Aria's POV
Marcus dragged me down the stairs so fast I nearly fell.
Smile, he hissed at me. Act grateful. If you ruin this, I'll make sure you regret every second of your miserable life.
But I wasn't listening. The bracelet hummed against my wrist, hidden under my sleeve. Power flowed through me like electricity, making everything sharper, clearer, more real.
I could feel him before I saw him.
Kael Thorne's presence hit me like a physical force. Raw power that made my knees weak and my heart race. Every instinct screamed danger, but the bracelet pulsed warm against my skin, whispering something different.
Safe. He's safe.
That made no sense. Nothing about this made sense.
Marcus shoved me into Silvercrest's grand hall. The room was packed with wolves from both packs. Shadowfang wolves lined the left side silent, dangerous, watching everything with predator eyes. Silvercrest wolves filled the right whispering, staring at me with pity and curiosity.
I stood in the center, alone, in the ugly dress Lyanna had chosen. My hands shook. I clasped them together to hide it.
Then the main doors opened.
Silence fell like a hammer.
Kael Thorne walked in.
My breath stopped.
He wasn't what I expected. The rumors called him a monster, a beast, a killer. They didn't mention he looked like a dark angel.
Tall and powerful, with broad shoulders and a warrior's build. Dark hair fell slightly over his forehead. His face was beautiful in a harsh, dangerous way strong jaw, sharp cheekbones, lips pressed in a hard line.
But his eyes. God, his eyes.
Gold. Pure molten gold, burning with intelligence and something wild. Wolf eyes, even in his human form.
He moved like liquid death. Every step was precise, controlled, predatory. The crowd parted for him automatically. Even the strongest wolves stepped back, lowering their eyes in respect or fear.
His gaze swept the room. Assessing. Calculating.
Then his eyes found mine.
Everything stopped.
His eyes widened just a fraction, just for a second. Shock flashed across his face, raw and unguarded.
Then it was gone. His expression went blank. Cold. Empty.
But I'd seen it. That moment of surprise. Of recognition.
He knew something. About me. About what I was.
The bracelet burned hot against my wrist. The pull I'd felt earlier intensified a thousand times. It dragged at something deep in my chest, trying to pull me toward him.
I locked my knees to keep from moving.
Kael walked toward me. Each step felt like a countdown to something inevitable.
He stopped three feet away. Close enough that I could smell him pine and smoke and wild storms. Close enough that his power washed over me in waves that made my skin tingle.
Aria Winters. His voice was deep, rough, like gravel and silk mixed together. It did things to my insides I didn't want to think about.
Yes. My voice came out steadier than I felt. Good.
His eyes searched my face. Looking for something. I didn't know what.
We'll talk, he said quietly. So quietly only I could hear. After.
That was all. No greeting. No explanation. Just a promise that made my stomach flip.
Marcus appeared beside us, smiling his fake political smile.
Alpha Thorne. Welcome. Shall we begin the ceremony?
Kael's eyes never left mine. Yes.
The ceremony was a blur.
Marcus spoke about peace and unity and the strength of our joined packs. His words meant nothing. Political lies dressed up as truth.
I stood beside Kael, hyper-aware of every breath he took. He was so still. So controlled. But I could feel the tension radiating off him in waves.
The bracelet pulsed steadily. The pull between us grew stronger with every passing second.
What was happening? Why did I feel like I knew him even though we'd never met?
The binding, Marcus announced.
My heart slammed against my ribs. This was it. The moment everything changed.
Kael turned to face me fully. His expression was still blank, but his eyes his eyes burned with something intense and dangerous.
He reached for my hand.
The moment his skin touched mine, the world exploded.
Power slammed into me from both sides from the bracelet and from him. It crashed together inside me like thunder and lightning meeting in the same space.
I gasped. Kael's grip tightened on my hand, his jaw clenching hard.
I could feel him. Not just his hand in mine, but everything. His shock. His confusion. His carefully controlled rage. And underneath it all, something else. Something that felt like recognition. Like coming home.
The mate bond.
I knew what it was instantly, even though I'd never experienced it. The legends said when true mates touched, they'd know. They'd feel it in their souls.
But I was human. I shouldn't be able to feel this. Humans didn't have mate bonds with werewolves.
Except I wasn't fully human, was I? The bracelet. My mother. The power humming through my veins.
Kael's eyes blazed brighter, gold bleeding into his normal eye color until they glowed. His wolf was right at the surface, fighting for control.
What are you? he whispered. So quiet. Desperate.
I don't know, I whispered back. The truth.
Something flashed in his eyes. Not anger. Something softer. Almost like... relief?
Marcus cleared his throat loudly. The binding is complete. I now pronounce you joined as Alpha and Luna of Shadowfang Pack.
The crowd erupted in forced applause. But I barely heard it.
Kael still held my hand. His thumb pressed against my wrist directly over the bracelet hidden by my sleeve.
His eyes narrowed. He felt it. The metal. The power.
We're leaving, he announced suddenly, loudly. Now.
Marcus sputtered. But the feast the celebration
Now. Kael's voice held absolute command. An Alpha's order that couldn't be refused.
He pulled me toward the door. I had no choice but to follow, my hand still locked in his.
Lyanna appeared in our path, smiling viciously. Congratulations, sister. Try not to die too quickly.
Kael looked at her. Just looked. His eyes went cold and dead.
Lyanna went white and stumbled backward.
He didn't even slow down. We walked past her like she was nothing.
Outside, a massive black SUV waited. Shadowfang wolves surrounded it Kael's warriors, I assumed. They all turned to watch us approach.
One of them stepped forward a tall man with kind eyes and dark skin. Alpha.
Get us out of here, Dante, Kael ordered. Fast.
Yes, Alpha.
Kael opened the back door and guided me in. His hand on my lower back burned even through the dress.
He slid in beside me. The door closed. Suddenly we were alone in the back seat, the driver pulling away from Silvercrest.
Silence.
I could feel Kael watching me. Studying me.
Finally, I turned to face him.
He was staring at me like I was a puzzle he was desperate to solve. His jaw was tight, his hands clenched into fists on his thighs.
Your scent, he said slowly. It's impossible.
What do you mean?
His eyes met mine. Gold fire burning with barely controlled emotion.
You smell like death and resurrection. Like something the Moon Goddess tried to erase from existence. His voice dropped to barely a whisper. You smell like the First Luna.
My heart stopped. The First Luna. The woman from the prophecy. The bloodline that was supposed to be extinct.
I don't understand
Show me your wrist, he demanded.
My hand went to my sleeve automatically, protective.
Show me, he repeated. Softer this time. Almost pleading. Please.
Slowly, I pulled back my sleeve.
The silver bracelet gleamed in the dim car light. The ancient symbols seemed to glow faintly.
Kael inhaled sharply. His hand shot out and grabbed my wrist not roughly, but firm. His thumb traced the symbols.
Where did you get this? His voice shook.
My mother. It was hers.
Your mother. He laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. Do you know what this is? What these symbols mean?
I shook my head.
Kael's eyes met mine. In them, I saw wonder. Terror. Hope. Desperation.
This is a Luna's binding bracelet. Only given to females of the original bloodline. The bloodline the Moon Goddess slaughtered three hundred years ago because they were too powerful. His grip tightened. Aria Winters, you're not human. You never were.
The car hit a bump. I barely noticed.
Then what am I?
Kael pulled me closer. So close I could see flecks of amber in his golden eyes.
You're my salvation, he whispered. Or my destruction. Possibly both.