The ritual circle was outlined with wolf's tongue, bloodroot, crushed nightbloom petals, and moonflower ash. In the center was a basin filled with water from the spring of their ancestors, glowing faintly with lunar energy. A single white flame flickered at its center.
"Athena," Lucas said, voice hushed but resonant. "Do you offer yourself freely to the bond?"
"I do," she said. Her voice didn't shake. "With all that I am."
Cassius moved forward, his hand rising to cup the back of her neck. "This isn't just about us anymore," he murmured. "This will bind you deeper to the pack. To our world."
Athena looked between them. "Then let it bind me."
Cassius turned, lifting a vial from the stone altar. It glowed violet-blue. "Moonroot, soaked in midnight oil," he said. "Once taken, it opens the spirit completely. To connection. To instinct. To fire."
Lucas dipped his thumb into the vial and stepped close. He pressed the mark to Athena's lips.
"Drink," he whispered.
