Rael’s chest rose and fell, breath ragged. The truth stung like acid, tearing down the walls he’d spent years building.

“She’s the one,” Vasha said softly, almost kindly now. “And whether you like it or not... she’s already changing your fate.”

Rael’s eyes glinted with fury as his claws extended from his fingertips, sharp and trembling with rage.

“No,” he growled, low and guttural. “This can’t be. I refuse to accept her.”

His voice cracked the silence of the chamber like a whip, echoing off the old stone walls. A vase rattled on a nearby shelf, his aura flaring dangerously.

But Elder Vasha didn’t flinch.

She stepped closer, unshaken, her expression now stern and unyielding. “You will not reject her.”

Rael’s gaze snapped to her. “I can and I will. I don’t need a mate- especially not a rogue who stumbled across my border half-dead.”

“Then prepare to suffer,” Vasha warned, her tone cold and absolute. “Because rejecting her will only multiply the curse.”

“What are you saying?” Rael snarled. “I’ve lived with this curse for years. What more could it possibly do?”

Vasha’s eyes turned distant, as if seeing a future he couldn’t. “The pain you feel now is only a shadow of what’s to come. Your strength will decay. Your wolf will rebel. And when the blood moon rises again, you will lose control completely.”

Rael’s lips curled. “You’re trying to scare me. It's not going to work.”

“I’m trying to save you,” Vasha snapped. “You were never cursed to die, Rael. You were cursed to suffer. You were cursed to live through pain and humiliation!! But now your mate has appeared, the prophecy is beginning to take place... The only way to redeem yourself.” She said.

“The Moon Goddess always leaves a thread, a way out. That girl is your thread. Claim her, or everything you built- your pack, your name, your soul- will burn.”

Rael’s hands trembled with restraint. “Why her?” he spat. “Why that girl?”

Vasha gave him a cryptic smile. “That’s for you to figure out, Alpha.”

He stared at her for a long moment, but the silence between them only thickened.

With a final, guttural snarl, Rael turned on his heel and stormed out of the chamber, the door slamming shut behind him like thunder.

The Alpha’s chamber was a wreck.

Books were scattered across the floor. A chair lay broken by the wall. The fireplace, usually burning with quiet flames, had died out, leaving only cold embers in its place.

Rael stood in the middle of it all, chest heaving, eyes bloodshot with the chaos storming inside him. His claws had already receded, but the tension in his body hadn’t eased. Not even a little.

Damon leaned against the stone wall, arms crossed, watching his Alpha with a long, tired sigh. It wasn’t the first one he had released- and it wouldn’t be the last.

"You need to calm down," Damon muttered, although he knew better than to expect it to work.

Rael’s fist clenched by his side. “How can I calm down, Damon?” he bit out, voice raw. “I feel like my insides are being torn apart. I’ve never felt so... vulnerable.”

"Then reject her,” Damon said bluntly. “End it. I'm sure this is all part of some manipulation scheme.”

Rael turned his eyes toward his Beta.

Damon continued, “Of all the ways to meet your mate, it had to be when she’s half-dead, covered in blood, and crawling across our border? That’s no coincidence. It’s a setup. Someone planted her here to break you and break the pack.”

Rael didn’t speak.

And that silence was dangerous.

Damon saw it and pushed harder. “So do the right thing. Reject her. I’ll never believe this rogue just stumbled in by chance. She’s a stray wolf with no scent of loyalty- she could be a spy.”

Rael growled. “You’re right.”

Damon straightened.

“That’s exactly what I’ll do. I’ll never let a rogue infiltrate my territory- especially not under the guise of a mate bond. If she thinks she can fool me, she’s gravely mistaken.”

He turned to Damon, his voice sharp as blades.

“What are your orders, Alpha?” Damon asked, already knowing it wouldn’t be kind.

Rael’s eyes darkened. “Whip her. Torture her until she speaks. I want to know who sent her and why. Make her confess. Drag out every name she knows.”

Damon gave a short nod, pushing off the wall. “As you command, Alpha.”

And with that, he exited, the heavy door closing behind him with a low, final thud.

Rael was left standing alone in the broken room. But no matter how far Damon walked, he couldn't escape the one truth neither of them dared to say aloud—

The pain Rael felt when she suffered... was real.

---

The Blood Moon Territory tucked within mist-covered mountains and fortified woods—bustled as warriors returned from their patrol. The rustle of leaves, the soft howls in the distance, and the sound of boots crunching the gravel-laced paths echoed through the dusk-hued village.

At the forefront of the small unit were two striking figures.

Skye Fang, the Alpha’s younger cousin, sharp-eyed and deadly calm, moved with effortless authority. The leader of the pack warriors. His long coat was dusted from travel, but the blade on his back gleamed, untouched by time.

Beside him was Lyra Kexx, her presence fierce, commanding, and unmistakably dominant. She bore a jagged scar along her forearm- earned, not given. She was the strongest female warrior in the Blood Moon Pack, and she wore her strength like a second skin.

Behind them, the warriors branched off, heading toward their individual quarters scattered through the village’s inner walls.

Skye and Lyra headed straight for the Pack Headquarters- a stone-walled structure in the heart of the territory. Its tall pillars, battle-worn banners, and guarded entrances signaled it for what it was: the seat of authority, war, and law.

The moment they stepped through the threshold, they met Beta Damon descending the main stairwell.

He didn’t bother with formalities.

“How did the mission go?” Damon asked, his voice curt but not unfriendly.

“Clean,” Skye answered, rolling his shoulder. “No losses. The rogue trail went cold near the eastern border, but we managed to wipe out the last of the strays nesting there.”

Lyra nodded in agreement. “We also reinforced the southeast watchtower. No signs of another ambush.”

Damon’s jaw twitched. “Good. But we’ve got a matter at hand and it’s urgent.”

Skye’s brow lifted. “What kind of matter?”

Damon turned his gaze toward him. “The Alpha needs you now.”

Skye didn’t hesitate. He tossed a nod to Lyra and strode up the grand stairwell toward Rael’s quarters.

As soon as his footsteps disappeared, Damon turned back to Lyra.

“You’re coming with me,” he said.

Lyra blinked once. “Why?”

“We’re headed to the dungeons.”

A cold gleam settled in Damon’s eyes. “There’s a rogue girl who’s about to learn what happens when you step foot in the Blood Moon without an invitation.”