The chamber was too beautiful to belong to her.
Evelyn stood in the middle of the room, her eyes tracing the velvet drapes that shimmered like spilled ink, the gilded carvings that crawled across the black marble walls, the silver candelabras that filled the space with trembling light. A great bed lay against the far wall, dressed in silks so fine they seemed spun by moonlight.
It would have been a dream. But to her, it felt like a prison.
The door shut behind her with a heavy thud, sealing her away from the laughter and whispers of the Great Hall. She swallowed hard, her hands twisting in her lap. Servants had left her moments ago, bowing low and murmuring titles she couldn't bear to hear.
My Lady.
Future Queen.
The words stuck in her throat like thorns.
She turned, pacing. The windows were tall and arched, but iron lattices barred them. Beyond, the moon poured silver light over the fortress walls, illuminating watchtowers and soldiers stationed like statues.
She was trapped. Even if she ran, where would she go?
Her fingers brushed her neck. No visible mark, and yet the bond pulsed in her veins, humming like a tether that led straight to him. The King. The predator who had claimed her.
A sound behind her made her start.
She spun.
Darius Blackthorn leaned against the doorway, watching her with golden eyes that glowed faintly in the dim light. He had shed his armor, though his broad shoulders and towering frame made him no less imposing. In simple black, he looked even more dangerous like shadow given form.
"You pace like a caged wolf," he said, his voice smooth and deep.
Evelyn's breath caught. "That's what I am here, isn't it? Caged."
Something flickered in his gaze. Amusement. Or perhaps a warning.
"You think I will need to cage you?" He stepped closer, each movement fluid, predatory. If you wanted to run, little one, the bond would bring you back to me. Always."
Her chest tightened. "That's not freedom."
"No," he agreed softly. "It's fate."
The air between them thickened, charged with something unspoken. Evelyn took a step back, her pulse racing as he closed the distance. His scent, smoke, pine, something darker wrapped around her, intoxicating and terrifying at once.
When he reached her, his hand rose, fingers brushing her jaw. She stiffened, every nerve sparking under his touch.
"You stood tall today," he murmured. Even when the court tries to tear you down. Even when Selene bared her fangs.
Evelyn's throat worked. "I was terrified."
"Good." His lips curved faintly. Fear makes you sharp. A Queen must be sharp.
"I never asked to be a Queen," she whispered.
His thumb lingered at her chin, tilting her face up until her eyes met his. His gaze was fire and hunger, but beneath it something steadier. Something she didn't dare name.
"Neither did I ask to be King," he said softly. "But fate doesn't care what we ask for."
Her breath hitched. For the briefest heartbeat, she saw something human in him. Not the ruthless Alpha King, but a man forged from burdens too heavy for mortal shoulders.
The moment shattered as he stepped back, breaking the spell.
"Rest, Evelyn," he commanded. Tomorrow, the court will test you again. You'll need your strength.
She should have been relieved. But as he turned to leave, her chest ached in ways she didn't understand.
Before she could stop herself, she called out. "Why me?"
He paused, hand on the doorframe, his back to her. His shoulders tensed, then slowly relaxed.
"Because the Moon chose you," he said at last. "And because when I saw you under its light… I knew you were mine."
Then he was gone.
Evelyn sank onto the bed, her heart pounding wildly. His words burned through her, frightening and intoxicating all at once. She buried her face in her hands.
She had to resist him. She had to.
But the bond whispered otherwise.
The next morning, the fortress hummed with whispers. Evelyn caught them as she was led through the halls by a young servant girl named Liora.
"She's too fragile."
"She's no wolf at all."
"The King will tire of her, as he did the others."
"No. He called her his mate. That bond cannot be broken."
Their voices were blades, cutting deeper than they knew. Evelyn held her head high, though her insides churned.
Liora glanced at her nervously. "Pay them no mind, my lady. They fear what they do not understand."
Evelyn almost laughed. So do I.
That afternoon, she was summoned to the Temple of the Moon, deep within the fortress. The chamber glowed with silver light, the air thick with incense. There, upon a dais, sat the Seer of Blackthorn.
An ancient woman, blind but not sightless, her eyes pale as moonstone.
The Seer's voice was a whisper and a roar all at once. "The bond has awakened."
Evelyn's blood chilled. "I don't understand."
The Seer tilted her head. "You will. The Moon's gift is never without purpose. You are not here to be caged, child. You are here to change him. Or to destroy him."
Evelyn's breath caught. Change him? Destroy him? She shook her head. "No. I'm no one. I'm nothing."
The Seer's lips curved faintly. "You were no one. But now you are the Alpha's heart. And where the heart goes, the kingdom follows."
Before Evelyn could speak, the Seer's eyes rolled back, her voice deepening into prophecy.
"The mate will stand at the Alpha's side. She will be his salvation… or his ruin. Through her, the kingdom will rise or burn."
The chamber fell silent. Evelyn trembled, her breath shallow. She didn't want to be salvation. She didn't want to be ruined. She just wanted her life back.
But fate didn't care.
That night, as Evelyn returned to her chamber, she found her door ajar. Her stomach tightened. Slowly, she pushed it open.
The candles had been snuffed out. The air smelled faintly of roses and venom.
And there, seated in her chair as though it belonged to her, was Lady Selene.
"Good evening, my lady," Selene drawled, her smile sharp as glass. "I thought it was time we spoke… privately."
Evelyn's pulse spiked. She had survived the court's whispers, the King's fire, and the Seer's prophecy.
But now, face to face with her rival, she knew this was only the beginning.