ARIA

I couldn't feel my legs.

The arena spun around me, thousands of faces blurring together. Somewhere in the crowd, Selene was screaming. Bryson was shouting. But all I could focus on was the massive Lycan standing in front of me, his hand still tangled in my hair, his claim burning on my neck.

"No," I whispered. "This is a mistake."

Kael's smile widened. "No mistake, little wolf. I've been waiting for you for fifteen years."

He released my hair only to grip my waist, lifting me off the ground like I weighed nothing. I struggled instinctively, but his hold was iron.

"Stop fighting," he murmured against my ear, his voice dropping to something almost gentle. "I can feel your wolf. She wants this. Why don't you?"

Because this wasn't supposed to happen. Because I was supposed to stay hidden, stay safe. Because being claimed by a Lycan King meant I'd never be free again.

"Put me down," I managed, my voice shaking.

"No."

He turned, carrying me toward the exit. Ryker and the guards fell into formation around us, blocking anyone from getting close. The crowd erupted, some cheering, some protesting, all chaos.

"Your Majesty!" Bryson’s voice cut through the noise. He pushed through the crowd, his Alpha power making people move. "There's been a misunderstanding. This girl is wolf-less. She's a servant. She can't possibly be…"

Kael's growl silenced him mid-sentence. "Are you suggesting I don't know my own mate?"

Marcus's face went white. "No, of course not, I just…"

"She's coming with me. Anyone who has a problem with that can take it up with my beast." Kael's eyes flashed gold as he said it, and the threat was clear.

No one moved.

He carried me out of the arena, through corridors of black stone that seemed to absorb light. I'd stopped struggling, partly because it was useless, partly because my wolf was purring at his touch, and the betrayal of my own body made me want to scream.

We entered a chamber so massive it could have held my entire pack house. The ceiling stretched up into darkness. Furs covered the floor. A bed, more like a platform dominated one wall, easily large enough for five people.

Kael set me down carefully, but his hand remained on my waist, keeping me close.

"Are you going to run?" he asked, his tone almost curious.

I met his eyes. "Would it matter if I did?"

"No. I'd catch you." He said it simply, a statement of fact. "But I'd rather you stayed because you want to. Eventually."

"You bit me in front of thousands of people without asking."

"I'm a Lycan King. I don't ask permission to claim what's mine." His thumb rubbed small circles on my hip, and the casual possessiveness of it made my skin prickle. "But I'm not going to force you into my bed. Not yet."

"How generous."

His laugh was low and rough. "You've got fire. Good. I was worried you'd be one of those submissive Omegas who cry and faint."

"I'm not an Omega."

"No," he agreed, his gaze raking over me. "You're something much more interesting. A silver wolf hiding in plain sight. How long?"

There was no point lying. He could probably smell the truth. "Four years."

"And no one knew?"

"I made sure of it."

He studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he stepped back, giving me space for the first time since he'd grabbed me. "You must have been terrified. A silver wolf in the hands of someone like Bryson Cole? He would have sold you to the highest bidder."

The understanding in his voice surprised me. "How did you know?"

"Because I know Marcus. He's a greedy bastard who cares more about power than his pack." Kael moved to a table where wine and food waited. He poured two glasses. "Drink. You look like you're about to pass out."

I took the wine with shaking hands. The first sip burned, but the second steadied me slightly. "What happens now?"

"Now? You stay here. In the Luna's chambers." He gestured to a door I hadn't noticed. "Connected to mine, but separate. You'll be given everything you need, clothes, food, servants. Tomorrow, we'll make the formal announcement, and you'll begin learning what it means to be my Luna."

"I don't want to be your Luna."

"Too bad." He said it without heat, just another fact. "The Moon Goddess chose you for me. The moment I scented you, my beast knew. And when you marked me back, yes, little wolf, I felt your power meet mine, you sealed it. We're mated now. Incomplete, but mated."

My hand flew to his shoulder where I'd gripped him. I didn't remember marking him, but there it was, a faint silver handprint on his black shirt, already fading.

"I didn't mean to…"

"Doesn't matter. Intent or not, it's done." He drained his wine in one swallow. "Get some rest. You're going to need it."

He headed for the connecting door, then paused. "Oh, and Aria? Don't try to run. The palace is surrounded by my guards, and they have orders to bring you back unharmed. But I'd rather not start our relationship with a chase. Even if my beast would enjoy it."

Then he was gone, the door closing behind him.

I stood there for a long moment, my mind refusing to process what had just happened. This morning I'd been a nobody. A servant. A girl with a secret.

Now I was claimed by a Lycan King, marked as his Luna, and trapped in a palace with no escape.

My wolf finally pushed through my mental walls, her voice clear for the first time in weeks. Mate. Finally. Home.

"He's not our mate," I told her furiously. "He's a monster who kidnapped us."

Strong. Powerful. Perfect.

"He's insane."

Ours.

I wanted to scream. Instead, I drank more wine and tried to figure out how everything had gone so catastrophically wrong.

A knock on the door made me jump. A woman entered, older, with kind eyes and greying hair. She bowed slightly. "My lady. I'm Helena, your personal attendant. The King has requested I help you settle in."

"I don't need help."

"Nevertheless." She moved to the wardrobe and began pulling out dresses. "You'll need proper attire for tomorrow's announcement. And a bath. When was the last time you had a proper bath?"

I couldn't remember. Months, maybe.

Helena tsked. "Come along. Let's get you cleaned up. You'll feel better once you're out of that dreadful grey sack."

I let her lead me to the bathing chamber, a room with a pool-sized tub already filled with steaming water. The scent of lavender and something floral filled the air.

As I sank into the water, Helena worked soap through my hair, and I finally let myself feel everything I'd been holding back.

I felt terror, confusion, anger

And underneath it all, a traitorous spark of something that might have been hope.

Because for the first time in twelve years, someone had looked at me and seen something worth keeping.

Even if that someone was a monster.