Sera's POV
The tavern smells like old beer and lies.
I keep my hood low, watching the crowd through my lashes. Three men at the corner table haven't touched their drinks in twenty minutes. Two women by the door keep glancing at exits. Temple hunters. All of them.
My heart pounds, but I don't move. Not yet.
Sera. Luna's voice is sharp as she slides into the seat across from me. We're leaving. Right now.
The little girl
Will be fine without you. Luna's green eyes flash with anger and fear. But she'll die if they catch you helping her. They'll burn this whole town down.
My hand moves to my chest, feeling the heat of the mark hidden beneath my shirt. The Heretic's Mark. Three years ago, the Moon Goddess touched me during my first transformation. She gave me power that shouldn't exist. She also gave me this curse a twisted moon wrapped in thorns burned into my skin.
That same night, I became the most wanted wolf alive.
I just need one more day, I whisper. The fever broke this morning. By tomorrow
A chair scrapes across the wooden floor.
One of the hunters stands. His eyes lock onto mine. Even with my hood up, somehow he knows.
Time freezes.
Then he screams, HERETIC! THE HERETIC IS HERE!
The tavern explodes into chaos.
I flip our table, sending mugs and plates crashing. Luna throws something smoke bombs, probably and gray fog fills the air. People are screaming, running, crashing into each other.
Go! Luna shouts.
I run for the back door, my heart hammering so hard it hurts. Behind me, I hear hunters shouting, boots pounding. The smoke helps, but it won't last long.
I burst through the back door into the alley.
And freeze.
He's standing there, bathed in moonlight like some kind of dark angel. Tall, with black hair and eyes like ice. He wears the white robes of a High Priest, but they're stained with travel dust. In his hand, a silver blade catches the light.
Caspian Ashenlore.
The deadliest wolf alive. The man who's been hunting me for three years. The Temple's perfect weapon.
And though he doesn't know it my fated mate.
I felt the bond the first time I saw him three years ago. A pull so strong it almost brought me to my knees. He felt it tooI saw the shock in his eyes before his face went cold and empty.
He's been chasing me ever since.
Hello, Sera, he says quietly. His voice is smooth and dark, like poisoned honey. I've been looking for you.
You found me. My voice shakes, but I stand my ground. Congratulations.
Don't run. It's not a request. It's a warning. You know I'm faster.
He's right. I've run from him a dozen times, and he always catches up. But I have to try.
I bolt left, using my power to throw up a wall of moonlight between us. It's a trick I learned last year a barrier made of pure magic that burns anyone who touches it.
Caspian cuts through it like it's nothing.
I run harder, my feet barely touching the ground as I race through the dark streets of Millbrook. Behind me, his footsteps are steady. Not rushed. Not worried.
He knows he'll catch me.
I turn a corner, then another, heading for the forest at the edge of town. If I can reach the trees, maybe I can lose him in the shadows.
But he's faster than I remember.
Something slams into me from the side, and we both go crashing to the ground. I try to fight, throwing punches and kicks, but Caspian is too strong. He pins my wrists above my head with one hand.
We're face to face now, both breathing hard.
This close, I can see the dark circles under his eyes. The exhaustion carved into his beautiful face. He looks older than I remember. Harder.
Broken.
Why didn't you run faster? I gasp. Three years, and you've caught me at least ten times. But you always let me escape. Why?
Something flickers in his ice-blue eyes. Pain, maybe. Or regret.
Not this time, he says roughly.
He pulls out chains not regular ones, but sacred chains that glow with silver light. They're spelled to suppress a wolf's power. The moment they touch my wrists, I feel my magic drain away like water through a crack.
No, I whisper.
Seven days, Caspian says as he pulls me to my feet. His voice is empty of emotion, but his hands are shaking. Seven days to reach the Grand Temple. At dawn on the eighth day, you'll be executed.
Tears burn my eyes, but I won't let them fall. Then do it now. Kill me here.
That's not how this works.
Why? I demand. Why drag it out? You know what I am. You know I'm dangerous. Just end it!
Caspian stares at me for a long, terrible moment. Then he leans in close, so close I can feel his breath on my face.
Because, he whispers, and his voice cracks just slightly, I need these seven days to figure out how to live with myself after I do.
Before I can respond, he lifts me easily into his arms and starts walking toward the forest.
Behind us, the tavern is still burning with chaos. Luna is somewhere in that mess, probably trying to plan a rescue. The little girl I've been helping will wake up tomorrow and I won't be there.
And in seven days, I'll be dead.
But as Caspian carries me into the darkness, one thought burns through my mind:
He feels it. The mate bond. He's felt it all along.
And it's killing him.