MOONBOUND SECRETS

ZARA’S POV

This can't be happening.

It just can't.

Those are the words that keep echoing in my head as I stand in the middle of the dinning area, my hands twisting at the rag I was using to clean.

Why is this happening to me?

My heart pounds in my chest, so loud I am sure everyone can hear it.

The room is suffocating, the air thick with tension, as Ryland, the Alpha steps forward.

His presence is impossible to ignore

He is a literal force of nature that commands attention without effort and I can't even move as his footsteps echo against the marble floor of the pack’s ceremonial hall, each step drawing him closer to me.

I am going to die.

I can’t stop shaking even as my hands tremble, and clenches into tight fists at my sides while I struggle to hold myself together.

“Why is he walking toward her?”

“Isn’t she just an Omega?”

“Maybe he knows her … asked her to do something?”

“A slave? What could she possibly help him with? She is nothing.”

They are not wrong… and I know better than to hope for better.

The Moon Goddess has to be playing some cruel joke on me.

Or maybe it's a mistake.

To think Ryland- the Alpha of the Bloodfang Pack, the most feared and revered wolf in the land- could ever accept me as his mate?

It’s absurd.

I am a nobody.

An Omega plucked from the wreckage of a pack his warriors annihilated.

A servant, bound to a life of invisibility.

Ryland is power, dominance, and unshakable strength. His name alone can silence a room. And me?

I am nothing more than the girl who cleans those rooms.

And yet, he keeps walking towards me until he stops in front of me and the whispers grow louder.

I dare to glance up a little and regret it instantly.

He is beautiful.

Painfully so.

His black hair is slightly tousled as if the wind itself won't dare to disobey him and his piercing gray eyes lock onto mine, as cold and unrelenting as a winter storm.

His jaw is clenched, his expression unreadable and I brace myself for the inevitable.

The rejection.

“Why would the Moon Goddess pair me with him? Why would she curse me like this?” I ask.my wolf but she has been silent since the bond snapped into place.

Even she seems to know that it is a lost cause.

He is going to reject me.

I know it. And honestly, I wouldn’t even blame him.

He finally stops just inches away, his towering form casting a shadow over me and my breath hitches as his scent hits me… a mix of cedarwood and rain, so intoxicating it makes my knees weak.

His lips part, and the room falls silent while my heart hammers in my chest.

This is it. Here it comes.

But then he speaks. And what he says turns my world upside down.

“I, Ryland Cross, Alpha of the Bloodfang Pack…” He begins, his deep voice carrying through the room before he pauses, his gray eyes boring into mine, and for a moment, I think I see something in them

“…accept Zara Hale as my mate.”

Chaos.

Immediate chaos.

The room explodes into chaos.

Gasps.

Shocked murmurs.

Disbelief.

I don't blame them

“What?” I whisper, my voice trembling. I must have misheard him. This can’t be real.

But then his hand reaches for mine, his grip firm and warm, grounding me in a reality I can hardly comprehend.

“Come with me,” he says simply, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I can’t move, can’t think. My feet feel glued to the floor but he doesn’t wait for me to process what has just happened.

He leads me through the crowd, his presence silencing anyone who dares to question his decision.

The walk to the elders’ mansion is a blur.

By the time we reach the grand hall where the elders are, my mind has practically shut down before it kick start again at the sight of them.

The elders are a bunch of … stern, gray-haired wolves who hold centuries of wisdom and judgment and whose eyes sharpen as Ryland pulls me forward.

“She is my mate,” Ryland announces, his tone unwavering. “And I accept her.”

The elders don’t speak at first, their expressions are like stones and their silence feels heavy, oppressive.

One of them, Elder Marcellus, finally breaks it. “An Omega?” he asks, his voice dripping with disdain. “Ryland, this is- ”

“It’s not up for debate,” he interrupts, his tone cold. “The Moon Goddess has chosen her, and I will honor that choice.”

Their disapproval is clear, but Ryland doesn’t flinch.

He doesn’t so much as glance in their direction as he turns back to me, taking my hand again.

“Let’s go,” he says softly, his voice a stark contrast to the commanding tone he used moments ago.

As we walk through the mansion’s grand corridors, I can’t hold it in any longer.

“Why?” I blurt out, pulling my hand away.

Hw stops, turning to face me. “Why what?”

“Why are you accepting me?” My voice cracks, and I hate how small I sound. “I am an Omega. A nobody. I don’t understand…”

He takes a step closer, his gaze softening for the first time. “Because the Moon Goddess gave you to me,” he says simply. “And I trust her judgment. You are mine, Zara. And I will protect you, no matter what.”

Just like that?

His words should comfort me.

For the first time in my life, someone is claiming me, standing up for me. But the weight of it all feels crushing.

I look away, tears threatening to spill. “I don’t think I am strong enough for this. For you.”

“You don’t have to be,” he says, his voice almost gentle now. “That is my job. And as for anything that comes out way, we can handle it. Together.”

He pulls me into his arms, and for a moment, I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, everything will be okay.

But then, deep within me, my wolf stirs for the first time since the bond formed. Her voice is faint but clear.

“I won't be so sure, Zara. Our troubles are just beginning.”