Chapter Four

"You want me to do WHAT?"

Dante stood in front of me, arms crossed, looking far too calm for someone who'd just suggested I fight his entire pack.

"It's tradition," he said. "Before a new Luna is accepted, she must prove herself worthy."

"By fighting?"

"By winning challenges from any pack member who questions your right to stand beside me."

I laughed. Hysterically. "That's insane."

"That's pack law." He moved closer, his expression serious. "Aria, after what happened with Kieran yesterday, the pack is questioning everything. Some think you're a threat. Others think you're weak. You need to show them they're wrong."

"And if I lose?"

"You won't."

"How do you know?"

"Because you're a Silver Wolf. Because you have power you haven't even begun to tap into." His hands gripped my shoulders. "Because you're my mate, and that means you're stronger than any of them."

"Stop saying that."

"What? That you're my mate?"

"Yes." I pulled away from him. "The mate bond is broken, Dante. You rejected it. Remember?"

"I remember." His jaw clenched. "But the bond didn't break. It just... dormant. Waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"For both of us to accept it again."

My heart stuttered. "I'll never accept it."

"Never is a long time, little wolf."

Before I could argue, someone knocked on the door.

Marcus entered, looking grim. "They're ready."

"Already?" I wasn't ready. I'd never be ready.

"The challenges have been building since dawn," Marcus explained. "We have seventeen wolves who want to test you."

"Seventeen?" My voice came out as a squeak.

Dante's hand found mine, squeezing reassuringly. "You'll fight them one at a time. First blood wins. No killing."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?"

"It should." His eyes met mine. "Because I've seen you angry, Aria. And I know what you're capable of when you stop holding back."

"I don't know how to fight."

"Then let Selene take over."

My wolf perked up at her name. Finally. Let me out. I'll show them what a Silver Wolf can do.

"I can't control her when she's out."

"You don't need to control her." Dante's thumb traced circles on my palm. "You need to trust her."

Thirty minutes later, I stood in the center of the pack's training grounds, surrounded by hundreds of wolves. The entire Shadowmoon Pack had gathered to watch the Luna trials.

To watch me fail, most likely.

Dante stood to the side with his Beta and Gamma, his face an emotionless mask. But I could feel his tension through our dormant bond. He was worried.

That made two of us.

"First challenger," an elderly wolf announced. "Delta Sarah."

A woman stepped forward from the crowd. She was built like a tank, with muscles upon muscles and a scar running down her face.

She looked like she ate omegas for breakfast.

"Nothing personal, girl," Sarah said, cracking her knuckles. "But I don't take orders from weak wolves. Show me you're worthy, or step down."

I wanted to step down. Every instinct screamed at me to run.

But then I saw Vanessa in the crowd, smirking. Saw the she-wolves who'd laughed when Dante rejected me. Saw all the people who'd treated me like dirt for years.

Screw stepping down.

"Let's do this," I said.

Sarah smiled. "Good. I like a fighter."

She shifted immediately, her bones cracking and reforming into a massive brown wolf. She was easily three times my size.

Shift, Selene urged. Let me handle this.

I closed my eyes and let go.

The shift tore through me faster than ever before. Pain and pleasure mixed as my bones restructured, fur sprouted, and my senses exploded into hyperdrive.

When I opened my eyes again, I was on four paws.

And I was massive.

Gasps echoed through the crowd.

My wolf form was pure silver, from nose to tail. I glowed faintly in the sunlight, like moonlight made flesh. And I was big—bigger than Sarah, bigger than most of the males in the pack.

Sarah hesitated, clearly not expecting this.

Selene didn't give her time to recover. She lunged, moving with speed that shouldn't be possible for a wolf my size. Sarah barely dodged, snapping at my throat.

We collided in a blur of fur and fangs.

Sarah was experienced—her attacks were precise, calculated. But Selene was something else entirely. She moved like liquid silver, flowing around Sarah's strikes and landing devastating blows.

Within minutes, Sarah was on her back, Selene's jaws at her throat.

First blood.

Selene released her, stepping back.

Sarah shifted back to human form, holding her bleeding shoulder. "I submit. You're worthy, Luna."

The crowd murmured, impressed.

I shifted back, breathing hard. That had been... exhilarating.

"Next challenger!" the announcer called.

This went on for hours.

One by one, wolves challenged me. Some were warriors, testing my combat skills. Others were pack leaders, testing my decision-making. A few were just assholes who wanted to see me fail.

Selene handled them all.

With each victory, I felt my confidence growing. Felt my power expanding. This was who I was meant to be. Not the cowering omega. But a Luna worthy of her pack.

By the time we reached the seventeenth challenger, I was exhausted but triumphant.

"Final challenger," the announcer said. "Vanessa Blackwood."

Of course.

Vanessa stepped into the circle, already in wolf form—a sleek black wolf with cruel green eyes.

She didn't wait for permission. She attacked immediately, going straight for my throat.

I barely shifted in time, Selene taking control with a snarl.

This fight was different. Vanessa wasn't trying to test me. She was trying to kill me.

Her fangs sank into my shoulder, and pain exploded through me. Blood poured from the wound, more than enough for first blood.

But she didn't stop.

Selene roared, and power exploded from us. Silver light burst from my fur, blinding everyone in the training grounds.

When it faded, Vanessa was on the ground, unconscious, with burns covering her body.

What the hell?

I shifted back to human form, staring at my hands. They were glowing faintly with that same silver light.

"First blood to Luna Aria!" the announcer called. "All challenges complete. The Luna has proven herself worthy!"

The pack erupted in cheers.

But I barely heard them. I was too focused on the power thrumming through my veins. Power I didn't understand and couldn't control.

Dante was at my side in seconds, wrapping a blanket around me. "You're hurt."

"I'm fine."

"You're bleeding."

"It's just a scratch."

He didn't argue, just scooped me up in his arms and carried me back to the mansion, ignoring my protests.

"I can walk!"

"Humor me."

Back in our suite, he set me on the bathroom counter and pulled out a first aid kit.

"This will sting," he warned before cleaning the bite wound.

I hissed as the antiseptic burned.

"What happened out there?" Dante asked, his hands gentle despite his serious tone. "That power..."

"I don't know." I watched him work, his focus entirely on my injury. "It just... happened. I was angry and scared, and then there was light everywhere."

"You could have killed her."

"I know." The realization made me sick. "I didn't mean to. I just wanted her to stop."

"She deserved worse." Dante's voice went cold. "She was trying to kill you. That wasn't a challenge; it was an assassination attempt."

"What are you going to do to her?"

"Exile. At minimum." He finished bandaging my shoulder. "No one tries to kill my Luna and stays in my pack."

"She was your girlfriend."

"She was a mistake." His golden eyes met mine. "One of many I've made."

The moment stretched between us, heavy with unspoken words.

"Why did you really reject me?" The question slipped out before I could stop it.

Dante stilled. "What?"

"Three years ago. You rejected the mate bond without explanation. You just... ended it. Why?"

He stepped back, running a hand through his hair. "It's complicated."

"Try me."

"Aria—"

"I deserve the truth, Dante." I hopped off the counter, closing the distance between us. "You owe me that much."

He was quiet for so long I thought he wouldn't answer.

Then: "I was protecting you."

I blinked. "What?"

"My father didn't die of natural causes. He was assassinated by someone in the pack—someone I still haven't identified." His hands clenched into fists. "I became Alpha overnight, inheriting enemies I didn't know existed. And you..."

"What about me?"

"You were so innocent. So trusting. So easy to hurt." He finally looked at me, and the pain in his eyes stole my breath. "I knew that if I kept you by my side, they'd use you against me. They'd hurt you to get to me."

"So you hurt me first?"

"I thought it would be easier if you hated me. If you left the pack and never looked back. You'd be safe, away from the danger." He laughed bitterly. "I didn't realize that rejecting you would destroy us both."

I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.

All this time, I'd thought he rejected me because I wasn't good enough.

But he'd done it to protect me?

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," I said finally.

Dante's eyes widened. "What?"

"You rejected our mate bond to protect me? Instead of, I don't know, telling me the truth? Working together to find your father's killer?"

"You were twenty years old and terrified of your own shadow."

"Because you made me terrified!" I shoved his chest. "You treated me like I was fragile. Like I couldn't handle anything. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I could've been strong if you'd just given me the chance?"

"I—"

"No." I shoved him again. "You don't get to make decisions about my life without telling me. You don't get to break my heart and call it protection."

"I know."

"Do you?" Tears burned my eyes. "Do you have any idea what the last three years have been like? Living knowing I wasn't enough for you? Wondering what was wrong with me?"

"Nothing was wrong with you." He grabbed my wrists, his grip gentle but firm. "Nothing. It was all me. My fear. My weakness."

"You're damn right it was."

"I'm sorry." His forehead dropped to mine. "I'm so fucking sorry, Aria. For all of it. For the rejection. For the pain. For not being strong enough to keep you safe without destroying us both."

I wanted to stay angry. To hold onto the rage that had sustained me for three years.

But standing here, in his arms, feeling the sincerity in his words...

"I don't forgive you," I whispered. "Not yet."

"I know."

"But... I understand now. A little."

"That's more than I deserve."

We stood there, foreheads pressed together, breathing the same air.

Then Dante did something I wasn't expecting.

He kissed me.

It was soft. Gentle. Nothing like the dominant Alpha who'd ordered me around for the past few days.

This was an apology. A plea. A promise.

And against my better judgment, I kissed him back.

The moment our lips met, power exploded between us. The dormant mate bond roared to life, flooding my senses with emotion so intense I thought I might drown in it.

Want. Need. Regret. Love.

So much love it hurt.

Dante pulled back, his eyes wide. "Did you feel that?"

"The bond," I breathed. "It's not broken."

"No." His thumb traced my swollen lips. "It was just sleeping. Waiting for us."

"This doesn't change anything," I said, even as my body pressed closer to his. "The contract. The six months. Our arrangement."

"I know."

"I still haven't forgiven you."

"I know."

"And I'm still not sure I can trust you."

"I know." He kissed me again, deeper this time. "But we have six months to figure it out."

"Six months," I agreed, melting into him.

Six months to decide if I could give him my heart again.

Six months to learn about my powers.

Six months to figure out who the hell I really was.

But as Dante lifted me into his arms and carried me to the bed, one thing became crystal clear.

This was going to be the longest—and most dangerous—six months of my life.

Because falling for Dante Russo again?

That was a risk I wasn't sure I could afford to take.

But my heart didn't seem to care about the risks.