ECLIPSE OF THE FATED LUNA

Chapter 2

Thorne’s POV

I stood at the window long after the elevator doors had closed behind Brielle Arden. The glass still carried the faint trace of her scent—something light and floral mixed with the clean warmth of her skin. My hand flexed at my side, remembering the exact moment our palms had touched.

That spark had been real. Not imagination. Not wishful thinking. The mate bond had snapped into place like a live wire the second she stepped into the lounge.

Fated.

Mine.

The word echoed in my chest, heavy and dangerous. I turned away from the view and poured myself a glass of water from the crystal pitcher on the table. My fingers trembled slightly. Thirty-two years of iron control, and one human woman had nearly undone it in five minutes.

I had known she was coming. The board had shown me her file weeks ago—successful influencer, millions of followers, perfect credentials for the wellness director role. I had approved the hire myself. What I had not expected was the moment she walked through the door and every wolf inside me sat up and howled.

Her hazel eyes had locked on mine and the silver in my own had flared. I felt it shift, the gold bleeding through. She had noticed. I saw the flicker of surprise on her face, the way her pulse jumped at her throat. If she had stayed one second longer, I might have done something stupid—like pull her closer to breathe her in.

I crossed to the private bar and poured something stronger instead. The whiskey burned going down, but it did nothing to quiet the storm in my blood. The Crimson Eclipse. The old stories my father had told me as a boy. “An Alpha’s human mate will paint the moon red,” he used to say. “It will tear the veil, drive packs mad, and bring the hunters back to our doors.” I had laughed it off the day he died. Called it superstition. Ancient nonsense meant to scare pups into behaving.

Now the sky outside was bleeding that same warning shade. A thin crimson line along the horizon, spreading like ink in water. The first true blood eclipse was close. Too close. My wolf paced under my skin, restless, hungry. It wanted her. It wanted to mark her, claim her, protect her from the very thing I was supposed to keep her safe from.

I set the glass down harder than I meant to. The crystal rang against the marble. My parents had died because a rival pack thought they could break our bloodline.

Viktor Kane’s father had led that raid. I had watched them tear my mother apart while my father screamed for me to run. I was only twelve. The memory still lingered fresh in my head.

No. I would not let history repeat itself. Brielle was human. Beautiful, strong-willed, and completely unaware of the world she had just stepped into. If the bond took hold, if the prophecy was real, every blood moon would grow worse. Wolves would lose control. The veil between our realm and the spirit world would thin. Humans would see things they were never meant to see. And the Bloodfang Pack was already testing our borders—small incursions, scouts sniffing around the outer trails, waiting for any sign of weakness.

I could not be weak.

A soft knock pulled me out of the spiral. Lena slipped in without waiting for an answer, her dark hair tied back, silver-grey eyes—the same as mine—sharp with concern.

“She’s settled in the executive suite,” my sister said, closing the door behind her. “Porter delivered her bags. She asked for the full resort map and the wellness centre keys. Smart girl. Already planning her first session.”

I nodded, keeping my voice even. “Good. She’ll be an asset to the guests.”

Lena tilted her head, studying me the way only a younger sister could. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Thorne. Or maybe… something better.” Her lips curved. “She’s stunning. And the way you looked at her in the lounge—”

“Don’t,” I cut in, sharper than I intended. I turned back to the window. The crimson tint had deepened. The moon would rise soon, and I already felt its pull tugging at my bones.

Lena came closer. “The bond hit you hard, didn’t it? I could smell it from the hallway. You’re fighting it.”

“I have to.” The words came out low, almost a growl. “You know the stories. The elders have warned us for generations. A human Luna brings the unraveling. I will not risk the pack. I will not risk her.”

My sister sighed. “And what if the stories are wrong? What if she’s exactly what we need? She’s already stronger than most humans I’ve met. Did you see the way she carried herself? Shoulders back, chin up, even though she was nervous. That’s Luna material.”

I closed my eyes. The image of Brielle sitting across from me flashed behind my lids—long chestnut waves, athletic curves under that tailored blazer, hazel eyes bright with intelligence and quiet fire. My wolf surged again, pushing images I had no right to entertain: her neck bared for my mark, her body fitting against mine, her laughter filling the empty spaces I had carried since my parents died.

I shoved it down. Hard.

“Tomorrow I’ll give her the tour,” I said, forcing calm into my tone. “Professional. Distant. She stays for six months under contract. That gives me time to find a way to break the bond without hurting her. There are rituals. The elders can help.”

Lena didn’t look convinced. “And if the first blood moon hits while she’s here?”

“It won’t,” I lied. “The timing isn’t right.”

Even as I spoke, the sky outside darkened. The sun slipped behind the mountains, and the first edge of the moon appeared it was huge, swollen, and already tinged with red. Not full yet, but close enough that my claws itched at the tips of my fingers. I curled my hands into fists.

Lena followed my gaze and swore softly. “Thorne…”

“I know.” My voice came out rough. “Double the patrols tonight. Tell Marcus to keep the human guests inside after ten. And Lena… keep an eye on Brielle. If she starts feeling anything—headaches, strange dreams, that pull—come to me immediately.”

My sister nodded, but her eyes were worried. “You’re playing with fire, big brother. Denying a fated mate never ends well.”

She left quietly. The door clicked shut, and I was alone again with the growing red glow outside.

I walked to the window and pressed my palm against the cool glass. Somewhere two floors below, Brielle was probably unpacking, maybe stepping into the shower, letting that chestnut hair fall loose down her back. The thought sent heat racing through my veins. My wolf howled inside my head, demanding I go to her. Claim what was ours.

I gritted my teeth and turned away. The whiskey glass sat on the table, untouched now. I left it there and headed for the private gym on the executive level. I needed to run until my legs burned and shift just enough to bleed off the pressure. Anything to stop myself from taking the elevator down to her suite and doing the one thing I had sworn I would never do.

If I touched her again, if I let the bond pull me any closer, the crimson moon rising outside would be only the beginning.

And I had already lost too much to prophecy.

I stripped off my suit jacket, rolled up my sleeves, and stepped onto the treadmill. The machine hummed to life under my feet. I ran hard, pushing the speed higher, letting the burn in my muscles drown out the ache in my chest.

But no matter how fast I ran, I could still feel her. The mate bond hummed like a second heartbeat, steady and warm and impossible to ignore.

Brielle Arden was here.

She was mine.

And the blood moon was coming.

I just prayed I was strong enough to keep us both alive when it arrived.