Getting to my room, I decided to take a shower before changing into the black dress my mother had gifted me only a few days ago. The gown was simple yet elegant, the kind of gift that carried weight, like my mother had chosen it not only for the party, but also for what it symbolized.
I peeled off the pants and shirt I had worn throughout the day, then slipped out of my underwear before stepping into the shower. Warm water cascaded down my skin, washing away the faint traces of sweat and nerves clinging to me. For a brief moment, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to breathe, hoping the steam would clear my thoughts.
Fifteen minutes later, I stood before the mirror in my black gown. The fabric clung to me gently, flowing like midnight silk against my skin. I tied my blonde hair into a bun, strands framing my face in loose wisps. A faint gloss shimmered on my lips. I looked… ordinary. That had been the goal, nothing too flashy, nothing that would attract more attention than necessary.
I was just about to leave my room when my mind betrayed me, drifting to the real reason I was attending this mating party at all. My lips pursed, sourness tugging at my expression at the thought of ever finding a mate.
There had been a time, not long ago, when I clung desperately to the idea of my fated mate. I had imagined his scent, his voice, the warmth of his presence beside me. But those were childish dreams, weren't they? Now, I had abandoned the fantasy entirely. If the Moon Goddess had truly destined someone for me, why hadn't we crossed paths yet?
At first, I convinced myself that he must be far away, that fate was simply slow in weaving our paths together. But the truth was far harsher. Wolves who reached twenty-one without finding their mate rarely found them at all. They lived out their lives alone, watching others embrace the bond they would never experience. And I… I was twenty- four. The unspoken truth had settled in my heart like stone. This was my fate.
My gaze darted to the alarm clock resting on my bedside table. A minute to eight. The moon would rise any second now.
Slowly, I crossed to my window and pushed it open. The cool night air drifted in, brushing against my cheeks as I tilted my head back to the heavens. The sky was heavy with clouds at first, but then, as if pulled aside by invisible fingers, they began to part. A sliver of moonlight broke through, sharp and pale.
I waited. The clouds continued to shift, and finally, the full moon revealed itself.
Except… it wasn't...
It bled crimson.
My breath caught in my throat. A blood moon. The orb above burned red like a wound in the heavens, staining the world beneath its light. My heart thudded painfully in my chest, and I gripped the window frame with trembling fingers.
That was impossible. Completely impossible. A blood moon could not, should not, appear on a night like this.
Somewhere downstairs, a commotion broke out—screams, shouts, the crash of overturned furniture—but I barely heard them over the roar of my pulse. My eyes were locked on that eerie, bleeding sky.
So transfixed was I, that I didn't notice the glimmer of red streaking toward me until it was too late.
A low growl vibrated through the air outside the window. Then, in an explosion of force, something massive slammed into me.
I was thrown across my room, colliding painfully with the floorboards.
A wolf. But not just any wolf.
It stood in the wreckage of my window frame, towering in size. Its fur shimmered in shades of deep crimson, darker than fresh blood, and its eyes glowed with a rage that froze the marrow in my bones. It was at least four times the size of my wolf form—an abomination, something that should not exist.
I groaned, clutching my side as pain flared through me. The beast wasted no time, it lunged again, claws tearing through air where I had been a heartbeat before. I stumbled backward, narrowly avoiding its jaws.
Instinct screamed at me to shift, to call my wolf. I reached for her, desperately clawing at the bond that had always been there.
But there was nothing.
Empty silence.
My wolf… was gone.
Panic gripped me tighter than the wolf ever could. Without her, I was powerless. Vulnerable. My breaths came short, ragged.
The red wolf attacked again, its strength overwhelming. My human body was no match, my every attempt to push back ending in futility. With a terrifying snarl, it hurled me across the room once more. My back slammed into the mirror, shards raining down around me. Glass cut my skin in shallow, stinging lines, but I barely registered the pain before the beast was upon me.
It clamped its massive paw around my throat and lifted me into the air. My feet dangled helplessly above the floor as I choked, my nails clawing at its grip.
This was it. This was how I died—strangled by a monster in my own room under a cursed moon.
I stopped struggling. What was the point? My vision blurred at the edges, blackness creeping in.
But then—
The door to my room burst open.
A blur of motion, too fast for my eyes to track. Suddenly, I was on the ground, gasping for breath, while the wolf's body collapsed beside me.
Dead.
I blinked rapidly, vision sharpening, and finally looked up.
And there he was.
Alexander.
I had never been more relieved to see anyone in my life. His dark presence filled the room, sharp and unyielding, his blue eyes cold as winter seas.
"Stop staring at me like I'm your prince in shining armor." His dry voice cut through the haze, forcing my heart to steady even as it fluttered.
I glared at him, but my strength faltered, and I pushed myself unsteadily to my feet. That was when I saw it.
Something wet and red dropped to the floor with a sickening splat. My gaze fell on it—my stomach twisting violently.
A heart. A wolf's heart.
The red wolf, now shifted back into its human form, lay lifeless. Its chest was hollow, torn apart where its heart had once been.
I gagged, my hands flying to my mouth. I had never seen such brutality before, and the sight made bile rise in my throat.
"Never seen a man die?" Alexander asked, his voice laced with sarcasm.
I didn't answer him. Instead, the screams and chaos from downstairs reached me more clearly now. I swallowed hard and forced myself to ask, "What's going on?"
"A bloodbath," he replied flatly. He fished a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a slow drag as though the world wasn't burning around us.
I stumbled toward the doorway and peered downstairs. My heart clched.
The great hall, once filled with laughter and music, was now a battlefield. Red wolves tore through the guests mercilessly, their snarls blending with the cries of the dying. Blood slicked the floor, shining dark beneath the crimson moonlight streaming in from shattered windows.
My family.
That was the only thought that thundered in my mind. I made to rush down the stairs, but a strong hand seized my arm.
"Do you have a death wish?" Alexander's voice cut like steel.
"Let me go!" I struggled against his grip, desperation clawing at me. "They need me. My family is downstairs!"
He scoffed, dry and bitter. "You couldn't handle one red wolf. What do you think you'll do against dozens? You're injured, and your wolf is gone."
"I don't care," I spat back. My voice cracked, but I steadied it with sheer will. "They're my family. I won't just stand here."
With a surge of strength, I tore free from his grasp and started down the hallway.
"I can't believe you're walking to your death in such a graceful manner," he muttered as he fell into step beside me.
Got it ✅ You want a short scene you can slip in after the fight when Elena's gown is torn, so Alexander shows a bit of unexpected care while still keeping his aloof/mocking edge. Here's a version you can insert smoothly:
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My knees wobbled as I tried to catch my breath. It was only then I realized the fight had shredded parts of my gown—thin fabric torn at the side, blood and dust staining the once smooth black silk. A rush of humiliation burned in my cheeks as I tugged the torn edges together, trying to cover myself.
Before I could speak, something heavy and warm settled across my shoulders.
I startled, glancing up. Alexander had draped his coat around me, the scent of smoke and iron clinging to it. His expression was unreadable, his tone dry.
"You look pathetic enough and having you go to a war half-dressed makes you a lot more pathetic," he muttered.
"I didn't ask you for it." I pulled the coat tighter, afraid he had pull it from me.
He smirked faintly. "You have such a strange way of saying thank you. But I'll accept
I ignored him, my pulse drumming in my ears. "Why are they attacking us? Why are there red wolves at all?"
Alexander's lips quirked. "Why don't we ask them?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.
Before I could retort, one of the red wolves lunged from the shadows of the hall.
"Perfect timing," Alexander murmured with a predator's grin. He stepped forward, reckless as ever. "Mr. Wolf, this young miss would like to know—"
He didn't finish. The beast's claws slashed across his face, leaving a bloody mark.
I gasped, horror flooding me. But Alexander barely flinched. With terrifying ease, he grabbed the wolf by its throat and ripped its head clean off.
Blood sprayed the walls. My knees trembled.
Before I could process, two more wolves rounded the corner, their eyes fixed on us. I stumbled backward, instinctively pressing closer to Alexander.
"Using me as a shield already?" His mocking tone sent heat rushing to my cheeks, but I said nothing.
The wolves charged.
Alexander met them with lethal grace. One fell instantly to a brutal kick that shattered its ribs. He turned on the other, his hand plunging into its chest as though its flesh were nothing more than paper. He ripped free its heart, letting it fall with a wet thud.
The first wolf staggered back to its feet, fury twisting its features. It lunged, but Alexander moved faster, striking again and again until the beast collapsed, its lifeblood soaking the floor.
I stood frozen, my chest heaving, the copper tang of blood thick in the air.
Alexander turned slowly toward me. His face, splattered with crimson, no longer seemed human. His ocean-blue eyes glowed dark red, an eerie smirk curving his lips.
"It seems," he murmu
red, voice low and unsettling, "you aren't safe with me either."
The smirk didn't fade. And my heart pounded so loudly I thought it might burst from my chest.