The clearing bled firelight. Smoke clung to the air, thick and bitter, torches casting long shadows across the trees. Rhea’s pulse raced so hard she thought her ribs would crack. Her body pressed close to Jace’s, her fingers clenched in his arm, her wound hot against her skin.

He stood in front of her, blood dripping from his claws, chest rising in sharp, steady breaths. His eyes never left the tree line.

The sound of boots drew nearer. Branches snapped, leaves rustled, and then he appeared.

Alpha Dorian Creed.

He stepped into the clearing like he owned it, tall and broad-shouldered, his dark hair slicked back, his jaw sharp as stone. His eyes gleamed with a cold fire that made Rhea’s stomach twist. He looked every bit the leader the pack revered, but she knew the truth hidden behind that mask. The cruelty. The hunger. The need to control.

His gaze slid past the hunters, past Jace’s bloody form, and landed squarely on her.

“Rhea.” His voice cut through the night, smooth and commanding. “My Luna.”

Her knees trembled. Her throat closed. Every instinct screamed at her to lower her head, to obey, to hide the fear in her chest.

But Jace shifted, blocking her from view, his growl rolling low.

Dorian’s lips curved, a cruel smirk twisting his face. “Step aside, rogue. She doesn’t belong to you.”

The bond inside her flared hot, sharp enough to steal her breath. Jace’s shoulders tensed. His claws dug into the dirt.

“She doesn’t belong to you either,” Jace snarled.

The hunters bristled, ready to strike, but Dorian lifted a hand and they stilled. His eyes never left Jace, but his voice was aimed at her.

“Luna... come to me. Before I decide your pet isn’t worth keeping alive.”

Her body shook. Every part of her wanted to shrink back, to stay hidden behind Jace. Yet the bond screamed louder now, echoing through her veins, whispering that she couldn’t step toward Dorian. Not anymore.

Jace’s hand brushed hers, grounding her. “Don’t,” he murmured under his breath. “Don’t you dare.”

Her lips parted, air trembling on her tongue. She wanted to answer, to tell Jace she wasn’t going anywhere. But fear locked the words in her throat.

Dorian took a slow step forward. His eyes glinted in the firelight, sharp and dangerous. “She’s mine. Marked in front of the council. Named before the Moon Goddess. And you—” his gaze cut over Jace, full of disgust, “—you’re nothing but a stray.”

The words cut deep, even though Rhea knew them for what they were. Lies. Chains.

Jace’s growl deepened. “Then why does she look at me like this?”

He shifted just enough for Dorian to see her face. Rhea’s eyes met Jace’s for a heartbeat, the pull between them raw and undeniable. Heat swirled in her chest, her body trembling at the bond that bound them.

Dorian tightened his jaw, his teeth grinning, fury flashing across his features. For a moment his control cracked, and the monster she knew so well flickered in his eyes.

“You dare,” he whispered, voice low and venomous.

The air thickened. The hunters gripped their blades tighter, ready to cut the rogue down.

Jace stepped forward, his body half-shielding hers, his voice steady despite the blood dripping from his side. “Try to take her. I’ll gut every last one of you.”

The clearing pulsed with tension, the space between one breath and the next stretched thin. Rhea could feel it—violence teetering on the edge, one spark away from erupting.

And then it happened.

Dorian lifted his hand, his voice sharp. “Kill him.”

The hunters moved as one.

Steel flashed. Jace lunged. His claws tore through the first man, his growl rattling the trees. Blood sprayed across the dirt as he spun, blocking a strike meant for Rhea.

She cried out, stumbling back against the tree, her body weak and useless. Fear wrapped tight around her, choking her. But deeper than fear, something else stirred... that faint glow, pulsing beneath her skin, begging to be freed.

A blade slashed across Jace’s arm. He roared, grabbing the attacker by the throat and crushing it with brutal force. Two more rushed him, blades cutting, but he moved like fire, claws ripping through flesh, blood painting the ground.

Still, there were too many.

“Stop!” Rhea’s voice tore from her throat, raw and desperate.

The glow burst from her chest, silver light spilling out, wrapping the clearing in its shine. The hunters faltered, stumbling back, shielding their eyes.

Dorian’s face hardened. His teeth bared. “Enough.”

The light flickered, sputtered, then died. Rhea’s body sagged, drained and trembling. She gasped, clutching her chest.

Dorian’s gaze narrowed. His lips curled in something between rage and triumph. “So it’s true. The Luna Reborn.”

Rhea froze, her blood turning to ice. She had never spoken those words aloud. How did he—

Dorian stepped closer, his voice cold. “You think I don’t know what you are? Did you really believe you could keep it from me?”

Jace snarled, stepping between them, his claws raised. “You’ll never touch her again.”

Dorian’s eyes flared gold. His power pressed through the clearing, heavy and suffocating, the aura of an Alpha in full command. Rhea’s knees buckled under its weight. Her body screamed at her to bow, to yield.

Jace held firm, his growl cutting through the pressure, refusing to bend.

The hunters regrouped, coming together again, their blades ready. The torches blazed hotter, smoke curling thick.

Rhea’s heart hammered. She could see it—Jace bleeding, outnumbered, fighting until the end. She could see Dorian’s smirk as he crushed him, as he dragged her back in chains.

No.

Her hand trembled as she pressed it against the tree. The bond flared hot, screaming inside her. Something deep in her chest shifted, burning, clawing, desperate to rise.

Dorian’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp and final. “Seize her.”

The hunters closed in, torches closing like jaws.

Jace lunged, claws slashing, his roar echoing through the clearing.

Rhea’s chest erupted with light again, brighter this time, fierce and wild.

And then everything was crushed.

The ground split open underneath them, a shockwave blasting through the clearing. Torches flew, men screamed, trees groaned as the earth shook violently. Silver light burned across the night, searing everything in its path.

When the glow had faded, Rhea dropped to her knees, gasping, her vision blurred.

The hunters lay scattered, groaning in pains. Jace stood over her, bloodied but unbroken, his hand gripping her shoulder.

And across the clearing, Alpha Dorian still stood, eyes glowing pure gold, his lips twisting in a cruel and mysterious smile.

“You can’t run from me, Rhea,” he said, voice low, dark, promising ruin. “Not from your Alpha. Not from your fate.”

Her heart lurched, the bond pulsing so hot it hurt.

For the first time, she realized the truth—this battle wasn’t just about Jace or the hunters. It was about her. Her power. Her bond. Her destiny.

And Dorian wasn’t going to let her go.