Chapter 3

ARIA.

And just like that, the moment shattered. Yes, he was gorgeous – dangerously so – but looks alone couldn’t hide the chill beneath his charisma. Personality mattered. Or maybe I just wanted it to.

“It’s a gift from my sister,” I said, voice firm though my stomach was twisted into knots. “It’s her most prized possession. She wanted me to have it so that I’d always carry a piece of her with me.”

His steely blue eyes bore into mine, heavy and unflinching. Every instinct screamed that this gaze wasn’t merely observing. It was sizing me up, predatory and precise. My legs threatened to buckle under the weight of it as the moment stretched on between us.

Then it happened. The impossible. Something that I hadn’t expected and was completely unprepared for…

Alpha Dane was my mate. Not chosen one. Fated. The word echoed in my mind like a drumbeat I couldn’t escape. He didn’t seem the least bit surprised, which only twisted my confusion tighter. I was certain that this was the very first time that we had met before.

“Is everything in order?” he asked my father, voice smooth, calm, dangerous in a way that made the hair on my arms rise.

“Yes. If you’ll follow me to my office, I can give you the signed contract,” my father replied, his calculating gaze darting between us.

The moment they left, I sank against the counter, grateful for its solidity. My mind spun. The Goddess herself had bound us. That, in and of itself, was a mindfuck and a half. It was something that I couldn’t even fully comprehend right now.

His reputation was very clear – you didn’t want to cross him. Those who did were incapable of doing it a second time. Ruthless ambition got him anything that he set his sights on. That was what the public knew about him.

Piper above all else was the creed that I lived by. Alpha Dane above all else was his.

Did the Goddess hate me as much as this pack and my own father did? Why would I be paired with someone like him?

I had spent my entire life trying to see the good in people and lending a hand whenever someone needed it, despite the animosity in the pack. I always extended a hand when someone was in need even if it got me bit in the process. Then beyond that, there was the physical aspect. His looks screamed raw power and masculinity. Sex on legs was a decent description for him.

I, on the other hand, had a body filled with soft curves on my 5’9” frame. It was the focus of many taunts, mockery, and jeering in this pack. No, I didn’t have a chiseled physique like many werewolves had. It was certainly nothing like the predator who just unsettled me with just a look

A tug on my hand snapped me back. Piper held a beautiful white lily in her hand. Teeth dug into my lower lip as memories of years spent exchanging flowers – our secret rituals of love – flooded my mind. It was more than a flower. It was a promise and a vow wrapped up in one.

Goddess, I would miss her more than I could bear. It was difficult to hold back my tears, but I had to for her sake.

My heart was breaking as she put the flower into my blonde curls, making sure that it was secure. She kissed my cheek and whispered into my ear how much she loved me. I could sense her sadness, but she was still trying to comfort me.

My beautiful and selfless sister.

“I love you too, Little One,” I whispered, somehow keeping my voice steady. “I left a few things on my bed just for you. You, Piper, are my greatest love. I’m incredibly proud of you and  will always be thinking of you.”

Questions clawed at me. What would her life be like after I left? Who would protect her? I prayed that the Goddess would send someone to watch over her. She was still a pup, meant to play, to fight for her dreams – not to bear the weight of this cruel, unforgiving world.

Then I felt him. Before I saw him. The bond thrummed, active and insistent, pulling at my chest like a living thing. Thea growled softly, sensing his dominance, his hunger, the heat in his presence.

‘His wolf doesn’t feel as intense as he does. Jericho introduced himself to me but steered the conversation away from anything regarding the reason for this contract. Instead, he simply gave a bullshit line about ‘all in good time, My Mate.’

She scoffed and shook her head, clearly just as irritated as I was about all of this.

“I assume your things are packed,” Alpha Dane said, low and sharp, the kind of voice that demanded attention – and obedience.

I turned. The predator in his gaze stirred something reluctant, magnetic, dangerous inside me. Desire and fear tangled in a confusing knot. This entire arrangement would prove to be harder than I imagined.

“Yes,” I replied simply.

He studied me, slow and deliberate. Then a curt nod. His eyes glazed over in mindlink.

My father opened the door to two men, who apparently came with Alpha Dane. They looked at me curiously before turning their attention to their Alpha.

Jerome and Danny, as they introduced themselves, helped to load my things into the back of a truck. They seemed to be a little surprised that I wasn’t bringing more shit. I wasn’t someone who needed to have a lot of possessions. Memories meant more to me than things did. They held the true value of my life.

I could hear Alpha Dane speaking to my father in the kitchen. I made it to the bottom stair when I felt a gaze burning into me. His eyes traveled over me with a heat that made my pulse stutter. Never had anyone looked at me like that—like I was prey, yet essential to his satisfaction.

His jaw clenched as he tore his eyes away from me. I couldn’t tell if he was pissed off or annoyed. Either way, he wasn’t in a great mood. Well, neither was I. Look at us having something in common.

Thea snorted at my thoughts.

“We’re leaving. Say your goodbyes if you’d like to.”

That icy tone of his was precisely what I had anticipated from someone who was called cold-hearted and cruel. It looked like I wasn’t immune to being on the receiving end. Oh, joy!

I wrapped my arms around Piper and reminded her about how much I loved her. How she could pray to the Goddess, who was always watching over us, and to never forget to find something to be happy about every single day. We used to do that together, so she made me promise to still do it before bed. That way it was like we were still doing it together.

“I love you too, Sissy. Never forget that,” she whispered, tears shining in her eyes.

My father just had an evil grin on his face. His gaze held a warning though, promising to fuck me over if I screwed this up somehow. I wouldn’t risk Piper like that, so he didn’t need to worry.

And then, I stepped out. Out of the only home I had ever known.

There was a truck parked on the road. Then there was a sleek black Mercedes-Benz. Jerome stood beside an open door, beckoning me over.

Walking forward, I felt like prey drawn to the jaws of a storm. Every step measured. Every glance calculated. Was this my doom? The green mile?

“Here you go, Luna,” Jerome said, the title a razor against my skin. I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t been forced to sign a damn contract.

I slid into the luxurious seat. Alpha Dane ignored me, fingers tracing the phone with effortless control. Perhaps this arrangement would work out if we just ignored each other. Both Thea and I could get behind that.

Yet the bond between us pulsed, electric. His presence pressed against my skin, heavy and insistent. The predator waited beneath the surface, coiled and patient, and some unwilling part of me shivered at the thought.

Once, I dreamed of meeting my mate. Of fairy-tale love, unconditional devotion.

Now, adulthood had stripped me bare: not all stories ended happily. Some are about survival. About control. About surrender. About facing a storm that you can’t outrun.

Day one of the rest of my life had begun.