of her screamed to break free, to run, to escape the suffocating presence of the Alpha. But something

s a mistake, she told herself. It was a mistake to l

her skin, a reminder of the power he wielde

defiance. She twisted in his arms, pushing against

l of a wolf just before it struck. His grip tightened, not in anger, but in a

t have th

words cutting through the night air like a

her told her to fight, to reject him, but the moon's pull-the bond between them-made it feel as tho

ng the fear that lingered just beneath the surfac

g-something she couldn't quite read. "Becaus

to push him away with all her strength, but the truth of it-the undeniable reality of thei

terrifi

nched at her sides. "You think the moon can tell me what to do?

a shiver through her spine. He stepped closer, his lips brushing against her ear. "You may n

ody rigid with anger and fea

er hair back from her face, his touch strangely tender despite the force of

in her throat. "

hough considering something far beyond her understan

hat says you and I are the key to a war-one t

and skepticism swirling in

, his eyes meeting hers with an intensity that made her stomach tighten. "The moon chose you

fused to show any sign of fear. "I don't know wha

so am I. We've been bound by fate, by the moon's will.

the trees. Selene took a step back, her heart racing

rous, even. But this... this was something beyond anything she had ever imagined

mixture of fear and anger. "I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask to b

hem never wavered. "You don't have a choice, Selene. The mom

wrap her mind around what he w

"It's not. But it's what we have. An

fate she had never chosen. And yet, despite the resistance that surged within her, part of her

red, her voice breaking

w, deliberate motion, he took a step back, releasing her from his hold. "You don'

ond between them pulsed, a steady rhythm in her veins, and no matter how mu

tter on her tongue. "Just g

d disappeared into the forest, his presence

et of the night. The moon above was full, its l

her, she knew that her li