Chapter Eight
1210 Words
Chapter 8: Blood Oaths Under Moonlight
Olivia's Liv Winters’ POV
The moon that night was wrong.
Too bright. Too watchful.
It hung above Winters territory like a silent witness, bathing the stone walls and ancient pines in silver light, as if it already knew blood would be spilled before dawn.
I stood at the edge of the training grounds, boots sinking slightly into damp earth, arms crossed tightly over my chest. The air smelled like iron and pine sap—sharp, grounding. My wolf, Cora, paced restlessly inside me, her hackles raised.
*Grey pack won’t stop with words,* she warned.
“I know,” I whispered.
Ever since Cassandra’s little “visit,” the pack had been on edge. Patrols doubled. Borders reinforced. Even the elders—normally slow and cautious—had begun whispering about old treaties and broken laws.
Breaking a mate bond was rare.
Breaking it publicly, violently, and surviving?
That made me dangerous.
And dangerous women were never left alone.
“Liv.”
Connor’s voice cut through my thoughts. He approached from behind, his presence calm but solid, like a mountain that refused to move even when the ground shook.
“You shouldn’t be alone out here,” he said quietly.
I didn’t turn. “If Grey pack wants to test me, hiding won’t change anything.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he replied. “You’re still recovering.”
I flexed my fingers slowly. “My body is healing. My patience is not.”
He sighed softly but didn’t argue. Instead, he stepped beside me, gaze lifting toward the moon.
“They sent scouts,” he said.
My jaw tightened. “How many?”
“Three crossed the outer perimeter. Two retreated when they realized they were seen. One stayed.”
“Bold,” I muttered. “Or stupid.”
Connor’s voice darkened. “He’s still out there.”
Cora snarled.
Let me tear him apart.
“Not yet,” I murmured internally. “Soon.”
Connor studied me from the side. “You’re not afraid.”
It wasn’t a question.
I considered it carefully before answering. “I was afraid when I thought my worth depended on someone choosing me.”
I met his gaze.
“I’m not afraid anymore.”
Something unreadable passed through his eyes.
---
The alarm horn sounded just after midnight.
Low. Sharp. Three short blasts.
Intrusion confirmed.
I was already moving before the echoes faded, cloak snapping behind me as I ran toward the eastern ridge. My father’s Alpha aura flared across the pack, commanding formation and discipline.
The forest opened into a narrow clearing where moonlight spilled freely.
And there he was.
A lone wolf stood in human form at the center, hands raised—not in surrender, but in challenge. Tall. Broad-shouldered. His scent hit me a second later.
Grey pack.
Not Ethan.
Relief and disappointment twisted together in my chest.
“State your purpose,” my father commanded, stepping forward with warriors at his back.
The man’s gaze slid past him—straight to me.
“I came for Olivia Winters,” he said.
Connor’s growl was low and lethal.
I stepped forward anyway.
“I’m here,” I said coldly. “Speak.”
The wolf smirked. “Alpha Grey sends his regards.”
Cora snapped viciously.
*Coward. Sending messengers.*
“He wants what’s his,” the man continued. “You.”
Laughter bubbled up from my chest—dark, humorless.
“Tell Ethan Grey,” I said slowly, “that he lost the right to claim me the moment he treated me like a shadow.”
The messenger’s smile faded.
“He didn’t send me to negotiate.”
Before anyone could react, the wolf shifted.
Bones cracked. Fur exploded outward. In seconds, a massive silver-grey wolf stood where the man had been, eyes glowing with challenge.
The clearing erupted into chaos.
“DEFENSIVE FORMATION!” my father roared.
But I was already moving.
“Liv—!” Connor shouted.
Too late.
I welcomed the shift.
Pain ripped through me as Cora surged forward, claiming control. My bones reshaped, muscles burning as power flooded my veins. Fur as dark as midnight spread over my skin.
The world sharpened.
Sounds became clearer. Scents richer. Blood louder.
I lunged.
The Grey wolf was fast—experienced—but he underestimated me.
He thought I was still the obedient Luna-in-waiting.
He was wrong.
We collided mid-air, claws tearing, teeth snapping inches from flesh. He snarled, jaws snapping at my throat, but I twisted, raking my claws across his flank.
Blood sprayed hot against my fur.
Yes!!!
Cora growled.
Make him bleed.
He slammed me into the dirt, weight crushing down, but rage fueled my strength. I bucked hard, rolling us over, jaws closing around his shoulder.
He howled.
Around us, Winters warriors clashed with unseen threats at the tree line, but this fight—this one—was mine.
“You should have stayed away,” I snarled, my voice distorted in wolf form.
He snapped back, eyes wild. “Alpha Grey will *own* you again!”
That word did it.
Something ancient and vicious rose inside me.
I bit down harder.
Bone cracked.
He screamed—a raw, terrified sound—and I tore free, blood dripping from my jaws.
I stood over him, chest heaving, moonlight painting me in silver and shadow.
“Run,” I growled. “And tell him this—”
I leaned close, my breath hot against his ear.
“I am no one’s property.”
He didn’t hesitate.
He fled.
Silence fell slowly, broken only by the rustle of leaves and the distant retreat of Grey pack scouts.
I shifted back, knees hitting the ground hard as exhaustion slammed into me. Hands caught my shoulders before I fell completely.
Connor.
His touch was firm, grounding, respectful.
“You shouldn’t have done that alone,” he said tightly.
I met his gaze, breathing hard. “He came for me.”
“And you answered,” he said quietly.
There was no anger in his eyes.
Only awe.
My father approached, studying the blood on my hands, the bite marks already healing.
“You defended Winters territory,” he said. “And yourself.”
I swallowed. “I didn’t disobey.”
“No,” he agreed. “You led.”
That word settled heavily on my shoulders.
Later, after wounds were tended and borders secured, I stood alone again beneath the moon, washing blood from my hands in a stone basin.
Connor joined me silently.
“You fought like an Alpha,” he said.
I scoffed weakly. “I fought like someone who was tired of being hunted.”
He studied me for a long moment. “Grey pack will retaliate.”
“I know.”
“And Ethan won’t stay behind messengers forever.”
My reflection stared back at me in the water—eyes sharp, unbroken.
“Let him come,” I said softly.
Cora purred, dark and satisfied.
*We’re done running.*
I straightened, moonlight catching the faint scars on my skin.
This wasn’t just about love anymore.
It was about sovereignty.
And I would bleed the moon itself dry before I let anyone take that from me again. 🌙
- Writer
