MATED TO THE LONE WOLF

The heavy scent of pine and damp earth filled Ramond’s lungs as he stood at the precipice of the Blackwood pack territory. As the newly crowned Alpha, the weight of the entire pack rested on his broad shoulders. He shifted his stance, his sharp blue eyes scanning the dense treeline. Tonight was the night of the Blood Moon convergence, a rare celestial event where the goddess was said to reveal the fated bonds of true mates. Ramond’s inner wolf, a massive midnight-black beast, pacing restlessly in his mind, could feel a strange, electric pull in the air.Miles away, at the very edge of the neutral zone, Lizzie pulled her frayed woolen cloak tighter around herself. She was an omega from a fractured, forgotten pack, accustomed to keeping her head down and moving unnoticed. Yet, a persistent whisper in her mind had drawn her toward the Blackwood borders tonight. Her heart hammered against her ribs, not from fear of the wilderness, but from an unexplainable, magnetic tug that seemed to vibrate in her very bones.When the moon finally reached its peak, bleeding a deep crimson hue across the night sky, Ramond let out a powerful howl that echoed through the valley. Lizzie froze in her tracks as the sound washed over her, sparking a sudden, blazing warmth in her chest. She stepped out into the clearing just as Ramond crashed through the underbrush. Their eyes met, locking instantly. The air turned static, and the realization hit them both with the force of a tidal wave: Mate.