The ultimate prize

Chapter three

The night air outside the Bloodmoon Pack estate was frigid, biting through Nora’s thin, damp clothes the second they crossed the threshold. But before the cold could settle into her bones, a heavy, fur-lined coat was carefully draped over her shoulders. It swaddled her entirely, reaching down to her ankles and enveloping her in the intoxicating scent of cedar wood, rain, and ozone—the distinct aura of Alpha Valen Vane.

"Keep it wrapped tight," Valen murmured, his voice surprisingly gentle as his broad hand rested against the small of her back, guiding her down the sweeping stone steps toward a procession of sleek, armored black vehicles waiting in the courtyard.

Nora clutched the lapels of the massive coat, her knuckles white. She couldn't stop the slight tremor in her limbs. She was leaving behind the only place she had ever known, but as she cast a brief glance backward, there was no nostalgia—only the dark, imposing silhouette of the manor house where she had bled, starved, and been stripped of her humanity.

Torin opened the heavy rear door of the central SUV. "My Alpha. The perimeter is secure. We can clear Bloodmoon territory within twenty minutes."

"Make it fifteen," Valen replied coldly, stepping aside to let Nora climb into the plush leather interior before sliding in beside her.

The door clicked shut, instantly sealing out the cold mountain wind and the low, furious murmurs of the gathered Bloodmoon guards watching from the courtyard perimeter. The engine purred to life with a quiet, powerful rumble, and the convoy accelerated forward, tearing through the iron gates and into the deep pine forests beyond.

Inside the vehicle, the silence was suffocatingly heavy.

Nora sat as far back into the soft leather seat as she could, her legs pressed together and her hands tucked beneath the heavy folds of the oversized coat. She kept her chin lowered, staring at the polished wooden trim of the floorboards, her mind spinning at a dizzying speed. Just twenty minutes ago, she had been a nameless servant scrubbing grease off cold flagstones. Now, she was sitting in a luxury vehicle beside the most feared Alpha in the hemisphere.

Valen sat motionless beside her, his long legs crossed, his arm resting casually along the leather backrest behind her. Though he wasn't touching her, his presence filled every inch of the cabin. His golden eyes, now returned to their natural amber hue, watched her with an intense, unblinking focus that made her skin prickle with heat.

"You're shaking," Valen said softly, his deep voice cutting through the hum of the engine.

Nora flinched slightly, pulling the coat tighter around her chest. "I... I am sorry, Alpha. I don't mean to displease you."

Valen’s brow furrowed, a flicker of profound pain crossing his sharp features before he masked it with stoic calm. "You do not displease me, Nora. And you never need to apologize for showing emotion in my presence. You are safe now."

Nora swallowed hard, the dry lump in her throat aching. "Safe?" She let out a small, breathless sound that was closer to a sigh than a laugh. "My Lord... I think you have made a grave mistake. You declared me your mate in front of everyone, but... I am nothing. I have no family, no rank, and... I don't have a wolf. I am broken."

The words tumbled out of her in a quiet rush, carrying the weight of three years of accumulated shame. She raised her head slightly, forcing herself to meet his piercing amber eyes so he could see the honest, tragic truth of what she was. "The Bloodmoon Alpha was right. The Moon Goddess does not grant runts to Alphas like you. When you take me back to your territory and your people realize I cannot shift, they will reject me. Your elders will demand you send me away."

Valen stared at her for a long, quiet moment. He didn't interrupt, nor did he look away. Slowly, deliberately, he uncrossed his legs and leaned toward her, invading her space until the warmth of his body pressed against the chill surrounding her.

"Let them demand," Valen said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, gravelly register that left no room for doubt. "I rule the Blackwood Pack, Nora. My elders do not dictate my life, nor do they dictate who sits beside me on the throne."

He reached out, his long fingers hovering for a second before gently cupping her chin, tilting her face up so she was forced to look directly into his eyes. His touch was warm, calloused, and impossibly tender.

"I have spent thirty years living in a cold, silent void," Valen whispered, his thumb lightly stroking the side of her jawline. "For three decades, every Alpha, every elder, and every high-born female told me who I should take as a mate for political power, for military alliances, for prestige. But my wolf refused every single one. I was told I was cursed to be alone."

His eyes burned with a fierce, possessive flame that made Nora's breath catch in her chest.

"Then I walked into that cold hallway tonight," Valen continued, "and the moment I breathed in your scent, my wolf woke up after thirty years of silence. You are not a mistake, Nora. You are not broken. You are the exact woman the Moon Goddess forged for me, and I will tear apart anyone who dares to call you worthless."

A strange, unfamiliar warmth bloomed in the center of Nora’s chest, spreading outward through her cold limbs like hot syrup. For nineteen years, she had been taught that her existence was an error, that her lack of a wolf made her disposable. Hearing the most powerful predator in the region claim her with such absolute conviction sent a shudder straight down her spine.

"Why?" Nora whispered, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I can offer you nothing in return. I cannot fight for you. I cannot lead a war band."

"I have ten thousand warriors to fight for me," Valen replied softly, his fingers shifting slightly to tuck a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear. "I do not need a soldier for a Luna. I need *you*. I need your spirit, your heart, and the peace your presence gives my wolf."

Nora looked down at his broad, warm hand resting near hers on the leather seat. The shockwave of golden energy from earlier still lingered under her skin, an undeniable physical proof of the bond binding them together. Even without a wolf inside her, her soul recognized him.

"It won't be easy," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Your pack won't accept a wolf-less Luna easily. They will challenge me."

Valen’s lips curved into a faint, dark smile—a shadow of the terrifying ruler he was to the rest of the world.

"Let them try," he said softly. "I have protected my territory from entire armies, Nora. Protecting my mate from a few loud wolves will be the easiest battle of my life."

He pulled his hand back slightly, giving her space, but kept his body leaned toward her, an unwavering wall of protection. "Rest now. We have a long drive ahead before we reach the Blackwood Citadel, and when we arrive, your life as a servant ends forever."

Nora leaned her head back against the soft headrest, wrapping his massive fur coat around herself like a shield. For the first time in as long as she could remember, as the black SUV sliced through the pitch-black night toward the northern mountains, Nora closed her eyes without fear.