Sera's POV
The mating mark burned like someone was carving it into my skin with a hot knife.
I fell to my knees, clutching my shoulder, biting my lip so hard I tasted blood. Around me, wolves stared in shock. The battle had stopped. Even the attackers had frozen, staring at the silver symbols glowing on my skin.
No. No, no, no. This couldn't be real.
Impossible, someone whispered.
Kael Blackthorn stood three feet away, his hand pressed to his own shoulder, his face pale. Through the bond the bond I could already feel wrapping around my heart like chains his shock crashed into me. Then confusion. Then something that felt horribly like joy.
He's happy about this?
My wolf surged forward, desperate to go to him. To touch him. To complete the bond that was screaming through every nerve in my body.
I shoved her down viciously. He killed our father!
But my wolf didn't care. She only knew one thing: mate.
The Moon Goddess has spoken, Elder Moira's voice rang out. She stepped into the circle, her ancient eyes moving between me and Kael. The bond is sealed by the blood moon. Witnessed by all five packs.
Whispers erupted like a swarm of bees. I heard words like omega and Blood Moon and impossible.
Kael took a step toward me.
I scrambled backward, my hands hitting the bloody ground. Don't.
He stopped. Through the bond, I felt his hurt, quickly hidden behind walls of ice.
What's your name? he asked. His voice was gentle, like he was talking to a scared animal.
I wanted to scream the truth at him. I'm Sera Ashwood! The daughter of the man you murdered!
Instead, I whispered, Sara. Sara Wells.
The lie tasted wrong. The bond knew it was a lie. I felt it twist between us, uncomfortable.
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly. Could he feel it too?
Before either of us could speak, Alpha Cormac pushed through the crowd. What is the meaning of this? She's just an omega from my pack
She's Alpha Kael's mate now, Elder Moira interrupted. Pack law is clear. She belongs to Blood Moon.
No! The word ripped out of me before I could stop it.
Everyone stared. Omegas didn't say no to Alphas. Ever.
Kael's jaw tightened. You're rejecting the bond?
Was I? Rejection meant death for both of us. Elder Moira had made that clear in her teachings. But staying bonded to my father's killer? That was a different kind of death.
I My voice broke.
An attacker chose that moment to try one last strike. He lunged from the shadows, a silver blade aimed straight at Kael's back.
My body moved before my brain caught up.
I threw myself forward, shifting mid-leap. My wolf my silver wolf I'd hidden for seven years burst free. I crashed into the attacker, my jaws closing around his wrist. The knife fell. I heard bone crack.
The attacker screamed and shifted, a brown wolf twice my size. He threw me off and I hit the ground hard, pain exploding through my ribs where I'd been cut earlier.
The brown wolf jumped on top of me, going for my throat.
Then Kael was there.
His black wolf was massive, bigger than any wolf I'd ever seen. He grabbed the attacker by the neck and shook once, hard. I heard the snap. The brown wolf went limp.
Kael dropped the body and turned to me, his silver-blue wolf eyes concerned.
I shifted back to human, gasping for air. My ribs screamed in pain. Blood soaked through my dress.
Kael shifted too. He reached for me, but I flinched away.
Hurt flashed across his face. You're bleeding.
I'm fine.
You're not fine. You just saved my life and you're bleeding everywhere. His voice turned hard, commanding. Let me help you.
I don't need your help!
You're my mate! The words exploded out of him. Then softer, almost broken, Please. Let me help.
The bond pulled at me, making me want to lean into his touch. Making me want to trust him.
I hated it. Hated this bond. Hated the Moon Goddess for doing this to me.
But I was bleeding badly and my vision was starting to blur.
Fine, I whispered.
Kael's POV
His mate was the most beautiful and confusing woman Kael had ever met.
She'd saved his life. A tiny omega had thrown herself at a attacker twice her size to protect him. And her wolf Moon Goddess, her silver wolf was stunning.
But she looked at him like he'd murdered her family.
The hate pouring through the bond was so strong it made his chest ache. What had he done to earn this much hatred from a woman he'd never met?
Sara Wells. The name felt wrong somehow. Like she was wearing someone else's skin.
But the bond didn't lie. She was his. The Moon Goddess had chosen her for him.
And Kael was going to figure out why his own mate wanted him dead.
He carefully lifted her in his arms. She tensed but didn't fight. Progress.
Nash! He called. His Beta appeared instantly. Clear a path. And find whoever's in charge of this disaster. I want answers.
Yes, Alpha. Nash's eyes flickered to the woman in Kael's arms, then widened. Is that
My mate, Kael said firmly. And if anyone has a problem with it, they can take it up with me.
No one did.
The crowd parted as Kael carried Sara toward the medical tent. She was so light, too light. How long had she been barely surviving as an omega?
You can put me down, she muttered.
No.
I said
I heard you. The answer is still no.
Through the bond, he felt her frustration spike. But underneath it was something else. Something that felt almost like... safety?
His heart squeezed. When was the last time she'd felt safe?
Sera's POV
Being carried in Kael Blackthorn's arms was the worst kind of torture.
He was warm. Strong. And through the bond, I could feel his worry for me, his determination to protect me, his genuine confusion about why I hated him.
It would be so much easier if he were a monster.
In the medical tent, a healer cleaned my wounds while Kael stood guard like I might disappear. The cut on my ribs wasn't as bad as it looked. The healer wrapped it and gave me something for the pain.
She needs rest, the healer told Kael. And she shouldn't shift for at least a week.
Kael nodded. She'll have everything she needs.
I'm right here, I snapped. Stop talking about me like I'm not.
The healer's eyes widened omegas didn't snap at Alphas but Kael just looked at me with something that might have been amusement.
You're right. I apologize. He turned to the healer. We'll leave you to help the others.
When the healer left, Kael pulled up a chair and sat across from me. We need to talk.
There's nothing to talk about.
We're mated. There's everything to talk about. He leaned forward, his silver-blue eyes intense. Why do you hate me, Sara? What did I do to you?
Everything. He'd done everything.
But I couldn't tell him that. Not yet. Not until I figured out what to do about this cursed bond.
I don't hate you, I lied.
The bond twisted uncomfortably. Kael's eyes narrowed.
You're lying. I can feel it. His voice dropped lower. The bond doesn't let mates lie to each other. Not about important things.
My blood ran cold. What?
The mating bond. It connects us. I feel what you feel. You feel what I feel. He paused. And we both know when the other is lying.
No. No, that couldn't be true. If the bond worked like that, he'd discover who I really was in minutes.
That's not
Tell me your real name, Kael said quietly.
The world stopped spinning.
What?
Your real name. Sara Wells isn't it. The bond knows. He stood up, towering over me, but his voice stayed gentle. I can feel your fear. Your hate. Your pain. And I can feel that Sara Wells is a lie. He held out his hand. So tell me. Who are you really?
I stared at his hand, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might break through my ribs.
If I told him, he'd kill me. Or worse, he'd reject the bond and we'd both die.
But if I didn't tell him, the bond would torture us both until the truth came out anyway.
I was trapped.
I My voice shook. I can't.
Why not?
Because if I tell you who I am, you'll hate me as much as I hate you.
Kael's expression softened. Try me.
I opened my mouth, the truth right there on my tongue.
Then the tent flap burst open and Nash ran in, his face pale.
Kael. We have a problem. A big one.
Not now, Nash.
It can't wait. Nash's eyes flicked to me, then back to Kael. We found something on one of the dead attackers. A message. He held out a piece of paper with shaking hands. It's addressed to your mate. By name.
My blood turned to ice.
Kael took the paper and read it. His face went completely blank. When he looked at me, his eyes were full of questions I couldn't answer.
He turned the paper so I could see it.
Written in blood-red ink: Hello, Sera Ashwood. Did you really think you could hide from me? The bond was always part of the plan. V
Viktor.
Viktor knew. Viktor had planned this. The bond, the attack, everything.
And now Kael knew my real name.