Sera's POV
The silver chains burned against my wrists as guards dragged me through the dungeon.
My head still throbbed from where Marcus had hit me. Every step sent pain shooting through my skull, but I forced myself to stay alert. Stay focused.
I wasn't dead yet. Which meant I still had a chance.
"Move faster," one guard grunted, shoving me forward.
I stumbled but caught myself. Through the narrow dungeon windows, I could see the chaos outside—Shadow Wolves circling the packhouse, warriors scrambling to defend, smoke rising from burning buildings.
All because of me. Or at least, that's what everyone thought.
We rounded a corner and stopped at a heavy iron door. Beyond it, I could hear voices. Angry voices.
"This is insane!" That was Lennox. "I won't hand over my mate like some bargaining chip!"
"You already gave the order, Alpha," Marcus replied smoothly. "The pack expects you to follow through."
"I changed my mind."
"Too late. The Shadow King is waiting. If we don't deliver Sera in five minutes, he attacks."
My heart leaped. Lennox had changed his mind? He wasn't going to hand me over?
But then another voice cut through—cold, commanding, and completely unfamiliar.
"Perhaps I can offer a solution."
The guards opened the door and pushed me inside.
I stumbled into a room full of pack leaders and warriors. Lennox stood at the center, his face a mask of barely controlled rage. Marcus lurked in the corner, his eyes glowing faintly red.
And standing directly in front of me was the most striking man I'd ever seen.
He was tall—even taller than Lennox—with silver-streaked black hair tied back from his face. Scars covered his arms and neck, marks of countless battles. But it was his eyes that captured me. Pure silver, like liquid moonlight.
The moment our eyes met, the world exploded.
A second mate bond slammed into me with the force of a lightning strike. This one was different from the bond with Lennox—cooler, steadier, like silver moonlight instead of burning fire.
Silver light erupted from both our bodies, filling the room with blinding brightness.
"Impossible," someone breathed.
When the light faded, the strange man stood frozen, staring at me with wide silver eyes.
"Mate," his wolf growled through him, the word echoing with power.
"No," I whispered. "No, this can't be happening."
But it was. I could feel it—the pull, the connection, the absolute certainty that this man was my mate.
My second mate.
"What is this?" Lennox's voice was deadly quiet. "What just happened?"
The silver-eyed man blinked, seeming to gather himself. When he spoke, his voice was smooth and controlled. "I am Alpha Kael Ashwood of the Moonstone Pack. And it appears the Moon Goddess has blessed me with a mate bond to Sera."
"That's impossible," Marcus said sharply. "She's already mated to Alpha Lennox."
"Clearly not impossible, since we all just witnessed it." Kael's silver eyes never left my face. "Two mate bonds. Extremely rare, but not unheard of. It happens when the Moon Goddess believes one mate alone cannot fulfill a wolf's destiny."
My head spun. Two mates? How was I supposed to handle one mate who'd already betrayed me, let alone two?
Lennox moved between us, his body radiating aggression. "She's mine. The bond formed first. You have no claim to her."
"The Moon Goddess disagrees." Kael's voice remained calm, but I saw steel beneath it. "I have as much claim as you do."
"Over my dead body."
"That can be arranged."
They faced off, two Alphas ready to tear each other apart. The temperature in the room dropped as their combined power filled the space.
"Stop!" I shouted. "Both of you, just stop!"
They turned to look at me, and I saw the same thing in both their eyes—possessive hunger. Territorial need. The instinct to claim and keep.
It made me want to run screaming.
"I don't have time for this," I said, fighting to keep my voice steady. "In case everyone forgot, the Shadow King is outside waiting to kill us all. Maybe we could focus on that instead of fighting over me like I'm a prize?"
Kael's expression shifted to something like respect. "She's right. The Shadow King takes priority."
"Fine," Lennox bit out. "But after this is over, we're discussing this bond situation."
"Agreed."
They both looked at me, and I felt trapped between two predators.
This was a nightmare. A complete nightmare.
Marcus cleared his throat. "As fascinating as this is, we still have a problem. The Shadow King wants Sera. Now we have two Alphas who refuse to give her up. Which means—"
"Which means we fight," Kael interrupted. "And we win."
"You don't even know this pack," Marcus argued. "Why would you risk your warriors for—"
"For my mate?" Kael's silver eyes flashed dangerously. "I would burn the world for her."
The intensity in his voice made my breath catch. This man I'd just met, this stranger whose bond I'd just felt for the first time—he was already willing to die for me.
It should have made me feel safe. Protected.
Instead, it terrified me.
Because I'd heard similar promises before. From Lennox. And we all knew how that turned out.
"I need to speak with Sera," Kael said suddenly. "Alone."
"Absolutely not," Lennox snapped.
"I'm not asking permission. I'm claiming my right as her mate to speak privately with her."
"Your right?" Lennox stepped forward, his wolf rising to the surface. "You've known her for five minutes!"
"And you've known her for weeks yet you were ready to hand her over to the Shadow King. Tell me, which of us values her more?"
Lennox flinched like he'd been struck.
The room went silent. Everyone stared at Kael in shock. No one challenged an Alpha like that. No one pointed out their failures so bluntly.
But Kael wasn't wrong. And everyone knew it.
"Fine," Lennox said through gritted teeth. "Five minutes. But I'm standing right outside this door."
He stormed out, warriors following. Marcus lingered, his red-tinged eyes studying both me and Kael with disturbing interest.
"Fascinating," Marcus murmured. "Two mates, ancient bloodlines, and powers awakening. The Shadow King will be very pleased."
"Get out," Kael said coldly.
Marcus smiled that snake smile and left.
The moment we were alone, Kael's entire demeanor changed. The aggressive Alpha mask dropped, replaced by intense curiosity.
"You're hiding something," he said, moving closer. "Something interesting."
I backed away. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, you do. I can feel it through our bond—secrets, pain, knowledge you shouldn't have." His silver eyes seemed to see right through me. "You move like a warrior. Like someone who's fought before. Like someone who's died before."
My heart stopped. "How—"
"Because I've seen it. The death mark. It's faint, almost invisible, but it's there in your aura. You died and came back." He tilted his head. "The question is: how?"
I couldn't breathe. This stranger, this man I'd just met, had figured out my biggest secret in minutes.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I repeated weakly.
Kael smiled—not cruel, but understanding. "It's okay. I'm not going to tell anyone. Your secret is safe." He paused. "I have secrets too. Like the fact that I'm not just an Alpha. I'm also a Shadow Hunter. Born to fight the darkness you're facing."
"The Shadow King," I whispered.
"Yes. He's my enemy too. Has been for a long time." Kael's expression hardened. "That's why I'm really here. Not for a pack alliance or trade negotiations. I came because I felt a disturbance—death magic and light magic colliding. I came to find the source."
"And you found me."
"And I found you. My mate. The Truthseeker who died and returned. The weapon the Shadow King wants to claim or destroy." His silver eyes glowed. "You're magnificent, Sera. Terrifying and magnificent."
No one had ever called me magnificent before. Broken, yes. Troubled, definitely. But magnificent?
It made something crack inside my chest.
"I can't do this," I said, tears burning my eyes. "I can't handle two mates. I can't handle any of this. I just want—"
"To survive," Kael finished gently. "I know. And I'm going to help you."
"Why? You don't even know me."
"I know enough. I know you're brave. I know you're fighting battles no one else can see. I know you're scared but refusing to break." He touched my cheek softly. "And I know that whatever happened to make you this way, whatever death you survived—you're not going through it alone this time."
The sincerity in his voice made tears spill over. This stranger understood me better than anyone.
A roar shook the building. The Shadow King was getting impatient.
"We're out of time," Kael said. "But Sera, I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"
I looked into his silver eyes and saw no deception. No lies. Just honest concern and determination.
My Truthseeker power hummed softly. No buzzing. He was telling the truth.
"I'll try," I whispered.
"That's good enough for now." He smiled. "Come on. Let's go save your pack."
We walked toward the door together. Just before Kael opened it, he stopped and looked back at me.
"One more thing. That other Alpha—Lennox. Did he hurt you? In your past life?"
I froze. "How did you—"
"Just answer the question."
"He... he sentenced me to death. Watched me die."
Kael's silver eyes flashed with rage. "Then I'll make sure he never gets the chance again."
He opened the door and we stepped into chaos.
Lennox was fighting Marcus. Actually fighting him, fists flying, both men bleeding.
"He's possessed!" Elena screamed. "Marcus is fully possessed by the Shadow King!"
Marcus's eyes glowed pure red now, and when he smiled, I saw fangs that weren't wolf.
"Time's up," Marcus said in a voice that wasn't his. "The Shadow King says if you won't give her willingly, he'll take her by force."
Shadows exploded from Marcus's body, reaching for me like claws.
Kael shoved me behind him, silver light blazing from his hands.
But the shadows were faster.
They wrapped around my throat, choking me, dragging me backward through a portal that opened in the floor.
"SERA!" both Lennox and Kael shouted.
I tried to scream but couldn't breathe. The portal swallowed me whole, and the last thing I saw was both my mates reaching for me.
Then darkness. Complete darkness.
When I could breathe again, I was somewhere else. Somewhere cold and wrong.
The Shadow King stood before me, wearing my father's face.
"Welcome home, daughter. Let's begin your transformation."