CHAPTER FIVE: Marked by the Moon, Sealed by His Vow

Zara had been through a lot of firsts in the past few weeks.

First elite internship. First magical hex. First time watching her boss torch a death curse mid-air.

But nothing—nothing—prepared her for the gold-embossed invitation that landed on her desk like a hammer.

It read:

> “Council of the Five Clans: Lunar Gala & Mate Presentation Attendance Mandatory for Trial-Bound Alphas and Their Chosen.”

She blinked. Then reread it.

Mate presentation?

Her door opened before she could process it. Of course.

Maxim.

As always, tall and composed, but this time, tension bristled along his shoulders like a second skin. He looked like a man seconds from war—and she was starting to realize that wasn’t a metaphor with him.

“You got the invitation,” he said, closing the door behind him with a click.

“No ‘good morning’?”

He didn't rise to the bait.

Instead, he walked over, silent and dangerous, and picked up the envelope. His jaw flexed.

“They moved the gala forward. To test me. To test us.”

“There is no us,” she snapped.

His eyes met hers.

Her stomach flipped.

“Not yet,” he said softly.

Her breath caught. “You can’t just—Maxim, I’m not your property. I didn’t sign up to be paraded in front of monsters like some prize.”

“They won’t see you as a prize,” he said coldly. “They’ll see you as leverage.”

He stepped closer. “And I will not let them use you.”

Zara’s heart thudded. “Then what do you expect me to do? Hide? Bow?”

“No.” His voice dropped. “I expect you to make a choice.”

He held her gaze for a long, quiet second.

“You walk away now,” he said. “And I’ll pull you off this case. Out of this floor. Out of this world.”

Silence.

“Or,” he continued, “you let me mark you. At the gala. In front of them all.”

Zara’s breath stalled in her throat. “You want to… bite me? In public?”

His lips twitched, almost grim. “Not unless you want the full ritual. A claiming can be symbolic. Skin to skin. A vow made under moonlight.”

She stared at him.

“That sounds an awful lot like a wedding.”

His voice softened. “It’s a protection. One no clan dares challenge.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Then you walk into that room as prey. They’ll smell your fear. And they’ll test your limits until someone breaks you—or takes you.”

Zara swallowed hard. Her pulse roared in her ears.

“I’m not yours,” she said.

He nodded. “Not yet.”

---

She told herself she wouldn’t go to the gala.

Told herself this wasn’t her world. That she wasn’t anyone’s anything.

But later that evening, just before closing, a rival Alpha strolled into the Silver & Vale lobby—flanked by two men in dark coats.

He didn’t check in. Didn’t knock.

He just walked straight up to her.

“Zara Cole,” he said, voice like a lazy drawl over steel. “Didn’t think a little human could bring Vale to heel. What’s your secret?”

“Excuse me?”

His hand shot out—faster than it should’ve. Clawed fingers grazed her wrist. “Maybe he’s letting you off easy because you’re soft.”

The world blurred.

Then it snarled.

There was a crack, and the lobby glass exploded inward.

Zara barely had time to scream.

A massive silver wolf—seven feet of muscle, fangs, and fury—slammed into the man, throwing him into a marble pillar.

The other two reached for weapons.

The wolf roared.

Fur rippled. Claws slashed.

They didn’t last ten seconds.

When the carnage stilled, the wolf turned to her—blood dripping from its snout, eyes glowing white-hot with rage.

And then it bowed.

Her knees buckled.

The wolf shifted mid-step, and there he was.

Maxim.

Bare-chested. Breathing hard. A long, raw cut down his shoulder.

“You’re hurt—”

“I’m fine.” His voice was a growl. “Are you?”

She nodded slowly.

The mark of the Alpha’s fingers was still red on her wrist.

Maxim saw it.

He closed the distance between them, gently took her arm, and pressed a kiss to the bruise.

She trembled.

His lips hovered at her skin. “Say yes.”

Her pulse thrummed.

“To what?” she whispered.

His eyes rose to hers. “Let me claim you. Let them see.”

---

The hidden room was warm with moonlight, though there were no windows. Only stone walls, candlelight, and a single silver pendant suspended from the ceiling—spinning slowly like a charm.

Maxim stood behind her.

Zara faced the mirror.

“You’re sure?” she asked. Her voice was steadier than she felt.

He met her eyes through the glass.

“I don’t make vows lightly,” he said. “But this one I want.”

She swallowed.

“I want to be clear,” she said. “This isn’t about power.”

“No,” he said. “It’s about you. You’re not just a shield. You’re… the only calm I have left.”

She turned.

Maxim stepped closer. His hands were warm when they touched her waist. His breath ghosted over her collarbone.

“No blood,” she whispered. “Just words.”

He nodded.

Then, with deliberate reverence, he pressed his lips to the space between her neck and shoulder.

“I vow,” he said, voice rough, “to shield you in shadow and light. To walk at your side, not ahead. To protect your name with tooth and flame.”

Zara exhaled. Her hands trembled as she lifted them to his chest.

“I vow…” She paused. “To stand beside you, not beneath you. To know your wildness without fear. And if I fall—”

“I’ll catch you,” he finished.

The mark bloomed.

It shimmered against her skin—silver threads etching over her collarbone like moonlight painted into flesh.

She gasped.

Maxim kissed it.

“You’re mine now, Zara,” he whispered. “Not because of the law. But because of the moon.”

Then, with his forehead pressed to hers, he added, “And I’ll remind every single clan of that before the night ends.”

---

The gala hall shimmered with silver light, every chandelier like a hanging moon. Clan leaders stood in rows—wolves in tailored suits, magic crackling behind their eyes.

Zara stepped in with Maxim, his arm around her waist. Heads turned.

She met every gaze without flinching.

The silver mark on her collarbone glowed faintly. A symbol of alliance. Of choice.

Of power.

They didn’t speak to her, not yet. But they saw her. And none dared reach for her again.

And for the first time since stepping into this world of wolves and war, Zara knew exactly who she was:

His.

But more importantly—

Herself.