For generations, every child has been told the same story. A girl in a crimson hood wandered into the cursed forest. She trusted the wolf. She paid the price. But legends have a way of burying the truth. As the sole heir of the ancient House of Red, Rowan has spent her life preparing for one purpose—to hunt the Wolf King before he hunts her. Raised to believe wolves are bloodthirsty monsters cursed by the moon, she has never questioned the stories stitched into her crimson cloak. Until the night the Wolf King spares her life. Kael Ashborne is everything the kingdom fears: immortal, ruthless, and feared even by his own kind. Bound by an ancient curse that has poisoned the forest for centuries, he should have killed Rowan the moment she crossed into his territory. Instead, he offers her a choice that shatters everything she thought she knew. As hidden truths emerge, Rowan discovers the greatest monsters may not be the wolves lurking beneath the trees, but the people who have ruled her kingdom in the name of salvation. Torn between duty and desire, she finds herself drawn to the one man she was born to destroy. But Kael has secrets of his own. Breaking the curse will demand a sacrifice neither of them is willing to make, and the fragile bond growing between hunter and wolf could plunge the realm into war. With kingdoms on the brink of collapse, blood debts waiting to be repaid, and an enemy manipulating both sides from the shadows, Rowan must decide whether love is worth betraying everything she has ever known. Because some fairy tales were never meant to have happy endings. And in this one… Little Red doesn't fear the wolf. She falls in love with him.

Fated to Die, Destined to Love The night Lyra was born, the moon turned crimson. The elders whispered that it was an omen. The seer, an ancient woman whose eyes had long since turned silver, held the newborn in trembling arms and uttered a prophecy that would haunt her for the rest of her life. *"The first man she truly loves will be the one who spills her blood."* Her parents spent years trying to outrun fate. They hid the prophecy from everyone, forbade Lyra from growing close to anyone, and raised her behind the towering walls of their estate. Love, they believed, was a danger greater than any monster lurking in the forests. But hearts are stubborn things. By the time Lyra turned twenty-two, she had never fallen in love. She convinced herself she never would. Then she met Kael. He was the Alpha of Blackthorn Pack, feared across the kingdoms for his strength and admired for his unwavering sense of justice. He had golden eyes that softened whenever he smiled, and despite the countless stories calling him ruthless, Lyra discovered a man who rescued injured wolves, laughed too loudly at terrible jokes, and always offered his cloak when she shivered. She hated how safe she felt around him. "You look at me like I'm dangerous," Kael teased one evening as they walked beside the river. "You are." "I've never hurt you." "No," she whispered. "That's what scares me." She wanted to tell him the truth. Every time she opened her mouth, fear wrapped around her throat. If he knew, he would leave. And perhaps that would save them both. Instead, they kept meeting. Days turned into weeks. Weeks into months. Without realizing it, Lyra laughed more than she had her entire life. And one autumn evening, beneath a sky full of stars, Kael took her hand. "I love you." The words shattered every wall she had built. Tears filled her eyes because, despite everything, she loved him too. The moment she admitted it aloud, a freezing wind swept through the forest. Somewhere in the darkness, fate smiled. --- The nightmares began that very night. Lyra dreamed of Kael standing over her, his hands stained crimson as she lay dying beneath the full moon. Every morning she woke screaming. Every morning Kael held her until the shaking stopped. "It's only a dream," he would whisper. If only he knew. Finally, she couldn't bear the secret any longer. She told him everything. The prophecy. The curse. The reason she had spent her whole life running from love. Kael listened without interrupting. When she finished, he cupped her face gently. "Then we'll prove fate wrong." "You don't understand." "I do." "No, Kael." Tears rolled down her cheeks. "You're destined to kill me." His expression hardened. "Then destiny picked the wrong man." --- They searched everywhere for answers. They climbed forgotten mountains to speak with ancient witches. They crossed cursed seas to find oracles. They hunted through crumbling libraries where books older than kingdoms gathered dust. Every answer was the same. *A prophecy cannot be broken.* Only fulfilled. Still, Kael refused to surrender. "If fate wants you," he declared, "it'll have to fight me first." For the first time in her life, Lyra believed they might actually win. --- But fate is patient. One winter night, rogues attacked Blackthorn Pack. The battle spread across the valley in chaos. Flames devoured homes. Children screamed. Warriors fell. In the confusion, Lyra was captured. The rogues dragged her toward the cliffs overlooking the frozen sea. Their leader smiled cruelly. "The Alpha will come." He did. Kael arrived alone. "I'll trade myself," he said. "Release her." The rogues laughed. "No." Steel flashed. The fight erupted. Kael tore through them like a storm, protecting Lyra with everything he had. One by one, the attackers fell. Then, silence. Only one enemy remained. Hidden behind the rocks. He hurled a poisoned spear—not at Kael... ...but at Lyra. Kael didn't think. He reacted. He seized the nearest weapon and threw it with all his strength. The blade struck the rogue before the spear could reach her. But the force spun the dying man sideways. The spear changed direction. So did Kael's blade. Time slowed. Lyra saw the rogue fall. She saw Kael's horrified face. Then she felt something sharp pierce her chest. The blade. His blade. The prophecy had never said he would choose to kill her. Only that he would. Kael caught her before she hit the ground. "No..." His voice broke. "No, no, no... please." Blood stained his hands. Exactly as the nightmare had shown. Lyra smiled weakly. "It wasn't... your fault." "I'm going to save you." "You already did." She reached up, brushing away the tears on his face. "You loved me enough... to fight fate." "I wasn't strong enough." "You were." Her breathing grew shallow. "I would choose you... every lifetime." The moon rose above them. Silver light washed over