The second their lips broke apart, the world changed.
The wind snapped back through the trees like a whip. The stars pulsed overhead. And the Moon herself—silent, watching—seemed to glow brighter. As if witnessing something sacred.
Min SUGA staggered a step back, clutching his chest. His Alpha Mark was no longer glowing red.
It was gold.
Bonded. Completed. Unbreakable.
"It's done," he whispered. "The curse…"
"It's broken," Luna confirmed. "The Goddess accepted us."
But the relief? It didn't last.
The ground trembled.
SUGA's eyes snapped up. Luna's wolf flared in alarm.
"They're coming," he muttered. "They felt the bond seal."
"Your pack?"
"No," he growled. "Yours."
And then—
A screech tore through the night. Not a wolf. A hawk—a Silverhollow war hawk, enchanted for one purpose: to signal blood.
"The council found me," Luna hissed. "They know I'm with you."
SUGA moved instantly. "We run."
"You're an Alpha. You don't run."
"Correction," he snapped, grabbing her hand. "We don't run. We fight."
But they were too late.
Within minutes, wolves poured into the clearing—gray coats, glowing eyes, silver blades strapped to their backs. Luna recognized each face. Warriors. Council guards. Even—
"Aster," she whispered, seeing her cousin step forward. "You led them here?"
"I had to," Aster said, voice cold. "You've been compromised. That bond is illegal."
"It's fated—"
"It's forbidden!" Aster barked. "The Bloodshade Alpha line was cursed for a reason. Now you've brought him into our territory—into our bloodline!"
SUGA's growl was low and lethal. "If you try to take her, you'll have to go through me."
Aster scoffed. "We planned on it."
The guards lunged.
Luna shifted mid-sprint—her silver wolf form crackling with energy she hadn't even known she had. SUGA exploded beside her, full Alpha black-wolf shift, his growl loud enough to crack bark.
The clearing became chaos.
Claws. Blood. Teeth.
But even outnumbered, Luna and SUGA fought like they were one. Every move synced. Every strike connected. Bonded mates weren't just lovers—they were weapons.
But the Silverhollow guards didn't stop.
Not until a silver blade finally caught SUGA across the shoulder—deep. Brutal. He hit the ground with a snarl, blood staining the dirt.
"NO!" Luna screamed.
Her wolf snapped.
Eyes blinding. Body glowing. The Moon Priestess power surged—her form shifting again, more than wolf, more than girl. Something divine.
The guards froze.
"You hurt my mate," she growled, voice echoing unnaturally. "That was your last mistake."
She raised a hand, palm lit with silver light—raw lunar magic. The air screamed around her. Even Aster staggered back.
"Luna, stop!" he shouted. "You don't know what you're—"
But she did.
And she let the light fly.