"I gave you everything," I said, opening my eyes.
"For years of loyalty. A daughter. My blood, my sweat, my life. And you threw it away for a younger woman and some political alliance."
"Because you got weak," Leighton said simply. "I need a strong Luna. Not a used-up failure."
"You made me weak." Silver light started glowing under my skin. "You poisoned me. You drained my power with those stones."
His eyes narrowed. "So you figured it out. Clever."
"How long?" I demanded. "How long were you planning this?"
"About a year." He said it casually. Like it was nothing. "Julia's family approached me with an alliance offer. Marriage to secure the Blood Moon territory. I agreed."
"While you were still married to me."
"I was going to divorce you properly. But then you got suspicious. Started asking questions. So I decided to speed things up." He gestured at Stone. "My lead shaman created the rune stones. We hid them in your jewelry. Erica's too, since I needed to eliminate her claim to being heir."
Every word was a knife in my heart.
"You tried to kill your daughter."
"I tried to replace her with a better heir." He stepped closer. "Look, Sophia, this isn't personal. It's just politics. You're a good woman. But you're not the Luna this pack needs anymore."
"Not personal?" I let out a bitter laugh. "You poisoned us. Betrayed us. Planned to torture Erica with 're-education.' You murdered my best friend. And you say it's not personal?"
"It's not. It's strategy."
The silver glow around my hands brightened. My wolf was pushing at my skin, wanting out. Wanting blood.
But she was also distracted. That mate scent was so close now. Somewhere in the trees. Watching.
He's here, my wolf insisted. Our true mate. He'll save us.
We save ourselves, I told her.
"Mommy?" Erica whispered. "I'm scared."
"Close your eyes, baby."
"Take them," Leighton ordered his guards. "Alive if possible. Dead if necessary."
The ten guards moved in as one.
I pushed Erica behind me and let my wolf loose.
The shift was instant. My body exploded with power—bones cracking and reforming, muscles expanding, and fur bursting through skin. In three seconds, I'd gone from woman to wolf.
But not my usual wolf.
The rune stone magic had changed me. My fur was silver-white like always, but now it glowed. Actually glowed with pale light. My eyes burned gold. And I was bigger. Stronger.
The guards hesitated.
I didn't.
I lunged at the nearest one—a young male who'd been too slow to shift. My jaws closed around his arm, and I heard bone crunch. He screamed.
Two more guards shifted and came at me from both sides.
I released the first guard and spun, raking my claws across one wolf's face. He yelped and stumbled back. The other one got his teeth into my shoulder.
Pain exploded through me, but I ignored it. I twisted and got my jaws around his throat.
One sharp bite and he went limp.
Three down. Seven to go.
But I was already slowing down. The rune magic was powerful but unstable. It was burning through my energy fast.
And my wolf kept getting distracted. Every few seconds she'd turn her head, searching for that mate scent.
Focus! I snapped at her.
But mate—
NO MATE! ONLY SURVIVAL!
Four wolves circled me now, snarling. They were coordinating their attacks, looking for openings.
I backed up until I felt Erica's small body behind me. I couldn't protect her and fight at the same time. Not against this many.
Then, from the darkness of the trees, something moved.
Fast. Silent. Deadly.
A wolf I'd never seen before launched into the circle. He was huge—nearly as big as Leighton—with dark grey fur that was almost black. His eyes were a strange silver-blue color that seemed to glow in the darkness.
He tore into the nearest guard with savage efficiency. One bite to the spine and the guard dropped.
The other three guards spun to face this new threat.
The stranger moved like water. Like death itself. In seconds, two more guards were down.
Leighton's eyes went wide with shock. "Who—"
The dark wolf turned toward Leighton and snarled. The sound was deep. Ancient. Terrifying.
Even I felt a shiver of fear.
Then the wolf's eyes found mine.
And everything stopped.
That scent slammed into me with the force of a physical blow. Pine, thunderstorms, and raw power.
MATE! My wolf howled triumphantly. I told you! I told you!
The dark wolf's expression changed. His snarl faded. His silver-blue eyes went wide with what looked like shock. Recognition.
We stared at each other across the blood-soaked clearing.
In that moment, I felt it. The mate bond snapping into place like a lock clicking shut. Undeniable. Impossible to ignore.
But I already had a mate. Leighton.
This shouldn't be possible.
"Attack him!" Leighton roared, breaking the spell.
The remaining guards—including Stone—charged the stranger wolf.
The dark wolf broke eye contact with me and faced them. But now four-on-one was too much even for him. They swarmed him, biting and clawing.
He fought hard, but they were driving him back.
I should've run. Should've grabbed Erica and escaped while everyone was distracted.
However, my wolf wouldn't let me.
Our mate needs help, she insisted.
He's not—
HELP HIM!
Before I could stop myself, I was moving.
I leaped onto Stone's back and bit down hard on his shoulder. He howled and released the stranger wolf.
The dark wolf took advantage of the opening. He spun and caught another guard's throat.
Together, we fought. Moving in sync without planning it. It was like we'd trained together for years instead of meeting seconds ago.
It felt… right. Natural.
Within minutes, all of Leighton's guards were either dead or fleeing into the forest.
Only Leighton remained. He'd finally shifted into his massive black wolf form.
He stared at us—at me and this stranger standing side by side—with pure fury in his golden eyes.
"You found a new mate already?" His voice in my head was full of venom. "How convenient."
"I didn't—" I started to say.
"You WILL regret this betrayal, Sophia," Leighton snarled. "Both of you."
The dark wolf beside me growled low. A warning.
Leighton's eyes flicked between us, calculating. Three guards against two wolves—even with one being an alpha—weren't good odds. Especially when one of those wolves had just torn through his best fighters like they were nothing.
"This isn't over," Leighton said. Then he turned and ran.
The remaining guards followed him, disappearing into the trees.
Silence fell over the clearing.
I stood there, my heart pounding, staring at the dark wolf beside me.
Up close, he was massive. His fur was the color of storm clouds, with silver undertones that caught the moonlight. Scars crisscrossed his body—old battle wounds that told of a hard life.
He turned to face me fully.
Those silver-blue eyes held intelligence. Power. And something else. Something that made my wolf purr with satisfaction.
Mate, she whispered contentedly. Strong mate. Perfect, mate.
The wolf shifted.
The transformation was smooth, practiced. In seconds, a man stood before me.
He was tall—at least six foot three—with broad shoulders and a warrior's build. His hair was dark brown, almost black, and hung past his shoulders. His face was hard, all sharp angles and strong jaw, with a scar running from his left eyebrow to his cheekbone.
He wore simple travel clothes—a dark shirt and pants, both torn from the fight.
And he was staring at me with an expression I couldn't read.
I shifted back to human form, suddenly aware that I was naked. My nightgown had been destroyed in the transformation.
The stranger immediately looked away, giving me privacy. "There's a cloak in my pack," he said. His voice was deep. Rough. "Behind that tree."
I found the pack and pulled out a heavy wool cloak. I wrapped it around myself before walking back to where Erica lay unconscious.
"Is she hurt?" the stranger asked, still not looking at me directly.
"Poisoned. Rune stones." I knelt beside my daughter, checking her pulse. Still weak but steady. "She'll live. I think."
"Rune stones?" His voice sharpened. "Moonbane?"
"Yes. How did you—"
"I know the scent." He finally looked at me again, his eyes intense. "How long?"
"Months. Maybe a year."
He swore under his breath. A language I didn't recognize.
"Who are you?" I asked. "Why did you help us?"
He hesitated. Then said, "My name is Kael. I was… nearby when I heard the hunt. I don't like unfair fights."
"Kael," I repeated. The name felt right in my mouth. "I'm—"
"Sophia. I know." His eyes held mine. "Everyone knows the Silver Moon, Luna. Or… former Luna, I suppose."
"You heard about that?"
"News travels fast in the Wild Lands." He glanced around the clearing. "We should move. Your ex-mate will be back with more warriors. Many more."
"I know." I looked down at Erica. "But she can't walk. And I'm not strong enough to carry her far."
"I'll carry her."
"Why would you—"
"Because she's a child. And because…" He stopped. Swallowed hard. "Because you need help."
The mate bond hummed between us. I could feel it now that I knew what it was. An invisible thread connecting my chest to his.
But this was wrong. All wrong.
"I'm already mated," I said quietly. "To Leighton. The bond—"
"Is broken," Kael interrupted. "I can tell. Your scent doesn't carry his mark anymore."
"But we're married. We went through the ceremony—"
"The mating ceremony is just ritual. The real bond is deeper. Spiritual." He stepped closer, his eyes never leaving mine. "And yours is shattered. Has been for a while, I'd guess."
I thought back. I tried to remember the last time I'd felt the mate bond with Leighton. That invisible connection that lets you sense your mate's emotions and their location.
I couldn't remember. The bond had faded so gradually I hadn't even noticed it was gone.
"The rune stones," I breathed. "They didn't just drain my power. They destroyed the bond."
"Probably." Kael's expression was grim. "Moonbane stones corrupt everything they touch. Magic, bonds, life itself."
"So I'm… unmated?"
"Yes."
The word hung in the air between us.
"Which means…" I couldn't finish the sentence.
"Which means the Moon Goddess has given you a second chance," Kael said softly. "A true mate this time. Not a political alliance or an arranged pairing."
He took another step closer. Close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body.
"But I don't expect anything from you," he continued. "You've just escaped an abusive mate. You have a daughter to protect. The last thing you need is another male making demands."
Something in my chest loosened at those words.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"For what?"
"For understanding. For not… pushing."
He nodded once. "I've lived a long time, Sophia. I've learned that true mates can wait. The bond isn't going anywhere."
"How long?" I asked. "How long have you lived?"
A ghost of a smile crossed his scarred face. "Longer than I should have."
Before I could ask what that meant, Erica moaned.
I dropped to my knees beside her. "Baby? Can you hear me?"
Her eyes fluttered open. "Mommy?"
"I'm here."
"Where…" She looked around at the dark forest, the dead bodies. Her eyes went wide. "What happened?"
"It's okay. You're safe now."
"Who's that?" She was looking at Kael.
"A… friend. He helped us."
Kael knelt on Erica's other side. "Hello, little one. My name is Kael. Can you tell me how you're feeling?"
"Tired. Cold." Erica's voice was small. "Everything hurts."
"The poison is leaving your system. It will hurt for a while longer, but then you'll feel better." He looked at me. "She needs rest. Real rest. And probably food and water."
"Where?" I asked. "We can't go back to the pack. And we can't stay here."
"I have a camp. About two miles east. Hidden. Safe."
"Why would you help us?"
His silver-blue eyes met mine. And in them, I saw centuries of pain. Loneliness. Loss.
"Because the Moon Goddess sent me to find you," he said simply. "And I don't question her gifts."
Kael carried Erica through the forest like she weighed nothing.