Chapter 1
In the depths of my underground laboratory, candlelight flickered unsteadily, casting shadows of ancient runes across stone walls.
I bent over the ancient scroll, my amber eyes reflecting the flame's glow as I studied the mysterious symbols.
"The pure inheritor of the moon goddess bloodline shall awaken true power under the full moon..." I whispered the ancient text, my brow deeply furrowed.
My quill scratched rapidly across paper, recording crucial information when suddenly—
The sharp nib sliced across my fingertip! A single drop of blood fell instantly, landing directly upon the prophecy stone that gleamed at the center of my desk.
Silver light erupted in a blinding flash! The entire laboratory blazed bright as daylight!
I gasped, watching in stunned disbelief as the prophecy stone's surface revealed intricate moon goddess markings!
"This can't be possible..." My voice trembled as I stared at the impossible sight before me. "The prophecies said the moon goddess bloodline was extinct..."
I was the legendary lost inheritor of the moon goddess bloodline!
Terror flooded through me like ice water. I frantically gathered the prophecy stone, my heart thundering: "If the chieftain discovers this secret..."
In our clan, possessing the moon goddess blood meant endless responsibilities and constraints—it meant never escaping the whirlpool of bloodline politics.
The tense atmosphere in the chieftain's hall the next morning filled me with dread.
I stood among the crowd, still reeling from last night's revelation.
The chieftain's imposing figure appeared on the throne, his commanding presence instantly silencing all sound in the hall.
"My people!" The chieftain's voice boomed like thunder through the hall. "I have momentous news to announce!"
"Moira..." His voice carried fury and disappointment, each word striking like hammer blows. "My heir, possessor of pure moon goddess blood, has secretly pledged herself to a human scholar, completely betraying our lupine traditions!"
What?!
Gasps erupted throughout the hall! My sister... how dare she do this?
"To save our clan from the moon goddess's curse," the chieftain's gaze pierced through me like a blade, his authority crushing down like a mountain, "I command Isla to immediately perform the blood bond ceremony with young Alpha Rowan!"
In that instant, my entire world collapsed.
The chieftain continued, "Bloodline cannot be defied! The moon goddess's will cannot be resisted! You are Moira's sister, possessing the same bloodline heritage—you must shoulder this responsibility!"
I tried to argue.
The chieftain cut me off, "This is an order, not a discussion!"
"Tonight at the full moon, the blood bond ceremony will proceed as scheduled." The chieftain's final words fell like a death sentence.
That evening, seething with anger and despair, I pushed open Moira's chamber door.
The room lay shrouded in darkness, curtains drawn tight. Moira sat on her bed's edge, silver-white hair cascading disheveled over her shoulders, ice-blue eyes brimming with tears.
Seeing me, she immediately broke down.
"Isla..." She rushed toward me, sobbing. "I'm sorry! This is all my fault! I've ruined your life!"
I watched her coldly, suppressing the fury in my heart: "Yes, you certainly have ruined everything."
"I know I'm selfish!" Moira clutched my hands desperately, her nails digging into my skin. "I knew the chieftain would make you replace me, but I still chose to run away! I love that human—I can't live without him!"
"Love?" My voice cut like an icy blade. "Do you know what the price of your love is? It's my entire life!"
Moira's sobs intensified, tears falling like broken pearls: "Isla, the chieftain is right—we're sisters, you understand my heart best... Please, I beg you to take care of Rowan for me. He's a good man, worthy of love..."
"Take care of Rowan?" My voice was almost a roar. "You mean, love a man whose heart belongs only to you? Live forever in your shadow?"
"What about me?" I demanded coldly, each word dripping with frost. "What about my life? My dreams?"
Moira sobbed: "Rowan watched you grow up—he would never hurt you... Perhaps time will help you both..."
My anger reached its peak: I never sought love, only freedom to pursue my research, but now even that will be stripped away!
Seeing my sister's tear-streaked face, I finally chose silence. Not from forgiveness, but from utter despair.
This was the curse of bloodline.
The ancient moon goddess altar appeared solemn and sacred under brilliant moonlight.
Footsteps echoed from the distance.
Rowan approached the altar in white ceremonial robes. His handsome features appeared pale in the moonlight, silver-gray eyes filled with anguish and resignation.
When our gazes met, I saw the same resistance and anger reflected back. We were both sacrifices to this bloodline politics.
The moon priestess emerged from the shadows, holding a silver ceremonial blade, her voice resonating like ancient bells: "In the moon goddess's name, blood connects, souls merge, life and death united!"
Rowan and I each extended our wrists. The sharp blade sliced across skin, blood slowly dripping into the central silver chalice. Watching my blood merge with his, I felt unprecedented humiliation.
"Drink each other's blood to establish eternal covenant." The priestess offered us the chalice.
Rowan drank first, then passed the cup to me. He whispered softly: "I will try to be a good mate, even though my heart..."
"I understand." I took the chalice calmly, amber eyes flashing with cold light in the moonbeams. "We are both prisoners of fate."
As that warm blood flowed down my throat—
An unprecedented force crashed through my soul!
I felt my consciousness battered by some immense power, Rowan's emotions flooding my mind like a tidal wave—pain, longing, guilt, duty...
Rowan's eyes widened simultaneously, clearly experiencing the same intense shock.
This connection... far exceeded the scope of ordinary blood bonds!
"The ceremony is complete!" the priestess proclaimed loudly. "Moon goddess witness—the blood bond is eternal!"
But Rowan and I remained absorbed in that shocking connection, unable to recover for a long moment.
After the ceremony, Rowan and I walked side by side toward his dwelling, maintaining an arm's distance between us, neither speaking.
The blood bond's connection allowed me to clearly sense his complex emotions—longing for Moira, resistance to this forced marriage, and a confusion I couldn't comprehend.
Reaching his doorway, Rowan stopped awkwardly: "You may use the master bedroom. I'll stay in the study."
"Unnecessary." My voice sounded heartbreakingly calm. "We both know this is merely a formal union."
I turned and entered the house, leaving him standing alone in the moonlight.