Chapter 5

Zorya

The city glimmered under the dusk, the skyline of Lunaris painted in crimson and silver hues as the blood moon began to rise. I stood in front of the mirror, smoothing the lapels of the blazer Vivia had lent me. It wasn’t new, but it made me look like someone who belonged, like a woman who knew what she wanted, not one who’d crawled here with a broken past and a stolen child.

My reflection looked composed, but my stomach was a storm.

“You look like a future lawyer,” Vivia said from the doorway, her grin wide and proud.

I smiled faintly. “Let’s hope I act like one too.”

“Just remember to keep your head down, your words should be measured, and for the love of the moon, don’t argue with any Alphas tonight.”

“I’ll be on my best behavior,” I promised, grabbing my small bag.

The orientation was being held at a grand Hall, a domed structure at the heart of the university, where marble pillars rose like white fangs toward the heavens. When I stepped inside, I was greeted by the soft hum of hundreds of voices and the faint scent of wolf musk, power, and perfume.

The hall was filled with newly admitted students, all eager, nervous, and maybe hopeful. At the front, a raised platform stretched beneath a massive moon sigil carved into the wall. And at that table… sat four men whose mere presence shifted the air.

The Alphas.

Even from a distance, their power was palpable.

Alpha Ares of Crimson Fang, the one I had one hell of an encounter with, sat majestically. His presence was iron and thunder, his suit perfectly tailored, his gaze sharp enough to cut through steel. Next to him sat Alpha Gunner of Iron Claw, a wild, smirking flame of a man with a scar running from his jaw to his neck. Alpha Kai of Shadow Veil radiated intellect and cold precision, his glasses gleaming as he reviewed a document. And finally, Alpha Finn of Nightfang, lounging back with a lazy charm that failed to mask the feral gleam in his eyes.

I froze for half a breath when my gaze brushed over Ares. Even across the room, my wolf stirred, restless beneath my skin. I forced her back down. Not here please, I promised Vivia to behave.

I slipped into a seat near the back, thankful that the dim lighting and the crowd hid me well. The speeches began and the dean spoke of honor, law, and unity between packs. Then Ares took the podium.

The sound of his voice was like a thunder roll, steady, commanding, with every word laced with power. “Lunaris stands as a city where every wolf coexists under the same laws. But never forget that the law is only as strong as those who defend it.”

The crowd erupted in applause. I couldn’t look away. Even as fear twisted through me, something else, like a magnetic pull, held me still.

When the orientation ended, I exhaled a sigh of relief, slipping through the crowd before anyone could notice me. I made it outside, out into the cool night air, where the city had come alive for a festival I hadn’t known about.

“Blood Moon Night,” a vendor explained as I passed. “It’s tradition. Every pack celebrates when the moon turns red as it marks renewal, power, and even destiny.”

The words made my stomach tighten. Destiny, what a funny word.

Lanterns lined the streets, casting ruby light over laughing faces and swirling dancers. Music pulsed through the air, rhythmic and primal. I walked through it like a ghost, letting the crowd swallow me whole, hoping to lose myself for a little while. But somewhere between the drumbeats and the laughter, I realized I was lost.

The streets curved, and my phone lost signal. I turned a corner and froze. Because there, in the open courtyard framed by blood-red lanterns, stood Alpha Ares.

He wasn’t alone.

Three figures emerged from the crowd almost in unison; Kai, Gunner, and Finn. The four Alphas of Lunaris City stood together in front of me. The air thickened, charged with something dangerous. My breath caught, I didn’t know whether I should bow or just greet.

Ares’s gaze locked onto mine instantly, his eyes narrowing. Kai stilled beside him, his nostrils flaring as if catching a scent. Gunner’s smirk faded, replaced by a flicker of confusion. Finn tilted his head, his expression unreadable.

And then it happened.

The world seemed to hold its breath as the night wind carried my scent to them.

I felt it too, a spark like lightning tearing through my chest. My wolf roared awake, fierce and alive, pressing against my skin with trembling urgency.

Mates!

Not one, but four of them.

I stumbled back, shaking my head. “No. No, this can’t be happening.”

Ares took a step forward, his eyes glowing faintly under the blood moon. “You are mated to us.”

Kai’s voice was low, controlled, but heavy with disbelief. “That’s impossible.”

Gunner laughed, though it was hollow, shocked. “Four bonds…? That’s…”

“… not supposed to exist,” Finn finished quietly, his gaze burning into mine.

My pulse raced. My wolf was howling, clawing to reach them, but I wanted to run. “This is a mistake,” I said quickly, my voice trembling. “You’re mistaken. I’m not your mate.”

“You are,” Ares interrupted, stepping closer. “Our wolves recognize you. The bond doesn’t lie.”

My knees went weak. I could feel it, the threads of energy stretching from each of them to me, invisible cords pulsing with life. My wolf shuddered, her soft purrs echoing in my mind.

“No!” I gasped. “I don’t want this. I didn’t ask for this.”

Gunner’s eyes softened, though his grin remained faint. “Nobody asks for fate, sweetheart. It just happens.”

Kai adjusted his glasses, his expression unreadable but his tone sincere. “There must be a reason why you were chosen for this fate.”

Their words made me dizzy. “You’re all insane.”

Ares’s jaw tightened. “You think this is something we want?” His power rippled through the air, but behind it was something raw, something that sounded dangerously like fear. “Four Alphas tied to one woman. It defies every law, every bond we’ve ever known.”

“Then break it,” I whispered. “I don’t want this. I just want my life back.”

Ares looked at me for a long moment, then shook his head slowly. “You can’t unmake what the Moon has chosen.”

The air pulsed again, and this time it was Finn who spoke, his voice softer, almost reverent. “No matter what you think, you’re not alone anymore. And you never will be again.”

Each of them stepped forward in turn, their eyes glowing faintly beneath the blood moon. As one, they spoke words that made my heart lurch and my wolf tremble.

“We pledge allegiance to our mate. To guard, to protect, and to endure until the Moon herself fades.”

The blood moon glowed brighter, casting us all in a crimson halo.

Tears stung my eyes as I stumbled back, shaking my head. “No… no, please… I didn’t ask for this.”

Ares reached out, his hand hovering near mine, the bond humming violently between us. “You can run from it,” he said quietly, “but destiny always finds its way home.”

And under that haunting red light, surrounded by the four most powerful Alphas in Lunaris City, I realized something terrible and inescapable;

I had just run straight into the destiny I thought I’d escaped.