MARTIN

I couldn't breathe.

The Alpha staring at me had eyes like winter itself. Cold. Sharp. Absolutely focused on me in a way that made my knees want to buckle.

And the pull. Oh gods, the pull. It was the same feeling from my dreams, but a thousand times stronger.

A golden thread wrapped around my ribs, yanking me toward him with such force I actually stumbled forward.

"No." The word barely made it past my lips.

This couldn't be happening. I was just supposed to deliver medicine to Clearwater. But the cart had broken down, and some helpful villagers had insisted on escorting me to the Rite grounds to "get proper help." I'd tried to refuse. I tried to leave.

Too late.

The Alpha moved closer. Each step made the pull stronger. My skin felt too tight. The moon, not even fully risen yet, sang in my blood.

"Who are you?" His voice was gravel and smoke.

"N-no one. I'm no one. There's been a mistake.."

His hand shot out, gripping my wrist. The moment his skin touched mine, light exploded between us. Actual light. Silver and gold, spiraling up from where we connected, visible to everyone watching.

The clearing went silent.

"Impossible," someone breathed.

The Alpha's eyes went wide. His grip tightened. "What are you?"

Before I could answer, another voice cut through the shocked silence. "Abomination."

An old man pushed through the crowd. He wore white robes heavy with ceremonial symbols, and his face was twisted with disgust. "That omega is male. I can smell it from here."

Panic shot through me. I tried to pull away, but the Alpha's grip was iron.

"He bears the mate mark," someone else said. "Look. The bond is visible."

"An abomination cannot be a true mate." The old man's voice rose. "This union is impossible. Forbidden. The omega must be destroyed before it corrupts the Rite."

"Wait" I pulled harder. "Please, I didn't mean.."

"Guards." The old man raised his hand. "Seize the cursed creature."

Two massive warriors moved toward me. The Alpha's body went rigid. His eyes, locked on the approaching guards, began to glow.

"Stop." One word. Quiet.

The guards hesitated.

The old man snarled. "Alpha Draven, you will stand aside. This male omega is a stain on our laws. It must be eliminated."

Alpha Draven. The name comes from Senna's warnings. The most dangerous Alpha in the Northern Territories.

And apparently, my mate.

His wolf eyes slid to me. Something passed between us, some understanding I couldn't name. Then he moved, placing his body between me and the guards.

"He is mine."

The words hit like thunder. Around us, wolves began to shift, unable to contain their reactions to such a bold claim.

The old man's face went purple. "You would claim an abomination? Defy the Council itself?"

"His mark is on my wrist. My mark is on his." Draven's voice stayed level, but I could feel the rage beneath it. Feel it through the bond humming between us.

"By ancient law, a true mate bond cannot be denied. Or have you changed that law too, Malric?"

Malric. Elder Malric. I'd even heard that name. The stories painted him as ruthless. Immortal. Willing to do anything to maintain control.

His pale eyes fixed on me like I was something rotting. "That creature is not a mate. It's a curse. A disease. And you, Alpha Draven, have just committed treason by defending it."

Draven's lips pulled back from his teeth. "Try to take him. See what happens."

The tension in the clearing was suffocating. Every Alpha present could feel it. One wrong move and this would explode into violence.

I should have run. Should have pulled free and disappeared into the forest. But I couldn't move. The bond held me frozen, my heart pounding in rhythm with Draven's.

Malric's smile was poison. "Very well. If you insist on claiming this abomination, you may take it. But know this, Ramon Draven." He leaned forward. "You've just declared war on everything you once stood for. And when the Council convenes, you will answer for this choice."

He swept away, robes billowing. Half the gathered Alphas followed him. The other half stayed, staring at us with expressions ranging from horror to fascination.

Draven finally released my wrist, but the bond still pulled tight. "Can you walk?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

"Then move. Now."

He didn't wait to see if I followed. But the bond made sure I had no choice. As I stumbled after him through the hostile crowd, one thought kept repeating in my head.

My life was over.

And somehow, it had just begun.