UNMARKED CLAIM:THE FORBIDDEN HEAT OF THE BASTARD DAUGHTER

In the frosty halls of the Moonshadow Pack, a silence reigned that weighed heavier than any snow. The full moon hung high in the pitch-black sky, pouring its cold, silvery light through the tall, pointed-arch windows of the ancient stone castle. Long shadows crept across the polished marble floors, as if to devour everything that moved. Della glided silently through the narrow servants' corridors, balancing a heavy tray of steaming herbal tea in her trembling hands. Her steps were so quiet that not even the old floorboards creaked. To be invisible—that, she had elevated to an art. Her dress was gray and threadbare, the sleeves frayed at the wrists from years of work. Her dark hair was pulled back tightly at the nape of her neck; not a single loose strand was allowed to frame her face or draw attention. Attention was dangerous. Attention meant beatings, humiliation, or worse. Della had learned early on that the best she could be was nothing. She was the illegitimate daughter of Alpha Victor, conceived in a night of weakness with a nameless human woman whom the pack had long since erased from its memory. On her left shoulder was no sacred crescent moon mark, that silver, sickle-shaped symbol borne by every true descendant of the moon. Without that mark, she was a nobody. A disgrace. A servant in her own father's house. Tolerated only because she suffered silently and obeyed. Her half-sister Georgia, on the other hand, was the radiant opposite. Georgia, with her flowing, honey-gold hair, clear emerald-green eyes, and the flawless crescent moon that shimmered like a divine beacon against her pale skin. Georgia was the chosen one, the future Luna, the jewel of the pack. Every glance, every word, every gesture was designed to make her perfect. And Della? Della polished the silver, wiped the floor beneath her feet, and disappeared back into the shadows. Tonight, however, the air vibrated with unspoken power. For days, whispers had circulated through the corridors: Prince Bryan, the feared heir to the most powerful pack in the far north, had arrived. He had come to seal the betrothal to Georgia. An alliance that would move mountains and crush enemies. An alliance of iron and blood. Della climbed the narrow spiral staircase to the family's private chambers. Her task was simple: to bring fresh tea to the Alpha's study. A place where decisions about life and death were made. A place someone like her was never allowed to enter. She heard voices from afar. Deep. Controlled. Dangerous. She froze on the second-to-last step. The heavy oak door to the study stood ajar. Moonlight spilled out like liquid silver, painting a narrow stripe on the cold stone. Della knew she should turn back. Listening meant the dungeon. Listening meant lashings. Yet her feet moved closer of their own accord. She carefully placed the tray on a wobbly side table and stepped to the door. Her pulse pounded in her ears. "Georgia is flawless," Alpha Victor said in that calm, commanding voice that brooked no argument. "She will make the perfect Luna. Pure. Marked. Ready to honor the pack." A deep, mocking laugh rang out. It was as cold as the winter wind and cut right through Della. “Flawlessness is useful,” another voice replied. Rough. Dangerously deep. “But I need more than a pretty face and a mark on my shoulder. I need a womb that produces strong heirs. And after that… it’s expendable.” Della pressed her fist against her lips to avoid making a sound. “You mean…”, Victor began hesitantly. “I mean exactly that,” Prince Bryan interrupted coolly. “I’m going to mark her. I’m going to take her. I’m going to impregnate her. And as soon as the ceremony is over and the puppies are born, she’ll be gone. A tragic accident. A regrettable loss. The pack will weep, and I’ll be free to choose the one I truly want.” Della felt the ground sway beneath her. She knew the stories about Bryan. Everyone knew them. The prince whose hands were red with the blood of countless enemies. The alpha who knew no mercy and allowed no love. His eyes were said to be gray like storm clouds before a storm, the old folks said. And in them there was never warmth, only calculation. And this man wanted to use Georgia like a tool and then throw her away? Della thought of her half-sister. Of the few, precious moments of kindness. Like when Georgia had secretly brought her a warm cloak when Della was nearly freezing in winter. How she had whispered to her on quiet nights that she wasn't alone. Georgia was the only person who had ever brought true warmth into Della's life. She could not allow this monster to destroy her. Suddenly, a floorboard creaked beneath her foot. The door flew open. Prince Bryan was in the frame. He was bigger than words could describe. Broad shoulders strained against the black linen shirt. His dark hair fell across his forehead, slightly disheveled, as if he had fought with his bare hands. And those eyes. Stormy gray. Cold. Piercing to the very core of his being. Their eyes met. The world stopped breathing. Something invisible, ancient, and wild awoke between them. A bond. Thin as a thread of moonlight, yet unbreakable. It stretched taut, burned, pulsated. Della's heart skipped a beat. Bryan blinked slowly. Something flickered in his eyes. Something animalistic. Something hungry. "Who are you?" His voice was quiet, but it vibrated with authority. Della couldn't utter a word. Her throat felt constricted. Alpha Victor appeared behind him. His face contorted with anger when he recognized her. "Della! What are you doing here, you miserable piece of trash?" She stepped back. The tray tipped over. Porcelain shattered on the marble. Hot tea splashed over her ankles, but she barely felt the pain. Bryan didn't move. He continued to stare at her, as if he saw something that should remain hidden. "Answer," he commanded. "I... tea... I only brought tea," she stammered. "You were eavesdropping." Not a question. A statement. Della lowered her head. She was waiting for the first blow. But nothing happened. Instead, Bryan stepped forward. A single step. And yet, it felt as if the room was shrinking. Victor wanted to intervene. "She is nothing. A servant. A disgrace without a mark. Forget her." Bryan raised his hand. Victor immediately fell silent. "Go," Bryan told him. "Leave us alone." Victor hesitated for a heartbeat. Then he bowed stiffly and disappeared. Now it was just the two of them left. Bryan came closer. Close enough for Della to smell him. Pine. Leather. Storm. And beneath it, something dark, animalistic, that awakened her wolf. That wolf that had always been silent because she didn't wear a mark. But now he growled. Deeply. Yearningly. Bryan reached out and grasped her chin. Gently but firmly, he forced her to look at him. His fingers burned on her skin. "Why are you trembling?" he asked quietly. "Because you will kill me," she whispered. A narrow, dangerous smile played around his lips. "Maybe," he murmured. "Maybe not." His thumb stroked her lower lip agonizingly slowly. Della gasped softly. The bond between them tightened. Hot. Urgent. Unstoppable. "What are you?" he asked roughly. "I am nobody," she whispered. "Liar." He leaned forward. His mouth hovered millimeters above hers. "I smell you," he whispered. "Fear. And desire." Della closed her eyes. Tears burned behind her lids. She wanted to escape. She wanted to stay. She wanted to die. She wanted him. "Please," she whispered. "Please what?" "Please... don't hurt me." He laughed darkly and deeply. "I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with you." Suddenly he let go of her and stepped back. "Go now," he commanded coldly. "But remember this: I see everything. I hear everything. And if you breathe a single word about what you heard tonight, I will find you. And then I won't just kill you. I will break you. Piece by piece." Della nodded silently. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She turned around and ran. Along the corridor. Down the stairs. Into the dark depths of the servants' passages. Her body trembled uncontrollably. Her heart raced like a caged animal. And deep in her soul, something new was burning. A hunger. A tendon. A forbidden tape. To the man who wanted to destroy her sister. To the brutal alpha that everyone feared. To Prince Bryan. And on that one fateful night, Della knew with cruel clarity: her life had irrevocably changed.