THE ALPHA'S UNWANTED LUNA

CHAPTER FOUR — FIGHT OR FLIGHT

Aria

Instinct kicked in before thought. I grabbed the lamp from the nightstand and swung with everything I had, catching the red-haired woman across the temple. She staggered, snarling, and I realized my mistake, I'd only made her angrier."Aria, run!" Madison shifted, her bones cracking as fur rippled across her skin.But there was nowhere to run. The woman recovered faster than humanly possible, her claws extending as she lunged again. I dodged left, my boxing training screaming at me to stay light on my feet, but she was so much faster—Her claws raked across my shoulder, tearing through fabric and skin. Pain exploded through me, hot and sharp. I screamed, stumbling backward as blood soaked my dress.Madison, now fully wolf, threw herself at the attacker, teeth bared. They collided in a tangle of fur and fury, crashing into my dresser. Wood splintered. Glass shattered.I pressed my hand to my bleeding shoulder, dizzy and useless. Human. Weak. Everything they said I was.The door burst open with enough force to rip it from its hinges.Dante filled the doorway, his eyes blazing silver, power rolling off him in waves that made my knees buckle. He took in the scene in a heartbeat—me bleeding, Madison fighting, the intruder—and something savage transformed his face."Lena." His voice was death itself. "You dared."The red-haired woman, Lena, froze. Even in her rage, she recognized the promise of violence in his tone. "Alpha, I was just—""Protecting me?" Dante crossed the room in a blur, yanking Lena away from Madison and slamming her against the wall. "By attacking an unarmed human under my protection?""She's making you soft! Everyone sees it!" Lena gasped for air. "You haven't been the same since she arrived""Because she's my mate."The words detonated like a bomb. Madison shifted back to human, eyes wide. Lena went completely still and I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't process what he'd just said."That's impossible," Lena whispered. "She's human. Humans can't be mates—"

"Yet she is." Dante's grip tightened. "The bond snapped the moment she crossed into my territory. So when you attacked her, you didn't just break pack law. You attacked your Luna."Luna. The word echoed in my head, impossible and terrifying."Dante," I managed through the pain and shock. "I don't understand—"He looked at me, and the raw need in his eyes made my breath catch. "I know. We'll talk. First—" He turned back to Lena. "Kieran!"The Beta appeared instantly. "Alpha?""Take Lena to the cells. She's stripped of rank pending judgment." Dante released her, and Kieran hauled her away, her protests echoing down the hall.Then Dante was beside me, his hands hovering over my bleeding shoulder with surprising gentleness. "How bad?""I'm okay." The lie was obvious. Blood dripped down my arm, and the room spun."You're not okay. You're bleeding." His jaw clenched. "Madison, get the healer. Now."Madison grabbed a robe and fled. The moment we were alone, Dante's control cracked. He scooped me into his arms like I weighed nothing, carrying me to the bed and sitting with me in his lap. The position was intimate, possessive, and I should have protested, but his warmth felt too good against the cold shock settling into my bones."Your mate?" I whispered. "How is that possible?""I don't know." His fingers carefully peeled the torn fabric from my wound. "It shouldn't be. But the moment you arrived, the bond hit me like lightning. I've spent twelve hours trying to fight it, trying to convince myself it was a mistake." He met my eyes. "But seeing you hurt, smelling your blood, I wanted to tear her apart.""You told everyone. Why?""Because keeping it secret almost got you killed." His thumb traced my uninjured collarbone, making me shiver. "If the pack knows you're my mate, attacking you is attacking me. Even my enemies won't risk that.""But I don't want to be a Luna. I don't want—" My voice broke. "I'm supposed to start college. Have a normal life. Be free."Pain flashed across his face. "I know." His hand cupped my cheek. "I know I'm stealing your freedom. Your future. Everything you planned." His forehead pressed against mine. "And I'm selfish enough to do it anyway."

"Why?" Tears burned my eyes. "Why me?""Because you saw me ready to kill a man and begged for mercy. Because you walked into a room full of wolves without flinching. Because when I touch you, I feel alive for the first time in five years." His voice roughened. "Because you're brave and stubborn and so fragile I'm terrified every second you're here, but the thought of you leaving destroys me.""I'm scared," I admitted."Good. You should be." His thumb wiped away a tear. "I'm dangerous, Aria. Broken. I lost my first mate to a rival pack, and it turned me into something cold. Something violent." His silver eyes searched mine. "You deserve better than me.""Then let me go.""I can't." The words were anguished. "The bond won't let me and I'm too damaged to be noble about it."The door opened, and an elderly woman entered with a medical bag. "Alpha. Let me see the girl."Dante didn't move, holding me tighter. "Be gentle with her."The healer—a woman with kind eyes and silver hair—smiled slightly. "Possessive already. The bond must be strong." She examined my shoulder. "The cuts aren't deep. She'll heal clean with stitches.""No hospital?" I asked weakly."Werewolf healer is better than human doctors, sweetness." She began cleaning the wound. "Though you're brave, standing up to one of our females. Stupid, but brave."Dante's arms remained around me while she worked, his presence a solid wall of protection. When she finished stitching and bandaging my shoulder, he finally released me—but only to adjust me more comfortably against his chest."She needs rest," the healer said."She'll rest here. With me." Dante's tone brooked no argument."Dante… ""You're hurt because I didn't mark you immediately." His voice went rough. "Because I tried to give you a choice. That ends now.""What does that mean?"

He tilted my chin up, his eyes glowing silver in the dim light. "It means I'm claiming you, Aria. Tomorrow night, under the full moon, in front of the entire pack." His thumb traced my lower lip. "And then no one will ever threaten you again.”