1

AURORA

Being tired of fighting the same battle every day had worn me down. Nothing felt simple anymore.

My last class had just ended when I stepped out onto the college lawn and saw him. My father.

He stood in the center of campus as if he owned it. Tall. Solid. Unmoving. And he was not alone.

Another wolf shifter stood beside him. Broad shoulders. Dark brown eyes that held steady on me, as if he could see every thought I tried to hide.

Theron.

My pulse climbed into my throat as I walked toward them. Each step felt heavier than the last. The future I had been avoiding was standing right in front of me. There would be no more delays.

Father spoke before I could. His voice was calm, but there was no softness in it.

“Aurora, you know why I’ve come. I have made my final decision about your future.”

The lines around his mouth were tight. Set. He had already decided. Nothing about this would bend in my favor.

He did not waste time.

“You must accept an arranged mating with a wolf from our pack. If you refuse, I will not name you alpha when I step down.”

Silence pressed in around us. Even knowing this talk would come one day did not make it easier. There had been hope that time might change his mind. That he would see reason.

Everything in my life had led to leading the Ironwood Pack. Training. Expectations. Rules. Then last year, doubt crept into his voice for the first time.

College had been presented as a chance to think. To test myself. To decide whether I could carry the weight of command. Now it felt like a trick.

Losing my place as future alpha would tear something out of me.

“This isn’t right,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “An unmated female can lead as well as one with a mate. No insult to you, Theron.”

A nod in his direction. He did not react.

Father’s expression did not change.

“This is no longer open for debate. These are my only terms. Accept them or walk away. Without a mate bond, you will stand alone. There are wolves in the pack who doubt you. Without a bonded partner, you will not be strong enough to defend your claim. Many would challenge you. Some would try to kill you for it. This way is safer. Theron will carry the physical burden. You will have freedom. It is a gift, whether you see it or not.”

There was no gift in his words. Only control.

“When?” The word came out tight.

“The next Black Moon rises in fourteen months. Finish this semester. Then return home. You and Theron will have time to build trust and gather support before I retire.”

Fourteen months. The time felt both far away and too close.

“That’s too soon.” The protest slipped out before I could stop it.

A low growl rolled from his chest. It vibrated through the space between us. Theron’s eyes flicked to me in warning.

“You will obey your alpha,” Father said sharply. “You will not insult Theron or me again. While I lead, you follow. Unless you choose to give up your future. Is that what you want?”

The threat sat plain between us.

Theron stood steady. Strong. Older than me by perhaps fifteen years, though age meant little among our kind. We slowed after puberty. The faint lines near his eyes were the only hint of time.

What troubled me more was his family’s closeness to mine. His father had always stood at Father’s side. This arrangement had likely been discussed long before today. Maybe before I even left for school.

Had Theron known? Had he agreed from the start?

Questions crowded my thoughts, but none would be answered now.

The alpha command still echoed in my mind. Refusing would mean surrendering everything I had worked toward since childhood.

A deep breath steadied me. Anger rose fast, hot and sharp, but it would not help.

“No, Father. That is not my choice.” The words were controlled, even if my chest burned. “I understand what is expected. I accept your terms. But I ask to remain in school until I complete my studies. One more year.”

His eyes narrowed as he studied me. He searched for doubt. For rebellion.

Breathing slowed on purpose. He could not see fear.

“I believe that is reasonable,” Theron said before Father could answer. His tone was even. “Those terms work for me.”

Relief almost showed on my face. His support mattered. Without it, Father would refuse.

A long pause followed. Then Father gave a short nod. Approval, or at least acceptance.

He motioned for Theron to step closer.

Theron moved toward me, and a faint smile touched his mouth. It was familiar. We had grown up around each other. There were worse fates than this. That thought did not comfort me, but it was true.

“To make the arrangement official,” he said.

A moonstone ring rested in his palm. Tradition required it be placed on the middle finger. The stone was cool against my skin when he slid it into place.

Our forearms met, clasping tight. Skin to skin. A silent agreement witnessed by our alpha.

His grip was firm, not forced. His scent carried no fear. No anger. He had chosen this as much as it had chosen him.

The bond was not sealed yet. That would come later.

But the path ahead had narrowed. And there would be no easy way off it.