Chapter One: The New Moon Curse
The forest never slept.
Even under the veil of darkness, when the moon vanished from the sky and the stars dared not twinkle, the forest breathed — alive with the rustle of unseen paws and the low hum of danger.
Aria felt it before she heard it.
A chill crawled down her spine, wrapping around her like an invisible leash. She shouldn't have come this far. Not tonight. Not on the cursed new moon.
But her feet had moved anyway, drawn by something she couldn't name.
She clutched the worn satchel at her side, its herbal contents meant for her aunt's fever, but now useless in the growing tension around her. Every instinct screamed at her to turn back. The woods whispered warnings — branches cracking in unnatural rhythm, leaves stirring though there was no wind.
Then she heard it.
A howl. Deep. Low. Lonely.
It vibrated through her bones, awakening something… ancient.
Aria froze, her breath catching. She'd grown up in the town of Dunewood, right on the edge of wolf territory. They called it neutral land, but everyone knew better. Wolves ruled the forests, and humans? They stayed out.
Except for her.
Except tonight.
Suddenly, a shadow darted between trees.
Aria stumbled back, her foot catching on a root. She fell hard, her palms scraping against damp earth. She looked up — and that's when she saw him.
A man. Or something like one.
Half-hidden in darkness, he stepped forward, tall and shirtless, golden skin glistening with sweat, as if he'd run for miles. His eyes — oh gods, his eyes — glowed a fierce silver. Wild. Feral.
"You shouldn't be here," he growled.
Aria's breath hitched. "Who... who are you?"
He tilted his head, nostrils flaring. "You smell like... ash and rosemary." His voice was gravel and midnight. "Witch blood."
"I'm not a witch," she whispered, scrambling to her feet. "I—I was only getting herbs. I'm not looking for trouble."
"You already found it."
He stepped closer.
And Aria did something completely stupid — she stared. Into his eyes. Into the soul of the beast inside him.
The mate bond hit like a strike of lightning.
Her chest tightened. The world tilted. Her fingers trembled.
The man — no, the wolf — hissed, stepping back as if burned.
"No," he said hoarsely. "This can't be happening."
"What?" she asked, heart pounding. "What's happening?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he vanished — shifting into a massive, black-furred wolf mid-run, disappearing into the forest like a shadow swallowed by night.
Aria stood there, dazed, alone, and forever changed.
She didn't know his name.
She didn't know why his scent made her weak or why his voice made her skin heat.
But she knew this:
She had met the Alpha of the Blackfang Pack.
And she was his mate.
Even if he didn't want her.