CLAIMED UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

Snowflakes fell softly against the windshield, glowing gold under the streetlamps like tiny sparks of hope. But there was no hope left in Luna Hart’s chest only the kind of numbness that came after a wound too deep to bleed. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel, trying to breathe. Trying to accept what she saw. Trying not to break again. But the image wouldn’t leave her the woman’s legs wrapped around her boyfriend’s waist… in the apartment she helped him decorate for Christmas. Her favorite holiday. His favorite lies. A humorless laugh escaped her lips, crackling into the silence of the car. “Perfect timing, Blake. Really perfect.” Her phone buzzed again on the passenger seat. His name flashed. Blake 12 missed calls She jabbed the decline button with a trembling finger. She wasn’t going back. Not tonight. Not ever. The storm grew heavier as she climbed the hill road that curved toward Brightwood Peak. She didn’t know where she was going—she just needed distance. Space. Air that didn’t smell like his cologne. Another tear fell, warm on her freezing cheek. She swiped it away. “Enough,” she whispered to herself. “No more crying.” But the moment she said it, the universe answered with a roar. A horn. Bright headlights. Skidding tires. Luna gasped, jerking the wheel the car spun violently on the iced road. “No, no, no!” Her scream was swallowed by the crash. Metal crumpled. Glass shattered. Her world flipped sideways. Then darkness. Complete, cold darkness. Something warm brushed her cheek. A breath? Not too soft. Too steady. Luna groaned, forcing her eyes open. Her vision swam before gradually forming the shape of… a ceiling? Wooden. Rustic. Low beams decorated with holiday garlands. She blinked again. This wasn’t her car. This wasn’t anywhere she recognized. “Easy,” a deep voice rumbled from the shadows. She froze. A tall figure stepped into the warm light of the fireplace. And Luna’s breath left her chest in one sharp rush. He was… impossibly beautiful. But not in a polished, city-boy way. This man looked carved from winter itself. Strong jaw. Tousled midnight hair. Shoulders too broad to be human. And eyes silver, glowing faintly, like reflected moonlight. “Who…” Her voice cracked. “Who are you?” “You’re safe,” he said simply. “That’s not an answer.” He stared at her for a long, unreadable moment. His presence filled the cabin, heavy and commanding, yet strangely comforting. “You crashed,” he said. “I brought you here.” She swallowed. “Where is here?” “Brightwood Territory.” “…The what?” Before he could respond, the cabin trembled faintly. A howl echoed through the forest—long, low, and chilling. A wolf. Too close. Luna’s heart hammered. “There are wolves out there?” “Yes.” He didn’t even flinch. He stepped closer, his movements fluid, dangerous, and silent. Like he belonged to the night outside. “My name is Arden,” he said. “And until the storm passes, you’ll stay here.” There was something unspoken behind his words. Something protective… and possessive. “Thank you,” she whispered. “But I need to call” “No.” His voice was a command. “You’re not going back to whoever hurt you tonight.” Her breath caught. “How… how do you know someone hurt me?” He looked at her like he could see everything she tried to hide. “I heard it,” Arden said. “In your heartbeat.” Her pulse stumbled. “That’s not possible.” His silver eyes darkened. “There are many things you believe are impossible.” He stepped close enough that the heat from his body wrapped around her. “But out here, human… reality is different.” Human. The word carved a shiver down her spine. Before she could speak, the wind slammed against the cabin walls. Snow sprayed the windows. Another howl rose closer. Too close. Luna sat up, panic rising. “What was that?” Arden turned toward the door, his expression sharpening into something feral. “A warning,” he said quietly. “To stay inside. No matter what you hear.” Her voice trembled. “Why?” Because the wolves hunt in storms. Because I’m not letting anything touch you. Because the moment I saw you, something ancient woke up inside me. He didn’t say any of it. He just stepped toward the door, shoulders broad and tense beneath his black sweater. When he spoke, his voice was low and dangerous. “Because tonight…” His silver eyes glowed. “…you’re mine to protect.” Luna stared at him, heart pounding. Then… A roar tore through the forest. Not a wolf’s. Something deeper. Something monstrous. Arden’s pupils widened. “Stay in the cabin, Luna.” “How do you know my name?” He paused. The answer slipped from his lips like a confession. “I always have.” Before she could breathe, he opened the door White snow exploded inward. And Arden vanished into the storm. Luna stumbled toward the doorway, gripping the frame. The night outside swirled with snow and shadows. But one thing cut through the storm Two glowing silver eyes staring at her from the darkness. Then…… A growl that made the ground tremble. Her blood ran cold. Something is out there. Something hunting. Something not human. And Arden… Arden wasn’t human either.