Chapter 21

POV: Eve

My fingers traced down his torso, trembling with need, desperate to feel him—to have all of him. I reached for the waistband of his pants, my breath unsteady, my heart pounding against my ribs like a war drum. Caellum’s gaze never left mine as he helped me peel the remaining barriers between us away, revealing himself fully.

And God, he was huge.

I stared, lips parted, breath catching in my throat. He was magnificent, all raw power and masculine beauty, carved from flesh and heat. But before my eyes could linger too long, his strong hand cupped my chin, tilting my face upward until our eyes met.

“Look at me,” he murmured, his voice like a silken command.

Then his mouth claimed mine again, devouring, stealing my breath, making me forget everything except this moment. His tongue teased, coaxed, and I tasted myself on his lips, a deep groan vibrating in his chest. I felt his hardness pressing insistently against my thigh, the heat of him sending an electric thrill through my body.

Slowly, so achingly slow, he guided himself to my entrance, teasing, pressing—but then he stopped. His forehead rested against mine, and his green eyes, dark with need, searched mine.

“Are you sure?” His voice was low, husky, barely restrained.

A shiver ran through me, not from fear, but from the intensity of this moment. My fingers curled into his biceps, holding onto him, grounding myself in him. There was no hesitation in my answer.

“Yes.” My voice was a whisper, a plea. “Yes, Calleum.”

His jaw clenched, his control teetering on the edge, and then he began to push inside, slow and deliberate, stretching me, filling me inch by inch. A sharp twinge of pain made me tense, my body adjusting to him, and Caellum felt it immediately.

His lips left my mouth, traveling lower, finding the sensitive spot on my neck—my mark. He brushed his teeth over it, just enough to send a shockwave of pleasure through me, chasing away the pain, replacing it with something dizzying, consuming. A gasp escaped me, my nails digging into his back.

“That’s it,” he murmured against my skin, his tongue tracing slow circles over the mark. “Let me make it feel good.”

And he did.

The discomfort faded, replaced by an overwhelming, undeniable pleasure as he filled me completely. He stayed still for a moment, letting me adjust, his breath ragged as he held himself back. Then, when I lifted my hips instinctively, seeking more, he began to move.

Slow, at first. Deep, unhurried thrusts that made my breath hitch, made my toes curl. Every slide, every pull, ignited something deeper, something primal. He kissed me again, his lips hot and desperate, as if he needed this as much as I did.

“You feel perfect,” he groaned, his forehead pressing to mine as his pace increased. “You are perfect. Perfect for me.”

His words sent a shiver down my spine, but before I could respond, pleasure coiled tighter in my core, building, twisting, threatening to consume me. And I could feel him, too—not just his body, but his pleasure, his desire, his love. It bled into me through the mark, intensifying everything, making it impossible to tell where I ended and he began.

“Caellum—” I gasped, my nails raking down his back as he thrust deeper, harder.

“I know,” he growled, his control slipping, his movements turning desperate.

Then his fingers found my clit, rubbing tight circles, pushing me over the edge. My body seized, a cry escaping me as pleasure crashed into me, violent and beautiful, rippling through every nerve. His name left my lips in a breathless moan, and he followed, a guttural sound tearing from his throat as he spilled inside me, convulsing with his release.

For a long moment, we didn’t move. We stayed tangled together, bodies slick with sweat, hearts pounding in unison. His forehead rested against mine, his breath warm, heavy.

Then, in the quiet aftermath, he whispered it.

“I love you.”

Raw. Unrestrained. A confession ripped from his soul.

I swallowed, my chest tightening as I gazed into his eyes, seeing nothing but truth.

And I gave him mine.

“I love you too.”

His lips found mine again, this time slower, softer. Worshipping. Because we were bound—body, soul, and heart. Forever.

---

The first thing I became aware of was warmth. A delicious, all-consuming heat wrapping around me, seeping into my skin. My body ached in the most decadent way, a reminder of everything that had happened the night before.

I sighed, stretching slightly, but the movement made strong arms tighten around me, pulling me back against a firm, solid chest.

“Going somewhere?” Caelum’s voice was thick with sleep, rough and deep, vibrating against my back.

A lazy smile spread across my lips. “Didn’t think you’d wake up so soon.”

His fingers traced lazy patterns down my side, sending shivers through my already oversensitive skin. “I always wake up when you move,” he murmured, pressing his lips against my shoulder, his breath hot against my skin. “Especially when you’re naked in my bed.”

My cheeks heated as last night’s memories flooded back—his hands, his mouth, the way he made me feel like I was the only thing in his world.

I turned to face him, my green eyes meeting his intense gaze. His hair was tousled from sleep, his jaw rough with the beginnings of a beard, making him look even more devastatingly handsome.

“You’re staring,” he teased, lips quirking into that cocky, irresistible smirk.

I rolled my eyes, but my fingers betrayed me, reaching up to brush against his cheek. “Maybe I like what I see.”

His expression softened, the teasing melting into something deeper. His hand slid into my hair, tilting my face up until our lips were a breath apart.

“Good,” he whispered, before closing the distance.

The kiss was slow, unhurried, as if he wanted to savor every second. It wasn’t like the desperate, feverish touches of last night. This was different—soft, reverent. Like he was worshiping me with every brush of his lips.

I melted into him, sighing into the kiss, letting myself drown in his warmth, his scent. He pulled me even closer, his bare skin against mine, his hands tracing gentle circles over my spine.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat, my fingers tracing over the mark he’d left on my neck. “I think we have a lifetime to test that theory.”

His arms tightened around me, his gaze darkening with something possessive, something entirely Caelum. “Damn right we do.”

A knock at the door interrupted the moment. “Alpha?”

Caelum sighed, his forehead dropping against mine before he called out, “What is it?”

“The pack is waiting for you and Luna Eve for breakfast.”

I blinked, suddenly remembering where we were. This wasn’t just us wrapped up in our little bubble. This was real—and his entire pack was expecting us.

I pulled the sheets around me, suddenly nervous. “They’re all waiting?”

Caelum chuckled, sitting up, the sheet sliding down to reveal his perfectly sculpted chest. “They’ll be happy to see you.” His gaze flickered over me, dark and appreciative. “But if you want, I could always take you again and make them wait a little longer.”

Heat flooded my body at the wicked promise in his tone, but I smacked his arm. “Get dressed, Alpha.”

He only grinned, reaching for me one last time before we left the warmth of our bed.

The moment we stepped into the dining hall, all conversation halted. Every single member of Caelum’s pack turned toward us.

And then, as if a silent agreement had passed between them, they erupted into cheers.

“To our Alpha and his Luna!” someone shouted, and a wave of applause followed.

My cheeks burned, but Caelum only smirked, his grip on my waist tightening as he led me to the long wooden table.

I was still adjusting to this—to being his Luna, to being accepted by his pack. But as I looked around, I saw nothing but approval. The warriors raised their mugs in a toast, the women smiled warmly, and even the children peeked over the table with wide, curious eyes.

A plate of fresh food was placed in front of me—warm bread, honeyed fruit, and roasted meats. Caelum sat beside me, his arm draped casually over the back of my chair, his presence solid and reassuring.

“You look well-rested, Alpha,” one of his warriors teased, earning laughter from the table.

Caelum only smirked. “I am.” Then, he turned to me, his voice lower, meant only for me. “And so is my Luna, aren’t you?”

I glared at him, nudging him under the table, but the warmth in my chest didn’t fade.

For the first time in a long time, I felt… home.

And I realized something else, too.

I was loving all this.

Hard.

Chapter 22

POV: Eve

“What will you do on your first official day as Luna?” Caelum asked, his arms wrapped around my waist, holding me close.

I traced my fingers lightly over his chest, tilting my head as I looked up at him. “If I had my way? I’d spend the entire morning back in bed with you.” My voice was soft, teasing, and I loved the way his grip tightened in response, the way his green eyes darkened just a little.

His lips twitched. “Tempting,” he murmured, “but?”

“But,” I sighed dramatically, “since I spent the last few days preparing, I thought I’d allow myself a slow morning. Maybe read for a while before officially starting my duties after lunch.”

Caelum hummed, his thumb stroking absent circles along my hip. “Fair enough.”

“And you?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“I have business to finish with Kazzar before he leaves,” he said, his voice dropping slightly as if his mind was already shifting to work. “I’ll see you at lunch.”

I nodded, but before I could step away, Caelum pulled me in, his lips brushing over mine—warm, soft, lingering.

“I already miss you,” he murmured against my mouth.

Before I could reply, before I could tangle my fingers in his hair and drag him back to bed like I wanted to, he was gone, slipping into his office and leaving me standing there, still feeling the imprint of his kiss.

The library felt cold, empty.

I traced my fingers over the spines of the books, but my mind was elsewhere. The warmth of Caelum’s hand on my waist at breakfast, the way he had looked at me, like I was his. The way I had let myself believe, just for a moment, that I could be.

Then, realization struck—I had forgotten my book.

Ellara and I had spent hours in the preparation room leading up to the wedding, going over details, trying to make me look like a Luna I had never wanted to be. My book had been left there, tucked away in a place I didn’t want to return to. But I needed it.

I stepped out of the library and turned down the hall.

The corridors of the keep were quiet, the morning sun streaming through the high windows. Servants passed me, dipping their heads in greeting, unaware of the anxious flutter in my chest.

I moved quickly, my footsteps light, but then—

I paused.

Caelum’s office door was slightly ajar.

I wasn’t sure what made me stop. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was the sharp edge in Kazzar’s voice that caught my attention.

I shouldn’t have listened.

But I did.

“It worked,” Caelum’s voice came, low and satisfied. Too satisfied.

“The bond worked.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “Gods, I can’t believe it worked.”

Bond?

A sharp, uneasy laugh from Kazzar. “It should have. But it was a risk.”

My pulse stumbled. The walls seemed to shrink around me, the air suddenly too thick, my breath caught in my throat.

“Does she know?” Kazzar asked, quieter now. “The real reason Eve Montrose is the only wolf that could be your mate?”

It’s really about me.

My heart pounded, too fast, too loud.

A pause.

Then Caelum’s voice, steady, unshaken. “No.”

What the hell?

The floor vanished beneath me.

A sharp, sickening twist in my stomach. A dagger straight through my chest.

I pressed a hand to the doorway, my fingers curling against the wood, holding on—to something, anything.

My breath was uneven, too shallow, too fast.

They were talking about the bond.

They were talking about me.

And I was nothing but a dumb, blind puppet in all of this.

And worse—I had believed him.

Something inside me shattered.

Before I knew what I was doing, I pushed the door open.

The hinges groaned, and Caelum and Kazzar both turned.

Caelum’s eyes went wide.

For a moment, we just stared at each other.

Kazzar muttered a curse, stepping back.

“What,” I rasped, my voice hoarse, “are you talking about?”

Caelum froze. He never froze.

The silence was a razor slicing through the room.

Kazzar glanced at Caelum, as if waiting for him to answer.

But Caelum only stared at me, his green eyes unreadable, his jaw tight.

I took a step forward. “Tell me.” My voice was shaking, but I didn’t care.

When he didn’t answer, something inside me snapped.

“Tell me what the hell you did, Caelum!”

He flinched.

Caelum Alaric, the ruthless Alpha, the man feared by everyone—flinched.

And in that instant, I knew.

He had done something.

Something unforgivable.

I stumbled back, my breath coming in sharp, ragged bursts. My fingers curled into fists as my heartbeat pounded in my ears. I needed to get away, needed to breathe.

Caelum stepped forward, his hand reaching for me. “Eve, wait—”

I turned and ran.

I didn’t think. I just moved, my feet pounding against the stone floors as I tore through the halls. My vision blurred, my pulse a deafening roar in my head.

A tremor ran through me, my body burning with the need to escape. I barely made it outside before the shift torethrough me.

A flash of white fur.

The snap of bones reforming.

And then I was running—running—as fast as I could into the trees, my paws barely touching the ground.

I needed to get away.

Away from him.

Away from the lie I had been living.

Behind me, a low growl rumbled through the air.

I barely heard him shift, but I felt it.

Felt the massive presence of his black wolf surging after me.

“I liked that tunic.”

His voice was a whisper on the wind, and then—

A snarl, a shadow, and the hunt began.

Chapter 23

POV: Eve

I ran.

The forest blurred around me, a mess of green and brown streaking past as I pushed myself forward, faster, harder. My paws barely touched the ground before I lunged again, my breath coming in sharp, ragged bursts. My heart pounded, not just from the effort, but from the words still echoing in my mind.

It worked.

Caelum’s voice haunted me, curling around my thoughts like a noose.

The bond worked.

A sharp whimper left me as I ran. I wanted to outrun the memory, outrun the pain twisting inside me.

But I wasn’t alone.

I felt him behind me.

His presence was a shadow on my back, dark and unrelenting. His massive black wolf moved like a force of nature—silent, impossibly fast, and terrifyingly powerful. I knew him. I had trained with him, fought beside him.

And I knew I didn’t stand a chance.

But I ran anyway.

I had to.

I veered sharply between the trees, pushing my muscles to the brink, but Caelum’s growl rumbled through the air—a warning, a promise.

And then—pain.

A sharp, searing bite at my neck—right over my mark.

I howled, my body jerking at the unbearable sensation. It wasn’t just pain. It was something deeper, something primal. A force that pulled at my very soul. The bite sent a shock of pleasure twisting through my body, hot and overwhelming, warring with the betrayal still choking me.

I faltered.

And that was all he needed.

Caelum crashed into me, knocking me off balance, sending us rolling through the dirt and leaves. Our wolves tangled, bodies colliding, snarls and whimpers mixing into the chaos. But he was stronger.

He always had been.

And when we stopped, he had me pinned.

His massive black wolf loomed over me, his chest rising and falling, his green eyes wild with something desperate. My white wolf thrashed beneath him, struggling, but he didn’t let go.

I hated him.

I hated that even now, my body still responded to his. That even with all this pain, all this betrayal, I still felt him.

Then, suddenly—he shifted.

His human form replaced the beast, but his weight, his strength, still caged me in. His bare skin was hot against my fur, his breath ragged, his eyes searching.

“Eve,” he rasped. “Breathe. Let me explain.”

I couldn’t.

I wouldn’t.

I twisted beneath him, trying to escape, but he was unmovable.

“Please,” he whispered, voice thick with something I couldn’t bear to name. “Shift back.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting it, fighting him. But my wolf, that traitorous, aching part of me, gave in.

The shift tore through me, and suddenly, I was beneath him in my human form, my chest heaving, my body trembling with sobs. My hands pressed against the earth, fingers curling into the dirt as if it could ground me, hold me together when I was breaking apart.

I turned my face away from him.

I couldn’t look at him.

I couldn’t bear it.

“Eve—”

“Tell me it was all a lie.” My voice came out raw, broken. I forced myself to meet his gaze, my vision blurred with tears. “Tell me you never loved me.”

His whole body went still.

For the first time, Caelum Alaric—the ruthless Alpha, the man who had stolen everything from me—looked utterly, completely wrecked.

His jaw clenched, his hands digging into the earth beside me, but his eyes… Gods, his eyes were full of anguish. Full of something too real, too painful.

“Gods, Of course I love you,” he breathed. His voice cracked. “Eve, I—”

“Then tell me.” My hands fisted against his bare chest, my voice rising, shaking. “Tell me there was no other reason you picked me. No other then the one you already told me, the alliance, the political,”

His breath shuddered.

He exhaled.

And I saw it.

I felt it.

The moment he broke.

“Eve…”

I already knew.

I knew before he even spoke.

“Tell me, Caelum.”

Silence stretched between us, thick, suffocating.

Then, finally—

“There is another reason.”

The world collapsed around me.

I flinched, my whole body recoiling as if he’d struck me. My nails dug into the dirt, my pulse hammering so hard I thought my ribs might crack under the pressure.

Caelum’s hand lifted, like he wanted to touch me, but he stopped himself. His jaw tightened. “I married you for the alliance, Eve. I married you for the silver mines.”

A cold, sharp pain sliced through my chest. “You already said that, silver for weapons…”

His eyes darkened. “Not just for weapons. Not just for my pack. I needed to protect it.”

My breath came in shallow gasps. “Protect it?”

“The witches,” he said, voice raw. “They use silver in their magic. Powerful magic. Dark magic. The kind that—” He stopped, his throat working as he swallowed hard. “The kind that killed Selene.”

A cold shiver ran through me.

“When she died,” he continued, his voice hollow, “it wasn’t natural. The witches used silver—so much silver—to cast a spell that destroyed her. Her mark vanished from my shoulder because she wasn’t just killed. She was erased.”

I pressed a hand to my own mark, my stomach twisting.

“I promised I’d never let them have that power again,” Caelum said, his hands curling into fists. “Your father’s mines—they hold more silver than any territory. If the witches got control of them, they could wipe out entire packs. Your father’s warriors weren’t strong enough to protect it. I couldn’t risk war with him, not when I needed him as an ally.” His gaze locked onto mine, fierce and unyielding. “So I chose the one path that could secure everything. I chose you.”

My pulse roared in my ears.

Caelum wasn’t just using the silver. He was keeping it from them.

Not just for himself.

For everyone.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to hate him.

But part of me—some deep, wretched part of me—understood.

“You should have told me,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “You should have told me the truth.”

“I was trying to protect you.” His voice cracked.

I shook my head, tears slipping down my cheeks. “You don’t get to decide what I should know, Caelum. I was a idiot, I really trusted you, I really love you,”

His face twisted in agony. “Eve—”

“I need space.” The words came out ragged, painful. I placed a hand against his chest and pushed lightly. “Please.”

He hesitated. His whole body tensed like he wanted to fight me on this, to hold me down until I listened.

But then, after a long, agonizing moment, he nodded.

And he let me go.

Chapter 24

POV: Eve

I spent the whole day avoiding him.

I went straight to the training grounds, throwing myself into combat drills until my arms ached and my legs threatened to give out. When Caelum finally showed up, I was already walking away.

I wandered the library, flipping through old books without really reading a word. At dinner, I asked for a tray to be sent to my chambers, knowing he’d be waiting in the hall.

I could still feel him, though. Watching. Waiting.

The mate bond had no mercy. It whispered his presence in my bones, a constant pull that wouldn’t let me forget.

And I hated that part of me—the weak, foolish part—that wanted to give in.

After I finished eating, I stood by the window, staring into the darkened courtyard below. The torches flickered, shadows stretching along the stone walls.

A knock came at my door.

I knew who it was before he even spoke.

“Eve,” Caelum’s voice was quiet but firm. “Let me in.”

I hesitated for only a second before exhaling sharply and pulling the door open. He filled the space, tall and tense, his eyes searching mine.

“I’m not sleeping in the same bed as you tonight.”

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might argue. But instead, he sighed, dragging a hand through his hair.

“Come with me,” he said.

I frowned. “Where?”

He didn’t answer, just held out a hand.

I didn’t take it. But after a long moment, I stepped into the hallway beside him.

Caelum led me through the dim corridors, past the main halls, down a flight of stairs I’d never used before. I followed in silence, watching the way his shoulders stiffened, the way his hands curled into fists like he was bracing himself.

When we reached the blacksmiths, the heat from the forges hit me first—the air thick with the scent of molten metal.

Then I saw it.

Silver.

Bars of it, stacked along the walls. Weapons half-forged. Daggers being dipped into enchanted oils.

I swallowed hard. “You really are using it.”

Caelum turned to face me, his expression unreadable. “I told you I was.”

I stared at the shimmering metal, the way the firelight danced over it. The truth settled heavily in my chest. This wasn’t just for his pack. This was war preparation.

And then he was moving again, leading me further down the halls, deeper into the stronghold.

The wizards’ headquarters was different. Cooler, quieter. The air crackled with unseen magic, the scent of dried herbs and old parchment filling my nose.

Caelum stopped in front of a stone table, where a wizard was carefully grinding silver into powder.

Potions. Enchantments. Protection.

Everything he’d said was true.

I crossed my arms over my chest. “So, what? You’re showing me this to prove you’re the hero?”

“No.” His voice was rough. “I’m showing you because I need you to understand why I did what I did.”

I looked at him then, really looked at him. There was no arrogance in his expression. No smugness. Just something that looked an awful lot like exhaustion.

Caelum had been carrying this for a long, long time.

But I wasn’t ready to let go of my anger.

I turned toward the door. “Are we done?”

“No.”

His hand brushed mine, just barely, before he started walking again.

The room was small.

Dusty.

And untouched.

I froze in the doorway, my breath catching in my throat. The air inside felt different—heavier, like it was stuck in time.

And then I saw the dresses.

Selene’s dresses.

Hanging untouched in the corner, the fabric delicate, like one wrong move might shatter them. A comb rested on a vanity table. A book left open, pages worn from fingers that would never turn them again.

I swallowed hard. “Caelum—”

His back was to me, his shoulders tense. “I couldn’t get rid of it.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “Not after what happened to her.”

I glanced around, my chest tightening. “No one comes in here?”

He shook his head.

I stepped closer, my fingers ghosting over the fabric of one of her gowns.

Caelum exhaled shakily. “She didn’t deserve what they did to her.” His hands clenched at his sides. “No one does.”

I turned to him slowly. His face was unreadable, but his eyes—gods, his eyes.

“I promised no one would ever share her fate.” His voice cracked. “That’s why I protect you the way I do, Eve.”

I stared at him, my heartbeat loud in my ears.

“Why were you surprised the bond worked?” I asked quietly.

His expression flickered, something unreadable passing over his face.

“Because…” He hesitated. “Because we weren’t natural mates.”

Something sharp twisted inside me. “So you thought I could reject you?”

He exhaled. “Yes.”

I didn’t know how to feel about that.

I should have been relieved. Maybe, deep down, I was.

But another part of me—the part still bound to him, still aching even after everything—felt something else entirely.

His hand reached for me, slow, careful.

And this time, I didn’t pull away.

His fingers brushed my jaw, trailing down my throat, leaving fire in their wake.

My breath hitched.

He was so close now. So warm. So familiar, even in the midst of all this pain.

Caelum hesitated for a fraction of a second. And then—

His lips met mine.

It wasn’t desperate. It wasn’t demanding. It was aching. Slow. A silent plea wrapped in the warmth of his mouth against mine.

I hated how much I wanted it.

Hated how I melted into him, how my fingers curled into his shirt, how his hands settled on my waist like he was afraid I’d disappear.

The kiss deepened.

For a moment, I let myself forget. Forget the betrayal, the pain. Forget the weight of everything that stood between us.

But then reality crept back in.

I broke the kiss first, my breath shaky, my fingers still fisting his shirt.

Caelum pressed his forehead to mine, his hands tightening on my waist. “Eve…”

I swallowed hard. “I still need time.”

A long silence stretched between us.

Then, finally, he nodded.

But he didn’t let go.

And neither did I.

I didn’t fight him when he asked me to stay.

I should have. I should have insisted on sleeping in a separate room, on keeping my distance, on proving to him—and to myself—that I wasn’t swayed by his explanations. But the mate bond didn’t care about my anger, and neither did Caelum.

I felt my heart apart every second he was close and I wans’t touching him, but it was even worst when we were apart.

“Stay,” he’d said, his voice low and strained. “Just sleep. That’s all I’m asking.”

So I stayed.

But we didn’t touch.

I lay on my side, my back to him, staring at the dim glow of the fireplace across the room. I could feel the weight of his presence behind me, hear his breaths—deep and controlled, but not restful. He wasn’t sleeping, either.

Something was wrong.

It wasn’t just between us. There was a tension in the air, something bigger than the distance I was putting between us. I wanted to ask him. I wanted to turn over and look at him—at the man who had stolen my fate and somehow, despite everything, felt like mine anyway.

But I didn’t. And eventually, exhaustion pulled me under.

The next few days passed in a blur of avoidance.

I trained alone. When he joined the warriors, I left.I ate in my room. He didn’t try to stop me.I buried myself in the library, searching for something—anything—to anchor me, to make sense of what I felt.

The pack felt it.

Their Alpha and Luna were… off.

Conversations hushed when I entered a room. Warriors cast uncertain glances when I passed. Even the omegas serving meals moved carefully around me, as if afraid I’d shatter like glass.

It was unsettling.

I wasn’t used to being noticed this much. Back home—my old home—I was nothing more than my father’s daughter, a pawn to be bartered away. Now, I was Caelum’s Luna. And these people—my people—were looking to me, waiting for something I wasn’t sure I could give them.

I needed space.

I needed to breathe.

And then the world went to hell.

It started with a distant roar.

Not the sound of a wolf. Not even the guttural battle cries of warriors.

Something inhuman.

I was in the eastern courtyard when it happened, flipping through a book on ancient pack alliances. The second I heard it—felt it—the mate bond tightened like a noose.

Caelum.

I didn’t think. I just ran.

I sprinted through the corridors, the castle alive with shouts and the clang of weapons. Guards rushed past me, shifting mid-stride as they bolted toward the gates. The air was thick with magic, with the crackling burn of a spell spreading through the fortress walls.

I had no idea where Caelum was.

All I knew was that I needed to find him.

The mate bond was screaming, twisting deep in my chest. My heart pounded as I turned a corner, nearly colliding with Kazzar. The wizard grabbed my arms, his eyes flashing silver with power.

“Eve, you need to stay—”

“Where is he?!” I cut him off, yanking free.

Kazzar cursed, his gaze darting toward the main hall. The battlefield.

My stomach twisted. He’s out there.

Chapter 25

POV: Eve

I ran.

The second I stepped onto the battlefield, I couldn’t breathe.

Bodies. Blood. The metallic stench of it burned my throat. Shadows moved in the distance—witches, their dark cloaks billowing as they chanted, casting spells that sent wolves writhing in agony.

And then I saw him.

Caelum stood in the middle of the chaos, his blade coated in silver, his body tense, lethal.

He was alive.

Something inside me snapped.

The relief was so overwhelming, so sudden, that I didn’t realize I was moving until I was already running toward him.

Caelum turned at the same moment. Our eyes met— a clash of ice and fire, of fury and longing.

And then his sword dropped.

And then I was in his arms.

He caught me, crushing me against him, his breath ragged against my hair. His hands were shaking, gripping me too tightly, as if I might vanish.

“You’re safe,” I whispered. Because I needed to say it.

His chest heaved, his entire body trembling with restraint.

“I—” His voice broke. He pulled back just enough to look at me, his eyes wild, desperate.

And then he kissed me.

It wasn’t soft.

It wasn’t careful.

It was raw, a collision of heat and emotion, of everything we couldn’t say but felt too deeply.

I melted into it, gripping his shirt, anchoring myself to him. His lips were demanding, his hands tangled in my hair, pulling me closer, devouring me like I was the only thing keeping him sane.

And maybe I was.

The world burned around us, but in that moment, we were the only thing that mattered.

“Let me help,” I whispered against his lips.

He went rigid.

I pulled back, meeting his gaze—pleading. “I know I can’t fight. But I’m not useless.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. His hands were still on me, still holding. Still unwilling to let go.

“Eve—”

“Send me to the healers. Let me lead the efforts there. I know strategy. I can help organize the wounded. Let me do something.”

Caelum stared at me for a long moment, something unreadable in his expression. Then he exhaled, a sound of defeat and something else—reluctant trust.

“Fine,” he said hoarsely. “But you stay in the headquarters. You don’t step outside unless I come for you.”

I nodded.

It wasn’t a victory.

But it was a start.

The healer’s headquarters was chaos.

But I thrived in chaos.

Wolves staggered in, bloodied and broken, their bodies torn by claws and dark magic. The scent of silver and burnt flesh filled the air, mingling with the sharp, herbal tang of healing potions.

I moved through it all with purpose. I had a role here.

“We need more wolfsbane salve!” I called over my shoulder as I pressed down on a warrior’s wound, his flesh still sizzling from a witch’s cursed blade.

“Coming, Luna!”

The title still felt foreign, but no one hesitated when I spoke. They listened. They trusted me.

I directed healers, organized the wounded, rationed potions. My mind worked in strategy, placing the strongest near the entrance, ensuring the weakest were seen first. I didn’t flinch at the blood, didn’t waver at the cries of pain. This was my pack now. And I would not fail them.

Then the doors slammed open.

And my world tilted.

Caelum

He stood in the doorway, alive.

His chest rose and fell heavily, his shirt torn and stained with blood. His knuckles were raw, his jaw clenched tight, and his eyes—gods, his eyes found mine instantly.

The war was over. I could feel it.

The shift in the pack’s energy, the way the tension in the air lifted, the way I could breathe again.

And then I saw the wound.

A deep gash ran along his forearm, blood dripping steadily to the floor. It wasn’t just that. There were bruises, cuts, exhaustion clinging to his body.

“Caelum,” I whispered, already moving.

He didn’t stop me as I reached for him, my hands steady even as my heart thundered. I guided him to a chair, kneeling in front of him as I reached for the nearest cloth.

“It’s nothing,” he muttered.

“It’s not nothing,” I shot back, dabbing at the wound. He winced, his muscles flexing beneath my touch.

His breath hitched when my fingers brushed against his skin.

The bond pulsed between us, raw and undeniable.

“You did well,” he said after a long pause. His voice was quieter now, rough around the edges. “Leading them. Helping them.”

I swallowed hard. “I had to do something.”

“You did more than something, Eve.” His hand lifted, tracing the edge of my jaw, tilting my face up to meet his. His eyes softened, something warm, deep, aching settling in them.

“You were incredible.”

My throat tightened. I didn’t know how to respond to that.

So I focused on his wound, the excuse to touch him, to anchor myself. I finished cleaning it.

But then he caught my wrist.

I stilled.

“Come with me.”

His voice was low, almost pleading.

I hesitated—but only for a second.

Because the truth was, I wanted to.

I let him pull me up, let him lead me through the dim hallways of the fortress, past warriors still celebrating their survival, past healers murmuring spells over the wounded.

He led me to our bedroom.

And I let him.

The moment the door shut behind us, Caelum turned.

And then his hands were in my hair, his mouth crashing into mine like he’d been starving for days, for weeks.

I gasped against his lips, and he groaned—a deep, desperate sound that made my knees buckle. His grip tightened, holding me against him, his body warm, solid, mine.

“Eve,” he rasped, breaking the kiss just long enough to press his forehead against mine. His breath was heavy, his heartbeat wild beneath my palm.

“I don’t care how this started.” His fingers tangled in mine, bringing my hand to his chest, pressing it against his heart.

“I don’t care that I chose you for the mines, for the pack, for the alliance.” His voice was hoarse, raw with emotion. “Because the second you walked into my life—everything changed.“

I couldn’t breathe.

“You weren’t just my choice, Eve. You were my fate.”

I felt it.

Through the bond.

Through the wild, erratic rhythm of his heart beneath my palm.

“I love you,” he whispered, the words so quiet, so reverent, they shattered me.

Tears burned at my eyes.

“Caelum—”

“You know it’s true,” he cut me off, pressing my hand harder against his chest. “You can feel it. You know what I feel for you.”

And I did.

Because the mate bond didn’t lie.

And in that moment, I couldn’t, either.

“I love you too.”

His breath caught. His fingers tightened.

And then he kissed me again—this time, there was no hesitation, no doubt.

Because this was ours.

And neither of us was letting go.

Chapter 26

POV: Eve

The bond had been screaming for days.

It burned beneath my skin, clawing at my veins, demanding what we had denied ourselves. Every night, we lay beside each other—close, but never touching. The mate bond pulsed between us, our marks aching, our wolves restless.

And it was unbearable.

Every glance, every fleeting brush of fingers when we passed each other, every breath shared in the silence of our bedroom—it all built into something dangerous, desperate, undeniable.

And tonight, we shattered.

Caelum kissed me like a man starving. Like he had been holding back for too long, like restraint was something neither of us could afford anymore.

His lips crashed into mine, his body pressing me back until my spine hit the wall, his hands gripping my waist with a possessive desperation that sent a shudder down my spine.

“Gods,” he groaned against my lips, breaking the kiss just long enough to look at me. His green eyes were wild, blown wide with hunger, with something deeper. “You have no idea how much I missed you.”

His lips found mine again before I could even breathe, and this time, it was devastating.

I gasped against his mouth as his hands roamed my body, memorizing, worshipping.

And when his lips moved down, tracing the line of my jaw, my throat, my mark—

I shattered.

A sharp, keening sound left me, my body trembling violently as his lips brushed over it, as the pleasure struck deep in my soul. It was raw, consuming, absolute.

“Caelum—”

He growled against my skin, his hands already tugging at the fabric of my dress, dragging it down my body with rough, needy movements.

“I need to feel you,” he rasped, his breath hot against my throat. “Need to know you’re mine. That you still want this—”

I didn’t let him finish.

I pulled his tunic over his head, tossing it aside, my hands running over his bare chest, his strong, scarred muscles. His body was tense beneath my touch, his breathing ragged as I traced the marks left by battle—the evidence of his strength, his sacrifice, his love.

“I was so stupid,” I whispered, my fingers trembling as they trailed down his stomach. “So, so stupid for staying away.”

His lips crashed against mine again, and gods, I melted into it.

It was messy, desperate, needy. Our hands roamed, removing every last barrier between us, until our bodies were bare, burning for each other.

I kissed his mark—and felt his wolf wake up.

A low, guttural growl rumbled from his chest as his fingers dug into my hips, his need pressing against my stomach. His eyes flashed that lethal shade of emerald, his restraint snapping as he lifted me into his arms, carrying me to our bed.

He laid me down with reverence—only to devour me.

His lips trailed over my collarbone, my breasts, every inch of my skin, his mouth hot and wet as he worshipped me with every kiss.

When his tongue flicked over my nipple, I arched against him, a moan tearing from my lips. I was unraveling beneath him, piece by piece.

“I love watching you like this,” he murmured against my skin, his voice thick with lust, with possession. “Falling apart for me. Letting me have you again.”

His hands slid lower, parting my thighs, and then his mouth—gods, his mouth.

I cried out as his tongue found my clit, as he licked and sucked and tore me apart. My fingers tangled in his hair, my hips bucking against his mouth, chasing the pleasure that only he could give me.

“Caelum,” I gasped, my voice breaking.

But he didn’t stop.

He was relentless, ruthless, reckless—driving me higher and higher, his growls vibrating against my skin, his grip unforgiving.

And when I came—I shattered.

Pleasure ripped through me like fire, leaving me breathless, boneless, ruined.

But I needed more.

I needed him.

I peeled away the last of his clothes, my hands trembling as I freed him, as I wrapped my fingers around his thick, aching length. His breath hitched, his jaw clenching as he thrust into my palm, seeking relief.

“Eve—fuck,” he groaned, his hands gripping my hips so hard I swore I’d bruise.

I guided him to me, positioning him at my entrance, already wet, already desperate.

And when he thrust inside me—

I broke.

A moan tore from my lips as he filled me, stretching me, completing me. His body trembled against mine, his forehead pressing into my shoulder as he groaned, his breath ragged, his grip bruising.

“Gods, I love you,” he whispered, thrusting slow and deep, torturing me, savoring me. “You feel so perfect—so fucking perfect.”

I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him deeper, needing all of him.

“Faster,” I begged, nails digging into his back.

He growled—a dark, possessive sound—and obeyed.

His pace turned rough, his thrusts hard, relentless, claiming. My moans mixed with his ragged breaths, our bodies moving in perfect rhythm, every drag of him inside me pushing me closer and closer to the edge.

And then—

“Come for me,” he ordered, his voice raw, demanding.

And then his teeth sank into my mark.

Pleasure detonated.

I screamed his name, my body clenching tight around him as I fell apart completely. The bond flared—hot, overwhelming, eternal.

Caelum groaned, losing himself in me, with me, because of me.

His release followed mine, his body shuddering against mine as he collapsed into me, spent and shaking.

For a long moment, neither of us spoke.

We just breathed.

His arms tightened around me, his lips pressing a slow, reverent kiss to my forehead.

And when I looked up at him, he smiled.

“I’m never letting you go again.”

And I knew, with absolute certainty—

Neither of us ever would.

The morning light spilled through the heavy curtains, casting a golden glow over Caelum’s bare chest. He was still asleep, his breathing slow and even, his arm draped possessively over my waist.

My entire body ached—a deep, delicious soreness that had me biting back a smile.

I had lost count of how many times he had taken me last night. How many times he had worshipped me, ruined me, claimed me.

And gods, I had let him. Begged for it.

A soft sigh left me as I shifted, pressing my palm against his chest. His heartbeat was steady, strong—mine.

As if sensing my touch, he stirred. His lashes fluttered open, and his green eyes—those impossibly deep, piercing green eyes—locked onto mine.

A slow, lazy smile curved his lips.

“You’re awake,” he murmured, his voice rough from sleep.

“Barely.”

I felt his hand skim down my spine, his fingers tracing soft, slow circles.

“Mmm,” he hummed, pressing a kiss to my forehead, then my cheek, then lower—his lips trailing along my jaw, making my breath hitch. “I missed waking up like this.”

I swallowed, my fingers curling against his chest.

“Me too.”

He exhaled deeply, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. “I meant what I said last night, Eve. I don’t care what brought us together, what choices I made, what fate planned—” He pulled back just enough to look at me, his eyes burning with something raw, something real. “You are mine. And I am yours.”

My throat tightened.

“I know.”

Because I did.

I could feel it in the bond, in my bones, in the way my heart ached for him even now.

I traced my fingers over his face, over the faint scruff along his jaw, the small scar near his temple. He closed his eyes at my touch, a quiet sound rumbling in his chest.

“I love you,” I whispered.

His eyes snapped open.

For a moment, he just stared at me, as if he wasn’t sure if he had heard me right.

Then—

He crushed me against him, burying his face in my neck, his arms tightening around me like he could hold me forever.

“Say it again,” he murmured against my skin.

A small smile tugged at my lips. I threaded my fingers through his hair, letting them tangle, tug, claim.

“I love you, Caelum.”

His grip tightened. His lips found mine again—slow and deep and devastating.

We stayed like that for a long time, murmuring soft confessions between kisses, between the brush of fingertips over skin, between the lazy, lingering moments of belonging.

But eventually, the world outside our bed came calling.

And our pack was waiting.

Chapter 27

POV: Eve

Caelum insisted we eat together in the dining hall that morning.

For the first time in days, we sat side by side at the head of the long table, in full view of our pack.

And they noticed.

The shift in the air was almost palpable. Conversations quieted the moment we stepped inside, warriors and omegas and elders alike casting glances our way.

Not in fear.

Not in suspicion.

But in relief.

I felt it through the bond—the way their tension eased, the way their shoulders relaxed, the way their wolves sensed their Alpha and Luna were… whole again.

Caelum noticed it, too.

His hand brushed against mine as we sat.

“They’ve been waiting for this,” he murmured under his breath, his voice meant only for me.

I swallowed, my gaze sweeping over the room.

The pack had felt our distance. Had felt the rift between us, the strain in the bond, the weight of the past weeks.

And now, they could feel the shift.

A young warrior—barely past his first shift—offered me a nervous smile before bowing his head.

An elder, a woman with silver-streaked hair, nodded at me, approval in her wise gaze.

And when I turned to Caelum, I found him already watching me.

“They follow strength,” he said quietly. “And you, my queen, are the strongest of them all.”

Warmth spread through my chest.

Caelum reached for his cup, lifting it in the air.

“To our pack,” he said, his voice commanding, resolute.

The room erupted in response, voices lifting, wolves howling.

I felt like I belonged.

I prepared the Luctus ceremony again to honor the deceased.

The air was heavy with sorrow.

The scent of burning incense clung to my clothes, a bitter, haunting reminder of the lives lost. The Luctus ceremony was meant to honor them, to send them off under the moon’s light with the respect they deserved. But there was no peace in war. No solace in watching families grieve.

I stood at the heart of it all, in the center of the grand hall, reciting the final words, my voice steady even as my heart ached.

“May the moon cradle your souls. May the stars guide you home. May you run free forever in the night sky.”

A chorus of voices repeated the blessing, low and solemn, before the final howl rose from the throats of our warriors, echoing into the heavens. We ate, drank, and danced like the last time.

And then it was over.

Another battle. More names to add to the list.

Beside me, Caelum’s presence was a fortress, solid and unwavering. He had been quiet since dawn, his face a mask of control. But I could feel it—the storm raging beneath his skin.

Because every name we read today was a life he had sworn to protect.

He said nothing as we left the ceremonial grounds, walking side by side toward the Guard Headquarters. His fingers brushed against mine, an absentminded touch, as if he just needed to remind himself that I was there.

That I was safe.

I didn’t pull away.

I didn’t want to.

The headquarters was eerily silent when we entered, the usual clamor of armor and voices replaced with a weight that pressed against my ribs. A long table stood at the center of the room, the names of the fallen scrawled across parchment.

I swallowed hard.

I reached for the list, my fingers barely grazing the parchment—

And then I felt it.

A shift.

A pull.

A familiar one.

It was like something inside me tilted, like the very air in the room changed. My breath caught, my pulse stumbled.

Caelum noticed immediately. His hand found my back, warm and grounding, his voice low and sharp.

“What’s wrong, my queen?”

I opened my mouth—nothing came out.

Because I didn’t know.

The pull grew stronger. It wrapped around my ribs, tightened, dragged me toward—

I turned.

And I saw him.

A warrior.

A soldier dressed in travel-worn armor, his tunic marked with the crest of our kingdom. He was broad-shouldered, impossibly tall, his dark blond hair windswept, his hazel eyes scanning the room with a practiced sharpness.

But when his gaze found mine—

I stopped breathing.

The world vanished.

Love.

Desire.

Lust.

Passion.

There was nothing else in the room. Nothing except the way the bond snapped into place, a force so raw and undeniable that it stole the very air from my lungs.

Mate.

The word formed on my lips before I could stop it.

His parted as well, his voice a hushed whisper across the distance between us.

“Mate.”

The bond sang.

It burned.

A force of nature, of destiny, of the gods themselves.

My heart pounded. My breath came in shallow gasps. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think.

Because I knew—I knew.

This man.

This warrior.

He was my mate.

My fated mate by the moon.

And Caelum—

Caelum’s snarl shattered the air.

“No.”

His voice was pure agony, a raw, guttural sound that ripped from his throat. The room shook with the weight of it, with the force of his fury, his denial, his grief.

I tore my gaze from the warrior—from my mate—and looked at Caelum.

His green eyes blazed with anguish, his chest rising and falling in uneven breaths.

“No,” he said again, softer this time, like a prayer, like a plea.

And gods help me—

I didn’t know if he was begging the moon or me.

Chapter 28

POV: Eve

“You said he was dead.”

The words tore from my throat, raw and sharp like a blade slicing through flesh.

Caelum flinched.

And that was when I knew.

I saw it in his eyes.

The guilt. The grief. The truth.

“You knew.” My voice shook. My entire body shook. The bond between us crackled like a fraying rope, like something brittle and fragile about to snap. “You knew, Caelum!”

He stepped toward me, but I took a sharp step back.

The room was spinning. My vision blurred with unshed tears, my breath coming in uneven, jagged gasps. My mark burned, my soul ached, and between it all—between the pain and the fury—I was breaking.

“Eve, please—”

“No!” The word ripped out of me, full of hurt and betrayal and something too shattered to name. “You lied to me!”

Caelum’s jaw clenched. He ran a hand through his dark hair, exhaling sharply, his chest rising and falling with uneven breaths.

“I had to—”

“Had to?” I let out a sharp, breathless laugh—a laugh laced with anger and devastation. “You took my choice away!”

“To keep you safe!” He snapped, his voice edged with desperation.

I let out a shaky breath, my vision blurring further as I took another step back.

And then I felt it.

Another pull.

A second bond, thrumming beneath my skin, foreign and unfamiliar yet deeply, painfully known.

I turned, my chest heaving, my lungs aching, my entire soul screaming—

And I saw him.

The warrior.

My true mate.

His hazel eyes flickered with something intense, raw, primal. His gaze dropped to my mark, and I watched realization dawn on his face.

His lips parted.

“You’re already marked.”

His voice was a whisper, but it felt like a roar in my chest.

His jaw tightened, his eyes flashing between me and Caelum. He took one step forward, but this time—Caelum stepped in front of me.

“She’s my Luna.” Caelum’s voice was low, dangerous, laced with something possessive, something broken.

The warrior—my mate—stilled.

The tension in the room was suffocating.

I felt like I was drowning.

I couldn’t breathe.

My soul was split in two, my heart fractured down the middle.

“I—” My voice cracked, and I swallowed, forcing air into my lungs. “I need to go.”

Caelum’s head snapped toward me, panic flashing across his face. “Eve—”

“No.” I shook my head, my breath still unsteady. “I need—I need space. I need to think.”

I turned before he could say anything else, before I shattered completely in front of them.

And then I ran.

The moment I stepped outside, I felt it.

The pain.

The physical ache of being away from both of them.

It was unbearable.

A gnawing, hollow agony in my chest, like my soul was being torn apart in two different directions.

I pressed a trembling hand over my racing heart, staggering through the streets, my legs barely holding me upright.

I needed air. I needed distance.

I needed time.

But the truth settled into my bones, cold and suffocating.

I had two mates.

One I was already bonded to. One who had chosen me, claimed me, loved me—even if he had lied.

And another—the one fate had meant for me. The one I was supposed to have.

And now…

I didn’t know who I was supposed to be anymore.

I couldn’t think.

I couldn’t breathe.

The weight of two bonds crushed me, one pushing, the other pulling, both screaming in my blood, in my bones, in my very soul.

And my wolf—my wolf couldn’t take it.

She took over.

I barely registered shifting, barely heard the desperate call of my name behind me as I launched into the forest, my paws hitting the ground in a blur of speed.

Run.

Run.

Run.

But the farther I ran, the worse it got.

Something was wrong.

My chest tightened. My vision blurred. My limbs felt heavy.

The pain—the agony—was unlike anything I had ever felt.

It burned through me, a cold fire licking up my spine, tearing into my veins, making my steps falter, making the world tilt.

My wolf whimpered.

My legs gave out.

And then—

Darkness.

—

I woke up to warmth.

A distant hum of voices. A steady rhythm—one, two. One, two. A heartbeat. Two heartbeats.

My eyelids felt heavy, my body strangely light. And when I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a familiar, dark silhouette.

Caelum.

And another.

The warrior—my mate.

One sitting at my left. One at my right.

I blinked slowly, my throat parched, my body feeling…different. Lighter.

Ellara’s voice was soft, like a lullaby. “She’s awake.”

A rustle of movement. Then, Kazzar.

“Take it slow, little wolf,” he murmured, sitting at the foot of the bed, his dark robes pooling around him.

I licked my lips. “What…happened?”

Kazzar sighed. “Your body couldn’t handle it.”

I frowned. “Handle what?”

Caelum’s voice was tight, clipped. Angry. “The two bonds.”

My stomach plunged.

I turned my head slightly, looking at the warrior—at my mate.

His hazel eyes burned into mine, searching, waiting. His hands were clenched into fists against his knees.

Kazzar exhaled. “Our bodies are not meant to bear two mate bonds, Eve. Your soul was…torn, trying to answer to both. That’s why you collapsed. It will happen again if you are away from them for too long.”

A cold chill skated down my spine.

“What?” My voice was barely a whisper.

Kazzar met my gaze steadily. “For now, you must stay close to both of them. I gave you a potion to help, but it is not a cure. Your body is learning, adjusting—but the bonds are still there. And they will not be ignored.”

A heavy silence fell.

I could feel the tension radiating from both of them—Caelum and my mate.

Then—

Caelum stood abruptly, his fists tight, his jaw locked. “This bastard won’t mark her.”

My heart skipped a beat.

I turned to him, feeling a new kind of rage swell in my chest.

“You don’t get to decide that.” My voice was quiet, but deadly.

Caelum’s green eyes snapped to mine. “The hell I don’t.”

I sat up, my body still weak, but my fury gave me strength.

“You’ve taken so many choices from me already, Caelum.” My throat tightened. My voice shook. “I won’t let you take another.”

His entire body tensed, his lips parting, as if he wanted to argue—as if he wanted to say something, anything—but then, slowly, his expression shifted.

He swallowed.

Hard.

I didn’t miss the way his hands trembled.

He turned to Kazzar. “I want to speak to Eve. Alone.”

Kazzar nodded. “Then let’s clear the room.”

“My mate stays,” I said absolute.

Ellara hesitated, her gaze flicking between us. She approached the bed, placing a gentle hand on my arm. “I dressed you after we found you. You were still in wolf form. I—” she hesitated, her voice softer, “I just want you to know you’re not alone in this.”

I swallowed past the lump in my throat, squeezing her hand briefly.

Ellara filed out of the room.

Kazzar stayed.

Caelum was still standing, looking down at me, his green eyes stormy, his chest rising and falling with a breath he refused to release.

His hands curled into fists.

And then—

“I knew he was alive.” His voice was raw. Broken.

“And I lied to you.”

Chapter 29

POV: Eve

“I knew he was alive.”

Caelum’s voice was raw, gritted with pain, like every syllable was being ripped from his chest.

“And I lied to you.”

The words echoed in the quiet room.

I felt cold.

Not just in my skin—but deep inside, in my bones, in my soul, like a crack was splintering through me.

“You…” My voice came out hoarse. Shaking. “You told me he was dead.”

His jaw clenched.

“You let me believe that my mate was gone.”

His nostrils flared. “I had to.”

A sharp, bitter laugh burst from my throat. “You had to?” My hands fisted the sheets. “You had to take that choice from me? You had to lie?”

Caelum took a step closer. “You don’t understand—”

“Of course I don’t understand!” My voice rose, my chest heaving, my breath ragged. “Because you never let me! You just—just keep taking, keep deciding for me, keep controlling—”

The mate bond twisted inside me, burning through my veins, pushing and pulling me in two different directions. Toward Caelum. Toward my mate

And I hated it.

I hated him for this.

I hated the ache in his eyes, the desperation in his voice.

And worst of all, I hated that some part of me still loved him.

A voice broke through the storm. Deep. Smooth. Familiar and foreign at the same time.

“Eve.”

I turned, my breath caught in my throat.

The warrior—my mate.

His hazel eyes held mine, intense, unreadable.

“I’m Gavriel Thorn,” he said, his voice a little softer this time.

The name wrapped around me like a second skin.

My mate.

The mate I was never supposed to have.

The mate Caelum stole from me.

I swallowed hard, my heartbeat uneven. “How long have you known?” I asked him, my voice barely above a whisper.

Gavriel exhaled, his fingers flexing like he wanted to reach for me but was holding himself back. “From the moment I saw you.”

The words sent a shiver down my spine.

The pull between us tightened.

Caelum growled, low and dangerous. “Stay away from her.”

Gavriel’s hazel eyes sharpened. “She’s not just yours, Alpha.”

The air thickened.

Power crackled through the room, two dominant wolves clashing, both bound to me, both ready to tear each other apart.

And I—

I couldn’t breathe through the weight of it all.

I pressed my palm to my temple, my voice strained. “Caelum, just tell me the truth. The real truth.”

Caelum’s throat bobbed.

“I will,” he said. Then his gaze flicked to Gavriel. “But not with him here.”

I inhaled sharply.

And then—

“He stays.”

Caelum went still.

So still it was terrifying.

His hands curled into fists, his chest rising and falling unevenly, his green eyes darkening to something lethal.

“Eve,” he said carefully, dangerously, like he was on the edge of breaking.

I lifted my chin. “You don’t get to make this decision. Not anymore.”

Silence.

Thick. Heavy.

Caelum’s muscles coiled, his power vibrating through the air, but I didn’t waver.

Because I meant it.

I was done letting him control my life.

And if he wanted me to even consider forgiving him—

He was going to have to face this. Face Gavriel.

Face everything.

I wasn’t going to back down.

Caelum was coiled tight, his whole body rigid, his green eyes dark and unreadable.

He was barely holding himself together.

“You either tell me the truth in front of him,” I said, voice steady, “or you don’t tell me at all.”

His jaw ticked.

Gavriel didn’t say anything, but I could feel him beside me—his presence solid, grounding.

The mate bond between us throbbed, hot and sharp, tangled with the one I already had with Caelum.

Caelum looked at Kazzar, his throat bobbing, something almost like pleading in his expression.

But Kazzar only sighed, rubbing his temple. “She’s right, Alpha. No more secrets.”

A growl rumbled from Caelum’s chest.

His fists clenched, his nostrils flaring as he tried to contain the storm inside him.

And then, finally—

He spoke.

“There were three.”

The words came out low. Strained.

My brows drew together. “Three…?”

Caelum’s voice was flat, but there was so much weight behind it. “Three families. The first wolves, the ones blessed by the Moon.”

Kazzar stepped forward, folding his arms. “The Moon’s gift was not given to just one bloodline. It was shared among three families—three that would become the First Wolves.”

I stilled.

Something in my bones shivered, like some ancient knowledge was waking up inside me.

Caelum inhaled sharply, his voice thick.

“My family—House Vaelorian—was one of them.” His fingers twitched, like he didn’t want to say the next words. “Selene’s family—House Cerynth—was another.”

I felt my stomach drop.

“And the third?” My voice barely came out.

Caelum’s gaze locked onto mine.

“House Elarion.”

The name sent a shockwave through me.

Because I knew it.

I had heard it in whispers before. In old stories, forgotten prayers.

And now—

Now I understood.

My body went cold as the realization crashed into me.

“I’m…” My breath hitched. “I’m a descendant of the third family.”

Caelum’s silence was answer enough.

Kazzar exhaled. “You are the last living heir of House Elarion, Eve.”

The air rushed out of my lungs.

My hands shook as I clutched the sheets. “And you… you knew this?” I looked at Caelum, my voice shaking with betrayal. “That’s why you bonded me?”

Caelum’s jaw tightened. He nodded. Once.

A small, broken sound left me.

“You used me.”

Caelum flinched.

But I wasn’t finished.

“You told me you wanted the silver mines, but it wasn’t just that.” My heart pounded so hard it hurt. “You bonded me because I was the only one who could survive it.”

Caelum’s hands curled into fists. “Yes.”

The truth slammed into me like a hurricane.

I was never his choice.

I was never more than a pawn.

A means to an end.

The mate bond inside me burned, but this time, it was with rage.

I wanted to scream.

But Caelum wasn’t done.

“The witches,” he said, his voice hoarse, “felt it when I found Selene.”

The room went silent.

Dead. Cold.

“They sensed it,” he whispered, his face carved in grief, “and they hunted her.”

Gavriel shifted beside me, his muscles coiling.

Caelum’s green eyes darkened, like he was reliving it. “They killed her with silver. Too much silver.” His voice broke.“And they used such dark magic that…” He exhaled, a shuddering breath. “Her mark faded from me.”

My heart stopped.

“They erased her,” I whispered.

Caelum nodded once, his lips pressed into a tight line, his pain bleeding into the bond.

“I let them believe I killed her,” he murmured. “And I needed to bond to you and keep you in my pack safe…Because if they knew the truth, they would hunt down the next descendant.”

I swallowed hard. “Me.”

His gaze burned into mine. “Yes.”

Gavriel suddenly spoke, his voice low, sharp. “You bonded her to protect her.”

Caelum’s eyes snapped to him. “I bonded her because if she had found you first—if the witches had felt it—they would have killed her the same way they killed Selene.”

The room was thick with tension.

I could barely breathe.

Caelum’s next words shattered something inside me.

“I would rather she hate me than lose her the way I lost Selene.”

My throat closed.

The silence stretched, heavy, unbearable.

And then Gavriel’s voice cut through it.

“I’m a warrior. You know that.” His hazel eyes burned with defiance. “I could have protected her.”

Caelum’s lips curled into a bitter, hollow smile.

“From them?” His voice was razor-sharp. “You have no idea what they’re capable of.”

Gavriel’s jaw tightened.

Kazzar sighed, stepping forward. “The witches are winning, even with all the silver we control. We are barely holding them back.”

I pressed my hands against my throbbing temple. “So what are you saying? That we just… we just accept this?”

Caelum inhaled sharply. “We work together. Or we lose.”

I licked my lips, my voice barely above a whisper. “What was your plan, Caelum?”

He hesitated.

And that hesitation told me everything.

I exhaled sharply. “You knew Gavriel was my mate.”

Caelum nodded, his eyes hollow. “Kazzar did a spell.”

Of course he did.

“Then why did you send him away?”

Caelum’s gaze hardened. “Because it was too easy. My best warrior, my most trusted soldier? Of course it was him.”

My hands shook. “Would you have kept him away forever?”

Caelum looked at me, then at Gavriel.

His voice was quiet. Hollow.

“My plan was missions. One after another. Until there was no more risk.”

I stared at him.

And then, slowly, I asked the question that made my blood run cold.

“Would you have killed him?”

Caelum’s face twisted. “I already lost my mate once.” His voice cracked. “I wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone.” His green eyes met mine. “No. I would never kill him. But I thought… I thought I could keep him away long enough. Long enough for you to choose me,”

The world tilted beneath me.

And I had no idea what to do now.

Chapter 30

POV: Eve

“Don’t.”

The word left my lips before I even thought it.

Caelum had barely moved—just a small step closer, his fingers twitching at his sides, like he wanted to reach for me.

Like he wanted to touch me.

I shook my head, backing up. “I can’t.” My throat felt tight. Raw. “I can’t do this, Caelum.”

His face tensed. “Eve—”

“I need space.”

A muscle jumped in his jaw. “We sleep in the same bed.”

“Not tonight.”

Something in his expression cracked, just for a second.

The bond between us pulled, an aching, invisible thread, but I forced myself to ignore it.

I turned away from him, from both of them, wrapping my arms around myself. I felt cold—like there was a storm inside my chest, one I couldn’t outrun.

Kazzar stepped in. His voice was calm, firm. “You can have space Eve, but not too much, you should sleep at least close to them.”

Caelum’s breath hissed out.

But he didn’t argue.

Instead, he raked a hand through his hair, turning away, the tension in his body unbearable.

Ellara arrived a few minutes later, and I barely heard her speaking to the servants.

A room was arranged for Gavriel, not far from mine.

My pulse jumped at the thought.

Not because I had planned it that way. Not because I wanted it.

But because the bond was strong, and even now, even after everything, I felt the pull.

Gavriel walked with me to the room.

He didn’t say much.

But when we stopped outside the door, he finally spoke.

“I know this is… insane,” he said quietly.

A shaky laugh escaped me. “That’s the understatement of the century.”

His hazel eyes searched mine. “But I meant what I said, Eve.”

I swallowed. “About what?”

He took a step closer. “That I will fight for you.”

My breath hitched.

His voice lowered. “You’re my mate. No matter what happens, that won’t change.”

My fingers curled against my arms.

There was so much emotion in his gaze. So much of the same struggle I was feeling.

And Gods, I love him, even if I iknew him for just some minutes.

I opened my mouth—then closed it.

I didn’t know what to say.

So I just whispered, “Goodnight, Gavriel.”

His jaw tensed. But after a moment, he nodded.

“Goodnight, Eve.”

And then I left.

I exhaled shakily, stepping into my room.

The moment I closed the door, my body collapsed onto the bed.

But even as exhaustion dragged at me, my mind spun.

The bond with Caelum was a deep, aching wound.

The bond with Gavriel was new, raw, and searing hot.

And I was trapped between them.

I barely slept.

Even when exhaustion weighed on me, my mind refused to settle.

When the first light of dawn seeped through my window, I was still awake, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts a tangled mess.

I loved them. Both of them.

I loved Caelum, even after everything. Even after the lies, the deception, the way he stole my choices.

And I loved Gavriel. Even though I had never saw him before last night. Even though I had spent days believing he was dead.

How is that even possible?

A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.

“Come in,” I croaked.

Ellara stepped inside, carrying a tray. “You need to eat.”

I forced myself to sit up. “I don’t—”

She shot me a look. “Don’t even try to say you’re not hungry.”

I exhaled heavily but took the food anyway.

Ellara sat beside me on the bed. She didn’t say much, just watched me.

After a few minutes, she spoke softly. “You don’t have to figure everything out today.”

I pressed my lips together. “I don’t know how to feel.”

Her expression softened. “That’s okay.”

I looked down at my hands, picking at the edge of the tray.

A moment of silence stretched between us before she finally stood. “If you need anything, I’m here.”

I nodded. “Thank you, Ellara.”

She smiled faintly before leaving.

But even after she was gone, I felt restless.

I needed to breathe.

To think.

And so, I found myself wandering through the halls, my feet carrying me somewhere quiet. Somewhere safe.

The library.

It was empty when I entered, the scent of old parchment and leather wrapping around me like a forgotten lullaby.

I wandered in silence, my fingers trailing along the spines of ancient books, trying to calm the war raging inside my chest.

And then—I heard something.

A sound behind me.

I turned—and my breath caught.

Gavriel stood there, his broad frame cutting through the soft candlelight, quiet but impossible to ignore.

His hazel eyes locked onto mine, and something twisted low in my stomach—an ache, a spark, a warning.

“I thought I might find you here,” he said, voice low, almost rough.

I swallowed hard. “How?”

He took a slow, deliberate step forward. “Because if I were you… this is where I’d go to hide from the world.”

I didn’t answer. Couldn’t.

He stepped closer again, and the air between us changed—thickened. Something pulled taut inside me, invisible and electric.

“I didn’t come to push,” he said softly. “I just… needed to see you.”

My voice was hoarse. “Why?”

His jaw flexed. “My brother died in the attack.”

The words hit me like a fist. “Gavriel—”

“I came back early because of it,” he continued, steady but heavy. “And now I find out that I have a mate.” His breath shuddered. “That I had a mate all along.”

I blinked hard, emotion swelling in my throat. “I don’t know what to say.”

He gave a faint smile—one that didn’t reach his eyes. “You don’t have to say anything.”

Silence stretched.

Then, slowly, he took another step. Then another.

By the time he stopped, we were barely a breath apart.

The bond between us ignited, a live wire snapping against my skin. My knees nearly buckled.

His presence wasn’t just close—it was overwhelming.

He reached up, slow, careful, and let his knuckles graze the line of my jaw.

I gasped.

Not from pain.

But from the flood of heat that surged through me like fire.

The bond exploded.

My breath caught, my whole body responding before my brain could catch up.

Gavriel’s eyes darkened. “That,” he whispered, his voice raw, “I’ve never felt anything like that.”

“Gods… it’s like fire.” I whispered.

His fingers traced down, stopping just below my chin. His touch was light—barely there—but it still felt like my skin was burning.

“I don’t care how we got here,” he murmured. “I don’t care that this is complicated.”

I closed my eyes, tried to breathe through the storm rising inside me.

Then he whispered, “I love you.”

I froze.

Not because I didn’t feel it.

But because I did.

The words weren’t soft. They were fierce. Raw. Like a vow.

And something deep inside me cracked open.

The bond clawed to be answered.

I should have run.

Should have pushed him away.

But instead, I stepped closer.

“I don’t understand this,” I breathed. “But I feel it too.”

Our eyes met.

And then he kissed me.

No hesitation.

Just heat.

Mouth. Teeth. Hunger.

My whole body arched toward him like I didn’t own it anymore. His hand fisted in my hair, the other gripped my waist, anchoring me as the world fell away.

It wasn’t slow.

It was a storm.

And I kissed him back.

Not because I was ready.

But because my soul didn’t care.

It had already chosen him.

It was deep, overwhelming.

His hands slid into my hair, his touch gentle but firm. The bond sang, my whole body coming alive, like I had been missing something I never even knew existed.

And I kissed him back.

For a moment, I let myself forget everything else.

For a moment, it was just us.

Just the way it was supposed to be.

Just the way the Moon intended.