Sage Pov:
Sage's head hurt.
Not the regular headache kind. The kind that made her eyes water when she opened them. Everything was darkness and fire and confusion spinning together. She tried to sit up and her body disagreed violently. The room tilted. Her stomach rolled.
She was on a bed.
That was wrong. The alley had stone. The cloth over her face had smelled like chemicals. There was supposed to be darkness and falling and then nothing. There wasn't supposed to be a bed with fur blankets so soft they felt expensive.
Sage pushed herself up on her elbows, forcing her eyes to focus. The room came into view slowly. Stone walls. Firelight casting shadows across ancient wood beams. No windows. One heavy wooden door with a lock that looked like it belonged in a museum. The bed was huge, carved from dark wood, covered in furs that had to cost more than her monthly rent.
She was in a castle.
An actual castle.
That couldn't be right. Castles weren't real. Not in Seattle. Not in the human world. She was hallucinating. The stress of finding Marcus in bed with Jenna had finally broken her brain. This was a psychiatric episode. She needed to find a hospital and tell someone before she did something dangerous.
Sage scrambled off the bed. Her legs were shaky. The ground tilted underneath her feet. She walked to the door and tried the handle. Locked. Of course it was locked. She was either hallucinating or being held by someone very serious about holding her.
She tried the walls next, searching for another exit. Stone. Old stone. The kind that hadn't been renovated in centuries. This was insane. She pressed her hands against the cold surface and tried to breathe normally. Panic was making everything worse. She needed to stay calm. Think. Figure out where she was.
The door opened.
Sage spun around so fast she nearly fell. A man stood in the doorway. Tall. Silver hair. Kind eyes. He was wearing clothes that looked expensive and old fashioned. He studied her with an expression that wasn't hostile but definitely dangerous.
"Easy," he said, holding up his hands like she was a spooked horse. "I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Rhys Blackwater. I'm here to help."
"Where am I?" Sage's voice came out hoarse. She hadn't had water since before the birthday dinner. How long had she been unconscious?
"The Northern Realm," Rhys said. He moved slowly into the room, keeping his distance. "You're in our castle. You're safe."
"Safe?" Sage laughed but it sounded wrong, panicked. "I was kidnapped. Literally kidnapped. I was running through an alley and people grabbed me and drugged me. I'm not safe. I'm definitely not safe."
"I understand how this must seem," Rhys said carefully. "But we brought you here because you're important. Special. You're the reason our entire kingdom has hope right now."
Sage stared at him.
"You're in a cult," she said. It was the only explanation that made sense. Weird clothes, castle, talking about kingdoms and importance. "This is a cult compound and you're all insane."
Rhys actually looked hurt. "I promise you we're not a cult. We're werewolves."
Silence.
Then Sage started laughing. Real laughter, the kind that came from somewhere broken inside her. It was hysterical laughter. It was the laughter of someone whose entire life had imploded in one night and now she was being told by a silver-haired man that he was a werewolf.
"Right," she gasped between laughs. "And I'm a fairy princess. We should get married and live in a magical castle forever."
"I'm serious," Rhys said quietly. "I know this is impossible to believe. A few hours ago, you didn't even know werewolves existed. But you need to understand something. You were brought here for a reason. A very important reason."
"The reason being what exactly?" Sage forced herself to stop laughing, to sound less insane. "Because from where I'm standing, this looks like kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment. Which are crimes. Real crimes. In the real world."
"The prophecy," Rhys said. "There's a curse on our kingdom. It's been killing our people for five years. Children. Families. Entire bloodlines. The only way to break the curse is through a Luna bond with the Alpha King."
"That's insane."
"Probably," Rhys agreed. He moved toward the bed and sat down carefully, not approaching her. "But it's our reality. And you're the one the prophecy identified. You're the Luna we've been searching for."
Sage felt her heartbeat getting faster again. Kidnapping. Castle. Werewolves. Prophecy. Luna. The words were starting to feel real in a terrifying way.
"My name is Sage Monroe," she said slowly, testing the words. "I'm a nurse from Seattle. I work at Harborview Medical Center. I don't know anything about prophecies or curses or werewolves. I want to go home."
"I know," Rhys said, and he actually sounded sympathetic. "I know this is overwhelming. I know you want to leave. But I need you to understand something. The Alpha King searched for you for five years. Our people are literally dying while waiting for you to be found. You're not just important to us. You're essential. You're survival."
The weight of that sat on her chest like a physical thing.
"If I'm so essential," Sage said carefully, "then why did you drug me in an alley? Why not just ask me? Why not explain this before kidnapping me?"
Rhys hesitated. "Because the Alpha couldn't risk you saying no. His people need you too much."
"So he kidnapped me instead." Sage's voice was ice. "That's the part where a normal person would realize this is insane and evil and they should run."
"You're right," Rhys said, and there was something in his tone that made her believe he meant it. "It was wrong. The Alpha knew it was wrong. But sometimes survival makes us do things we hate. Sometimes we become monsters to save the people we love."
The sincerity in his voice made Sage pause. He wasn't lying. He genuinely believed everything he was saying. That meant either she was hallucinating or this was actually real. Both options were terrible.
"Let me go," she said. "Please. I don't care about your kingdom or your curse or your prophecy. Let me go home."
"I can't." Rhys stood up. "The Alpha King will explain everything tomorrow. He'll answer all your questions. He'll tell you exactly what's happening and why you're here."
"And if I refuse? If I say no to all of this?"
Rhys was quiet for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was gentle but serious.
"Then the Alpha will keep you here until you say yes. Whether that takes days or months or years. He can't afford to let you go. Neither can we." He moved toward the door. "There's food on that table. Fresh water. Clean clothes in the wardrobe. Try to rest. I know it's impossible but try."
"Wait," Sage called out. "When does he want to see me? The Alpha King? What does he want?"
Rhys paused in the doorway. His expression was sad and final and absolutely certain.
"He wants to bond with you," Rhys said quietly. "The Luna bond. It happens tomorrow night. And Sage, I need you to understand what that means. After tomorrow, everything changes. Everything. You won't be the same person. The bond doesn't work that way."
"What do you mean I won't be the same person?" Sage's voice cracked. "What are you talking about?"
"Rest," Rhys said. "The Alpha will explain. He can tell you far better than I can. But eat something. Drink water. Sleep if you can. Because tomorrow changes everything."
He closed the door behind him.
The lock clicked.
Sage stood alone in the stone room and realized she was trapped.