Lila didn't sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the silver glow of the pack, felt the lingering warmth in her palm, heard Selene's voice whispering the moon has chosen. By dawn, she gave up, slipping out of bed and pacing the small living room of her Moonridge house.
A knock came just as the sun crested the hills.
She didn't need to open the door to know who it was.
"You're late," she said, pulling it open.
Kael stood there, eyes dark, jaw tight, as if he hadn't slept either. "We need to talk."
"Good," Lila snapped. "Because I'm done being confused."
He stepped inside and closed the door, leaning back against it like he was bracing himself. For a long moment, he just looked at her — really looked — and something unreadable flickered across his face.
"What happened last night," he said slowly, "shouldn't have happened."
"That's what you said before you healed me," Lila replied. "And before a pack of wolves showed up and told me I'm not entirely human."
Kael winced.
"Start talking," she demanded.
He exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. "Moonridge sits on an old convergence point. Human land and wolf territory overlap here. Most humans never notice. You did."
"Because I wandered into the forest?" she asked.
"No," he said. "Because the forest responded to you."
Lila crossed her arms. "Selene said the moon chose me. What does that even mean?"
Kael straightened, his voice dropping into something solemn. "There are humans born with dormant lunar blood. Rare. Old magic. Most never awaken."
Lila's breath caught. "And me?"
"You awakened," he said quietly. "When I healed you."
Silence stretched between them.
"You marked me," she said slowly. "Didn't you?"
Kael didn't deny it. "Unintentionally. But yes."
Her heart raced. "What does that mean for me?"
"It binds you to the pack," he admitted. "To me."
The air thickened. "You should have told me."
"I was hoping it wasn't true," he said sharply. "I was hoping you'd leave Moonridge before—" He stopped himself.
"Before what?" Lila pressed.
Before I couldn't let you go.
Kael didn't say it out loud, but the meaning lingered between them, heavy and dangerous.
A sudden sharp knock interrupted them.
Kael stiffened instantly. "Get behind me."
The door burst open before Lila could protest.
Selene stepped inside like she owned the place, silver eyes gleaming. "You really should lock your doors, Lila."
Lila's heart leapt. "How do you know my name?"
Selene smiled. "The moon whispers."
Kael growled low in his chest. "You're crossing a line."
"Am I?" Selene countered. "She deserves the truth."
"She gets it from me."
Selene's gaze slid back to Lila. "You carry lunar blood. Stronger than most. That mark Kael gave you? It didn't just bind you. It activated you."
Lila's head spun. "Activated me how?"
Selene stepped closer, lowering her voice. "You'll start changing. Stronger senses. Vivid dreams. The moon will call to you."
"No," Kael said firmly. "She won't shift."
"Not fully," Selene agreed. "But she'll never be ordinary again."
Lila's chest tightened. Fear crept in — but beneath it, something else stirred. Curiosity. Power. A strange sense of belonging she'd never felt before.
"What do you want from me?" Lila asked.
Selene smiled. "Nothing. Yet." Her eyes flicked to Kael. "But others will."
Kael's hand brushed Lila's, grounding her. "She stays under my protection."
Selene raised a brow. "Protection or possession, Alpha?"
Kael didn't look away. "Both, if I must."
Something warm bloomed in Lila's chest at his words.
Selene laughed softly. "Careful. The bond cuts both ways."
With that, she turned and vanished as suddenly as she'd appeared.
The house fell silent.
Lila finally exhaled, her hands shaking. "You don't get to decide my life."
Kael turned to her, his expression fierce but honest. "No. But I won't let anyone take it from you."
Their eyes locked. The pull between them surged — stronger now, undeniable.
"I should be terrified," Lila whispered.
"And you're not," Kael said.
She shook her head. "I feel… awake."
Kael stepped closer, stopping just inches away. "That's the bond."
"Is it?" she asked, heart pounding. "Or is it you?"
For a moment, Kael looked like he might break. "Lila… if I touch you again, this becomes real."
She lifted her chin, defiant and breathless. "It already is."
The moonlight spilled through the window, bathing them both in silver — and Kael knew, with absolute certainty, that the moon hadn't just chosen Li