Novels by Nathalie Kelley

The forest had been transformed.Nestled within the heart of the territory, the sacred clearing was a place of old magic, a hallowed grove passed down through generations. Moonlight filtered through the tall, ancient trees that stood like guardians, their silver-drenched leaves whispering secrets into the wind. A natural amphitheater of moss-covered stone ringed the space, creating a circle as old as the legends themselves. The earth here pulsed with quiet power, as if the gods themselves had once walked its soil. Torches burned in sconces carved from twisted roots, casting a golden glow that danced across bark and bare shoulders.The entire pack had gathered, wolves and half-breeds alike. Warriors stood in sleek black tunics trimmed with the colors of their rank, their blades polished, their expressions somber. Elders wore robes of deep green and bone white, their weathered faces reverent. Children clung to their mothers, their eyes wide with wonder. Music floated from wooden flutes

The castle was alive with purpose. Servants hurried through the halls, their arms laden with bolts of ceremonial fabric, trays of food, and fresh flowers plucked at first light. The scent of polished wood, burning torches, and crushed herbs filled the air, thick with anticipation. Today was the day Helena would be marked by Caelan—the ritual that would bind her to him before the eyes of the court and the gods.Ilia kept her head down, hands busy as she scrubbed the kitchen counters until they gleamed, chopped roots for the stew with a practiced rhythm, and swept ash from the hearth as if she could erase the gnawing ache in her chest. Anything to keep her thoughts from drifting toward him. Anything to stop the vivid images of Caelan’s hands cradling Helena’s face, his mouth pressed to hers, the bite that would bind them together forever. Her heart twisted at the thought, an almost physical pain that she tried to scrub away with every harsh swipe of her cloth. But no matter how fiercely

Ilia gasped, her hands on Caelan’s chest as she shoved him back with trembling force. His eyes snapped open, startled by the sudden break. The trees that had stood silent witnesses to their tension now seemed to lean in, waiting.Her breath came in fast, shallow gulps. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, and her heart thundered in her chest."I can't," she whispered, voice hoarse with conflicted want. "You and I can never be."Caelan froze. Confusion flickered across his face, quickly replaced by hurt.Ilia stepped back, grounding herself even as her body screamed to return to his."You have a duty," she said, folding her arms tight like armor across her chest. "A Luna chosen by your council, bred for this world. I wasn’t supposed to see it, I know, but I did. I saw her—on her knees, mouth on you like she belonged there. Like she knew she did. And you didn’t stop her."Caelan's brows furrowed. Shame crept up his neck, but he said nothing.Ilia shook her head slowly, the betrayal tw

The air in the dream clearing felt thick with heat, though no fire burned and no sun shone. Ilia stood before Caelan, barefoot and wary, her breath trembling in her chest. The memory of the prophecy whispered through her mind like a shadow she couldn’t shake.He was watching her—that same intense, hungry look she had come to expect only in dreams. But this time, she knew too much. Knew that this place, this connection, wasn’t just fantasy. It was something deeper, something dangerous.She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, fighting the urge to let herself sink into him. “What do you want from me?” she asked.Caelan stepped forward. One step. Two. She didn’t retreat. He stopped just before her, his hand brushing her hip, fingers resting there like a question half-asked. “I don’t know,” he said truthfully, his voice a low confession. “But I feel drawn to you. Like you’ve woven yourself into the bones of me.”Ilia shook her head. Her throat tightened. “It’s not real,” she whispered

Ilia made her way back to the kitchens just as dawn crested over the distant hills, bathing the stone corridors in a wash of pale gold. Her legs still trembled, her thoughts tangled like vines, but she moved on instinct, trying to piece together a sense of normalcy.The fire in the great oven was already roaring. Baskets of root vegetables waited to be chopped, and loaves of bread had begun to rise. Yet, as she entered the bustling kitchen, the familiar sounds and smells did nothing to soothe her.She found Nessa—her closest friend—near the back, preparing herbs for the midday stew. Ilia approached with urgency."Nessa," she whispered, her voice tight. "Do you know anything about sirens?"Nessa blinked, her fingers pausing mid-snip. "Sirens? That’s a word I haven’t heard in a while. Why?"Ilia shook her head. "I need to know. Please."Nessa gave her a long look, then dusted off her hands. "Follow me."Ilia trailed behind her through the narrow back halls until they reached the servant

Ilia didn’t stop running until her lungs screamed and her legs trembled beneath her, her bare feet pounding the earth with a desperation she couldn’t name. Every heartbeat thundered with fear, shame, confusion. Her breath came in shallow gasps, and her eyes stung with tears she refused to let fall.How had it come to this? How had her world twisted in such a short span of time? One moment, she was nothing—no one—a shadow moving through kitchens and corridors. The next, she was humming men into submission, being seen by an alpha she had no right to even look at, and surviving an attack that should have broken her. She was unraveling and yet… she wasn’t. Something deeper inside her was rising. Watching.Somehow, through the blur of panic and the haze of too many questions, her feet had guided her to the forest’s edge. The towering trees loomed like silent sentinels, swallowing the moonlight as their branches whispered secrets only she could hear. And yet, in their darkness, she found a