In their wolf forms, Tanner leads the way through the hallways of the pack house, his stride confident and unbothered.
Jess follows close behind, paws thudding against the polished floor. He should be thinking of an escape, but every hallway, every corridor, is guarded.
There's no opening, no chance.
So he trails Tanner silently, heart thudding louder than his steps.
They stop before a tall, polished door. A guard opens it without a word, and Tanner steps inside without hesitation.
Jess freezes.
His paws remain rooted to the spot as he stares at the threshold. That room. That man. Just the two of them.
What about when they shift back?
His mind races. If he shifts, Tanner will see him. See everything.
But then a flicker of defiance sparks in his chest. So what? He's done hiding. If he's going to die, at least it will be on his terms, with truth on his side.
If Tanner kills him for being who he is, then let it happen. Let the so-called Alpha carry the guilt of destroying his fated mate. Let him suffer the Moon Goddess's wrath.
Jess enters.
The door shuts behind him, and in a breath, Tanner shifts. His human form takes shape: tall, broad, muscles taut and carved like stone. Unashamed. Radiant with power.
Jess's wolf body tenses.
Heat flares beneath his fur. He tries to look away, but can't. His eyes lock onto Tanner, refusing to budge.
His heart pounds, and his thoughts spiral with wild, shameful hunger. He imagines Tanner pinning him, skin pressed against skin, mouth to mouth, his hands exploring him with raw, unchecked need.
And worse... he wants it.
"Love what you see?" Tanner teases, his voice thick with amusement and something darker. "That's what I was talking about, see? Don't worry, I'm all yours. Come on, shift back."
Jess flinches.
"Shift back," Tanner repeats, more gently this time.
But Jess doesn't move.
Tanner steps toward him, slowly, deliberately. Jess instinctively retreats a step, heart slamming against his ribs. But then a knock comes on the door.
The tension snaps.
Tanner sighs, mutters something under his breath, and slips into a pair of pants before opening the door.
Several servants spill in, carrying bags and linens. "Alpha..." They bow.
Tanner nodes slightly his eyes pinned on them.
"Alpha Marreck instructs we prepare the Luna," one says briskly. "He says that he wants the wedding to start in a few hours."
Shit.
Jess's mind spins. He spots a bathroom in the corner of the room and darts into it. Safe for now. He shifts quickly, skin prickling as he changes, muscles reforming.
The door stays closed behind him. He hears movement, footsteps, and voices. Then Tanner's scent faintly fades.
Tanner must be gone.
"Luna?" a soft voice calls through the door.
Jess extends a hand. "Just give me the clothes. I'll dress myself." he says, still feigning a high pitch voice, though very compelling.
There's a brief argument among the servants, then one of them reluctantly slides the garments through the door.
Jess dresses in silence, fingers fumbling on buttons. His reflection stares back from the bathroom mirror, a stranger wearing silk. A stranger moments away from marrying a man who would rather burn the world than touch a man.
"Maybe this is it," Jess whispers. "Maybe the Moon Goddess brought me here just to get him killed, just like he was supposed to, years ago. So no more hiding. No more running. This is the end."
His voice trembles, but his eyes don't.
"I'll stop fighting it. Let whatever's meant to happen, happen. If I die tonight, at least I die knowing he'll suffer for it."
He laughs softly, bitterly. "Oh, he will suffer."
He leans closer to the mirror, voice low, a private promise: "And Before he finds out, probably on our wedding night, I'm going to make sure we kiss, touch, and fall into something that feels so real he won't be able to stop himself.
I'll let him think he needs nothing else but this person in bed with, that that is all he needs, that that person is the one he wanted.
I'll let him take me to the edge of it all, right up to the moment he's completely wrapped in me.
Then I'll let him undress me. I won't stop him. Then... Boom!" Jess claps once, a sharp, final sound. "The truth. He's touched a man. Kissed a man. Desired a man. He'll see exactly who and what he's been craving."
"Can't wait to see his face. At that moment he realizes it, realizes that he kissed a man, touched a man, wanted a man... it'll tear him apart. That guilt, that horror, that shame! It'll eat him alive. He'll hate himself for ever wanting me, and even if he kills me..." A wicked smirk pulls at his lips. "I'll die knowing I destroyed the mighty Alpha Hale without even lifting a finger."
Suddenly a knock pulls him out of his thoughts.
"Luna, are you dressed? Alpha Marreck has sent for you. The ceremony is beginning. Everyone is waiting."
Jess closes his eyes, one last deep breath. He opens the door.
The women descend on him instantly, fixing his hair, adjusting his collar, dusting powder on his cheeks. Their chatter is low and hurried. They guide him through the hallways like he's royalty.
But his heart is anything but steady.
When they step outside the pack house, Jess freezes.
The clearing is packed. Wolves... hundreds of them cheering, clapping, watching him. Where had they all come from?
The aisle stretches long and wide, red.
He walks, slow and steady, each step echoing in his chest.
Then he sees him.
Tanner.
Waiting at the front, tall and proud, but restless. His eyes are locked on Jess like the world depends on it. There's disbelief in them. Hunger. Awe.
He doesn't blink.
Jess swallows hard. He walks closer, feet dragging him toward the man who will either ruin him or be ruined by him.
Maybe both.