Alpha Kael Blackthorn woke with a snarl tearing from his throat.
The sound echoed through the Alpha quarters, sharp and feral, vibrating against stone walls built to withstand storms and war. His chest burned as if something had clawed its way beneath his ribs and wrapped tight around his heart.
The bond.
It was wrong.
Kael pushed himself upright, breath coming hard, fingers digging into the furs beneath him. Cold sweat clung to his skin. His wolf paced violently inside his mind, hackles raised, teeth bared.
She is not here.
The realization hit him like a physical blow.
Elara's scent—soft moonlight and rain—was gone. Not faded. Not distant.
Gone.
Kael swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood. The stone floor was icy beneath his bare feet, grounding him just enough to keep control. He dragged a hand through his hair, jaw clenched so tightly it ached.
This was impossible.
Distance weakened the mate bond. It did not inflame it. It did not feel like this—like fire threaded through his veins, like his wolf was howling to tear free of his skin.
Unless…
His eyes darkened.
Unless another Alpha stood near her.
"No," Kael growled, the word ripped straight from his chest.
His wolf snarled in agreement.
---
The Blackthorn Pack was already stirring when Kael stormed into the central hall. Conversations died instantly. Wolves straightened, instincts screaming at them to submit.
Beta Rowan was there, reviewing patrol reports. He looked up just in time to see the Alpha's expression.
"Alpha," Rowan said carefully.
"Where is she," Kael demanded.
Rowan blinked. "Elara?"
Kael's eyes flashed. "Do not play ignorant."
Rowan hesitated—just long enough for Kael's temper to flare. "She crossed the eastern boundary before nightfall. Scouts lost her trail near the river."
Kael's fist slammed into the stone table.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the surface.
"Why was I not informed sooner?" he snarled.
"You ordered—" Rowan stopped himself. Chose his words with care. "You made it clear she was no longer pack business."
The silence that followed was thick and suffocating.
Kael turned away, teeth clenched. The bond flared again, sharper this time, laced with something unfamiliar.
Jealousy.
Possessive, violent jealousy.
His wolf surged forward, furious. Mine.
Kael closed his eyes, breathing through it. "Increase patrols near the borders," he said finally. "Quietly."
Rowan frowned. "Alpha… if this is about the bond—"
"It is under control," Kael snapped.
It was a lie.
---
Elara woke slowly.
Warmth surrounded her—not the oppressive heat of the bond, but something gentler. Steady. Safe. She lay still for a moment, listening to the unfamiliar sounds of Nightfall territory: wind brushing leaves, distant water, the low murmur of voices beyond the tent.
Tent.
Her eyes opened.
Soft gray fabric stretched overhead, supported by polished wooden poles. A fire burned low nearby, its embers glowing faintly. The blanket wrapped around her shoulders was thick, woven with a scent she didn't recognize.
Not Blackthorn.
Her chest tightened at the thought.
She sat up carefully. The ache in her limbs was dull but manageable. The silver markings on her skin had faded to faint lines, barely visible unless the light caught them just right.
"You're awake again."
Alpha Lucien stood near the entrance, arms crossed loosely over his chest. In the daylight, he looked even more imposing—tall, broad, calm power coiled beneath his relaxed posture.
Elara stiffened instinctively.
"I didn't mean to intrude," she said quickly, pushing the blanket aside. "I'll leave. I just needed—"
"Sit," Lucien said gently.
The word wasn't a command. It was an invitation.
Against her better judgment, she obeyed.
Lucien stepped closer, stopping a respectful distance away. His gaze flicked briefly to her neck—where the crescent charm rested—then to her eyes.
"You collapsed at our border," he said. "If my patrol hadn't found you, you'd be dead."
Elara swallowed. "Then… thank you."
Lucien inclined his head. "You're welcome."
Silence stretched between them, not uncomfortable, but weighted.
"You're not afraid of me," Elara said quietly.
Lucien studied her for a moment. "Should I be?"
She shook her head. "Most Alphas expect obedience. Submission."
His mouth curved slightly—not quite a smile. "Nightfall does not rule that way."
Her fingers tightened in her lap.
"You know," she said slowly. "About the bond."
Lucien didn't deny it. "I felt it the moment you crossed into my territory."
Her breath caught. "Felt it?"
"Yes." His gray eyes sharpened. "An active mate bond. Torn. Angry."
Shame burned her cheeks. "I was rejected."
Lucien's jaw tightened.
"Publicly," she added, because somehow, that mattered.
Silence fell again—heavier this time.
"Blackthorn has grown arrogant," Lucien said at last. "Power makes fools of even strong Alphas."
Elara flinched. "He had reasons."
Lucien looked at her sharply. "Did he tell you that?"
"No," she admitted.
Lucien exhaled slowly. "You do not owe loyalty to someone who discarded you."
Her wolf stirred uneasily.
"I don't know what I owe," Elara whispered. "I only know the bond won't let me forget."
Lucien's gaze softened. "It won't. Not yet."
Her heart stuttered. "Yet?"
"The mate bond is ancient," he said. "It resists rejection. Sometimes… it punishes it."
Elara looked down at her hands. "It hurts."
"I know."
The quiet certainty in his voice startled her.
Lucien straightened. "Stay," he said. "At least until you recover."
"And then?" she asked.
"Then you choose."
The word echoed in her chest.
Choose.
No one had ever given her that before.
---
That night, Kael shifted.
His wolf tore free beneath the moonlight, massive and black, fur rippling as he paced the forest at the edge of Blackthorn territory. His golden eyes burned, scanning the darkness, searching for a scent that was no longer there.
She is close.
He could feel it now. Faint. But unmistakable.
And layered over it—
Another Alpha.
Kael's snarl shook the trees.
He lunged forward, tearing through brush and undergrowth, driven by instinct he no longer bothered to deny. His wolf howled—a challenge, a warning, a claim.
Mine.
Across the miles, Elara jolted awake, heart racing.
The bond flared violently, sharp enough to steal her breath. She clutched her chest, gasping.
Lucien was at her side instantly.
"Easy," he murmured. "Breathe."
Her eyes widened. "He's—he's angry."
Lucien's gaze hardened, but his voice remained calm. "You are under Nightfall protection."
"That won't stop him," she whispered.
"No," Lucien agreed. "But it will slow him."
The moonlight streamed into the tent, illuminating the faint silver glow returning to her skin.
Lucien watched it closely.
"You are not weak," he said quietly. "No matter how many times you were told otherwise."
Elara swallowed past the tightness in her throat.
Outside, two Alphas lifted their heads beneath the same moon.
One driven by regret and possession.
The other by patience and choice.
And between them stood a girl who had not yet realized how powerful she truly was.