Moonlit Binding

“Ma'am… Sophia,” a servant called, her knuckles rapping sharply against the heavy oak door. The sound jolted me from the dull buzz in my head. “Ma'am Sophia, the pack demands to see you. It’s time.”

It’s time.

The words slammed into me like a cold fist as I swallowed hard.

I swallowed, forcing my voice to stay steady. “I will be out shortly.”

The room was crowded with maids fussing over every strand of my hair, every fold of the silver-black gown that felt less like clothing and more like iron chains. One of them whispered, “You are beautiful, my lady. Alpha Lucian cannot look at you and still deny the goddess.”

Her words should have comforted me. Instead they dug into the raw wound in my chest. Lucian’s voice from earlier echoed in my mind, “I’d rather mate with a dying pig”… I pressed my lips together until they stung.

Another maid lifted my chin, her eyes were bright with admiration. “No man alive could reject such beauty,” she said softly.

I gave a brittle smile. “You don’t know him.”

They worked quickly, weaving my hair into an intricate braid. Each tug pulled at my scalp, matching the ache behind my ribs. When they finally stepped back, the mirror showed a stranger, a woman draped in moonlight, her eyes like storm glass. I barely recognized her. I barely recognised myself.

My dressing felt too ancient. Everything in this mansion felt ancient. But it's the tradition. This is our real religion that the normal world doesn't see.

The servant at the door cleared her throat. “My lady… they wait.”

I rose. My knees trembled, but I would not ask for help. “Open the door.”

The corridor beyond was silent except for the echo of my own steps. Moonlight streamed through tall windows, throwing pale shapes across the marble floor. Outside, the moon hung lonely and bright against the deep midnight sky, like a witness to my shame.

Two guards led me to the great hall. The massive doors groaned as they opened. A sea of faces turned toward me, the pack members, elders, they were all watching. The air was thick with murmurs and judgment in their faces.

At the far end stood Lucian.

He wore dark ceremonial robes that caught the silver light. His shoulders were square, and his jaw set like stone. Not a flicker of emotion crossed his face as I walked toward him. But I felt his eyes. They slid over me once but cold, assessing just like his usual stare, and the worst was that my heart clenched.

I stopped in front of him, lifting my chin. “Alpha Lucian.”

He inclined his head a fraction, a gesture so small that it could have been a twitch. “Sophia.”

For a heartbeat we simply stared at each other while the elder droned the opening words of the rite. The crowd’s murmuring faded, leaving only the sound of my pulse.

I broke the silence first. “Do you intend to glare at me for the entire ceremony, or will you speak?”

His golden eyes narrowed slightly. “Why speak when you already know I do not want this? I don't want you”

“I know you said that,” I replied, keeping my voice even. “But saying something cruel in anger doesn’t make it true. That has been what I have learnt since you went to an exile Lucian”

A muscle jumped in his jaw. “I meant every word.”

I stepped closer, enough that the fabric of our robes brushed. “Then look me in the eye and say it again.”

His breath caught, so soft that I almost missed it. “You think I won’t?”

“Yes,” I whispered. “Because the goddess bound us for a reason, and even you can feel it.”

His gaze burned into mine. For a moment, the cold mask cracked, and I saw a flash of conflict, it was quick as lightning, before he looked away.

The elder’s voice carried across the hall. “Join your hands, Alpha Lucian and Sophia Harvey.”

Lucian didn’t move, I know the name stung him like a bee.

“Lucian,” I said quietly, “don’t make a spectacle. Take my hand.”

He gave a low, humorless laugh. “You command me now?”

“I ask.” I held out my hand, steady despite the tremor in my chest. “Show them you are more than pride, Alpha Lucian Grey.”

The crowd shifted, uneasy. I heard the faint hiss of whispers, the scrape of shoes on stone. Everyone felt the tension like a storm pressing down.

Lucian’s eyes flicked to my hand. “You push too far.”

“Then push back,” I said, voice low enough for only him to hear. “If you can.”

His nostrils flared. “You think I fear you, Sophia?”

“I think you fear yourself,” I said, surprising even me.

For a heartbeat, something hot and raw flashed in his eyes. Then, slowly, almost reluctantly, he placed his palm against mine. The instant our skin met, a jolt of heat surged through me, racing like fire along every nerve.

Lucian stiffened, as his eyes widening a fraction. He felt it too.

The elder began the binding chant, words heavy with ancient power. The hall grew quieter, the air felt thick and electric.

Lucian leaned closer, his breath brushing my ear. “This changes nothing,” he murmured.

I met his gaze, holding it like a challenge. “It changes everything, and you know it.”

He exhaled sharply, a sound halfway between frustration and something else, something unspoken.

The chant rose to its final note. Power thrummed through our joined hands, a pulse that matched the frantic beat of my heart. I tightened my grip, refusing to flinch.

Lucian’s voice came in a low growl meant only for me. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

I tilted my chin up. “Then show me.”

A collective murmur swept the hall. Even without words, the pack felt the storm between us.

The elder lifted his staff, sealing the rite with a final command. “Complete the bond.”

I leaned forward, my lips barely moving. “Don’t resist, Lucian,” I said like a whisper, as I leaned my head forward.