Aria's POV
Mrs. Chen's cottage sits at the very edge of Silvercrest territory, so close to the boundary that you can smell the wild forest beyond.
Lyra and I approach carefully. The old healer has a reputation for being... unpredictable. Some say she went a little crazy after the pack forced her to sell her family land. Others say she was always crazy and that's why she lives alone.
Either way, she's our only hope.
Lyra knocks on the weathered door. We wait in tense silence.
Nothing.
She knocks harder. "Mrs. Chen? It's Lyra Nightshade. I need your help with—"
The door flies open.
A tiny old woman stands there, barely five feet tall, her silver hair wild around her face. Her eyes—sharp and knowing—sweep over us.
"Rogue wolf and the rejected mate," she says, her voice raspy. "Interesting combination. What do you want?"
I'm too surprised by her directness to answer, but Lyra doesn't miss a beat.
"We need sacred oil. Blessed within the last day. And we need you not to ask questions."
Mrs. Chen's eyes narrow. "Sacred oil blessed recently. On the night of the Blood Moon." Her gaze shifts to me. "You're planning something stupid, aren't you, girl?"
"I'm planning to be free," I say quietly.
The old woman studies me for a long moment. Then she laughs—a cackling sound that makes my skin prickle.
"Free. From him." She spits the word like poison. "The golden Alpha who thinks he's gods' gift to wolves. The boy who took my land and smiled while doing it." Her expression sharpens. "You're going to break the bond."
It's not a question.
"Yes," I admit.
"With blood magic."
"Yes."
Mrs. Chen's smile is unsettling. "Good. That family has taken enough from enough people. Time someone took something back." She disappears into her cottage, returning moments later with a small crystal vial filled with shimmering oil.
"Blessed it this morning," she says, pressing it into my hands. "Had a feeling someone would need it."
"How much do I owe you?" I ask.
"Nothing. Watching Damien Silvercrest lose his rejected mate to her own power? That's payment enough." She grabs my wrist suddenly, her grip surprisingly strong. "But girl—listen to me. The Blood Moon doesn't just break bonds. It reveals truth. Whatever you are, whatever you've been hiding even from yourself, the moon will drag it into the light. Are you ready for that?"
A chill runs down my spine. "What do you mean, whatever I am?"
"Your mother has been feeding you suppression herbs since birth," Mrs. Chen says bluntly. "I can smell them in your blood. She's hiding something about you. Something big. The ritual will break more than just your bond with Damien."
My mind reels. "My mother has been... suppressing me?"
"Ask her yourself. Or don't. Either way, you'll know the truth by morning—if you survive." Mrs. Chen releases my wrist and steps back. "Now go. You don't have much time."
Lyra and I stumble away from the cottage in shocked silence.
"Did she just say your mom has been drugging you?" Lyra finally asks.
"I don't know. Maybe she is crazy." But my hand unconsciously goes to my collarbone, where I've been noticing a strange mark appearing over the last few weeks—a silver crescent that seems to glow faintly at night.
I've been ignoring it, telling myself it's just stress.
But what if it's something else?
"We can deal with your mom's secrets later," Lyra says firmly. "Right now, we need to get you to the Forbidden Grove. It's almost eight—Damien's party is starting."
As if summoned by his name, pain lances through my chest. Through the bond, I feel Damien's joy spike. The party has begun. He's surrounded by pack members, all congratulating him and Celeste.
And he's happy.
So completely, perfectly happy.
The pain brings me to my knees.
"Aria!" Lyra catches me before I hit the ground. "What's happening?"
"The bond," I gasp. "It's getting worse. Stronger emotions hit harder now. I can feel him celebrating, and it's—"
Another wave of pain cuts off my words.
Lyra's face hardens. "That's it. We're doing this ritual right now. I don't care if the moon isn't at its peak yet—we're ending this before it kills you."
"We have to wait," I force out. "The ritual only works at midnight when the Blood Moon reaches its highest point. If we do it too early, it won't work."
"Then we need to get you somewhere you can survive the next four hours." Lyra helps me to my feet. "My place is closer than the grove. We'll wait there until it's time."
We make it to Lyra's apartment—a tiny studio in the rogue part of town where wolves who don't belong to packs live. It's messy but comfortable, filled with books and weapons and strange magical artifacts.
Lyra settles me on her couch and hands me a glass of water spiked with something that burns going down.
"What is that?" I cough.
"Wolfsbane tincture. Diluted. It'll numb the bond slightly—take the edge off the pain without killing you."
The effect is immediate. The crushing agony in my chest dulls to a manageable ache.
"Better?" Lyra asks.
"Better," I admit.
She sits beside me, and for a moment we just breathe.
"I'm scared," I finally whisper.
"I know."
"What if I mess it up? What if I die out there alone?"
"You won't be alone," Lyra says fiercely. "I'll be at the edge of the grove. If anything goes wrong, I'll come get you, magic be damned."
"You can't. If anyone else is in the sacred space during the ritual—"
"Then the magic binds to them instead, I know. You've told me a hundred times." Lyra takes my hand. "But if you're dying, Aria, I'm not going to stand by and watch. Friend trumps magic."
Tears burn my eyes. "I don't deserve you."
"Damn right you don't. I'm amazing." She grins, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "You're going to survive this. You're going to break that bond, get your wolf back, and finally live the life you deserve. And then we're going to make Damien and Celeste's lives miserable in small, petty ways for the rest of eternity."
Despite everything, I laugh.
We spend the next three hours preparing. Lyra helps me review the ritual steps over and over until I can recite them in my sleep:
Enter the sacred grove alone at midnight
Cast the circle with moonflower petals
Anoint yourself with sacred oil
Speak the words of severing
Cut your palm with the silver blade
Offer your blood to the Blood Moon
Name the bond you wish to break
Seal the ritual with your intention
Simple. Direct. Deadly if I mess up even one step.
At 11:30 PM, Lyra's phone buzzes. She checks it and her face goes pale.
"What?" I ask.
"Social media. Someone posted photos from Damien's party." She hesitates. "You don't want to see this."
"Show me."
She hands me the phone reluctantly.
The photo shows Damien and Celeste dancing, her head on his shoulder, both of them smiling like they're the only two people in the world. The caption reads: True love always wins. AlphaCouple MeantToBe
The comments are worse: They look so much better together than he did with Aria Finally a Luna who's strong enough Poor Aria but honestly this is an upgrade
I hand the phone back, my hands steady. The wolfsbane is still working, keeping the worst of the pain at bay.
"Ready to make sure he never hurts you again?" Lyra asks.
"More than ready."
We gather my supplies and head out into the night. The Blood Moon is rising—huge and red, turning everything crimson. The air feels electric, charged with ancient magic.
Lyra drives us to the edge of the forest in her beat-up car. The Forbidden Grove is a mile walk from here, through dense woods that pack law forbids anyone from entering on Blood Moon nights.
Perfect for what I need to do.
As I'm getting out of the car, Lyra grabs my arm.
"If something feels wrong—if the magic feels off or dangerous—you run. You hear me? Don't be a hero. Just run, and we'll find another way."
"There is no other way," I say gently. "But I promise I'll be careful."
"You'd better be. I'm not explaining to your mother how I let you die doing forbidden magic."
I hug her hard. "Thank you. For everything."
"Don't thank me yet. Thank me when you come back whole and free."
I grab my backpack and walk toward the treeline. The forest swallows me instantly, the trees thick and old and humming with power.
Behind me, I hear Lyra's car door slam. She's staying. Waiting at the edge of the forest like she promised.
The walk to the sacred grove takes twenty minutes. The path is overgrown and treacherous, but the Blood Moon lights my way, turning everything the color of fresh blood.
I can feel the magic getting stronger with every step. The air is thick with it, making my skin tingle and my broken wolf stir for the first time in months.
She's still there. Buried deep, but not gone.
Hold on, I tell her silently. I'm going to set us both free.
At 11:55 PM, I reach the clearing.
The Forbidden Grove is beautiful and terrifying. Ancient trees form a perfect circle around a flat stone altar. The Blood Moon hangs directly overhead, so huge it feels like I could reach up and touch it.
Magic pulses in the air like a living heartbeat.
This is it.
I set down my backpack and begin preparing with shaking hands. First, I arrange the moonflower petals in a perfect circle around the altar. Then I strip off my jacket and shoes—the ritual requires bare feet and exposed skin to properly channel the magic.
The sacred oil comes next. I anoint my forehead, my heart, my palms—anywhere the magic needs to flow.
The silver blade gleams in the moonlight as I unwrap it carefully.
Through the bond, I feel Damien's contentment. The party is winding down. He's probably saying goodbye to guests, Celeste at his side, both of them glowing with happiness.
After tonight, I'll never feel him again.
The thought gives me strength.
At exactly midnight, the Blood Moon reaches its peak. The clearing floods with crimson light so bright I have to squint.
It's time.
I step into the circle of moonflowers and kneel before the altar, the silver blade in my right hand.
My voice is steady as I begin the ancient words:
"By the Blood Moon's light, by ancient right, I call upon the power of the eternal night. I offer my blood, my pain, my broken bond. I seek freedom from chains that should not hold."
The air begins to swirl around me, responding to the ritual. Magic rises from the earth, wrapping around me like invisible chains.
I cut my palm. Blood wells up, dark and red.
I let it drip onto the stone altar.
"I name the bond I wish to sever: Damien Silvercrest, Alpha of the Silvercrest Pack, the mate who rejected me and left me broken."
The magic surges, pulling at the broken bond in my chest. I gasp as pain explodes through me—but this time, it's the good kind. The kind that comes from ripping out poison.
"I claim my freedom. I claim my power. I claim my—"
A twig snaps in the forest.
My concentration shatters.
No. No, no, no—someone's here. Someone's in the grove.
The magic, already activated and reaching for bonds to break or create, doesn't stop. It can't stop once it's begun.
I spin around, searching the shadows.
A massive black wolf steps into the clearing.
The biggest wolf I've ever seen, covered in scars, with silver eyes that glow in the Blood Moon's light.
An Alpha.
The wolf's eyes lock on mine, and I feel it—a pull. A connection that has nothing to do with Damien.
"No," I whisper. "You need to leave. Right now. If you're here when the magic completes—"
The wolf shifts.
Bones crack and reform until a man stands before me, naked and furious and devastating.
Kael Blackthorn.
The Alpha who killed his own father. Damien's worst enemy. The most dangerous wolf in all the territories.
Our eyes meet across the sacred circle, and the Blood Moon's light intensifies, focusing on both of us.
The ritual magic, meant to break my bond with Damien, finds two unbonded wolves in its sacred space.
And does what it was designed to do.
It binds us.
The world explodes in silver and red light as magic slams into me, into him, fusing our souls together in one catastrophic moment.
I scream.
Kael roars.
And the bond—primal, permanent, unbreakable—locks into place between us.
When the light fades, I'm on my knees, gasping. My chest burns where the broken bond with Damien used to be—but it's different now. Changed.
And there's something new. Something powerful and terrifying connecting me to the man standing ten feet away.
Kael's silver eyes are wide with shock and fury.
"What have you done?" he breathes.
Through our newly formed bond, I feel his emotions—rage, disbelief, and underneath it all, a possessive claim his wolf is already making.
Mine, his wolf growls in my head. MINE.
"I didn't—I was trying to break a bond, not create one—"
"Well, congratulations," Kael snarls. "You just bound yourself to me. Permanently. And there's no ritual on earth that can undo this."
The full weight of what just happened crashes over me.
I didn't break my bond with Damien.
I created a new one with Kael Blackthorn.
And from the dangerous look in his silver eyes, he's not happy about it.