The quiet statement from Kael – “The pack is ours, Luna. They felt you too. They felt their Luna” – hung in the air, thick with a weight she couldn’t comprehend. It was a pronouncement, a decree that sealed her fate, even as her human mind desperately tried to claw its way back to the mundane. But the mundane was gone. It had vanished with the rogue’s bite, replaced by a world of golden eyes, impossible healing, and dreams that felt more real than waking life.
She could still feel the phantom ache in her limbs, the ghost of her wolf struggling to emerge, a restless energy that vibrated just beneath her skin. The scent of pine and wild earth, Kael’s scent, was a constant, pervasive presence, wrapping around her, a tangible reminder of her captivity and her terrifying new reality. She was trapped, not by chains, but by an undeniable truth that resonated in her very bones.
Kael’s hand, still cupping her jaw, was warm, steady. His golden eyes, deep pools of ancient knowledge, held hers, unwavering, demanding that she see what he saw, feel what he felt. There was no room for denial here, not anymore.
“I… I don’t know what to do,” she whispered, the words barely a breath. Her voice was raw, stripped bare of its usual quiet composure. “I don’t know how to be… this.” She gestured vaguely at herself, at the opulent room, at the invisible hum that now felt like her very essence. “I’m just a waitress from a diner. I don’t know anything about packs or alphas or… queens.” The last word tasted bitter on her tongue, a mockery of her ordinary life.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Kael’s lips, a fleeting glimpse of something tender in his otherwise intense gaze. “You will learn,” he murmured, his thumb stroking her cheekbone, sending a jolt of warmth through her. “Your wolf will guide you. And I will be here.”
The promise, laced with an unspoken possessiveness, sent a shiver down her spine. He would be here. Always. The thought was both terrifying and, in a strange, inexplicable way, comforting. She was adrift in a sea of the unknown, and he, the powerful, enigmatic Alpha, was her only anchor.
He finally removed his hand, and the sudden absence of his touch left a cold void, a brief moment of disorientation. He rose from the bed, his movements fluid and silent, like the black wolf from her dream. He walked to the window, his broad back to her, and stood there, gazing out at the endless forest, a king surveying his domain.
“The pack is restless,” he said, his voice a low rumble, almost lost in the vastness of the room. “They felt your awakening. They felt the bond. They are waiting to meet their Luna.”
Her Luna. The words struck her again, a heavy weight. Meet them? The wolves from her dream? The jealous silver one, the scarred male, the multitude of golden and amber eyes scrutinizing her? The thought sent a fresh wave of anxiety through her. She was not ready. She was barely able to accept this herself, let alone face an entire pack of powerful, ancient beings.
“No,” she said, her voice firmer this time, a desperate plea. “I can’t. Not yet. I need… time. To understand.”
Kael turned, his amber gaze meeting hers across the expanse of the room. There was no anger, no impatience in his gaze, only a deep, unwavering understanding. “Time is a luxury we may not have, Luna. The longer you remain unseen, the more questions will arise. The more challenges.”
Challenges. The word hung in the air, heavy with unspoken threats. She remembered the silver wolf’s disdain, the palpable jealousy. She was already a target, even before she’d fully embraced what she was.
“What kind of challenges?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
He walked back towards the bed, stopping just out of reach, his presence a powerful, almost physical force. “Some will question your lineage. Others will question the bond. Some will simply resent your existence.” His gaze hardened, a flicker of something dangerous in his golden eyes. “But they will learn. They will accept. Because you are mine.”
The possessiveness in his tone was undeniable, absolute. It wasn’t a question or a request; it was a declaration of ownership, a primal claim that resonated with the hum in her bones, a terrifying echo of the bond that now inextricably linked them. She was his. And in this new, wild world, that meant everything.
A sudden, sharp pang of loneliness pierced through her. Her old life, her quiet solitude, seemed impossibly distant, a fading dream. She had always been alone, by choice, by circumstance. Now, she was irrevocably tied to this man, to his pack, to a destiny she never asked for.
“What if I don’t want to be yours?” she challenged, the words escaping before she could stop them, a desperate last gasp of her former independence.
Kael’s expression remained unreadable, but his golden eyes seemed to darken, a subtle shift that spoke of immense, barely contained power. “That choice was made the moment the rogue’s fangs touched your skin, Luna. The bite awakened your true nature. The bond formed the instant I laid eyes on you. It is not something that can be undone.” His voice was low, firm, leaving no room for argument. “It is destiny.”
Destiny. The word felt like a cage, tightening around her. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the overwhelming reality, the scent of him, the hum of her own awakened power. But it was useless. It was all inside her now, a part of her.
When she opened her eyes, Kael was still there, watching her, his gaze unwavering. “You are tired,” he said, his voice softer, a hint of concern in his tone. “The changes are draining. You need sustenance.”
He left the room, and the sudden quiet was deafening. Luna lay back against the pillows, her mind racing, trying to reconcile the Luna who had wiped down diner counters with the Luna who was now a fated mate, a potential queen, tied to an Alpha with amber gaze and a terrifying power.
A short while later, Kael returned, carrying a tray laden with food. Not the greasy diner fare she was used to, but fresh fruit, warm bread, and a steaming bowl of something that smelled like rich, savory broth. He set it on the bedside table, the aroma filling the room.
“Eat,” he commanded gently. “You need your strength.”
She sat up, her stomach rumbling despite her emotional turmoil. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was. She picked up a piece of fruit, its sweetness bursting on her tongue, a stark contrast to the bitterness in her heart. Kael watched her, his gaze intense, assessing, as if he were trying to read her every thought.
“The pack will want to see you soon,” he said, breaking the silence. “I have held them back, but their curiosity, their need to acknowledge their Luna, grows stronger with each passing hour.”
Her hand, halfway to her mouth with a piece of bread, froze. “How soon?”
“Tonight,” he replied, his voice firm, leaving no room for debate. “We will gather the inner circle. It will be a formal introduction.”
Tonight. Panic flared in her chest, hot and suffocating. Tonight, she would face them. The wolves from her dream, the ones who had scrutinized her, the ones who were divided. She would stand before them, a human-turned-something-else, a reluctant queen to a pack she didn’t know, tied to a man she barely understood.
“I can’t,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I don’t know how to act. What to say. What to be.”
Kael knelt beside the bed, his golden eyes level with hers. His expression was serious, a deep furrow between his dark brows. “You will be yourself, Luna. Your wolf will guide you. And I will be beside you. Always.” He reached out, taking her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers, a silent promise. “They will feel your strength. They will feel the bond. That is all that matters.”
His touch, firm and warm, sent a jolt of something akin to courage through her. She looked into his eyes, and for a moment, the fear receded, replaced by a strange, nascent trust. He believed in her. He saw something in her that she couldn’t yet see herself.
“What if they don’t accept me?” she asked, the old insecurities from her human life bubbling to the surface.
Kael’s grip on her hand tightened, a possessive squeeze. “They will,” he stated, his voice a low, dangerous growl. “Because I have chosen you. And I do not make mistakes.” His golden eyes flared, a brief, terrifying flash of raw power that left no doubt about his authority. “Any who challenge that will answer to me.”
The unspoken threat in his words was clear. He would protect her. He would fight for her. He would ensure her place. It was a terrifying thought, but also, impossibly, a comforting one. She was not alone. She had him.
He released her hand, and stood, his gaze sweeping over her one last time, a silent assessment. “Rest now, Luna. Gather your strength. Tonight, you will meet your pack.”
He turned and walked towards the door, his silhouette framed against the light from the hallway. Just before he stepped out, he paused, turning his head slightly. His golden eyes met hers, a silent message passing between them. “Welcome home, Luna.”
The door clicked shut, leaving her alone in the opulent room, the lingering scent of Kael and the wild forest filling the air. Her heart hammered, a frantic drumbeat against her ribs. Tonight. She would meet them. Her pack. The thought was still terrifying, but beneath the fear, a tiny, defiant spark began to glow. A spark of curiosity. A spark of something akin to excitement. Her old life was gone. Her new one, wild and unpredictable, was about to begin. And she, Luna, the quiet waitress, was about to step into a world of wolves and power, a world where she was destined to be a queen. The hum in her bones intensified, a silent roar of acceptance, of awakening. She was no longer just Luna. She was Luna, the Luna. And tonight, the pack would know it.
