Chapter One
KATHY
The wind caught at the hem of my red flowing dress as I stepped out of the sleek black car, the guards’ strong hands steadying me. Silk whispered against my skin.
The air was thick with perfume and envy. By the mansion’s grand entrance, a cluster of girls tilted their heads toward me, their whispers slicing through the evening like silver threads.
They didn’t know I could hear everything. A gift from the Moon Goddess herself—one I had learned to treasure, and at times, curse.
"Isn’t she beautiful?" one murmured, awe painting her voice.
"Her dress is too casual," another scoffed, her tone like brittle glass.
I smiled—slow, knowing. Attention came easily; it always had. And tonight, I wore it like a crown.
Inside, the ballroom swelled with music and murmurs. The mating ceremony had begun—hands clasped, eyes locked, bonds forming in the air like invisible threads. Some already glowed with the new, fierce light of connection.
I let my hips sway lazily as I drifted through the crowd, my fingers tightening around the folds of my dress. The scar on my shoulder peeked through, and I pulled the sleeve higher, hiding it from curious eyes.
The men moved like hunters—prowling, posturing—while the women played at disinterest. I found it all amusing, but beneath the surface, there was a primal pull to the ritual.
Boredom gnawed at me. So I slipped away.
The garden behind the mansion was a pocket of quiet in the chaos. Lanterns spilled soft light over roses heavy with fragrance. I trailed my fingertips over velvety petals, wondering how they could smell so intoxicating even at night.
That’s when I felt it—
A shift in the air.
A presence behind me.
My pulse quickened. I stilled, listening, every sense sharpening.
"Mate!" My wolf’s voice crashed into my mind, wild and insistent. Again. Louder. "Mate!"
My knees weakened, and I gripped the cold iron railing for balance.
"Are you… are you okay?" A deep voice rolled from behind me, startling me into turning.
Our eyes met—and the world seemed to stop.
Time. Breath. Everything suspended in the magnetic pull between us.
"Mate?" he whispered, disbelief shadowing his face.
My wolf surged with joy, clawing at my control. My fists clenched, fighting her back. Useless.
He closed the distance with slow, deliberate steps, his gaze never breaking from mine. His scent—rich, heady, intoxicating—wrapped around me. Heat flared in my blood.
When his fingers brushed my cheek, I closed my eyes and nearly drowned in the sensation. My breath came faster. My control slipped.
Then his lips were on mine.
It wasn’t a gentle kiss—it was possession. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me flush against him. My heart pounded so hard it hurt.
This wasn’t just any man.
This was the new Alpha. The son of the late Alpha.
The Moon Goddess had a cruel sense of humor.
Desire and fear warred inside me. My body ached for him. My wolf howled for him.
And when he lifted me into his arms, carrying me from the garden, I didn’t resist.
Up the sweeping staircase, his scent grew stronger, wrapping around me like a dangerous promise. My head throbbed with the pressure of the bond, every step toward his chambers tightening its hold on me.
Inside, he set me gently on a king-sized bed, his touch both reverent and claiming. His fingers slid down my thighs, slow enough to make me shiver.
The world outside no longer existed. Only him. Only us.
Only the fire the Moon Goddess had set alight.