Chapter 3

Zorya

The next evening, Vivia stormed into my apartment like a one-woman hurricane, waving two sleek black cards that shimmered under the neon light.

“Guess who’s getting a night out?” she announced, tossing one onto my bed.

I blinked up from my laptop, still staring at the university’s email as if it might disappear. “Vivia, I don’t even own proper club shoes.”

She scoffed, already rummaging through my wardrobe. “Please. Your application just got recognized by Lunaris City University. That’s not a small win, it’s a cosmic one. And you’re celebrating it. End of discussion.”

Before I could argue, she flung a shimmering black dress my way. It wasn’t something I would’ve ever worn before because the dress was a little too short, a little too confident. But then again… I wasn’t the same woman anymore.

The club was alive before we even reached the door.

Music pulsed through the walls like a heartbeat, a deep, throbbing rhythm that made the ground hum beneath my boots. Lights spun in violent color, crimson, gold, electric blue, each one flashing across faces, bodies, heat, and movement.

Luna’s Pulse. That’s what the sign above the door read. Vivia’s favorite spot, apparently.

Inside, the air was thick with wolf pheromones and alcohol. The scent of dominance and desire clung to everything. Pack marks glowed faintly under UV light, signifying loyalty, rank, and power. Rogues, Betas, and a few wolves mixed freely, though tension simmered beneath the surface.

“Welcome to the beating heart of Lunaris,” Vivia shouted over the music, handing me a glass of something golden and wicked. “Drink up, babe. Tonight, you’re not the broken Luna… you’re you.”

I hesitated only a second before taking a sip. Then another.

It burned, but in a good way as if it was burning away the ache of betrayal, the courtrooms, the memory of my daughter calling another woman Mommy.

So I drank again.

And when Vivia dragged me onto the dance floor, I didn’t resist.

The beat sank into my bones. The music became a wild pulse, syncing with my heartbeat, my wolf’s soft growl stirring beneath my skin for the first time in days. I moved like I was shedding my past, every motion a quiet rebellion against everything I’d lost.

Vivia laughed beside me, spinning in her silver heels. “See? I told you the city could wake the dead!”

I smiled, really smiled, and let the rhythm carry me. But it didn't last long.

A fight broke out so fast the music didn’t even stop.

A crash of glass. A snarl. Two wolves slammed into a table near the bar, sending bottles flying. One was a bulky male, with the mark of Crimson Fang, fierce and impulsive. The other, smaller but faster, bore the faint mark of Iron Claw, all sharp angles and cunning eyes.

“Pack rivalry,” Vivia muttered, rolling her eyes. “Idiots. Now, they’ll ruin this party.”

Within seconds, others were getting pulled in. The brawlers were choosing sides, tables overturning, and people shouting over the pounding bass. Security tried to step in but got shoved aside.

Suddenly, the music paused. It wasn’t just the sound that changed… it was the energy. The kind that makes every wolf’s instincts snap to attention.

Through the chaos, a man walked forward, calm and deadly as moonlight before a storm. He didn’t shout. He didn't need to. The crowd parted instinctively, their growls dying as he passed.

I couldn’t see his face clearly through the flashing lights, only the hard line of his jaw, the glint of authority in his gaze, and the aura that screamed Alpha.

Even the Crimson Fang brute froze when the man approached.

“Enough,” the Alpha’s voice cut through the noise like a blade. “You’ve disrupted neutral ground. You’ll both have to answer to me.”

The smaller Iron Claw wolf tried to speak, but the Alpha didn’t wait. He pointed at him, voice deep and cold. “You started it.”

That was when something in me snapped.

I didn’t even think. I just stepped forward.

“He didn’t start it,” I said loudly, surprising even myself. My voice carried a clear and sharp tone, slicing through the tension. “The Crimson Fang wolf did. You’re punishing the wrong one.”

The entire club fell silent.

Every head turned toward me, eyes wide. Wolves didn’t challenge Alphas publicly, not unless they had a death wish.

Vivia’s hand clamped on my arm instantly. “Zorya,” she hissed. “Stop. He’s… he’s not someone you should mess with.”

But the alcohol had dulled my fear and sharpened my defiance. I yanked free. “I said you’re judging wrong.”

The Alpha turned slowly toward me.

Under the spinning lights, I caught my first full glimpse of him.

Dark hair brushed the edge of his collar, tousled like he hadn’t cared enough to tame it. His eyes, gray and storm-bright, met mine with quiet intensity. His shirt clung to a broad frame, sleeves rolled up, veins visible down his forearms. Every inch of him radiated control… and danger.

And yet, when he looked at me, something flickered across his face, like something unreadable.

He walked closer, the crowd instinctively stepping back.

“Say that again,” he said softly, his tone more dangerous than a growl.

I lifted my chin. “I said you judged them wrong. If you’re going to lead, at least have the decency to look before you decide.”

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

Vivia’s voice was barely a whisper now. “Oh Goddess, Zorya, please shut up.”

The Alpha stopped right in front of me, so close I could smell his scent. A mixture of cedar, rain, and power. My breath caught, but I refused to back down.

He tilted his head, eyes raking over my face. “You’ve got some nerve,” he murmured.

Then he reached out, too fast for me to react, and grabbed my wrist. The moment our skin touched, it hit like a lightning strike. The world blurred. A spark of energy burst through me in white-hot, electric, primal shock. My wolf roared to life, surging forward with excitement for the first time since I left my pack.

Mates!

The word echoed in my head, a voice both mine and not mine, raw with hunger and certainty.

I gasped, stumbling forward as the world tilted.

The Alpha’s expression shifted instantly from stern to startled, as if he’d felt it too. His eyes widened, darkened, lips parting like he couldn’t believe what just happened.

Our bond had just ignited. And I… couldn’t handle it.

The room spun. The music returned, distant and muffled. I felt Vivia shouting my name somewhere behind me, but my body was no longer listening. My wolf was thrashing inside, torn between awakening and confusion.

The last thing I saw before my knees gave out was the Alpha’s face. He looked shocked, furious, and drawn to me all at once.

Then everything went black.