Destined Reunion

On the eve of our mating ceremony，Asher, my Alpha, proposed to have one last night of freedom.Asher had too much to drink. His hands wouldn’t stay still, roaming all over Selena. He looked like he wanted to ditch the bonfire right then and there, just to be alone with her. And this, the night before our bonding ceremony—the night before I, Ella, was supposed to become his Luna.The bonfire crackled. Silver Pine alphas, Moon Shadow betas, and my Moon Shadow attendants all mingled together.The aroma of roasted meat and mead hung heavy in the air, barely masking an undercurrent of primal tension.Asher and Selena, his childhood sweetheart, were extremely close to each other. Her cloyingly sweet scent mingled with his."See, Selena?" he slurred. "Even though we’d known each other since childhood, fate had other ideas." His eyes flickered toward me before he sighed deeply and gazed back at her."Tomorrow I bond with Ella," he whispered to Selena, loud enough for me to hear. "Don't yo

Lucas, the strongest Alpha of the Blackstone Pack. The rumors say that he is cold and heartless, like an iceberg to everyone. No woman can win his affection.His pack and ours, the Moon-shadow Pack, had been enemies for generations. He was also my first love… the one I had tried so hard to forget. Years ago, I almost became mates with him, the man I truly loved, the man I wanted more than anything. But we were torn apart. And now, he was here. Right before my mating ceremony…Leaning against an ancient oak, his power radiated a bone-chilling intensity.With just a word, a look, he could tear me apart.A stifled laugh escaped Asher's throat. "Ella, darling, him? You choose him?""He hasn't touched a female wolf in years! Not since his first mate... abandoned him." Asher's words carried a hint of contempt.Abandoned... is that what they believed?My heart ached silently. My gaze never left Lucas.That face, so severe yet filled with sorrow, had haunted my dreams for seven long years.

I fumbled for the crystal, intending to shut it off. But my sweat-slicked fingers accidentally answered the connection instead.Asher's panicked, urgent voice filled the cabin."Ella! Moon Goddess! Where are you? Lucas didn't... he didn't leave you at Black Wood Creek as promised!""This pre-bonding night game was a mistake! Meaningless! And Selena... she's a manipulative she-wolf, not worth a single strand of your hair!""Where are you? I'll come get you! I regret every word I said in the clearing. That damned suggestion was pure madness..."Before I could speak, Lucas snatched the crystal.His voice was deep and possessive, filled with triumph."Regret? Too late.""She won't be returning to your den. She's in my bed. Beneath me.""What? Lucas Black Stone—"CRACK.Lucas crushed the crystal in his hand, fragments scattering beside the bed.He lowered his head, curving his lips into a smile, then gently bit my earlobe, making my body shiver."Again," he commanded.Asher’s damn interrupt

Before the Moon Vow Stone, the ancient ritual proceeded quickly and solemnly, led by Lucas.He pulled a moonstone insignia, unique to the Moon-shadow Pack, from my leather pouch.That’s what he’d been looking for before we left. Checking if my token was still there.We were the only pair mating at the Moon Vow Stone today.Neither of us had slept, and exhaustion rimmed our eyes.But in the light of the Moon Vow Stone, our figures merged, our faces beaming with an unstoppable joy and satisfaction.We were mating willingly, absolutely, without a doubt.Lucas sliced his palm with a sharp claw, smearing his blood on the Moon Vow Stone, then gripped my hand tightly, guiding me to do the same.Our blood mixed on the ancient stone, glowing faintly.His deep, powerful vow echoed through the woods, reaching the Moon Goddess's ears."I, Lucas Blackstone, vow here to take Ella Moon-shadow as my only mate, my Luna. For all my life, as the Moon Goddess is my witness!"He turned to me, his eyes fill

Back then, to form an alliance with the Moon-shadow Pack, Asher had indeed been incredibly attentive to me.He brought the plumpest prey, drove away beasts encroaching on our territory, and even when the Moon-shadow Pack faced a small beast tide, he ignored the Silver-pine elders' objections and personally led a team to support us.Many times, I tried to stop thinking of Lucas's name. I thought I could finally bury that distant first love for good.Maybe I should cherish this second chance, for my pack, and for myself. If I missed this, perhaps I really would end up alone in the Moon-shadow Pack.But I never felt that deep, soul-stirring connection with Asher, this hot-headed young Alpha.My Moon-shadow Pack needed allies, but what I truly longed for was a real mate.The serious kind, with mating as the goal.So one day, when he appeared at the edge of our territory with prey again, I asked him:"Alpha Asher, are you truly seeking an alliance with my Moon-shadow Pack, or just trying to