The firelight spread across the clearing, chasing the dark back into the trees. Torches burned in a circle, smoke twisting into the night air. The scent of ash and fear clung to Rhea’s throat until she could barely breathe.

Her arms ached from where the hunters held her. Their claws bit into her skin as they dragged her into the sacred ring. Every step felt heavier than the last. The circle wasn’t just stone and dirt, it was a place where bonds were broken and blood was spilled.

Rhea stumbled as her knees hit the ground. Her palms scraped against the soil, small cuts stinging at once. She lifted her eyes and froze.

Dorian stood in the center of the circle, his golden gaze sharp. His cloak moved with the wind, his stance steady, unshaken. He didn’t have to raise his voice to silence the crowd around them. His presence alone pressed down like a weight.

“Bring her here,” he ordered, and the hunters forced her forward until she was on her knees before him.

Rhea wanted to lift her chin, to show strength, but her body betrayed her. Her shoulders shook, her heart pounded so loud she feared everyone could hear it. She wasn’t born a wolf, and tonight that weakness wrapped around her like chains.

Dorian crouched low enough to look her in the eye. His lips curved in a smile that held no warmth. “My Luna,” he said softly. “You’ve been busy.”

Her chest tightened. He knew.

She didn’t have time to speak before movement at the edge of the circle caught her attention. The hunters dragged another figure into the light.

Jace.

Blood marked his chest and his arms. His shirt was torn and his wrists bound in iron. Yet even beaten, he carried himself with pride. His eyes, wild and gold, cut straight to hers.

Heat rushed through her body at the sight of him. The bond flared alive, searing her nerves, making her throat dry. Her lips parted but no words came. She couldn’t look away.

The hunters forced him to his knees beside her. Their shoulders brushed, and she felt sparks race along her arm.

“You betrayed me for this?” Dorian’s voice rose, aimed at the crowd as much as her. “For a rogue who dares to crawl into my land?”

Wolves growled low in the circle. Some eyes glowed in anger, others in doubt. Whispers moved through the crowd like smoke.

Dorian’s hand gripped her chin, forcing her gaze back to him. His hold was firm, painful. “Tell them,” he whispered, his voice like poison. “Say you are mine, and I will spare his life.”

Her breath broke in her chest. Her heart screamed to fight, but fear smothered her voice.

Then Jace leaned closer. Even bound, even bloodied, his presence was fire. His shoulder pressed against hers, his breath brushing her ear. “Don’t give him that,” he growled low. “Don’t you dare.”

Tears blurred her vision. She was trapped between two men, two worlds. The Alpha who owned her title, and the mate who owned her heart.

“Say it, Rhea,” Dorian commanded, his tone sharp now, his Alpha voice cutting through the clearing. “Say you are mine.”

The force of it pressed into her bones. Her lips trembled, the word hovering on her tongue, ready to betray her.

Jace’s bound hand brushed against hers, rough fingers curling to catch hers. The spark lit her blood again, stronger this time, louder. His voice cut through the haze. “Look at me, not him. Me.”

Her gaze locked on Jace, and the breath rushed back into her lungs. She shook her head, trembling, but strong enough to speak. “I’m not yours.”

The circle fell silent.

Flames hissed in the torches, the sound sharp in the quiet. The wolves stared, some shocked, some shifting uneasily.

Dorian’s calm mask shattered. Rage twisted his face, his teeth bared in a snarl. “Wrong answer,” he spat.

His hand lifted.

The circle erupted in chaos.

Wolves lunged forward. Hunters drew their blades, charging at Jace with snarls and shouts. The noise was deafening, steel against claw, voices raised in violence.

Jace ripped his arms apart. The iron shattered as if it was nothing. His roar shook the clearing as he launched at the first attacker. Claws tore flesh, blood sprayed, and bodies fell beneath his fury.

Rhea stumbled back, but a hunter grabbed her by the arm, yanking her upright. A blade pressed cold against her throat. She gasped, thrashing, panic exploding in her chest.

The hunter’s grip tightened, but before he could strike, Jace was there. He tore the man away in a blur of movement, the hunter’s body dropping lifeless to the dirt.

Jace pulled her close against him. His arm locked around her waist, his breath harsh in her ear. “Stay with me.”

Her knees nearly gave out, but his hold steadied her. For a moment, she felt safe in the storm, as if the whole world had narrowed to the warmth of his chest against her back.

But Dorian’s voice cut through the clash of battle. “Kill him!”

More wolves surged at Jace, dragging him down beneath sheer numbers. His roar split the night as he fought them off, blood and fire marking every strike. Still, they pressed harder, pinning him down.

Rhea’s chest tore open with fear. She dropped to her knees, hands in the dirt, screaming his name. Her voice broke, but no one stopped. No one heard.

Her body shook violently. The bond twisted inside her, raw and unbearable. She clawed at the earth until her nails split and bled.

“No!” Her scream ripped into the night.

And then the world shifted.

Light escaped from her skin, silver and sharp, flooding the clearing with moon fire. Wolves stumbled back, hunters shielded their eyes not to get blinded by the light. The torches dimmed instantly, their flames weak against the glow coming out of her.

Her body burned from within, every nerve alight. Her scream turned into something larger, something that wasn’t hers alone. The power poured out, spilling in waves, and the air crackled with it.

Dorian staggered back, his face pale with rage and fear. “No...” His voice cracked, disbelief twisting it.

The glow grew brighter. For one fleeting moment, Rhea felt whole. She felt strong.

Then the force ripped away.

Her vision blackened. Her knees buckled, her body too weak to hold the power. The glow flickered out, leaving smoke and silence.

She collapsed.

The last thing she heard was Jace’s voice, rough with fury and fear, shouting her name as the world went dark.