MARTIN

I couldn't sleep.

Luna's quarters were beautiful. Terrifying. Wrong. Every shadow seemed to hide a threat. Every sound made me jolt upright, heart racing.

Around midnight, I gave up and moved to the window. The fortress spread below me, torches flickering like fallen stars. Somewhere down there, Ramon was meeting with his pack elders. Dealing with the mess I'd created.

The bond hummed constantly now. A living thing coiled in my chest. I could feel Ramon's presence through it. His anger, controlled but simmering.

His determination and underneath it all, something that felt almost like...concern?

A knock at the door made me jump.

"It's Tessa." The female voice was clipped. "May I enter?"

I hesitated. Then, "Yes."

She swept in, all lean muscle and sharp eyes. Ramon's second-in-command. I'd heard her arguing with the guards earlier, her voice carrying through the stone walls.

She studied me for a long moment. "You're smaller than I expected."

"Sorry?"

"Male omegas. The stories make them sound like monsters. You just look like a terrified kid."

I bristled. "I'm twenty-four."

"Like I said. A kid." She moved to the window, standing beside me. "The pack is...divided about you. Half think you're a curse. The other half think you're a political move."

"What do you think?"

"I think Ramon's never done anything without a reason. If he claimed you, there's more to this than anyone realizes." She glanced at me. "What were you really doing at the Rite?"

"I told you. Delivering medicine."

"To Clearwater. Which is three villages away from the Rite grounds."

"The cart broke down."

"Convenient."

I turned to face her fully. "You think I wanted this? I've spent my entire life hiding what I am. The last thing I wanted was to be dragged in front of hundreds of Alphas and exposed."

She held my gaze, searching. Then, slowly, she nodded. "I believe you."

"Why?"

"Because you smell like terror. And no one's that good an actor." She crossed her arms. "But believing you doesn't mean the pack will. You're going to have enemies here, Martin. Wolves who think you've cursed their Alpha. Who'll try to drive you out or worse."

"I know."

"Do you? Because this isn't some village where you can hide behind a healer's apron. This is a pack of warriors. They respect strength. Blood. Power. Not..." She gestured at me. "Whatever you are."

"Then why are you telling me this?"

"Because Ramon's my oldest friend. And I've never seen him look at anyone the way he looked at you tonight. Like you were the only thing in the world that mattered." Her expression softened slightly. "I don't understand the bond. I don't understand why fate chose you. But if Ramon says you're his mate, then you're pack. And I protect pack."

Something in my chest loosened. An ally. I hadn't expected that.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"Don't thank me yet. You survive the next month without getting killed, then we'll talk." She headed for the door, pausing at the threshold. "Ramon's finishing up with the elders. He'll be back soon. Try to get some rest. You look like death."

After she left, I crawled back into the massive bed. The furs smelled like pine and snow. Like Ramon.

The bond pulsed, and I felt him coming closer. Climbing stairs. Walking through corridors.

The door opened quietly.

I kept my eyes closed, pretending to sleep. I heard him move around the room, the rustle of clothing being removed. Then the bed dipped as he sat on the far edge.

For a long moment, neither of us spoke.

"I know you're awake," he finally said.

I opened my eyes. In the darkness, his were silver. Wolf eyes.

"How did the meeting go?"

"About as well as you'd expect. Three elders want you gone. Two are waiting to see what happens. One thinks you're a gift from the moon goddess." He ran a hand through his hair. "It's going to be a fight."

"You should send me away."

"We've had this conversation."

"Ramon"

"No." He turned to look at me fully. "I don't abandon what's mine. Ever. And like it or not, you're mine now. The moon made that decision for us."

"The moon has terrible timing."

That got a rough laugh. "Agreed."

He lay back on the bed, staying on his side. The space between us felt like miles. But the bond pulled tight, wanting us closer.

"Can I ask you something?" I said.

"Depends on the question."

"Why did you defend me? At the Rite. You could have let them take me. Let Malric eliminate the problem before it became your problem."

He was quiet for so long I thought he wouldn't answer. Then, "Because the moment I touched you, my wolf recognized you. Not just as mate. As pack. As mine. And I've never been good at letting go of what's mine."

"Even when keeping it might destroy you?"

"Especially then."

I rolled onto my side, facing him. In the darkness, his features were all sharp angles and shadows. Dangerous. Beautiful in a brutal way.

"I don't know how to do this," I whispered. "Be your mate. Be a Luna. Any of it."

"Neither do I. Guess we'll figure it out together."

The bond hummed between us, warm and insistent. My hand moved without permission, reaching across the space. Ramon caught it, his grip gentle despite the calluses.

"Sleep," he said. "We've got a war to fight tomorrow."

But I didn't sleep. Neither did he. We just lay there in the darkness, hands clasped, while the bond wove itself tighter around our hearts.

And somewhere in the distance, I heard wolves howling.

A warning or a welcome, I couldn't tell.