Bound by the moon

HIS TO BREAK

The night deepened with an uneasy silence. Selena stood at the window of her chamber, staring into the dark stretch of forest. Somewhere beyond, Kael’s warriors carried his orders, spilling blood in his name. She clenched her hands, fighting the tremor in her chest. He had stayed behind, seated in his hall like a king certain of victory. It was a reminder she was not his partner. She was a piece placed on his board.

The fortress doors boomed open. Shouts rose in the courtyard. Selena’s heart leapt. She hurried to the corridor just as Kael appeared at the stairwell, broad-shouldered, arms folded. The warriors spilled in, bloodied but triumphant.

“They fled, Alpha,” the lead warrior announced, dropping to one knee. “The intruders will not return. Your command stands unchallenged.”

The pack roared in approval. Kael only inclined his head, a faint curl at his lips. Selena noticed the way his eyes flickered toward her, as if to remind her she had done nothing. It was his power that held them safe, not hers.

Before relief could settle, the elders came forward. Cloaked in heavy robes, their silver hair gleamed in the torchlight. At their head walked a woman Selena had seen only once before Kael’s stepmother. Regal, sharp-eyed, with a voice that cut through the air like steel.

“This victory is well timed,” she said. “But it changes nothing. The whispers outside our borders grow louder. They will come again, Alpha.” Her gaze landed on Selena like a blade. “And if we are to stand united, the girl must be bound to us tonight.”

Selena’s breath caught. “Tonight?”

Kael’s stepmother’s smile did not reach her eyes. “Yes. You were given to him for a reason, child. Your pack is weak, but as Luna, your blood will seal our strength. Delay, and we look divided.”

Murmurs rippled among the elders. One old man leaned on his staff. “She brings little with her. Her people are few. Her father begged this alliance because he could not defend them himself. If she falters, the enemies will tear through both packs.”

Heat flooded Selena’s chest. “Do not speak of my pack as though they are nothing.”

“Then prove they are not,” the stepmother replied smoothly. “Stand by the Alpha. Let the bond be sealed before the moon wanes. Only then will anyone believe you belong here.”

Selena turned to Kael, but his expression gave nothing away. Only his silence pressed down on her, heavier than words. He let them speak because they voiced what he already believed.

The decision was made before she could fight it. Servants moved quickly, carrying robes of white and crimson into her chamber. She was stripped of her gown and wrapped in the ceremonial cloth. Her hands shook as they pinned her hair with silver clasps. In the mirror, she hardly recognized the woman staring back hollow eyed, trembling, dressed not like a Luna but like an offering.

The courtyard blazed with torches when she stepped out. The pack had gathered, their howls echoing under the high moon. Kael stood waiting at the altar of stone, a dark crown of power around him.

Selena forced her legs forward. The elders began the chants, ancient words rising with the smoke. Kael’s voice joined, deep and commanding, each vow sounding more like possession than devotion. When it was her turn, her voice nearly broke but she spoke anyway, her words trembling yet steady enough to be heard.

Kael’s hand cupped the back of her neck as he lowered his head. His teeth grazed her skin. The mark seared into her, fire racing through her veins as the bond sealed in front of the entire pack. The crowd roared their acceptance, but Selena heard the whispers beneath the cheers. Doubt. Disbelief.

When it was done, Kael took her hand. His grip was unyielding as he led her back into the fortress. The chants faded behind them, but her heart pounded louder, knowing what tradition demanded next.

In her chamber, the servants bowed and withdrew. The door closed, sealing her inside with him. The silence between them was sharper than any blade. She could still hear his stepmother’s words echoing in her head: Your only worth is the alliance you bring.

Kael moved closer, his shadow falling over her. His eyes burned like embers as he spoke. “Tonight, you stop being a gift. Tonight, you become mine.”

The chamber doors shut behind them with a heavy thud. The noise of the hall died, swallowed by silence. Candles flickered in tall iron holders, their flames dancing over stone walls. Selena stood in the center of the room, her chest tight, the crown still pressing like a weight she could not shake.

The chamber burned with candlelight and silence. Selena stood by the window, her pulse drumming against the mark on her neck. It still throbbed his mark, his claim. No matter how deep she breathed, she could still feel his teeth there, ghosting over her skin.

Kael leaned against the table, his cloak gone, his shirt half open, his chest slick with the faint sheen of battle and firelight. He looked every inch the Alpha danger wrapped in control.

“You carried yourself well,” he said. “The pack saw your strength tonight. That’s more than I expected.But don’t mistake the pack’s silence for their acceptance. They will test you. Harder than they ever tested me.”

Selena lifted her chin, refusing to shrink back. You mean they saw your strength,” she said, meeting his gaze. “You led the chants. You gave the vows. I was only there to play my part. They can test me as long as they can, I didn’t ask to be your Luna, but I won’t break.”

A slow smile tugged at his mouth, the kind that carried no humor. He moved closer, each step deliberate. “You think it’s their judgment you should fear?”

Selena’s fingers tightened around the edge of the table. “You mean they saw your strength,” she said, meeting his gaze. “You led the chants. You gave the vows. I was only there to play my part.”

Kael’s smile was thin. “If you were only playing a part, the mark wouldn’t burn like that.”

Her jaw clenched. “You did that.”

“I only finished what the moon started.” His eyes dragged down her figure, stopping at the rise and fall of her chest. “You’re trembling. Still fighting what’s already done.”

Selena’s breath hitched. “You think marking me makes me yours?”

“I don’t think,” Kael said, pushing away from the table. “I know.”

He crossed the space between them in three strides. She didn’t step back this time, though her heart hammered so hard it hurt. His hand reached out, caught her wrist, turned it palm up. The mark pulsed there too faint, invisible, but the bond ran deep enough to hum between them.

Kael’s voice dropped, low and rough. “This isn’t a game, Selena. You carry my name, my mark, my pack’s future. Whether you want it or not.”

Selena’s eyes burned. “You think my pack begged for this? That I wanted to be your prize?”

He leaned closer, his breath brushing her lips. “You think I wanted to marry weakness?”

That hit harder than she expected. She shoved at his chest, fury flashing through the fear. “Say what you will about me, Kael, but my pack stood for generations before yours rose from the dirt. We may not have your numbers, but we have loyalty something your warriors only give because they fear you.”

Kael caught her hand before she could strike him again. His grip was firm, not cruel. “Fear keeps them alive,” he said quietly. “Loyalty won’t stop a blade.”

The air thickened. Her chest heaved, his thumb brushing over her pulse where it jumped under his touch. The mark between them pulsed once hot, demanding, alive.

He whispered, “You feel it too, don’t you?”

She opened her mouth, but no sound came.

His hand rose, cupping her cheek. His eyes softened, just for a heartbeat. “I don’t want your loyalty, Selena. I want your fire.”

She should have stepped back. She didn’t. Her breath mingled with his, her body betraying every thought her mind screamed.

His lips brushed hers once, a spark, nothing more but it set her world spinning.

Then came the knock. Loud. Sharp.

Kael froze, his head turning toward the door, his hand still holding her face.

The sound came again, faster this time. “Alpha,” a voice called from outside, muffled but urgent. “It’s about the prisoner we’ve found something.”

Selena swallowed hard, pulse racing. The air between them still burned.

Kael’s gaze returned to her, his eyes glowing faintly gold in the dim light. “Don’t move,” he said, his tone dangerous. “When I come back, we’re not done.”

He turned toward the door, the heavy latch creaking open

And as he stepped out, the bond flared hot enough to make her gasp, pain and longing twisting together deep in her chest.

The door shut behind him.

Selena stood alone, shaking, the mark on her neck burning like fire.

She didn’t know what scared her more Kael’s promise… or the way part of her wanted him to keep it.