The forest had never been so alive—or so deadly. The Blood Moon hung swollen above the treetops, staining everything in a violent shade of crimson. The wind tore through the pines, carrying with it the low, guttural growl that froze Clara where she stood. It wasn’t just an animal’s sound—it was his.

“Adrian…” she whispered, though her voice barely left her throat. Her heart beat too fast, too loud. He’d told her to stay inside, to run if she saw the moon rise blood-red. But when the floorboards of the penthouse cracked under his roar, when glass shattered and his body twisted into something monstrous, Clara couldn’t move. She could only watch him fall apart—and become something else entirely.

Now, she ran. Branches clawed at her arms and dress as she stumbled through the dark. Somewhere behind her, another growl shook the ground. Her breath caught. She looked back—only for a massive shadow to flash between the trees. Red eyes. Too close. Too human to be a wolf, too wild to be a man.

She tripped on a root and fell to her knees, gasping. The forest went silent. And then, a figure stepped out of the fog.

It wasn’t Adrian.

“Nikolai?” she breathed.

He looked different—disheveled, eyes bright with some strange light. He crouched beside her, his hand gripping her arm. “You shouldn’t be here, Clara,” he hissed, scanning the treeline. “He’s not himself right now. You have to keep moving.”

“I can’t just leave him!” she said, pushing at his chest. “He’ll hurt someone—”

“He’ll hurt you,” Nikolai cut in sharply. “You don’t understand what a Blood Moon does to an Alpha. It strips away control. All that’s left is instinct and hunger.” His voice lowered, trembling at the edges. “If he scents you, he’ll come for you. And nothing on this earth will stop him.”

The words struck deep. Clara wanted to believe Adrian’s humanity would survive the curse. That the man who’d protected her, kissed her, looked at her like she was the only thing tethering him to reality—was still in there somewhere. But the roar that split the night told her otherwise.

Nikolai pulled her up and started dragging her through the woods. “There’s an outpost ahead,” he said. “Silver barriers. He won’t cross them.”

But before they reached it, a howl rose behind them—low and haunting, echoing through the trees. Nikolai stopped dead. His grip tightened. “Too late.”

The beast burst from the shadows in a blur of black and silver. Adrian—if he could still be called that—landed with the force of a storm, claws digging into the soil. His body was larger, broader, wrapped in fur that shimmered under the moonlight. But those eyes—those molten gold eyes—were unmistakable.

Clara’s heart cracked. “Adrian…”

He snarled, chest heaving, and took a step forward.

Nikolai moved in front of her, fangs bared, voice sharp with authority. “Stand down, Alpha!”

The air around them vibrated with power. Adrian froze, head tilting, his breath ragged. For a moment, something flickered behind those wild eyes—recognition, pain, love. Then his gaze shifted to Clara. He took another step.

Nikolai swore and shoved Clara backward. “Run!”

She hesitated—just long enough for Adrian to lunge. Nikolai met him midair. The impact sent both crashing into the earth, growls and claws ripping through the night. Clara stumbled back, watching in horror as sparks of supernatural energy flashed between them—Alpha and Beta locked in a battle of dominance, both too strong, too close.

She screamed his name once—“Adrian!”—and something changed. The beast’s movements faltered. His head whipped toward her, eyes burning bright with pain and recognition.

Nikolai took the chance to shove him away, chest heaving. “Clara—now!”

She turned and ran, every heartbeat a drum in her ears. Behind her, she heard one last growl—less rage this time, more despair. She didn’t look back until the trees began to thin.

Ahead, a faint silver glow lit the ground—Nikolai’s barrier. But before she reached it, she stopped. Something deep inside her pulsed—warm, electric. The same spark she’d felt the night she first touched Adrian’s hand. Only stronger now, almost unbearable.

When she looked back, he was gone. Just the blood moon, and the scent of rain.

Then, a whisper brushed her mind—soft, trembling, unmistakably his.

> Run if you must… but I’ll find you, Clara.

Her knees buckled. Tears burned her eyes, not from fear, but from the ache of something deeper—something binding.

The mark beneath her collarbone glowed faintly in the moonlight.

It was the mark of an Alpha’s bond. And it had just awakened.