Reaper pulled Luna into a smaller building away from the main clubhouse. The interior was simple. Couch, table, small kitchen. Living quarters.

He let go of her hand and walked to the fridge. Pulled out two bottles of water. Handed her one without asking if she wanted it.

Luna took it. Her throat was dry. She drank half the bottle in one go.

"This is your place?" she asked.

"Yeah. Alpha's quarters." He leaned against the counter. "Sit if you want."

She stayed standing. "Tell me what a mate is. All of it."

Reaper screwed the cap back on his water bottle. "Werewolves bond for life. When you find your mate, you know. The wolf recognizes them. It's instant."

"Like love at first sight?"

"No. Deeper than that. It's your soul recognizing its other half. You become connected. What hurts them hurts you. If they die, most wolves don't survive it."

Luna set her water down on the table. "That's insane."

"That's biology. For us anyway."

"But I'm human."

"I know." He rubbed the back of his neck. "That's why this doesn't make sense. Humans and werewolves don't mate bond. Our wolves need the connection to another wolf. Without it, the bond doesn't take."

"So you're wrong then. I can't be your mate."

"My wolf disagrees." He looked at her. Really looked at her. "Every instinct I have is screaming that you're mine. That I need to protect you. Keep you close. The thought of you leaving makes my wolf want to tear apart anyone who tries to take you."

Luna's pulse fasted. "That's just an attraction. Or some protective instinct because you saved me."

"It's not." His voice was flat. "I've lived thirty-six years. Never felt anything close to this. My father explained the mate bond to me when I was fifteen. Told me exactly what it would feel like. This is it."

"But it's impossible."

"Yeah. It is." He pushed off the counter. "Yet here we are."

Silence stretched between them. Luna's mind raced. This was too much. Werewolves existed. She'd stumbled into their world. One of them thought she was his destined partner based on nothing but scent.

"What happens now?" she asked.

"Now I call church. Explain the situation to the pack leadership. They'll vote on whether you can stay."

"And if they vote no?"

Reaper's jaw tightened. "They won't."

"That man, Snake. He seemed pretty convinced I should leave."

"Snake's been challenging my authority for months. This is just another excuse." He pulled out his phone. "He thinks I'm too soft. That I should run the pack like my father did."

"How did your father run it?"

"With an iron fist. Anyone who questioned him got put down. Literally." Reaper typed out a text. "I do things different. Give people choices. Let them vote on big decisions. Snake thinks that makes me weak."

"Does it?"

His eyes snapped to hers. "What do you think?"

Luna thought about how he'd moved between her and the crowd. How his body had changed into something terrifying without fully shifting. How every single person in that courtyard had backed down when he told them to.

"I think you're the scariest person I've ever met," she said honestly.

Something flickered in his expression. Satisfaction maybe. "Good. Remember that."

His phone buzzed. He read the message. "Church in ten minutes. You'll stay here."

"I should be there. They're deciding my fate."

"No humans in church. Pack law."

"I'm apparently your mate. Doesn't that make me pack?"

"Not until you're claimed." He walked toward the door. "Stay here Luna. Lock the door behind me. Don't open it for anyone but me or Raven."

"Who's Raven?"

"The woman with the scars. She's my best fighter. If something goes wrong, she'll get you out."

Cold fear settled in Luna's stomach. "What could go wrong?"

Reaper paused with his hand on the doorknob. "Snake might push for a formal challenge. If he does, I have to accept or lose face with the pack."

"What's a formal challenge?"

"A fight. To the death or submission. Winner gets to lead."

Luna's breath caught. "You can't be serious."

"Pack law. Any wolf can challenge the Alpha if they think they can do better." He opened the door. "I've beaten three challenges already. Snake will be the fourth."

"What if you lose?"

"I won't." He said it with total certainty. "Lock the door."

He left before she could argue. Luna stood there staring at the closed door. Her hands were shaking. She twisted the deadbolt into place.

The room felt too small suddenly. She paced. Picked up her water bottle. Put it down. Paced some more.

Through the walls she heard voices. Lots of them. The meeting must have started.

She pulled out her phone even though it was dead. Habit. She'd always documented everything. Every story, every lead. Her camera roll was full of photos from investigations.

But this story was different. These people were real. Their lives were at risk because of information she'd stolen. If she published what was on that flash drive, every werewolf pack in the country would become a target.

But if she didn't, Blackwood would keep torturing them. Keep experimenting. Keep killing.

Luna sank onto the couch. Put her head in her hands.

A knock made her jump.

"It's Raven. Reaper sent me."

Luna unlocked the door. The scarred woman stepped inside. She moved with predator grace. Her eyes swept the room checking corners.

"You okay?" Raven asked.

"Define okay."

"Fair enough." Raven sat in the chair across from the couch. "This is a lot to take in. Most humans never find out about us."

"How many humans know?"

"Few hundred maybe. Worldwide. Most are mates like you. Some are family members. Very few outsiders."

"I'm not his mate." Luna said it firmly. "That's impossible."

Raven's eyebrow lifted. "You tell your body that? Because you smell like you're interested."

Heat flooded Luna's face. "I don't know what you mean."

"Werewolves have enhanced senses. I can smell your attraction. Your fear too. Also your confusion." Raven leaned forward. "But the attraction is strongest."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"Doesn't it?" Raven's smile was knowing. "Reaper's a good Alpha. Strong. Fair. Protective. Half the single females in this pack would kill to be his mate."

"Then one of them can have him."

"Doesn't work that way. He's chosen. His wolf has marked you as his." Raven's smile faded. "Which means you need to understand something. If you reject the bond, it could break him."

Luna's stomach twisted. "What?"

"Mate bonds are powerful. When a wolf finds their mate and gets rejected, it can drive them insane. Or kill them. Their wolf can't handle the loss."

"That's not fair. I didn't ask for this."

"No. You didn't. But it's happening anyway." Raven stood. "I'm not telling you what to decide. Just telling you the stakes."

"Why are you helping me? You don't even know me."

"I know Reaper. He's led this pack for eight years. Kept us safe when other packs were getting slaughtered. He's earned loyalty." Raven walked to the door. "Plus, if you really are his mate, that makes you family. We protect family."

She left. Luna sat alone again with too many thoughts running through her head.

She jeard a Shout from the direction of the clubhouse. Male voices raised in anger. Something crashed. More shouting.

Luna jumped up. Her instincts screamed to run. But where? She was surrounded by werewolves in a compound in the middle of nowhere.

The door burst open. Bones stumbled in. Blood dripped from a cut above his eye.

"We need to go. Now."

Luna backed up. "What happened?"

"Snake challenged Reaper. They're fighting." He grabbed her arm. "Snake's not fighting fair. He brought backup. Three of his supporters jumped in."

"Where's Raven?"

"Holding them off. But there's too many." He pulled Luna toward the door. "We need to get you out before they get past her."

"I'm not leaving Reaper."

"If they kill him, they'll kill you next. You're the reason for the challenge. Snake's made that clear." Bones dragged her outside.

The compound was chaos. Werewolves fought. Some fully shifted into wolves. Others half changed like Reaper had been earlier. Snarls and howls filled the air.

In the center of the courtyard, four massive wolves circled one black wolf. The black one was bigger than the others. Moved faster. But it was four against one.

"That's Reaper," Bones said. "The black wolf."

As Luna watched, one of the smaller wolves lunged. Got its teeth into Reaper's back leg. Another attacked from the side. They were coordinating. Working together to bring him down.

Reaper threw one off. Snapped at another. But the third got past his guard. Teeth sank into his throat.

"No." The word tore out of Luna before she could stop it.

Something happened in her chest. Like a string pulled tight suddenly snapped. She felt a strange pain behind her ribs. Sharp. Overwhelming.

She fell to her knees. Bones caught her before she hit the ground.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. It hurts." She pressed her hand to her chest. "Something's wrong with my heart."

Bones' eyes went wide. "Oh no. The bond. It's forming even without a claiming mark."

In the courtyard, Reaper went down. The wolves piled on top of him. Blood stained the dirt.

The pain in Luna's chest got worse. Like someone was squeezing her heart in a fist.

"Make it stop." Tears blurred her vision. "Please make it stop."

"Only way to stop it is if he survives." Bones looked back at the fight. "Or if you accept the bond fully."

"How?"

"Call to him. Let your soul reach for his. The bond is trying to form but you're fighting it. Stop fighting."

Luna watched the black wolf struggle under the weight of four others. Watched blood pool beneath him. Felt pain rip through her chest with each wound he took.

She closed her eyes. Stopped fighting the pull she'd felt since he'd first touched her hand. Stopped questioning. Stopped resisting.

The world tilted. Something in her chest burst open like a dam breaking. Power flooded through her. Not her power. His.

She felt his rage. His desperation. His absolute refusal to die while she was in danger.

Luna opened her eyes. The black wolf's head lifted. Golden eyes found hers across the courtyard.

Time stopped.

Then Reaper moved. He threw off the wolves like they weighed nothing. Rose to his full height. Threw back his head and howled.

The sound shook the ground. Rattled windows. Made every wolf in the compound freeze.

Power rolled off him in waves. Alpha power. Ancient. Absolute.

The four wolves who'd attacked him dropped to their bellies. Whined. Submitted without another fight.

Reaper stalked toward Luna. Blood matted his black fur. His shoulder was torn open. His back leg dragged. But he kept moving. Kept coming for her.

He stopped three feet away. Shifted back to human form. Stood there naked and bleeding and magnificent.

"You felt it." His voice was rough. "The bond."

Luna nodded. Couldn't speak past the lump in her throat.

"Say yes." He took a step closer. "Say you accept it. Accept me. Be mine."

Every logical part of her brain screamed no. She'd known this man for two hours. He was dangerous. Not human. Came with a pack full of other dangerous not humans.

But her heart knew different. Her soul knew different.

Luna stood on shaking legs. Looked up at the man who'd fought four opponents to protect her. Who'd claimed her as his without knowing anything about her except that she was meant to be his.

"Yes."

The word barely left her lips before he moved. His hand cupped the back of her neck. He pulled her in. His mouth crashed down on hers.

The bond slammed into place so hard Luna's knees gave out. Reaper caught her. Held her up while the world spun. While something ancient and powerful and terrifying wrapped around both their souls and tied them together.

When he finally pulled back, his eyes glowed pure gold.

"Mine," he growled.

"Yours," she whispered back.

Behind them, someone started clapping. Then another. Then the whole pack joined in. Howls of approval filled the night air.

Luna buried her face against Reaper's bloody chest and wondered what the hell she'd just agreed to.