BOUND BY THE MOON’s OATH

Chapter 1: The Chosen Omega The moon was cruel tonight. It hovered like an accusing eye over the Gathering Grounds, casting silver light across a thousand wolves cloaked in silk and silence. Elysia Vane stood barefoot on the stone altar, the biting wind cutting through her thin ceremonial dress. Her wrists trembled beneath the silver cuffs, each one etched with the symbol of the Blackfang Pack. Tonight, she would be claimed. Not out of love. Not out of choice. But because the Moon Oath demanded it. The crowd parted as he appeared. Alpha Kael Draven. He was taller than she remembered. Broader. His presence was a violent thing—made of shadows, scars, and authority. He didn’t wear a ceremonial robe like the others. No, Kael came dressed in black armor and silence, as if the bond ceremony was just another battle to win. And she hated that her pulse quickened as he approached. Elysia kept her head bowed. If he recognized her—if he even remembered her face from ten years ago—he gave no sign. But she remembered everything. The fire. The screams. The red glow of his wolf’s eyes as her mother was torn apart in front of her. “Elysia Vane,” the Elder announced, voice echoing. “Do you accept the Moon’s Bond to Alpha Kael Draven of Blackfang?” No. But she whispered, “Yes.” A howl pierced the sky. Kael stepped forward and took her wrist. His hand was warm. Strong. Possessive. The bond flared to life—a searing heat that surged through her veins and wrapped itself around her soul. And suddenly, she couldn’t breathe. Not from fear. But from something far more dangerous. Connection. She looked up into his eyes. For the briefest second, his expression flickered. Confusion? Recognition? “Mine,” he said, voice low. And the mark burned into her skin.