Luna Burn

“The bond doesn’t lie. Even when you want it to.” The forest was louder than I remembered. Leaves rustled like whispers. Branches creaked like bones. And somewhere deep inside the woods, the wind carried the unmistakable scent of wolves. Not just any wolves—his pack. I gripped the strap of my duffel tighter, trying to ignore the heat crawling across my skin. My scar burned—low and sharp—right over my hip bone. It had started the moment I crossed the boundary into Shadowveil. Into his territory. My old life was here. The pack that abandoned me. The memories I buried. The boy I ran from. And now… the mate bond I never asked for. I should’ve stayed gone. I’d almost made it, too—six years of running, hiding, living like a ghost. But fate has sharp teeth. And a cruel sense of humor. Especially when it binds you to the one man who should never touch you. Kade Draven. I hadn’t seen him yet—not really. Just the whispers through town, the tense way the shopkeeper handed me my coffee this morning, the glances from wolves who could smell something on me. Something wrong. Something burning. The bond. It had awakened two nights ago, full and feral under the full moon. No warning. No control. Just boom—one second I was breathing, and the next, my soul was branded. A scent in the wind. A pull in my gut. A storm in my blood. Him. I didn’t want it. I didn’t want him. I was halfway up the trail toward the Blackfang Alpha estate when a voice stopped me cold. “You shouldn’t be here.” My heart froze. That voice. Deep. Rough. Like gravel and fire. I hadn’t heard it in years, but every cell in my body remembered. I turned. He was standing in the shadows of the tree line—taller than I remembered, broader, shirtless beneath the silver moon. His chest rose and fell with slow, steady breaths. His golden eyes burned. Alpha Kade Draven. The last time I saw him, I was seventeen, bleeding on the floor of the packhouse while his wolves looked the other way. He hadn’t even looked at me then. Now, he was looking. And I hated how much I felt it. “Kade.” My voice came out even, but inside, I was trembling. His jaw ticked. “Why are you here?” “Why do you think?” His eyes flashed. “The bond.” I nodded. “It hit me like a truck.” He took a step forward. Then another. My instincts screamed. My knees threatened to give out. The closer he got, the tighter the air grew, like the whole forest was holding its breath. My skin tingled. My scar flared. Kade stopped two feet from me. We hadn’t touched. And still, I burned. “I didn’t ask for this,” I whispered. “Neither did I.” We stood in silence, the space between us taut with something sharp and electric. The moon bathed his chest in silver. Scars cut across his ribs, old and violent. He smelled like smoke, pine, and something darker. My knees nearly buckled. He reached out—slow, careful—and brushed a strand of hair from my face. The moment his fingers touched my skin, I gasped. My body lit up. Need. Hunger. Possession. All of it slammed into me like a wave. I felt the bond snap tight around my soul, anchoring me to him. My breath caught. Kade’s voice dropped. “You feel it.” “I don’t want to.” “You think I do?” His eyes darkened. “I’m betrothed to another, Aria. Our mating bond threatens everything.” I blinked. “Then reject me.” He didn’t move. “Say the words, Kade. Reject me. Sever the bond.” He looked at me like he wanted to say it. Like he should say it. But instead, his hand cupped the back of my neck and pulled me into him. His lips were at my ear. “I’ve tasted a thousand lies in my life,” he whispered. “But this? You’re the first truth I’ve ever wanted.” My heart stopped. Then he kissed me. And the world fell away. His mouth crushed mine, fierce and hungry. His grip was bruising, desperate. I kissed him back like I’d die without it, like the past didn’t matter, like the fire between us could burn every sin clean. But just as quickly, he pulled away. “I shouldn’t have done that,” he growled, voice torn. “You think?” Suddenly, a howl split the night air. A warning. Kade turned toward the sound, eyes wide. “Go. Now.” “What—?” “They know you’re here. She knows.” “Lira?” He didn’t answer. Just shoved me back into the trees. “Run, Aria.” Too late. A second howl. Closer. A blur of silver and claws slammed into the clearing— And everything went black.