Bound by the moon

The ALPHA'S CLIAM

The rhythm of hooves beat against the earth, steady and relentless, carrying me farther from Crescent Shadows with every stride. The wind whipped my hair across my face, but I couldn’t lift my hands to shield myself. Kael’s arm caged me in, heavy and unyielding, pressing me against the hard planes of his chest.

The world blurred past us trees, rocks, the faint outline of the river. I dared not turn back. If I looked, I knew I’d see my brother, my pack, my life disappearing into the distance. My heart throbbed with the ache of leaving everything behind, yet the heat of Kael’s body against mine forced me into the present.

His scent smoke and pine, tinged with iron seeped into my lungs. It wasn’t comforting. It was intoxicating and suffocating at once, the mark of a predator who owned his territory and everything in it.

“Sit still,” Kael’s deep voice rumbled near my ear.

“I am sitting still,” I muttered, my voice sharper than I intended.

His arm tightened briefly around my waist, not in affection but in warning. “Your body trembles. Wolves smell fear. Don’t give them the satisfaction.”

I bit down hard on my tongue. He had noticed. Of course he had. Nothing escaped his golden eyes, his sharp instincts.

Behind us, his warriors rode in disciplined silence. There must have been thirty of them, perhaps more massive men and wolves, all exuding the same lethal presence. Not one of them glanced my way. I wasn’t worth their attention, not yet. But I felt their power pressing against me like a storm cloud ready to break.

I forced my spine straight, swallowing the terror rising in my throat. If Kael thought he could humiliate me into submission, he was wrong.

After what felt like hours, he finally spoke again. “Why did they give me you?”

The question hit like a slap. I turned my head slightly, my hair brushing against his chin. “Because I was chosen.”

His lips curved faintly, not quite a smile. “Chosen. Or discarded?”

My breath caught, rage sparking beneath my ribs. “Perhaps both.”

For a long, taut moment, silence stretched between us. I thought he might laugh again, mock me as he had in the clearing. But instead, his grip loosened slightly, though his arm never left my waist.

“You have teeth, Selena,” he murmured, low enough that only I could hear. “Good. You’ll need them.”

I didn’t know whether to take that as a threat or a challenge.

By midday, we reached the borders of Bloodfang territory. The air itself seemed darker here, thicker, charged with an energy that raised the fine hairs on my arms. Towering pines loomed overhead, their branches knitting together to block out the sun. The silence was uncanny, broken only by the distant caw of a raven.

Kael slowed his stallion, and his warriors fell into tighter formation around us. My pulse quickened.

“This is it?” I whispered before I could stop myself.

“This,” Kael said, his voice as steady as the horse beneath us, “is only the beginning.”

The path widened, revealing a vast valley nestled between jagged cliffs. At its heart rose a fortress stone walls blackened by time, towers clawing at the sky. Smoke curled from the chimneys, the scent of burning wood and roasting meat carried on the wind. The howl of wolves echoed faintly from within.

It was beautiful in its own savage way. And utterly terrifying.

As we approached, the gates creaked open. Wolves in both forms stood guard hulking figures with scars etched into their skin and fur. Their eyes followed me, unblinking, cold. Whispers passed between them, and though I couldn’t hear the words, I knew what they were saying.

She’s weak. She’s omega. She doesn’t belong here.

Kael dismounted fluidly, then turned to me. For a heartbeat, I thought he might help me down, but instead he merely extended his hand, palm open, commanding. Not gentle. Not kind. A demand.

I hesitated only a second before placing my hand in his. His grip was strong, pulling me easily from the horse. I stumbled as my feet hit the ground, but he steadied me with a firm hand at my elbow.

The contact was brief, impersonal, but it burned through me all the same.

The whispers grew louder. A circle was forming warriors, servants, even children peeking from behind their mothers. Their gazes were sharp, assessing, cruel. I wasn’t just an outsider. I was an intruder.

Kael raised his head, his golden eyes sweeping the crowd. Instantly, silence fell. The weight of his authority rippled outward, crushing.

“This,” his voice boomed, deep and commanding, “is Selena. She is Crescent Shadows’ gift, their Luna offered to seal our alliance. She is mine.”

The words struck me like a blow. The finality in them, the claim. My fists clenched at my sides, nails digging into my palms. Mine. I hated the sound of it, even as my body reacted with an involuntary shiver.

Gasps rippled through the pack. Some sneered openly. Others exchanged dark glances. No one cheered. No one welcomed me.

Kael didn’t care. He stood like a king addressing his court, unbothered by their disapproval. His arm dropped casually across my shoulders, pulling me closer into his side not affectionately, but possessively, as if daring anyone to question his choice.

“She will be treated as your Luna,” he continued. “Any who defy this will answer to me.”

The warning hung heavy in the air. A few wolves lowered their eyes. Others didn’t.

I swallowed hard, heat flooding my face. Luna. The title felt foreign on my tongue, like a costume that didn’t fit. I wasn’t their Luna. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

But Kael had made his decree.

And here, his word was law.

The fortress swallowed me whole. Its halls were dimly lit, torches casting flickering shadows across the stone walls. The air smelled of smoke, sweat, and iron. Every step I took echoed, too loud, as though the walls themselves mocked my presence.

Kael walked beside me in silence, his strides long, confident. I hurried to keep up, my satchel clutched tightly in my hands.

At last, he stopped before a heavy wooden door reinforced with iron. He pushed it open, revealing a chamber far larger than anything I had ever known. A massive bed carved from dark wood dominated the space, draped in furs. A fire crackled in the hearth, casting a warm glow that couldn’t soften the severity of the room.

“This will be yours,” Kael said simply.

Mine? My lips parted, confusion flickering across my face. “And yours?”

His eyes glinted in the firelight. “If I choose.”

The implication made my skin prickle. I hugged the satchel closer to my chest, unsure if I wanted him to stay or leave. Both possibilities terrified me.

He stepped closer, his presence filling the space. “Do not mistake this for freedom. You belong to Bloodfang now. You belong to me.”

His words were a chain tightening around my throat. And yet, somewhere deep inside, a flicker of defiance sparked.

I lifted my chin, meeting his golden gaze head-on. “I belong to no one.”

For the first time, something shifted in his expression. Surprise? Amusement? I couldn’t tell. But his lips curved again, that dangerous almost-smile.

“Careful, Selena,” he murmured, his voice a low growl. “Your fire might burn you before it ever touches me.”

With that, he turned and strode toward the door, his cloak swirling behind him. “Rest. Tomorrow, you begin your life as Luna. Whether you like it or not.”

The door slammed shut, leaving me alone in the cavernous room.

I pressed my back against the cold wall, my heart racing. The fire crackled, shadows dancing across the furs.

Tomorrow, my nightmare truly began.