The Lunar Bonding Ritual

I didn't sleep that night.

How could I? Every time I closed my eyes, I saw storm-gray eyes staring back at me. Every time I tried to push away the impossible thoughts, Nyra would stir restlessly, whimpering about mates and bonds and things that couldn't be real.

The blood moon hung outside my broken window like a crimson eye, watching me toss and turn on my thin cot. Its light painted my small attic room in shades of red, making everything look like it was drenched in blood.

*Kael Blackthorne couldn't be my mate.*

I repeated the words like a prayer, like a mantra, like something that could make them true if I said them enough times.

But the pull in my chest hadn't faded. If anything, it had grown stronger since our encounter in the courtyard. The invisible thread connecting us hummed beneath my skin, warm and insistent.

Dawn came too soon and not soon enough.

The fortress buzzed with nervous energy as wolves prepared for the second night of the festival. Tonight wasn't just dancing and feasting. Tonight was the Lunar Bonding Ritual, when the Moon Goddess would reveal fated mates to those she deemed worthy.

I dressed slowly, my hands trembling as I pulled on the same gray shift dress. My reflection in the cracked mirror showed a girl with wild dark hair and frightened eyes. The crescent moon tattoo on my neck seemed to pulse with its own light.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," I whispered to my reflection.

Nyra stirred, her presence stronger than it had been in years. *Tonight,* she whispered, her voice clearer than ever before. *Tonight, everything changes.*

I pressed my palm against the glass, watching my breath fog the surface. "What if I'm not ready for everything to change?"

But Nyra had already retreated, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts.

The great hall had been transformed overnight. The moonstone altar now stood in the center of a perfect circle, carved with ancient symbols that seemed to shift and dance in the flickering candlelight. Wolves gathered around the edges, their conversations hushed and reverent.

I slipped in through the side entrance, keeping to the shadows as always. The air thrummed with power, thick and electric. It made my skin tingle and my wolf pace restlessly.

Elder Mara stood beside the altar, her silver hair braided with moonstone beads. She wore robes of deep midnight blue, and her eyes held an ancient wisdom that made me shiver.

"Wolves of the Black Fang Pack," she called, her voice carrying easily through the hall. "The Blood Moon reaches its peak. Tonight, we honor the sacred bonds that tie us to our other halves. Those who are unmated and of age, step forward."

My heart hammered against my ribs as I watched wolves move toward the circle. Some walked with confidence, others with nervous excitement. A few, like me, hung back in the shadows.

"Come, child." Elder Mara's eyes found mine across the crowded hall. "This ritual is for all wolves, regardless of rank."

Heat flooded my cheeks as every eye turned to me. I wanted to sink into the floor, to disappear entirely. But Nyra pushed forward, lending me strength I didn't know I possessed.

I stepped into the circle, my bare feet cold against the stone floor. The other unmated wolves formed a ring around the altar, and I found myself directly across from where the Alpha stood.

Kael hadn't looked at me yet, but I could feel his presence like a flame against my skin. He wore black leather tonight, and his dark hair was pulled back, revealing the strong lines of his face and the scar that cut across his throat.

"The Moon Goddess sees all," Elder Mara continued, raising her arms toward the blood moon that shone through the open ceiling. "She knows the hearts that beat as one, the souls that were split at the dawn of time and have searched for their other half ever since."

The temperature in the hall seemed to drop. Goosebumps rose along my arms as ancient power filled the air, thick and intoxicating.

"When the moon reaches its peak, the bonds will be revealed. But remember," Elder Mara's voice turned sharp, "the Moon Goddess's gifts cannot be refused. What she binds, no wolf can break."

My throat went dry. Around the circle, wolves shifted nervously. Some looked excited, others terrified.

Then the moon moved higher, and everything changed.

The first scent hit me like a physical blow. Cedar and storm clouds, wild and masculine and completely overwhelming. My knees nearly buckled as heat spread through my veins like liquid fire.

Nyra threw back her head and howled inside my mind, the sound so loud and joyful it made my ears ring.

*Mate. Mate. MATE.*

The scent grew stronger, wrapping around me like invisible arms. I gasped, my hands flying to my chest as something hot and bright bloomed beneath my ribs.

Across the circle, Kael's head snapped up. His storm-gray eyes found mine, and I saw my own shock reflected back at me.

The mate bond slammed into place with devastating force.

It felt like being struck by lightning and embraced by the sun at the same time. Every nerve in my body came alive, singing with recognition and desperate want. The invisible thread that had been pulling at me for days became a chain of molten silver, binding us together in ways I'd never imagined possible.

For a moment, perfect and terrifying, I felt complete.

Kael's eyes widened, his lips parting in surprise. Around us, other wolves were experiencing their own revelations. Joyful cries filled the air as newly mated pairs found each other, but I barely heard them.

All I could see was Kael. All I could feel was the bond humming between us, strong and true and undeniable.

Then his expression changed.

The wonder in his eyes died, replaced by something cold and hard. His jaw clenched, and I watched in horror as disgust flickered across his features.

No. No, this couldn't be happening.

"Alpha Kael," Elder Mara's voice cut through the chaos, "the Moon Goddess has blessed you with your mate."

The hall fell silent. Every wolf turned to look at us, at the impossible pairing of the powerful Alpha and the lowly omega.

Kael's hands clenched into fists at his sides. When he spoke, his voice was like ice.

"No."

The word hit me like a physical blow. I stumbled backward, one hand pressed to my chest as if I could hold the bond together through sheer will.

"The Moon Goddess has made an error," he continued, his voice carrying easily through the stunned silence. "I will not be bound to an omega. I will not accept this... mistake."

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Around us, wolves whispered and pointed. Some looked shocked, others disgusted. A few seemed almost pleased by the drama.

"Alpha," Elder Mara's voice held a warning, "you cannot refuse the Moon Goddess's gift. The bond—"

"Can be broken," Kael finished, his eyes never leaving mine. "And it will be."

The rejection hit me like a tidal wave. The beautiful, terrible heat of the mate bond began to dim, replaced by a cold so deep it made my bones ache.

Nyra whimpered, her presence starting to fade as the bond stretched and frayed.

"Please," I whispered, the word torn from my throat. "Please don't do this."

But Kael had already turned away, his broad shoulders rigid with determination.

"I, Kael Blackthorne, Alpha of the Black Fang Pack," he began, his voice formal and final, "reject you, Aria Lane, as my mate."

The words hung in the air like a death sentence.

And somewhere in the crowd, I heard a familiar laugh. Cold and triumphant.

Luna Celeste stepped forward, her golden hair gleaming in the moonlight, a smile playing at her lips.

The rejection ritual was about to begin.