KAEL

My beast wouldn't shut up.

Mate. Mate. MATE.

"I know," I growled, pacing my chambers like a caged animal. "I was there."

Go back. Claim properly. Make her understand.

"She's terrified. Rushing this will only make it worse."

I don't care. I just want mate. I need mate.

I slammed my fist into the wall, leaving a crater in the stone. Fifteen years. Fifteen goddamn years of Cullings, of parading desperate females in front of me, of pretending I gave a shit about any of them.

And then she walked into that arena, and my entire world changed.

The scent hit me first, moonlight and wild roses, buried under layers of suppressant herbs. But I'd been waiting so long, searching so desperately, that I'd have recognized it through a mountain of interference.

The silver wolf is mate. Mine.

My beast had gone absolutely feral. It had taken everything I had not to shift right there and claim her in front of everyone. The only thing that stopped me was the look in her eyes, pure terror.

She thought I was going to hurt her.

Probably because everyone thinks I'm a monster.

I grabbed a bottle of whiskey and drank straight from it. The burn did nothing to calm the chaos in my head.

A knock on the door. "Enter."

Ryker stepped in, his expression carefully neutral. "You caused quite the scene."

"Good. Let them talk."

"Bryson Cole is demanding an audience. Says there's been a mistake, that the girl is wolf-less and unsuitable."

My beast snarled. "Tell Bryson if he comes near my mate, I'll rip his heart out through his throat."

"Diplomatic as always." Ryker closed the door and leaned against it. "What's your plan here, Kael? You just claimed a girl you don't know in front of the entire realm. No courtship, no warning. Just straight to the bite."

"She's my mate. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Maybe talk to her first?"

I shot him a look that would have made lesser wolves piss themselves. Ryker just raised an eyebrow.

"She was hiding," I said finally. "Using suppressants to mask her scent, pretending to be wolf-less. If I'd given her time to think, she would have run. I couldn't risk losing her."

"So you trapped her instead."

"I claimed what's mine."

Ryker sighed. "You're going to have a hell of a time winning her over if this is your strategy. She looked ready to bolt the second you put her down."

He wasn't wrong. I'd felt her wolf fighting her control, felt the silver power meeting my gold, but I'd also felt her fear. Sharp and acrid, cutting through the bond we'd just started forming.

"I'll figure it out," I muttered.

"Before or after she tries to kill you in your sleep?"

"She won't."

"How can you be sure?"

Because I'd looked into her eyes and seen something beyond the fear. Strength. Defiance. A will that twelve years of abuse hadn't broken. She was a survivor, and survivors didn't give up easily.

But I couldn't explain that to Ryker. Couldn't explain that the moment our eyes met, I'd seen my entire future. Every Culling I'd endured, every female I'd rejected, every lonely night in this massive palace, all of it had been leading to her.

My beast settled slightly at the thought. Yes. Hers. Always hers.

"What about the Cole family?" Ryker asked. "They're not going to accept this quietly. Bryson built his entire strategy around Selene becoming Luna."

"Then Bryson is an idiot. Selene has all the personality of a wet towel."

"Nevertheless, they'll cause problems. And there are others who won't be happy about you choosing an unknown Omega over established Alphas."

"She's not an Omega. She's a silver wolf." I met his eyes. "Do you know what that means?"

"Old legends. Moon Goddess bloodline. Power that rivals Lycans."

"Exactly. Which means she's not just my mate, she's my equal. The Luna this realm has been waiting for." I drained the whiskey bottle. "Let them complain. Let them scheme. Anyone who challenges her challenges me."

Ryker was quiet for a moment. "You really think she's the one."

"I know she is." My hand went to my shoulder where her silver mark still tingled beneath my shirt. "She marked me back, Ryker. Unconsciously, but she did it. Her wolf recognized mine even if she's not ready to admit it."

"And when she finds out about the curse?"

Everything in me went still. "She won't."

"Kael?"

"She won't." I turned to face him fully, letting him see the beast in my eyes. "Not until I'm sure she won't run. The curse doesn't matter if I have her. She's the cure I've been searching for."

"You don't know that."

But I did. The moment I noticed her at the arena, the shadows that had been clawing at my mind for years had quieted. The rage that constantly simmered beneath my skin had cooled. Just her presence had done what fifteen years of healers, enchanters, and shamans couldn't.

She was my salvation.

I just had to make her understand that before the curse killed us both.

"Get some sleep," Ryker said finally. "Tomorrow's going to be chaos. Every Alpha family in the realm will want answers. The council will demand a formal introduction. And your new Luna will probably try to strangle you at breakfast."

"Looking forward to it."

He shook his head and left.

I stood there for a long moment, staring at the connecting door between my chambers and hers. I could hear her moving around, water splashing, Helena's soft voice murmuring instructions.

My beast wanted to go to her. Wanted to finish the claiming, to mark her so thoroughly that everyone in the realm would know she was mine.

But I forced myself to stay put.

She'd been hidden, abused, forced into invisibility for years. The last thing she needed was me overwhelming her on the first night.

Even if waiting was killing me.

Mate needs us, my beast insisted.

"Mate needs space," I corrected.

Mate needs…

A crash from her room. Then silence.

I was through the door before conscious thought caught up.

Aria stood in the middle of her chamber, a shattered vase at her feet, her chest heaving. Helena had disappeared, probably giving us privacy. Smart woman.

"What happened?" I demanded.

She looked up, and the expression on her face stopped me cold. Not fear. Not anger. Something worse.

Devastation.

"This isn't real," she whispered. "This morning I was nothing. A servant. Invisible. And now I'm supposed to be a Luna? Your Luna? How is that supposed to make sense?"

I approached slowly, like she was a spooked animal. "It makes sense because the Moon Goddess…"

"Don't." She held up a hand. "Don't talk to me about destiny or fate or divine intervention. I don't believe in any of that. I believe in what I can see and touch. And what I see is a man who took away my choice."

The words hit harder than any physical blow.

"You're right," I said quietly.

She blinked. "What?"

"You're right. I didn't give you a choice. I scented you, my beast went insane, and I claimed you in front of thousands without asking what you wanted." I stopped a few feet away, giving her space. "I won't apologize for it. I can't. You're my mate, and I would have done anything to make you mine. But I understand why you're angry."

She stared at me like I'd grown a second head. "You're the Lycan King. You don't have to explain yourself to anyone."

"I don't. But I want to explain myself to you." I ran a hand through my hair, frustration and something softer warring in my chest. "I've been searching for you my entire reign. Every Culling, every gathering, every visit to pack territories, I was looking for the one wolf who would make the darkness stop. And today, I found her."

"What darkness?"

I shouldn't tell her. Shouldn't burden her with this on the first night. But something in her eyes, a recognition of pain that mirrored my own, made me speak.

"I'm cursed," I said simply. "Have been since I took the throne fifteen years ago. Shadows in my mind, rage I can barely control, a beast that wants to tear apart everything I've built. Healers call it the Lycan madness. The longer I go without a mate, the worse it gets."

Her expression shifted. "That's why you need a Luna. Not for politics. For survival."

"Yes." No point lying. "But it's more than that with you. The moment you walked into that arena, the shadows quieted. For the first time in fifteen years, my mind was clear. You're not just my mate, Aria. You're my cure."

She was quiet for a long moment. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft. "That's a lot of pressure to put on someone you just met."

"I know."

"And what happens if I can't cure you? What if I'm not enough?"

The vulnerability in her question made my chest ache. I closed the distance between us, slowly enough that she could move away if she wanted. She didn't.

"You're already enough," I said, my hand coming up to cup her face. She flinched slightly but didn't pull away. "Just being near you is more peace than I've had in years. Whatever else happens, that's already a miracle."

Her green eyes searched mine. "I don't trust you."

"Good. You shouldn't. I'm a monster who kidnapped you."

The corner of her mouth twitched. "At least you're honest about it."

"I can give you time," I said, even though it killed me to offer. "We're mated, but we don't have to complete the bond tonight. Or tomorrow. Or even next week. I'll wait until you're ready."

"Really?"

"No. My beast is going to make both our lives miserable until it happens. But I'll try." I brushed my thumb across her cheekbone, marveling at how soft her skin was. "I want you willing, little wolf. Not terrified."

She leaned into my touch slightly, and triumph surged through me. "What do I call you? Your Majesty? My King?"

"Kael. Just Kael when we're alone."

"And in public?"

"Whatever you want, as long as you make it clear you're mine."

She pulled away, but there was less fear in her eyes now. "Possessive much?"

"You have no idea." I let her go, forcing myself toward the door. "Get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be overwhelming."

"Kael?" She stopped me at the threshold. "Why did you really choose me? There were hundreds of females in that arena. Alphas, Betas, wolves with perfect bloodlines. Why a hidden silver wolf who has no idea how to be a Luna?"

I looked back at her, letting her see the truth in my eyes. "Because the moment I saw you, every other female in existence stopped existing. Because your wolf called to mine like coming home. Because I'm selfish and desperate and completely out of my mind, and you're the only thing that makes sense."

Her breath caught.

"Sleep well, little wolf," I said softly. "Tomorrow, you become a Luna."

Then I left before I could do something stupid like pull her into my arms and never let go.

Back in my chambers, my beast was howling.

Mate. Want mate. Need mate NOW.

"Soon," I promised. "Let her adjust. Let her breathe."

She's OURS. Why wait?

Because I'd seen the scars on her shoulder. The way she flinched when I moved too quickly. The fear that lingered beneath her defiance.

Someone had hurt my mate. Badly. Repeatedly.

And when I found out who, I was going to tear them apart slowly.

But first, I had to win her trust.

Which was going to be significantly harder than conquering territories.

I pulled out the file Ryker had compiled on Aria Thorne. It was thin, she'd been invisible by design. But what little information existed painted a picture that made my beast snarl with rage.

Father: Jackson Thorne, warrior, died in battle ten years ago. Heroic death protecting the pack's eastern border.

Mother: Deceased, supposedly from grief.

Stepfather: Bryson Cole, Alpha of Ember Pack.

Status: Servant. Omega. Wolf-less.

Except none of that was true. She wasn't wolf-less. Which meant someone had been forcing her to hide. Someone had beaten her down until she learned to disappear.

Bryson Cole.

I was going to enjoy destroying him.

A soft sound from Aria's chambers. I pressed my ear to the connecting door and heard it, quiet crying, quickly muffled.

Every instinct screamed at me to go to her. Comfort her. Promise her everything would be okay.

But I stayed on my side of the door.

Because the last thing she needed was a monster barging in when she finally let herself break.

So I sat against the wall, listening to my mate cry herself to sleep, and promised myself that I would spend the rest of my life making sure she never had to hide again.

Even if it meant taming the beast inside me.

Even if it meant going against every instinct I had.

She was worth it.