The Alpha King's Silver Luna

The envelope was black. Heavy cardstock with gold embossing that screamed wealth and power.I didn't need to open it to know who sent it.My hands trembled as I stood in my tiny apartment, the envelope burning between my fingers like a brand. Three years. Three years since I'd run from the Shadowmoon Pack. Three years since Dante Russo ripped my heart out in front of five hundred wolves and told me I was nothing."You are not worthy to stand beside an Alpha King. I, Dante Russo, reject you, Aria Kane, as my mate and Luna."I could still hear his voice. Cold. Emotionless. Final.The mate bond had snapped like a rubber band pulled too tight, and I'd collapsed right there on the marble floor of his mansion while the pack watched. Some had laughed. Others had whispered. None had helped.I'd crawled out of that house and never looked back.Now he wanted me back.My wolf stirred beneath my skin—the wolf that hadn't existed three years ago. The wolf that had awakened six months after I'd run

I woke up to find myself wrapped around Dante like a blanket.My face was pressed against his chest, one leg thrown over his hips, my arm draped across his torso. Worse, his arms were around me, holding me close like I was something precious.I froze, afraid to breathe.How the hell did this happen?"I can hear your heart racing," Dante's voice rumbled through his chest. "Relax.""Let me go.""No." His arms tightened. "You're the one who crawled over here in your sleep. I'm just being accommodating."I tried to pull away, but he held firm."Dante—""Five more minutes." His nose buried in my hair, and I felt him inhale deeply. "You still smell like vanilla and jasmine."The intimacy of the moment made my chest ache. This was what I'd dreamed about three years ago. Waking up in his arms. Being wanted. Being his.But that dream had died the moment he rejected me."Let. Me. Go."He released me immediately, and I scrambled to the other side of the bed, my cheeks burning.Dante sat up, the

I woke up wrapped in Dante's arms for the second time, but unlike yesterday, I didn't pull away.The mate bond hummed between us, alive and vibrant. Every point where our skin touched sent sparks racing through my nervous system.This was dangerous."You're thinking too loud," Dante murmured against my hair, his voice rough with sleep."I'm not thinking anything.""Liar." His arm tightened around my waist. "I can feel your anxiety through the bond. What's wrong?"Everything. Nothing. I don't know."Last night shouldn't have happened," I said finally."The kiss?""The kissing. Plural." Because we hadn't stopped at one. We'd kissed until my lips were swollen and my body was screaming for more. "It complicated things.""Good."I tilted my head to look at him. "Good?""This arrangement was always going to be complicated, Aria. At least now it's honestly complicated instead of us both pretending we don't feel the bond."He had a point.Before I could respond, his phone rang.Dante groaned,

The Council chambers were older than most werewolf bloodlines.Carved directly into the side of Mount Kilrathi, the ancient stone walls had witnessed centuries of pack politics, territorial disputes, and the rise and fall of countless Alphas. As Dante and I were escorted through the massive iron doors, I felt the weight of history pressing down on my shoulders like a physical force.This place had seen wolves far more powerful than me brought to their knees.Twelve high-backed chairs formed a perfect semicircle around a central platform—the judgment circle where accused wolves stood trial. Each chair was occupied by an Elder, the most powerful and ancient wolves in North America. Their combined age probably exceeded a millennium.And every single one of them was staring at me like I was a puzzle they couldn't solve.Elder Thomas sat in the center chair, elevated slightly above the others. His position as Head Elder gave him the final vote in all Council decisions. The smug satisfactio

The silver light burning through my veins intensified until the wolfsbane retreated like shadows before dawn.I could feel Selene again, my wolf prowling restlessly beneath my skin. The chains around my wrists were still silver, still burning, but the pain was manageable now. Tolerable.I just needed an opening.It came three hours later when Kieran returned with two guards."Have you reconsidered?" he asked, standing just outside the cell bars."Yes," I lied. "I'll take you to the temple."His white eyes narrowed. "Just like that? No more defiance?""You were right. More Elders will die if I refuse. I can't have that on my conscience." I let defeat color my voice, slumping my shoulders. "I'll lead you to the Moonstone. Just... promise you won't hurt Dante.""I promise nothing." But satisfaction gleamed in his expression. "However, if you cooperate fully, I have no reason to kill the Alpha King. He can live out his days in exile, mourning his lost mate."The guards entered my cell, mo