Updated Sep 16, 2025 • ~2 min read
Mira’s father arrived at dawn, his cloak still heavy with the dust of travel. Word had already spread through the pack—his daughter had returned, not broken, not ashamed, but standing beside their alpha.
He didn’t look at Darius when he entered the hall. His eyes went straight to her.
“Mira.” Relief flickered across his face, followed quickly by worry. “You shouldn’t be here.”
She rose to meet him, her voice firm. “I’m exactly where I choose to be.”
The words cut him deeper than any blade. His jaw tightened, his shoulders stiff. “Then you leave me no choice.”
The hall stilled as he turned toward Darius. “If you mean to claim my daughter, then prove yourself. Not with words. With strength.”
Mira’s stomach dropped. “Father—”
He silenced her with a look, grief shadowing his face. “If I can’t stop this bond, I can at least test the man who thinks he deserves you.”
Darius stepped forward, his presence filling the space like thunder. His golden gaze locked on Mira’s father, unflinching. “Name your terms.”
Her father’s hand went to the hilt of his blade. “A duel. No wolves, no pack, no moon’s aid. Just a man against a man. If you can withstand me, then I will not stand in your way.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd. No one challenged the alpha lightly.
Mira’s heart pounded. She wanted to scream, to beg them both to stop. But the bond pulsed, fierce and steady, as though it knew the outcome before either man had moved.
Darius only inclined his head, calm as fire contained. “Then let it be done.”
Her father’s eyes softened for a fraction of a second as he looked at her. “Forgive me, Mira. This is the only way I know how to protect you.”
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