Chapter 3

Luna Alara lunged forward before anyone could speak. Her palm cracked across Selena’s face, sending her stumbling to the marble floor. The tray shattered beside her, goblets rolling across the hall. 

 “How dare you!” Alara shouted. “You ruin everything you touch!” The guests watched in stunned silence as Selena struggled to push herself up, blood blooming at the corner of her lip.

 “The Moon Goddess does not make mistakes,” the priestess said, her voice echoing through the hall. “Alpha Lucienne’s mark has awakened. The bond has recognized someone.” She looked directly at Selena, her expression filled with disbelief. “Whether anyone accepts it or not… the moon has spoken.”

 “Impossible,” Seraphine breathed, her smile falling apart. She grabbed Lucienne’s arm desperately. “It’s me. It has always been me. We were promised to each other.” But Lucienne barely seemed to hear her. His eyes remained fixed on Selena as the mark on his wrist burned hotter with every passing second.

 “No!” Alara snapped. “She’s cursed. She isn’t worthy of standing beside an Alpha.” Without warning, she seized Selena by the arm and dragged her across the floor. “Apologize for this disgrace before I throw you out myself.”

 Selena cried out as pain shot through her wrist. “Mother… I didn’t do anything.” Tears blurred her vision, but she refused to beg. She had spent her entire life carrying blame for things beyond her control. She wouldn’t confess to a crime she hadn’t committed.

 “Enough.” Lucienne’s voice was quiet, yet it silenced the entire hall. He stepped forward, each footfall heavy against the stone. His eyes dropped to Alara’s hand gripping Selena’s wrist, then slowly lifted to meet the Luna’s furious glare. “Release her.”

 Alara hesitated, but before she could answer, Darius moved first. He gently pulled Selena behind him, placing himself between her and the raging Luna. “No woman deserves this,” he said evenly. The simple act sent another wave of whispers racing through the crowd as Seraphine stared at Darius in disbelief.

 Just then, Lucienne’s mark burst into crimson light. Selena gasped as an identical symbol ignited beneath the skin of her own wrist, brighter than before. The hall shook violently. Candles exploded one after another, and the priestess fell to her knees, staring at the blazing marks with horror. “This…” she whispered. “This isn’t an ordinary mate bond.”

 Lucienne’s glowing mark pulsed again, each beat answering the one blazing beneath Selena’s wrist. Before anyone could react, an invisible force pulled them toward each other. Selena stumbled forward, and Lucienne caught her before she could fall. The moment their hands touched, a wave of energy swept through the hall, stealing the breath from everyone present.

 “The bond is demanding completion,” the priestess gasped. “If they resist it now, the backlash could consume them both.” Her warning came too late. Neither Lucienne nor Selena seemed able to break away. Their wolves had already recognized what their minds refused to accept.

 Seraphine rushed between them, shoving Selena backward. “Get away from him!” she cried, wrapping both hands around Lucienne’s arm. 

 “Lucienne, look at me. I’m your chosen mate. We’ve prepared for this day for years.” Her voice cracked with desperation, but Lucienne’s gaze drifted past her as though he couldn’t even hear her.

 Seraphine grabbed Selena’s wrist. “You stole this from me!” she shouted. “You’ve always wanted my life!” Before Selena could answer, the glowing mark flared violently, throwing Seraphine backward. She landed hard against the steps of the altar, staring in horror as the bond rejected her.

 Lucienne cupped Selena’s face without realizing what he was doing. She searched his eyes, equally frightened and confused. “I don’t understand,” she whispered. “Neither do I,” he admitted. Then the force binding them closed the final distance, and their lips met in a brief, irresistible kiss.

 The instant they kissed, crimson light exploded through the ceremonial hall. Every candle burst into flame, the sacred altar cracked down the middle, and a deafening wolf howl echoed from somewhere beyond the palace walls. The priestess fell to her knees. “The bond has been sealed,” she whispered.

 Seraphine’s scream cut through the roaring light. Tears streamed down her face as hatred replaced every trace of grace. She pointed a shaking finger at Selena. “If the Moon Goddess won’t take him from you,” she said through clenched teeth, “then I will.” Just then, the palace doors shook under a tremendous impact, and a voice thundered from outside, “Open the gates, now".