The full moon rose like a blade in the sky—bright, merciless, and watching.Its silver light bled across the spires of Lycanthra, washing the Citadel in a glow both holy and cruel. The night air hummed with tension; every wolf in the kingdom felt it in their blood, a pull older than memory.
It was the night the Alpha King would bind himself to his enemy.
And the Moon, in all her savage wisdom, would not be denied.
The Wolf Within
Ryan stood before his mirror, the ceremonial armor of the Alpha King gleaming like liquid steel across his frame. The weight of it felt heavier tonight—each clasp, each symbol of his power, a reminder that even kings were not free of chains.
From the back of his mind, a growl curled into his thoughts.So this is how the mighty Alpha King prepares for his wedding, the wolf mocked, voice dripping with dark amusement.You look almost… civilized.
Ryan's jaw flexed. You find this amusing?
Oh, endlessly, the wolf purred. We're about to vow ourselves to a blood-drinker, remember? A creature who could drain us dry while whispering sweet nothings. How poetic.
"Enough," Ryan hissed under his breath.
Oh, don't scowl, the wolf continued, tone turning sly. You act as though I'm not trapped in this mess with you. I feel her too—the pull, the scent, the fire under her skin. You think it tortures only you?
Ryan glared at his own reflection, eyes flaring molten gold. I will not yield to it.
You already have, the wolf murmured. You accepted the bond. You agreed to the vows. The Moon has already marked her as ours.
"She's not ours," Ryan growled aloud. "She's my weapon."
The wolf laughed—a dark, broken sound that echoed through his mind.Keep telling yourself that, Alpha. Perhaps if you repeat it enough, it will sound like truth.
Ryan slammed his hand against the mirror. The glass cracked, splintering his reflection into a dozen shards.
The Ceremony
The Moon Hall had transformed into a place of haunting beauty. Torches of silver flame lined the pillars, the scent of pine and smoke thick in the air. The court gathered in tense silence—wolves and nobles alike—waiting for their Alpha King and his unlikely bride.
Isabella stood at the far end of the hall, clothed in a gown spun of moonlight and crimson thread. Her pale skin glowed under the sacred torches, her eyes twin embers that met Ryan's gaze without flinching.
Elder Myrren raised his staff. "By decree of the Moon, and by the blood that binds all creatures of night, we gather to witness the union of Alpha King Ryan Azaron Steel and Princess Isabella Reon."
Whispers rippled through the crowd. The brothers of Steel watched in brooding silence, expressions carved from disdain and disbelief.
Isabella stepped forward as the Elders began the incantation in the Old Tongue. Ryan extended his hand—steady, regal, cold.When her fingers brushed his, a spark shot through both of them. Not warmth, but recognition.The bond thrummed like a heartbeat between them.
"Repeat after me," said Elder Myrren."I, Ryan Azaron Steel, bind my blood to hers, under the Moon that commands us."
Ryan's voice was a growl restrained by will."I, Ryan Azaron Steel, bind my blood to hers, under the Moon that commands us."
Isabella's voice followed, soft but defiant."I, Isabella Reon, bind my blood to his, under the Moon that curses us."
A ripple of shock spread through the room—but the Elders said nothing. The ritual had already begun.
Ryan drew a blade from his belt, silver glinting. Without hesitation, he sliced his palm. Blood as dark as wine dripped onto the altar.Isabella did the same, her crimson lifeblood gleaming brighter under the light.
When their hands met, blood to blood, the Moon flared.A surge of energy coursed through the hall—raw, electric, ancient. The air shivered. Wolves dropped to their knees. The Moon itself seemed to whisper a single truth:
Bound.
Ryan felt the world tilt. His vision burned white, his pulse thundered like war drums.He felt her—her mind brushing his, her heartbeat echoing inside his chest. And for one dizzying moment, he was drowning in her scent, her warmth, her rage.
Then it ended. The magic settled. The hall fell silent.
Elder Myrren's voice cut through the air. "It is done. The bond is sealed."
After the Vows
The court dispersed in uneasy silence. Ryan and Isabella were escorted to the High Balcony for the ceremonial confirmation—an ancient Lycanthran tradition where the newly bound couple would address the kingdom under the Moon.
Below them, thousands of wolves howled in unity, the sound rising like thunder through the valley. Ryan stepped forward, his expression carved from ice.
"By the Moon's decree," he announced, his voice echoing across the night, "the kingdoms of Lycanthra and Theralis stand united. Let none defy this bond—or face my wrath."
The wolves roared in response, their howls shaking the sky.Ryan turned his head slightly toward Isabella, his words sharp enough for only her to hear.
"Speak, Princess. Tell them what they wish to hear."
Her eyes met his, calm and burning all at once. "You wish for a performance, Alpha? Very well."
She stepped to the edge of the balcony, her voice cutting through the noise like a blade."I stand here not as a conqueror, nor as a captive," she said, "but as a daughter of Theralis, bound by blood to the Alpha King. May this union end the hatred between our kinds… or burn it away entirely."
The crowd erupted once more—some in approval, others in outrage.
Ryan leaned closer, his breath ghosting against her ear."You play the role well," he murmured. "But do not mistake this bond for peace."
She turned her head just enough for her words to sting. "And do not mistake your hatred for control."
His eyes narrowed. "Careful, Isabella. You may share my crown—but not my mercy."
Her lips curved into the faintest smile. "Mercy was never what I wanted."
The Alpha's Wrath
When the ceremony ended, Ryan dismissed everyone from the hall. The air was thick with incense and the echoes of old magic. As the doors shut behind the last servant, he turned on her.
"You think this changes anything?" he said, voice low, dangerous. "You think being my queen gives you power?"
She met his fury with cold grace. "No. But it gives me something far more dangerous, doesn't it? Access."
His wolf stirred, half amusement, half warning.She's clever, it teased. I like her.
Ryan clenched his fists. You would.
Oh, absolutely, the wolf laughed. And so would you, if you'd stop pretending you don't.
"Silence," Ryan snapped aloud, though the words were meant for the beast within. Isabella's brow furrowed slightly—she had sensed it, the turmoil just beneath his surface.
"Perhaps," she said quietly, "the Moon bound us not to destroy each other… but to reveal what we already are."
Ryan's eyes darkened to gold. "And what am I, Princess?"
She stepped closer, close enough that their blood-bound pulses synced again. "A monster trying to convince himself he's still a man."
The silence between them was a battlefield.
Ryan turned away, every muscle tense with barely leashed fury. "Stay in your quarters," he said. "From this night forward, you'll need my permission to leave the Citadel."
She tilted her head. "A gilded cage is still a cage."
He glanced over his shoulder, eyes glowing like molten fire. "Then pray you never see the bars close, Isabella."
And with that, he left her standing in the moonlight—his footsteps fading into the cold corridors, leaving behind only the echo of his rage and the shadow of a bond neither could escape.