant.
Below, Calen stayed still for a long time, staring at the closed window. The glow along his wrist—the mirror of my mark—refused to fade.
He whispered to the night, to himself, maybe to the moon. "You've already claimed her, haven't you?"
The vines around the courtyard shivered as if the earth itself had heard him.
And far above, hidden behind the clouds, the moon began to turn red.
Luca straightened, trying to recover. "She's weak. Wolfless. You know what that means for our bloodline."
"Wolfless?" Calen echoed. He looked at me. "Is that true?"
I swallowed. "My wolf never surfaced after the first shift. The healers said it might never."
A muscle in his jaw twitched. "Then they were wrong."
The elders exchanged uneasy glances.
"Alpha," Elder Rowan said carefully, "with respect, we cannot risk the stability of the pack on—"
Calen's eyes flashed gold. "You think stability comes from humiliation and cowardice?"
No one spoke. Even the fire in the hearth seemed to shrink back.
Then, in one breath that felt like thunder, he said it: "Elena Vale is under my protection. She is my mate."
Gasps. Someone dropped a glass.
Renee's hand flew to her mouth. "You can't be serious."
Luca looked ready to explode. "You stole her from me!"
"You threw her away," Calen said flatly. "The moon decided she wouldn't stay discarded."
I wanted to sink through the floor. "You don't have to do this."
He turned to me, voice softer. "It's already done."
The mate mark burned to life along my collarbone—a faint, silver glow that pulsed with each heartbeat. Calen winced,
gripping the edge of the table as if the same fire seared him.
The elders stepped back, horrified. "The bond—it's real," one whispered.
Calen's control slipped. Power rolled off him in waves, rattling the windows. The chandelier above us swayed, crystal
droplets chiming like distant bells.
"Alpha," Elder Rowan said, panic breaking through his tone, "your aura—"
Calen's eyes went bright gold, almost white. "Get them out," he growled.
No one moved.
The air grew heavier until breathing felt like drowning. My vision blurred. Instinct made me reach for him. My fingers
brushed his wrist.
The pressure vanished.
His chest heaved; the gold in his eyes dimmed back to amber. Slowly, painfully, he straightened. "I said—meeting's
over."
The elders fled first. Then the spectators.
Soon it was only the three of us—Calen, Luca, and me.
Luca's voice broke the silence. "You'll destroy this pack."
Calen didn't answer. He turned to me instead. "You should rest."
"I'm not staying here," I whispered.
He nodded once, but his eyes said something different—something like try to run, and I'll follow.
Luca stepped forward. "You think she'll save you from the curse? She'll drag you deeper."
Calen's hand shot out, gripping his brother's collar. "Careful."
For a heartbeat I thought he'd kill him. Then he released him just as fast.
"Get out of my sight," Calen said.
Luca stormed from the room, Renee trailing close behind, her glare slicing toward me.
When the door closed, I finally exhaled. "You can't keep doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Using power like a weapon."
He rubbed his temple, looking suddenly older. "It's the only language they remember."
I hesitated. "The curse you mentioned… it's real?"
His lips curved into a humorless smile. "You just saw it."
I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything.
He turned toward the hallway. "There's a guest room at the end. Stay there tonight."
"I—thank you."
He nodded without meeting my eyes and left.
The room was small but clean. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the faint glow still pulsing on my skin. The mate
mark. His mark.
Outside, the wind shifted. I caught his scent again—cedar and smoke—drifting through the open window.
For a moment, it steadied me. Then I realized what it meant: he was still awake.
And watching.
I moved to the window. Down in the courtyard, Calen stood alone, moonlight glinting off his hair. His head tilted
slightly, as if he could sense me looking.
Our eyes met across the distance.
Something inside me answered his pull, silent but strong.
The mark burned brighter.
I closed the shutters before I could think about what that meant.
Below, Calen stayed still for a long time, staring at the closed window. The glow along his wrist—the mirror of my
mark—refused to fade.
He whispered to the night, to himself, maybe to the moon. "You've already claimed her, haven't you?"
The vines around the courtyard shivered as if the earth itself had heard him.
And far above, hidden behind the clouds, the moon began to turn red.