The moon was high, silver light spilling across the balcony as the night wrapped the castle in a hushed stillness. The air felt thick, electric, almost alive, as if it knew what was about to happen between them.Aria stood by the balcony railing, her fingers gripping the cool stone as she stared at the glowing forest below. The night breeze whispered against her skin, but it wasn’t the chill that sent shivers down her spine—it was the sensation of being watched.She didn’t have to turn to know it was him.“Couldn’t sleep?” Varek’s voice was low, like velvet sliding over steel, the deep rumble of his tone curling in her chest.Aria swallowed hard before answering. “Maybe I didn’t want to.”When she finally turned, he was there—leaning in the doorway, hair tousled, shirt half unbuttoned, and eyes dark with an intensity that made her pulse skip. His presence filled the space, drawing her in like gravity itself.“You’ve been avoiding me all day,” he said, taking a slow step forward.“I wa
The moon was full, hanging like a silver coin in the ink-black sky, its light spilling across the stone balcony outside Varek’s chambers. The packhouse was quiet for once — no footsteps echoing in the hallways, no clinking of armor or urgent messengers knocking on the Alpha’s door.It was just the two of them.Aria stood near the balcony doors, her fingers curled around the railing as the cool night air played with her hair. She could feel him watching her. She didn’t have to turn to know his eyes were locked on her, dark and burning in a way that made her heart skip.She had been stubborn all day — deflecting his orders, pushing his buttons, challenging his authority like she always did. But now, here in the quiet, there was no war, no pack politics… only the charged pull between them that neither could deny.She heard the sound of boots against the floor, slow and deliberate. Her breath hitched as his scent reached her — warm, intoxicating, that unique mix of cedarwood and dominance
The moon hung heavy above the treetops, bathing the forest clearing in a silver glow. Every whisper of wind carried the scent of pine, damp earth… and him. Varek.I could feel his presence before I even saw him, like a deep, steady heartbeat calling mine into rhythm. My wolf stirred within me, restless and eager, but I tried to ignore it. I was not going to let him think I was running to him.But when he stepped out from the shadows, my chest tightened. The sight of him — broad shoulders cloaked in dark leather, moonlight catching the sharp line of his jaw — made my pulse quicken despite myself.“Aria,” he said, his voice low and rough, as though he’d been holding back a storm for days. “You’ve been avoiding me.”I crossed my arms, pretending I was unaffected. “I’ve been… busy.”His lips curved into that infuriating, knowing smirk. “Too busy to even look at me?”“I’m looking now,” I said, lifting my chin.He stepped closer, and every inch of air between us seemed to hum. I should have
The army had stopped to make camp just beyond the Weeping Pines, a haunting forest where the trees always sounded like they mourned. The Forgotten Temple lay a day’s march ahead. Tomorrow would bring fire and blood.But tonight belonged to them.Aria stood on a bluff overlooking the campfires below. Her silver cloak fluttered in the wind, her long dark braid resting against her back. Behind her, she felt him before she heard him — Varek’s presence was always like gravity. Inescapable. Warm.“You’re thinking again,” he said gently as he came to stand beside her.“Always,” she replied without looking at him. “The wolves are ready. The witches are gathering. The Third Moon is still red. We don’t have much time.”He was quiet for a moment. “You’re scared.”“I am,” she admitted. “Because for the first time… I have something to lose.”She turned to face him fully.“You.”His eyes softened.He cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing a stray tear away. “You won’t lose me, Aria.”“You can’t promi
The fortress awoke to the sound of steel being sharpened and armor being strapped on.Every warrior, every wolf, every witch in the Crescent camp moved with purpose. The Hollow's fall had not ended the war — it had only shifted its focus. Now, the Third Moon loomed red and low in the sky, a harbinger of ancient power not yet fully awakened.At the center of the courtyard, Aria stood in ceremonial armor — not gilded, but forged of duskstone and runed silver, engraved with her mother’s bloodline symbol: a phoenix rising from a crescent moon.Varek approached from the shadows of the hall, dressed in deep black lined with silver. His chestplate bore the mark of the Nightfangs, but his eyes held only Aria.She turned to face him, her lips quirking in a small smile.“You clean up well, Alpha.”“And you’re breathtaking, Luna.”She took a steadying breath. “Are you sure about this?”“We’ve marched into death together,” he said. “I think we can survive a wedding.”A low laugh escaped her.Arou
The night bled into morning, but the Third Moon did not fade.It hung high above the horizon, casting an eerie red glow across the fortress and its surrounding lands. In that strange twilight, the world felt suspended—caught between destiny and defiance.Inside the Lunar Keep, silence reigned.Aria stood in the war room, alone now. The council had dispersed. Orders had been given. Weapons were being sharpened. Spies dispatched. But none of that mattered in this moment.Not compared to what churned inside her.She stared at her reflection in the tall obsidian mirror. The woman who looked back at her wore a different face from the one she’d known. She was stronger now—yes—but also heavier. As though the crown of Luna had already settled onto her brow, invisible but suffocating.She touched her chest.Her heart beat fast.Not from fear.From something else.The door behind her opened.She didn’t have to turn to know it was him.Varek.Alpha. Mate. Shield.“Close the door,” she said softl