By the time I reached home, dawn was bleeding across the horizon, painting the sky in shades of lavender and ash. My wrist still burned beneath the sleeve of my cloak, the faint shimmer of the mark refusing to fade. Every heartbeat was a reminder of the bond I didn't ask for.
I slipped inside our cottage quietly. The house was small just enough space for my brother, Rowan, and me since Father's exile. The scent of wood smoke clung to the air. I tiptoed past his door, praying he was still asleep.
No such luck.
"Where were you?" Rowan's voice sliced through the silence. He stood by the table, arms crossed, eyes sharp as flint. At twenty-six, he was already a commander in the Crescent Guard. And like every commander, he lived and breathed duty.
"I went to the Gathering," I said simply, keeping my hood on.
"I told you not to." His tone was sharp, threaded with something protective and frustrated all at once. "You know what they think of us. What if someone recognized you?"
I shrugged, though my heart was pounding. "It doesn't matter. Nothing happened."
He studied me for a long moment, suspicion flickering behind his grey eyes. "Take off the cloak."
"Rowan—"
"Now, Serenya."
I hesitated before pulling it off. The moment I did, his gaze fell to my wrist. The faint golden glow gave me away. His jaw locked. "No," he whispered. "Tell me it's not who I think it is."
I said nothing.
"Serenya!" His voice cracked like thunder. "Tell me the Moon didn't tie you to him!"
"I didn't choose this!" My voice broke before I could stop it. "The Goddess did. I wanted nothing to do with him—"
Rowan paced away, dragging his hands through his hair. "The Alpha of Bloodfang. The man who ruined Father. This is a curse, not a blessing."
The words stung because they were true.
He turned back to me, eyes fierce. "You're not going to him. I'll speak to the council maybe they can appeal to the Priestesses"
I shook my head. "You know they won't defy a bond. The Goddess's will is final."
Rowan's shoulders sagged, defeat flickering through his anger. "Then run. Leave the territory before he comes looking."
I froze. "Run? And go where?"
"Anywhere he can't reach you." His voice softened. "You're my sister, Ren. I won't let him claim you."
I wanted to believe that was possible. But deep down, I knew better. Alphas didn't ask for their mates. They took them. And Kael Draven didn't strike me as the kind to let anything he wanted slip away.
Before I could answer, a low growl echoed from outside.
Both our heads snapped toward the door.
"Stay here," Rowan ordered, drawing the dagger from his belt.
But I already knew. Even before the scent of pine and smoke drifted through the air. Even before the heavy knock rattled the walls.
He'd come.
The door swung open before Rowan could reach it. A tall figure stepped inside, his presence sucking the air out of the room. Black cloak, crimson eyes, and that same lethal calm.
Kael Draven.
Behind him stood two Bloodfang warriors, silent as shadows.
Rowan moved first, dagger raised. "You're not welcome here, Alpha."
Kael's gaze flicked over him, unimpressed. "Stand down, commander. I didn't come for you." His eyes shifted to me. And suddenly the world narrowed to nothing but his gaze and the mark that pulsed on my wrist in answer to his.
I swallowed hard. "How did you find me?"
"Did you really think you could hide from me?" His voice was smooth, deep, commanding. "The bond pulls, little wolf. I could find you in my sleep."
Rowan stepped between us. "If you think you can take her by force—"
Kael didn't even look at him. "You'll move, or you'll bleed."
"Try me," Rowan snarled.
In a blur, Kael moved too fast for human eyes. The dagger clattered to the floor as Kael twisted Rowan's arm behind his back, pinning him with effortless strength.
"Stop!" I shouted, rushing forward. "Please he's my brother!"
Kael's gaze flicked to me. His voice dropped, soft but deadly. "Then tell him to remember who he's defying."
"Let him go," I pleaded. "He's only trying to protect me."
Slowly, Kael released him. Rowan stumbled forward, clutching his arm, fury blazing in his eyes.
"This isn't over," he spat.
Kael ignored him. His attention was fixed solely on me. "You have until sundown to gather your things," he said. "You're coming with me."
My stomach twisted. "You can't just—"
"I can," he said simply. "You're my mate. You belong to me now."
The words were a chain around my throat. "I belong to no one," I whispered.
For the first time, something flickered in his eyes amusement, maybe admiration. "We'll see how long you can keep saying that."
He turned to leave, but his scent lingered like smoke. At the door, he paused. "Oh, and Serenya?" His gaze met mine, crimson burning with quiet promise. "If you try to run, I'll hunt you myself."
Then he was gone.
The silence he left behind was louder than any storm.
Rowan exhaled shakily. "Ren," he said, gripping my shoulders. "You can't go with him."
But my gaze was still fixed on the door. On the place where Kael had stood.
Because even through the fear, even through the hate… the bond pulsed again.
And it didn't feel like chains.
It felt like fire.
After Kael left, the cottage felt colder. The walls seemed thinner, the air heavier. Every sound the creak of the floorboards, the crackle of the dying fire pressed against my chest until I could barely breathe.
Rowan paced in front of me like a caged wolf. "You can't go with him, Serenya. He's not taking you."
"He's an Alpha, Rowan," I said quietly. "Do you think anyone will stop him?"
"I will."
His voice was hard, but his hands trembled. "I'll go to the Crescent Council. I'll tell them he's violating the old treaties—"
"They'll side with him," I cut in. "You know they will. No one challenges Bloodfang and lives to tell the tale."
He slammed his fist against the table. "Then I'll get you out myself."
My heart twisted. I wanted to believe him my brother, the soldier who'd always protected me, the only family I had left. But Kael's voice still lingered in my head like a curse: 'If you try to run, I'll hunt you myself.'
And I believed him. Every word.
Still, the thought of surrendering without a fight made my blood boil. "If I leave, I have to do it before sunset," I whispered. "Before he comes back."
Rowan's gaze snapped to mine. "You're serious?"
I nodded. "I won't be his possession, Rowan. Not after what he did to Father. I'd rather die free than live under his control."
Something fierce flickered in my brother's eyes pride, fear, maybe both. "Then we'll do it together."
He turned, grabbing a satchel from the wall and stuffing it with bread and water. "There's an old smuggler's route through the eastern woods," he said. "It leads beyond Bloodfang territory. You'll follow that path, keep north until you reach the river. After that, you'll be safe."
"What about you?" I asked, dread curling in my stomach.
"I'll stay," he said. "If he comes looking, he'll find me here. It'll buy you time."
"Rowan—"
"No arguments." He grabbed my shoulders. "Promise me, Serenya. If I fall, you don't come back."
I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood. "I promise."
Outside, the sun had begun its slow descent, bleeding crimson into the sky. I wrapped my cloak tightly around myself and stepped out, heart pounding so loudly it drowned out the wind. The forest loomed ahead ancient, dark, alive with whispers. I took one last look at the cottage, at Rowan standing tall in the doorway, and ran.
The air grew colder as I moved deeper into the woods. Shadows clung to every branch, and the scent of moss and pine filled my lungs. My legs ached, but I didn't stop. I couldn't.
Not until a sound froze me in place.
A howl. Low. Close.
Then another, sharper answering it.
My breath caught. No. Not already.
I broke into a sprint, weaving between trees, heart clawing at my ribs. Behind me, the howls grew louder. Closer.
They found me.
Branches tore at my cloak as I stumbled down a slope. The scent hit before I saw them Kael's warriors. Two shadows broke through the trees, moving with the fluid grace of predators. One shifted mid-stride, bones snapping, fur melting into skin.
"Alpha's orders," the taller one said, voice cold. "He said not to hurt you unless you make us."
I took a step back, gripping the dagger Rowan had slipped into my belt. "Tell your Alpha he'll have to find another plaything."
The second warrior a scarred woman with amber eyes laughed softly. "You think you can outrun him? You're his mate. He'll tear the world apart before he lets you go."
I didn't wait to hear more. I threw the dagger at the first one's arm and ran. He cursed, but I was already gone, crashing through the trees until the ground gave way beneath me and I fell.
Into a river.
The current swallowed me whole. I gasped as icy water surged around me, pulling me under, spinning me like a leaf in a storm. I fought to reach the surface, lungs burning, but the weight of my cloak dragged me down.
Then—
Strong hands. A flash of black.
And everything went dark.
When I woke, it was to the crackle of fire and the scent of smoke. My wrists were bound with leather, my cloak gone. I blinked groggily, vision swimming, until I saw him.
Kael.
He sat across the fire, one knee bent, eyes gleaming red in the glow. The sight of him sent a tremor through me. Calm. Dangerous. Beautiful in the cruelest way.
"I told you not to run," he said softly.
My throat ached. "You said I had until sundown."
He tilted his head. "It is sundown."
Anger flared through my fear. "Let me go, Kael. I don't want this."
"You think I do?" His voice hardened, but there was something raw beneath it frustration, maybe pain. "You think I asked for a mate tied to the blood of a traitor?"
I froze. "My father wasn't—"
"He betrayed the Council," Kael growled. "He fed our enemies information that cost lives."
"That's not true!" I shot back. "He was framed!"
Kael's gaze flickered to the fire. For a moment, I thought I saw something shift doubt, maybe. But it was gone as quickly as it came. "Believe what you will. It changes nothing."
He stood, moving closer. His scent pine, smoke, storm filled my head, dizzying. "You're mine, Serenya. Whether you hate me or not."
I met his gaze, heart pounding but chin lifted. "You can chain me, Alpha," I said quietly. "But you'll never own me."
For a heartbeat, silence hung between us. Then Kael's lips curved into the faintest smile. "We'll see."
He turned away, tossing another log into the fire. "Rest. We ride for Bloodfang at dawn."
And as the flames danced, I realized the truth that made my stomach twist
I wasn't the Alpha's chosen mate.
I was the Alpha's stolen one.