Kieran’s POV – The Day Before
I had never liked the Blue Moon Pack.
Their leaders were conceited, especially their Alpha—Liam. Their warriors are full of themselves, and their traditions—brutish.
If not for the fact that they were powerful allies, I would have never stepped foot inside their so-called Garnet Palace. But duty came before personal feelings, and so, when they extended an invitation to their yearly mating ceremony, I had no choice but to accept.
My younger sister, Raya, trailed behind me, her usual quirky smile in place. Unlike me, she didn’t seem the least bit bothered to be here. I had already sent my beta ahead to make sure our rooms were prepared before we arrived.
Through our mind-link, her voice chimed in my head. “You’re scowling again.” She elbowed me playfully.
“I don’t scowl,” I replied, my eyes scanning the entrance hall.
The palace was as extravagant as I had expected—high ceilings made of deep blue and silver-tinted glass, marble floors well polished, and an overwhelming stench of insufferable wolves.
Raya giggled. “You totally do. And might I add, you look even more miserable than usual.”
“You didn’t have to come,” I pointed out, flipping open a small pamphlet detailing the Blue Moon Pack’s leaders. “You already have a mate.”
“Ugh!” she groaned. “You know I wouldn’t miss a chance to see you meet your mate for the world.”
I scoffed. “Who says I’m going to find my mate here?”
Raya huffed dramatically but didn’t argue.
Then, without a warning, it hit me.
Like a bolt of lightning to the chest, my whole body locked up. My breath hitched. My wolf suddenly snapped to attention.
Mate.
The word roared in my head.
A scent drifted toward me—faint at first, but then stronger it was overwhelming.
I stiffened.
Not here. Not in this place.
My mate couldn’t be from the Blue Moon Pack.
Before I even realized what I was doing, my body moved on instinct. My feet taking me down a dimly lit corridor.
“Kieran?” Raya called after me, confused. “Where are you—? Hey, wait up!”
I ignored her. I couldn’t stop. The bond pulled at me, dragging me forward as I rounded a corner—
And then I stopped cold.
A figure lay crumpled on the marble floor, barely illuminated by the flickering light above.
She was small. Fragile. Her body was covered in bruises, dark and ugly against her pale skin. Blood smeared the floor beneath her, fresh and smeared on the white marble floor. Her dress was torn. Her arms lay limp at her sides, unmoving.
She looked dead.
My heart slammed against my ribs. My wolf snarled—not in possession, but in anger. Furious at what I was seeing.
This… this broken thing was my mate?
No.
It couldn’t be.
“Shit,” Raya cursed beside me. I hadn’t even noticed she had caught up. She dropped to her knees, pressing two fingers against the girl’s neck pulse.
“She’s alive,” she said, exhaling in relief. “Barely.”
Something inside me was glad she was alive, but her aura was weak, pathetically weak.
Of all the wolves in the world, the Moon Goddess had paired me—Alpha of the Nightbane Pack—with this? A half-dead, useless omega?
The thought came almost immediately.
Reject her.
If I severed the bond now, she would be free to die, as she should. I wouldn’t be bound to a weakling. I wouldn’t be forced to protect something so breakable.
But rejection required two. She was unconscious, and that meant I couldn’t complete the ceremony now.
I exhaled sharply and mind-linked Raya. “Can you save her?” My eyes still fixated on the frail girl on the floor.
Raya inhaled sharply. “What? You know we’re not supposed to interfere in other pack matters unless—” Her voice cut off. Her eyes widened with realization. “She’s your mate, isn’t she?”
I said nothing. My silence was enough of an answer.
She looked at the girl, then back at me, and let out a loud, incredulous laugh. “Oh, this is priceless. Who would’ve thought?”
I scowled.
“Well?” I asked impatiently. “Can you fix her?”
Raya’s fingers hovered over the girl’s chest as she examined her injuries. “Her spine is broken,” she replied after a moment. “You’ll have to give her some of your blood.”
I stiffened.
“Since you’re her mate, her body will reject mine,” she explained.
I clenched my jaw. “That will only strengthen the bond, I can’t have her as a mate, she's weak.”
“Yeah, no shit.” Raya shot me a glare. “But unless you want to die with her, I suggest you get over it.”
I swallowed back a growl. I hated this.
“Is there another way?”
Raya sighed. “I don’t know, Kieran. You tell me since you're the healing expert.”
I scowled but said nothing. I knew she was right.
Reluctantly, I stretched out my hand and Raya pulled a dagger from her belt and made a swift cut across my palm. Blood welled up instantly. She guided my hand to the girl’s lips, letting the blood drip into her mouth.
As soon as the first drops touched her tongue, I felt the bond pulse—it was unmistakable. My whole body tensed.
After a few seconds, Raya shoved my hand away. Then, I focused on channeling a bit of energy into my palm, sealing the cut instantly.
She didn’t waste another second. Placing both hands over the girl’s chest, she closed her eyes, focusing. I felt the shift in the air as she absorbed the girl’s pain, her breathing growing heavier as she worked.
Meanwhile, my blood worked to heal her from the inside. I hated how much effort it took. A wolf should be strong. She should be able to heal on her own, not rely on others just to survive.
Minutes passed, and finally, Raya exhaled, her shoulders sagging from exhaustion. She wiped her brow and glanced up at me.
“She’s stable now,” she said. “Her spine is healed, and the internal bleeding has stopped. She just needs rest.”
I looked down at the girl. Her breathing had evened out, her chest rising and falling gently. Most of the bruises had faded, but faint traces of them still remained, along with the dried blood staining her skin and torn dress.
She looked… small. Too small.
I should have felt relieved. Now that she wasn’t dying, I could reject her and move on. But as I stared at her, something in my chest tightened. My wolf, who had been snarling moments ago, now let out a quiet whine.
I scowled.
Raya stretched her arms and cracked her bones, before staring at me expectantly. “Well?”
“Well, what?”
“She can’t stay here,” Raya said, pushing herself up. “If someone finds her like this, they’ll assume she was attacked, and we’ll have to explain why we’re the ones standing over her.”
She was right. The last thing I needed was the Blue Moon Pack thinking I had anything to do with this. They were already insufferable, and I had no interest in dealing with the accusations or unnecessary questions that would follow.
“Besides,” Raya continued, rubbing her temples, “she’s your mate, Kieran. If someone tried to hurt her once, they might try again. Do you really want to leave her here?”
Raya sighed, already guessing my answer. “We’ll take her to my room. It’s safer, and no one will ask questions if she’s with me.”
I didn’t argue. I just crouched down and slid my arms under the girl’s frail body, lifting her effortlessly. She barely weighed anything, and that realization made a wave of irritation wash through me again.
She was too weak. Too fragile.
My wolf stirred inside me, not with anger this time, but with something else I didn’t want to name. I ignored him.
Raya led the way as I carried the girl through the halls, careful to avoid any curious eyes. No one stopped us. When we finally reached Raya’s room, she opened the door quickly, stepping aside so I could bring the girl in.
I walked to the bed and placed her down gently—more gently than I meant to.
Raya arched her brow but said nothing as I pulled the blankets over the girl. “She’ll be out for a while,” she murmured. “Her body still needs time to recover.”
I watched the omega’s face, her expression looked peaceful in her sleep. It was the first time I’d really looked at her—she was beautiful.
But I hated the pull I felt toward her, I hated the way my wolf settled just by being near her.
I should leave.
I turned toward the door.
But before I could take a step, Raya’s voice stopped me.
“So… what are you going to do now?”
I didn’t answer.
Because for the first time since realizing she was my mate—
I wasn’t sure.
“Take care of her, and let me know when she's awake, so we can break the bond.” I said, shutting the door behind me as I headed over to my room.
