Bound by blood and bite

The cold night air bit into Mila’s skin as she slipped through the narrow servants’ passage of Ashton Manor. The full moon hung heavy and silver in the pitch-black sky. Its light pierced through the tall arched windows in sharp streaks, casting long shadows across the polished stone floor. Mila knew every inch of that floor. She had scrubbed it for years until her fingertips bled and her hands became rough as tree bark. In this house, she was nothing more than a shadow among shadows. Invisible. Forgotten. Tolerated. Exactly the way she wanted it. Being invisible meant survival. But tonight it wasn’t about her. It was about Kunis. Kunis Ashton, the radiant daughter of the Alpha, bore the sacred crescent mark on her left shoulder. A perfect, glowing half-moon symbol that shimmered in the moonlight like molten silver. It made her the Chosen One. The future Luna of the strongest pack in the north. Kunis was beautiful, with long raven-black hair, porcelain-white skin, and eyes like dark forest honey. She was everything Mila could never be. Above all, though, Kunis was kind. In a world that hated or ignored Mila, Kunis had always treated her like a person. Mila pressed herself against the icy wall as heavy boots thundered down the corridor. The scent of leather, sweat, and metal drifted past. A guard. She held her breath until the footsteps faded. Then she glided onward. Kunis’s chambers lay in the west wing, far from the damp cellar rooms where the servants lived. Mila had taken this route countless times, usually carrying laundry baskets or buckets full of ash. Tonight she carried only a small bundle in her hands. Herbs. Dried moonflower, willow bark, and chamomile. She had secretly gathered them in the forbidden forest behind the estate. For Kunis. Kunis suffered from moon fever. It always came before the full moon, when the magic of the mark awakened in her blood. Kunis had once confessed it to Mila when they were alone and no one could listen. “It feels like liquid fire streaming through my veins,” she had whispered. Mila had only been able to nod. She understood nothing of the magic of the Marked. She didn’t even bear a mark. But she understood pain. And she understood loyalty. She stopped in front of the heavy oak door. Her heart pounded so loudly she feared it would echo through the walls. She raised her hand and knocked three times. Softly. The agreed signal. The door opened immediately a c***k. Kunis stood behind it, pale as freshly fallen snow. Her nightgown clung damply to her skin, her long hair hanging in strands. The crescent mark shimmered faintly through the thin fabric, as if it too were feverish. “Mila,” Kunis breathed in relief and pulled her inside. “You came.” Mila slipped into the room and closed the door soundlessly. Warmth hit her. A large fire crackled in the hearth, candles flickered on every table and ledge. The room smelled of lavender and wax. Luxury Mila only knew from cleaning it. “You look like Death himself is embracing you,” Mila muttered, unwrapping the bundle. “Drink this. It will bring the fever down.” Kunis took the small cup with trembling fingers. “You’re risking everything for this.” “I’m risking nothing,” Mila replied. “No one looks for me when I’m gone.” Kunis sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Mila down beside her. “Sit. Just for a moment.” Mila obeyed hesitantly. Servants did not sit with their mistresses. But Kunis laid a hand on hers and squeezed gently. “I spoke to Father today,” she said quietly. “The contract is sealed. In three days he arrives.” Mila knew immediately who she meant. Kael Nightshade. The name alone made nausea rise in her. Kael, heir to the Shadow Pack. The man some called the Iron Alpha, others the Butcher. Rumors coiled around him like poisonous vines. He had wiped out entire packs. His eyes were said to be gray like storm clouds just before lightning strikes. Whoever looked into them lost the will to live. He wasn’t just strong. He was merciless. “Why you of all people?” Mila asked, even though she knew the answer. “Because I bear the mark,” Kunis answered bitterly. “Because I’m the perfect breeding mare for his line. Father needs peace with the Shadow Pack. Kael will take me, mark me, use me. And after that…” Her voice broke. Mila clenched her fists so hard her nails cut into her palms. “He won’t break you. You’re stronger than any Alpha.” Kunis gave a sad smile. “He won’t love me, Mila. No one expects that. It’s about power. About blood. About survival.” Before Mila could reply, footsteps thundered through the corridor. Heavy. Deliberate. Both women froze. “He’s already here,” Kunis whispered. “Far too early.” The door flew open. No knock. No courtesy. Kael Nightshade entered like a storm given flesh. He was enormous. Broad shoulders strained the black leather of his jacket. Dark hair fell messily across his forehead. And his eyes… Mila had heard the rumors, but the reality hit her like a blow. Storm gray. Cold. Piercing. And yet something blazed within them. Something ancient. Something hungry. His gaze slid over Kunis first. Appraising. Assessing. Then it fell on Mila. The world tilted. Mila couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. An invisible bond shot through her chest, golden and burning, connecting to something inside him. A growl rose in her throat, wild and demanding. Her body reacted before her mind could follow. Heat. Desire. Longing. As if her blood had only been waiting for this one moment. Kael froze. For a fraction of a second something flickered in his eyes. Shock. Recognition. Then his face became an icy mask again. “Kunis Ashton,” he said in a voice like distant thunder. Deep. Dangerous. “The future Luna.” Kunis rose slowly, though her legs trembled. “Alpha Kael. We expected you in three days.” “Plans change.” His gaze returned to Mila. “And who is this?” Mila lowered her head. “Just a servant, my lord.” “Just a servant?” He stepped closer. Mila felt his presence like a physical force. “You don’t smell like a servant. Your pulse is racing.” Kunis stepped protectively in front of Mila. “This is Mila. My personal maid. She tends to me when the fever comes.” Kael smiled. Not a warm smile. A predator’s smile. “A maid without a mark. And yet…” He leaned in until his face was only a hand’s breadth from Mila’s. His breath brushed her cheek. “Your heart beats as if you want to flee. Or as if you want to stay.” Mila lifted her gaze. She shouldn’t have. But she did. Their eyes met. The bond exploded. Fire roared through her veins. A golden rope stretched between them, invisible yet stronger than iron. Mila felt his wolf. Felt his hunger. Felt how he wanted her. Immediately. Completely. Forever. Kael jerked back as if burned with hot iron. His pupils dilated. Then he narrowed his eyes. “Out,” he ordered hoarsely. “Now.” Mila stumbled backward. Kunis reached for her hand, but Mila shook her head. She fled the room, ran down the corridor until she reached the narrow stairs to the servants’ quarters. Out in the hallway she pressed herself against the wall. Her hands shook uncontrollably. What had that been? It couldn’t be real. The mate bond. But she bore no mark. She was the unmarked. The worthless. The bastard daughter. And yet Kael had looked at her as if she were the only thing in the world that mattered. Through the door she heard muffled voices. “The ceremony will take place in two nights,” Kael said coldly. “You will be ready.” “And afterward?” Kunis asked quietly. “Afterward you will be my Luna. You will bear me heirs. And once your purpose is fulfilled…” He let the sentence hang in the air. Mila pressed her fist to her mouth to keep from screaming aloud. He wanted to use Kunis. Take her. Impregnate her. And then discard her like an empty shell. Kunis answered firmly: “I will do what the pack needs.” “Good girl,” Kael mocked. Mila ran on. Tears burned in her eyes, but they did not fall. Not here. Not now. She stormed out into the night. Snow was already falling in thick flakes. The moon stared mercilessly down at her. She had sworn to protect Kunis. And now she knew what she had to fight against. Against an Alpha who knew no mercy. Against a father who sacrificed his own daughter. And against the impossible bond that tied her to Kael Nightshade. Because deep inside her, a voice whispered, dark and seductive. He belongs to you. And a treacherous part of her soul whispered back. I want him. The night was still long. And the true storm had only just begun.