📖 The Wolfless Luna
POV: Kate & Ryker
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🌘 Kate
The warmth of his hand shouldn't have felt this dangerous.
It seeped into her skin, radiating upward like sunlight spilling into a frozen room. It wasn't the kind of warmth that simply lingered on the surface — it sank deep, curling through her veins until it reached her pounding heart, and it made her dizzy.
She should let go. She needed to let go.
Because every omega knew better than to stand out, especially one without a wolf. The wrong eyes could strip you bare, peel away your dignity, and devour what was left.
But her fingers stayed where they were — tangled with his.
Ryker didn't pull her the way her former Alpha used to, didn't yank or shove or lead her with the impatient authority that said she was less than him. No, he simply walked forward, his long, confident strides carrying him through the stunned crowd, keeping her hand in his as if he'd always been meant to hold it. As if he had claimed her long before tonight.
Gasps rippled through the gathering like wind over tall grass.
Whispers hissed low, darting into her ears no matter how much she wished she could block them out.
> "She's wolfless…"
"The Alpha King can't possibly—"
"What's he thinking?"
Kate felt her cheeks burn under the weight of their stares. It was like being stripped bare in front of hundreds, the shame clinging to her like a second skin. Her instincts screamed at her to drop her head, to melt back into the shadows, to disappear where no one could see or speak her name again.
But disappearing wasn't an option — not with his grip steady around hers, not with the way the crowd parted for him. Wolves stepped aside without being told, bowing their heads slightly as he passed, though more than a few cut her sharp, unwelcoming looks.
She swallowed hard, her throat aching. Every step made her feel smaller and smaller… until she saw the gates.
They rose ahead of her like a dream carved in silver — two massive doors adorned with intricate lunar patterns, each phase of the moon captured in exquisite detail. The light from the torches shimmered over the polished metal, casting a glow that made the gates almost seem alive.
When the towering silver gates of the Eclipse Palace finally swung open, she froze. She had never seen anything so perfect. The marble steps gleamed under the torchlight, smooth and spotless. The air smelled faintly of cedarwood and something sharper, something colder — a scent that was distinctly his.
"This way," Ryker murmured, his voice low and steady, guiding her forward.
Inside, the warmth of the palace wrapped around her like a heavy blanket. The flicker of firelight danced along the polished stone walls, casting deep shadows that whispered of history, of power, of secrets kept for centuries.
She should have been looking at the tapestries that lined the hall — vast works of art depicting wolves beneath crescent moons, ancient battles fought under star-dotted skies — but her gaze kept straying to him. The cut of his jaw. The controlled strength in the way he moved. The way he didn't look at her as though she were less.
"Why…" Her voice cracked, too small against the vastness of the hall. "Why me?"
He glanced down, and for the briefest moment, his ice-blue eyes softened, losing the glint of the Alpha King and showing something quieter. Something meant only for her.
"Because you're mine."
The words sent a shiver racing down her spine. Not from fear this time — but from the weight of them. The certainty. The finality.
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🌒 Ryker
He could feel her trembling, every tiny movement traveling up his arm and striking at something primal inside him. The Mate Bond tugged at him relentlessly, pulling him toward her with a force he hadn't felt in years — not since the first time he caught her scent.
But she was frightened. And fear could make a mate run.
If she ran… he didn't trust himself not to give chase.
Her scent was faint, as though she'd spent her whole life trying to make herself smaller, quieter, easier to miss. But beneath that, there was something else — something older than him, older than the pack, something wild and untamed that curled around his senses and made his wolf sit up and take notice.
They stepped into the throne hall, where the high ceilings stretched into darkness. His Beta, Caden, stood waiting near the base of the dais, sharp-eyed as always.
When Caden's gaze landed on Kate, his brows shot up. "You found her?"
Ryker gave a single nod. "This is Kate. My mate."
Caden's eyes flickered to her again, quick and assessing, before returning to Ryker. His jaw tightened, a silent warning Ryker didn't appreciate.
> "She's wolfless," Caden murmured under his breath, for Ryker's ears alone.
> So? Ryker's wolf snarled. She's ours.
"She's mine," Ryker said aloud, his voice carrying easily through the cavernous room. The tone was hard enough to silence any thought of questioning him. "And she will be treated as such."
Kate's green eyes darted between them, confusion shadowing her delicate features. She didn't understand yet — not the bond, not the politics, not the danger she'd just stepped into.
He would explain. In time.
For now, she needed safety. Rest. Space away from wolves who would see her as nothing but weakness.
"You'll stay in my wing," he told her, his gaze steady. "No one enters without my permission."
Her eyes widened, a spark of protest there. "Your wing? I—"
"Yes," he cut in gently but firmly. "And tomorrow, Kate… we talk."
Her lips parted like she might argue, but then she nodded, as if sensing that whatever tomorrow brought, nothing would ever be the same.