Chapter 3: The Heart of the Hunt

Luna’s POV

The forest was a labyrinth of shadows, each snap of a twig a threat as I sprinted from the blood-soaked clearing. My wolf clawed for control, her howls echoing in my skull, but I forced my human mind to focus. Kara’s lifeless body haunted me, her final words—they know—a riddle I couldn’t unravel.

The dagger was gone, buried in the chest of my attacker, but its runes burned in my memory, promising answers I didn’t have. Nova’s laughter, sharp and cruel, lingered in the air, a reminder of her betrayal. She’d orchestrated the ambush, but why? To kill me, Dominic, or both? And Dominic—his roar, his bloodied form shielding me—why had he saved me after shattering our bond?

My bare feet pounded the earth, the blood moon’s crimson light fading as dawn crept closer. My pup stirred, a faint flutter grounding me. I had to survive, for them. But survival meant facing Nova’s claiming ceremony tonight, standing as her witness while she claimed my mate. The thought was a silver blade to my heart, but I’d go—not to submit, but to uncover her game. She’d underestimated me, and that was her mistake.

I reached my pack’s border, the scent of home soured by tension. Selene waited at the den entrance, her eyes sharp, scanning me for blood that wasn’t mine. “You’re alive,” she said, voice flat but laced with relief. “What happened?”

“Ambush,” I panted, clutching my cracked moonstone pendant. “Kara’s dead. Nova’s behind it. And there’s a faction in Dominic’s pack—they want the dagger, or me, or…” I trailed off, exhaustion crashing over me.

Selene’s face darkened. “The ritual blade. I told you it’s dangerous. It’s tied to an old pact, one that could unseat Alpha Selena if used against her bloodline.”

“Dominic’s bloodline?” I asked, heart lurching. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You weren’t ready,” she snapped, then softened. “Luna, you’re in it deeper than you know. Nova’s father, Torin, has been plotting to merge our packs under his control. This marriage is his leverage. But someone—maybe him, another—wants that blade to disrupt it.”

My wolf growled, piecing it together. “Nova’s using Dominic to secure her father’s power. And I’m the threat because…” I hesitated, touching my abdomen. “Because of my pup.”

Selene nodded. “Your pup carries Dominic’s blood, a claim to his lineage. If Nova or Torin know, they’ll kill you to eliminate it.”

Fear spiked, but so did resolve. “Then I’ll stop them. Tonight, at the ceremony.”

Selene grabbed my arm, eyes fierce. “You can’t fight a pack alone, Luna. You’re strong, but not reckless. Promise me you’ll be careful.”

I pulled free, meeting her gaze. “I promise I’ll protect my pup. That’s all I can give you.”

She let me go, and I slipped into the den to prepare, my wolf restless. I donned a simple tunic, hiding a small knife in my belt—not the ritual blade, but enough to feel armed. The ceremony was hours away, but I needed answers now. I headed for the neutral grounds, hoping to track the attackers’ scent before it faded.

The clearing was empty, Kara’s body gone, the blood-soaked earth churned by wolf prints. My wolf sniffed, catching a faint trace—metallic, like the stalker from last night. I followed it, the trail leading toward Dominic’s territory, but a new scent stopped me cold: Dominic himself, fresh and close. I crouched behind a tree, heart racing, as his massive wolf form emerged, head low, sniffing the ground.

“Luna,” he called, voice rough, human now. He’d shifted, his broad frame bloodied from the fight, eyes haunted. “I know you’re here. Please.”

My wolf yearned to run to him, but I held back, knife in hand. “Why should I trust you?” I hissed, stepping out, keeping distance. “You betrayed me, Dominic. You chose *her*.”

He flinched, pain raw in his eyes. “I didn’t choose, Luna. My mother—she threatened to exile me, to strip my title. I had to protect the pack.”

“And what about me?” I snapped, tears burning. “What about us?”

He stepped closer, hands raised. “I was wrong. I see that now. When I saw you fighting, blood on your hands, I—” His voice broke. “I can’t lose you, Luna. Not again.”

My heart twisted, but Nova’s laughter echoed in my mind. “You’re too late,” I said, backing away. “You made your choice. And now Kara’s dead because of it.”

His face paled. “Kara? No…”

“Ask your precious mate,” I spat. “She set me up. And I’m going to prove it.”

“Luna, wait—” He reached for me, but a howl split the air, sharp and commanding. His mother, Alpha Selena. He froze, duty pulling him back. I turned and ran, his anguished call fading behind me.

The ceremony loomed as I returned to my den, the sun sinking fast. I dressed in a ceremonial cloak, the knife hidden, my pendant a heavy anchor. The neutral grounds were alight with torches when I arrived, and the pack gathered in a circle around a moonstone altar. Nova stood radiant in a silver gown, Dominic beside her, his face a mask. My wolf snarled, but I stood tall, taking my place as witness, every eye on me.

Nova’s smile was venomous. “Luna, you made it. I was worried you’d run again.”

“I don’t run from traitors,” I said, loud enough for the pack to hear. Murmurs rippled, but Nova’s laugh cut through.

“Bold words for a rogue’s daughter,” she taunted, stepping closer. “Let’s begin.”

The ritual started, Dominic’s voice hollow as he recited the vows. My wolf clawed at me, urging me to stop it, but I waited, watching. Then I saw it—a glint of silver in Nova’s sleeve, the same runes as the ritual blade. My pulse spiked. She was armed, and not for ceremony.

As Dominic marked her neck, sealing the bond, I moved, slipping through the crowd. Nova’s eyes flicked to me, narrowing, and I knew: she’d seen my suspicion. The pack chanted, but a scream shattered the rhythm—Selene, my stepmother, collapsing, blood pooling from a wound no one saw coming.

Chaos erupted. Wolves shifted, snarling, as I rushed to Selene, her breath shallow. “Luna… the blade… Torin…” she gasped, eyes fading.

I spun, searching for Nova, but she was gone, and Dominic too. The pack scattered, howls of panic rising, and I caught Torin’s scent—Nova’s father—near the altar. He stood, unshifted, holding the ritual blade, its runes glowing. “You should’ve stayed away, Luna,” he growled, advancing.

My knife was no match, but I stood my ground, wolf surging. “You killed Selene. You and Nova planned this.”

He laughed, cold. “Nova’s a means to an end. The blade’s power is mine now. And your pup? It dies with you.”

He lunged, but a roar stopped him—Dominic, wolf form crashing through the crowd, tackling Torin. The blade skittered across the stone, and I dove for it, my hand closing around its hilt. Power surged, the runes burning, and I felt it: the pact’s magic, binding me to Dominic’s bloodline, to our pup.

Torin shifted, his wolf massive, and Dominic faltered, bloodied. I screamed, throwing the blade. It struck true, embedding in Torin’s flank, but he didn’t fall, turning on me with a snarl. Dominic lunged again, weaker now, and I ran to him, our eyes locking as Torin’s claws rose.

A new howl pierced the night—Nova, her wolf form leaping from the shadows, not at Torin, but at me. Her betrayal was complete, her amber eyes gleeful as she aimed for my throat, the ceremony’s chaos masking her attack. I had no weapon, no time, only my wolf and my pup to protect.