Chapter 3: The Council Comes for the Bride

The North Spire had never felt so awake.

From the narrow balcony outside Seraphina’s chamber, she could see torches being lit one by one along the cliffside walls, their flames trembling in the wind like watchful eyes. Wolves moved below—some in human form, others half-shifted—silent, disciplined, dangerous.

They were preparing.

For her.

She smoothed her palms over the dark gown laid out on the bed. It was not a wedding dress, not really—no white lace or soft illusions. This was black silk, heavy and severe, cut to move rather than decorate. Power clothing. Alpha territory.

A message.

You belong to him now.

Seraphina exhaled slowly and dressed without help. If she was going to stand before the council, she would do it on her own feet.

When she stepped into the corridor, the guards stiffened instantly.

They looked at her differently now, with caution.

The great council hall was carved into the heart of the mountain, its ceiling lost in shadow. Massive stone pillars lined the room, each etched with ancient pack symbols—oaths older than kingdoms. At the center burned a circular fire pit, its flames unnatural blue.

The council had already gathered.

Seraphina counted them as she entered.

Seven.

Seven Alphas, each radiating power in their own way. Some sat back with cold interest, others leaned forward openly, their gazes sharp and invasive.

And at the head—

Darius Nightfang stood alone.

He wore black again, but this time it was armor disguised as elegance. His presence anchored the room, a gravity well everything else seemed to orbit. When he glanced at her, just briefly, she felt that strange tightening in her chest again.

The bond stirred.

He noticed.

His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

“Bring the bride forward,” an elder Alpha commanded.

Seraphina walked.

Each step echoed too loudly in the cavernous space. She kept her chin lifted, her shoulders squared, even as her heart beat a frantic rhythm against her ribs.

This was not fear, she told herself.

This was survival.

“She’s small,” one Alpha remarked aloud, his eyes glinting silver. “Hardly looks capable of surviving a season in the North.”

“Appearances deceive,” another replied coolly.

Darius said nothing.

That was worse.

The lead council elder rose, his presence heavy with authority. “Seraphina Ashlyn,” he intoned. “You stand before the Alpha Council as the legally contracted bride of Darius Nightfang. Do you understand the gravity of this position?”

Seraphina met his gaze. “I understand that my life is no longer my own.”

A ripple of amusement passed through the chamber.

“Honest,” the elder mused. “Rare in humans.”

Darius’s eyes flicked to her sharply at that word.

Human.

The elder gestured, and a blade was brought forth—long, thin, gleaming with runes along its edge.

Seraphina’s breath caught.

“This is a verification ritual,” the elder explained. “A simple test to confirm the validity of the contract.”

Darius stiffened. “That won’t be necessary.”

The elder raised a brow. “You doubt our laws now, Nightfang?”

“I doubt your restraint,” Darius replied coldly.

The air thickened instantly, Alpha pressure clashing like unseen storms.

Seraphina stepped forward before she could think better of it.

“I’ll do it,” she said.

Every eye snapped to her.

Darius turned sharply. “You don’t know what it involves.”

“I know what refusing would look like,” she replied quietly. “And I won’t be your weakness.”

For a long moment, he stared at her.

Something dangerous flickered behind his eyes—not anger.

“Very well,” the elder said. “Blood recognizes blood.”

The blade was offered.

Seraphina took it.

The metal was cold, humming faintly beneath her fingers, as if aware of her presence. She hesitated only a second before drawing it across her palm.

Pain bloomed sharp and clean.

A single drop of blood fell onto the stone.

The reaction was immediate.

The runes along the blade flared violently, burning gold, then crimson. The blue fire in the pit roared upward, changing color—deepening, darkening—until it turned silver-white.

The council exploded into motion.

“What is that?” one Alpha demanded.

“That’s not human blood,” another growled.

Darius moved instantly, stepping in front of Seraphina, his body a shield.

The floor beneath them shuddered.

Seraphina gasped as heat surged through her veins, stronger than before. Symbols flared briefly beneath her skin—too fast to fully see, but unmistakably there.

The elder’s face had gone pale.

“Impossible,” he whispered. “That bloodline was erased.”

Darius turned slowly. “What bloodline?”

The elder hesitated.

Seraphina felt the bond pull tight, urging her closer to Darius, anchoring her to him like gravity itself.

“She is Luna-born,” the elder said at last. “Not a pack Luna. Something older.”

The room erupted.

“That line was destroyed for a reason!”

“They could command Alphas—”

“They nearly broke the world—”

Darius’s voice cut through the chaos like a blade.

“Enough.”

Silence slammed down instantly.

He looked at the elder, eyes burning. “Explain. Now.”

The elder swallowed. “The Luna-born were not mates,” he said slowly. “They were balance. Power incarnate. They could stabilize—or dominate—the strongest Alphas.”

Seraphina’s knees weakened.

She grabbed Darius’s arm without thinking.

He did not shake her off.

“You’re saying my contract bride is a myth,” Darius said dangerously. “A relic you thought extinct.”

“Yes,” the elder replied. “And if the packs learn this—”

“They already will,” Darius said. “You felt the shift. So did they.”

As if summoned by his words, a distant howl echoed through the mountain.

Then another.

And another.

The packs were restless.

“Hear this,” the elder said sharply. “The contract must be annulled. She is too dangerous.”

Seraphina’s chest tightened painfully.

Annulled.

So easily. As if she were not standing there, bleeding, shaking, alive.

Darius laughed.

It was not kind.

“You don’t get to undo what you forced,” he said. “She is under my protection.”

“Protection?” an Alpha scoffed. “Or possession?”

Darius did not deny it.

“She is mine,” he said again, his voice echoing with finality. “And any pack that touches her answers to me.”

The elder’s eyes narrowed. “You would risk war?”

“Yes,” Darius said without hesitation.

Seraphina stared up at him, stunned.

He did not look at her.

He was choosing her anyway.

The elder exhaled slowly. “Then hear the council’s judgment.”

The flames dimmed.

“The contract stands,” he declared. “But the bride will be watched. Closely.”

Seraphina felt something loosen in her chest—only to tighten again as the implications settled in.

Watched meant hunted.

The council dismissed them shortly after, the Alphas departing with dark looks and whispered threats.

As soon as they were alone in the corridor, Darius turned on her.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” he demanded in a low snarl.

She flinched—but did not step back. “I did what I had to.”

“You bled in front of them.”

“They would’ve found out eventually,” she shot back. “At least now it’s on your terms.”

He stared at her for a long moment, breathing hard.

Finally, he dragged a hand through his hair.

“You’re not just a contract bride,” he said grimly. “You’re a declaration of war.”

Seraphina swallowed. “And you still want me?”

The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Darius froze.

Slowly, he reached out and lifted her bleeding hand, examining the wound with surprising gentleness. His touch sent warmth spiraling through her veins, but this time it didn’t burn.

It steadied.

“I don’t want you,” he said quietly.

Her heart sank.

“I need you,” he continued. “And that is far more dangerous.”

He met her gaze, eyes dark and unflinching.

“From this moment on,” Darius said, “you do not leave my side. You sleep under my roof. You walk under my name.”

She nodded, pulse racing.

“Good,” he murmured. “Because the packs won’t wait.”

A distant howl split the night again—closer this time.

Darius turned toward the sound, a grim smile curving his lips.

“Welcome to your marriage, Seraphina,” he said. “They’ve come to test it.”

And for the first time since signing the contract, Seraphina realized the truth—

Surviving Darius Nightfang had been the easy part.