Aurelia felt herself moving before she even opened her eyes. Strong arms held her against a rock-hard chest. The smell of pine and something wild filled her nose. Not the smell of her house. Not the smell of the forest she knew. Her eyes shot open. She was being carried through the woods by the man who had broken into her home. Alpha Cazriel. His face was like stone, looking straight ahead as he walked with long, powerful strides. The mate bond hummed between them like an electric current, making her skin tingle wherever their bodies touched. Her wolf was oddly quiet now, happy to be near him. But Aurelia was not. "Put me down!" she shouted, pushing against his chest. His ice-blue eyes flickered down to her face. "You're awake." His voice was deep and calm, as if dragging struggling women through the forest was something he did every day.
"Put. Me. Down." Aurelia punched his shoulder, but it was like hitting a wall. "No." That one word, spoken without anger or force, still somehow felt heavier than a mountain. This was a man used to being followed without question. "Where are you taking me?" Aurelia urged, trying to look around. Nothing but trees and unfamiliar trails. "Home." "That cabin back there is my home!" Cazriel's jaw clenched. "Your home is with me now. With the Silverfang Pack. Where my mate belongs." Aurelia's heart pounded against her ribs. This couldn't be happening. Ten years of building a life alone, of learning to live without anyone's help, and now this stranger thought he could just claim her? "I'm not going to your pack," she hissed. "I'm a rogue. I don't belong to anyone." For the first time, feeling flashed across Cazriel's face – a spark of anger in those icy eyes. "You're my mate. The Luna of Silverfang. And you will come home with me whether you like it or not." Aurelia saw her chance when his grip loosened slightly. She twisted fiercely, breaking free from his arms. The moment her feet hit the ground, she ran. She was fast, years of hunting and living had made her quick. Her legs pumped as she dodged trees and jumped over fallen logs. Freedom was just ahead. She could disappear, find a new region, start over— A black blur shot past her. Suddenly Cazriel stood in her way, arms crossed, not even breathing hard. "Are you done?" Aurelia slid to a stop. "How did you—"
"I'm an Alpha," he said simply, as if that answered everything. She turned to run in a different direction, but his hand clamped around her wrist. His touch sent waves of heat up her arm. "Stop fighting what can't be changed," he said, his voice softer now. "The mate tie is already formed. Fighting it only hurts us both." "I don't care!" Aurelia yanked at her arm, but his grip was unbreakable. "I'm not pack stuff. I've been alone for years. I like it that way." Something shifted in Cazriel's face. Was that... understanding? But it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "Your father is Alpha Alder Mooncrest," he stated. "You're not just any thief. You're pack-born." Aurelia froze. "How do you know who I am?" "I make it my business to know everything happening in these territories." He started walking again, pulling her alongside him. "Including a pack Alpha's daughter living as a rogue for ten years." "My father doesn't want me," Aurelia spat. "He made that very clear when Lyanna died." Cazriel's eyes slid to her face. "The sister who drowned. I heard about that." Anger flared in Aurelia's chest. "Is there anything you don't know about me?" "I know your father is a fool," Cazriel said simply. "No Alpha throws away their own blood. Especially not their mate's kid." Aurelia stumbled. "My mother died when I was five. How could she be your mate?" Cazriel's mouth twitched.
"Not my mate. Yours. You're my mate's daughter."
"That doesn't make sense—" "It makes great sense. The Moon Goddess picks our mates for a reason." Aurelia wanted to scream. Everything about this man made her want to run far away and move closer at the same time. The mate bond pulled at her heart even as her mind fought against it. "I won't be happy in a pack," she warned. "Happy isn't my business. Safe is." Cazriel's voice hardened. "These woods aren't safe for a lone wolf anymore. Things are changing. Packs are getting desperate." "I can take care of myself." "Like you did when I found you collapsed on your floor?" Aurelia clenched her teeth. "That was because of this stupid bond!" They reached a clearing, and Aurelia gasped.
A sleek black SUV waited on a narrow country road. A tall man with a scar across his face stood beside it. "Alpha," the man nodded respectfully. "You found her." "Did you doubt I would, Kane?" Cazriel asked, a dangerous edge to his words. "Never, sir." Kane opened the back door. His eyes widened slightly when he saw Aurelia. "Is this—?" "My mate," Cazriel confirmed. "Luna Aurelia." The title felt wrong. Foreign. Like someone else's clothes that didn't fit. "I'm not a Luna," she protested as Cazriel guided her firmly toward the car. "You are now." Inside the car, Aurelia pressed herself against the door, as far from Cazriel as possible. The leather seats smelled new and expensive. For a girl who'd slept on forest floors and in abandoned houses for years, it felt alien. "How far?" she asked, hating how small her voice sounded. "Two hours to Silverfang territory," Cazriel answered. "Another hour to the main house." Three hours stuck with this man. Three hours before she'd be surrounded by a pack of strangers who would expect her to be something she wasn't. Cazriel studied her face. "You're scared." "I'm not," she lied. "Your heart is beating. I can hear it." Of course he could. Alphas had heightened senses, beyond even normal werewolves. "Wouldn't you be scared?" she shot back. "If someone kidnapped you and said you had to live with them forever?" A muscle twitched in his chin. "This isn't theft. It's destiny." "Same thing when you don't get a choice."
For a moment, something like regret flickered across his face. Then the stone mask returned. "The pack needs a Luna," he said. "And whether you believe it or not, you need a pack." The car started moving. Trees blurred past the window as Aurelia's old life disappeared behind them. She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. She wouldn't cry. Not in front of him. "What if I run away?" she asked. "As soon as we get there?" Cazriel's eyes met hers, and for the first time, she saw the full power of the Alpha in them – bright, almost glowing with dominance. "You won't get far," he said quietly. "And next time, I won't be so gentle finding you." A shiver ran down Aurelia's spine. Not fear exactly. Something deeper. The mate bond recognizing his strength, his drive. "You can't force me to love you," she whispered. Cazriel turned to look out the window, his face sharp against the morning light. "I don't need your love, Aurelia Mooncrest," he said, his voice cold enough to freeze blood. "I just need your presence. The pack needs their Luna. What you feel about it doesn't matter." The words stung worse than she expected. Even as her mind told her this was good – he didn't want her love, just her title – her heart ached weirdly. As the car sped toward Silverfang's territory, Aurelia watched her freedom vanish with each passing mile. But a tiny flame of resistance still burned in her chest. She might be his mate, but she would never be his slave. And the moment she saw a chance to leave, she'd take it. What she didn't know was that Cazriel was watching her from the corner of his eye, seeing every feeling cross her face. And what she couldn't see was the thin smile that curved his lips as he recognized the fire in her spirit. The same fire he'd spent years looking for in a mate. The same fire he planned to tame.