Chapter 1

Kieran's POV

The battlefield reeked of blood and burning flesh. Smoke curled in the night air, thick with the metallic scent of war.

Beneath my boots, the ground was slick with the aftermath of the battle - wolves, both in human and beast form, lay motionless, some barely clinging life.

I rolled my shoulders, my muscles still tense from the fight. Another victory, another step towards crushing Darius Nightshade's forces.

But this war was far from over.

Finn, my Beta, approached from the treeline, his sharp gaze sweeping over the bodies. "They fought harder this time."

"They're getting desperate," I muttered.

Darius wouldn't stop sending his soldiers until my entire pack was burned to the ground.

But he underestimated me. He always had.

Finn crouched beside an injured rogue, his voice low. "This one's still breathing."

I stepped forward, towering over the barely conscious wolf. He reeked of Darius's pack, his eyes wild with pain.

"Where is he?" I asked, voice calm but cold.

The rogue spat out blood onto the dirt, giving me a weak smirk. "You think... you've won?"

I knelt beside him, grabbing his throat in a steel grip. "Where. Is. He?"

He coughed, laughing even as he choked. "You'll never see it coming."

I bared my teeth, my wolf snarling beneath my skin.

I could snap his neck in a heartbeat, but I didn't need to. The light in his eyes faded before I could even make the choice.

Dead.

Finn exhaled sharply. "That's the third one today who's hinted at something bigger."

I stood, shaking off the frustration burning through me. "Then we prepare for it."

Finn nodded, but his expression remained grim. "And there's something else."

I turned to him.

His jaw tightened. "Your mate. She's here."

Everything in me stilled.

For years, I had wondered who the Moon Goddess had chosen for me.

Wondered if she'd be strong enough to stand beside me, to rule beside me.

And now... she was here?

"Where?" My voice was low, unreadable.

Finn hesitated before answering. "At the border."

I didn't waste another second.

The moment I stepped into the clearing, my world shifted.

Selene Everhart stood there, moonlight casting a silver glow on her dark hair.

She was beautiful - fierce, with sharp eyes that should have softened at the sight of me. But they didn't.

She was staring at me like I was the enemy.

My wolf growled in protest. She was mine. The bond between us pulsed, undeniable.

I took a step forward, expecting to feel the pull that mates were supposed to have, expecting her to come to me.

Instead, she took a step back.

"I reject you, Kieran Blackwood."

The words hit like a blade to the chest.

For the first time in my life, I felt the sharp sting of disbelief. "What did you just say?"

Selene's chin lifted, defiance flashing in her eyes. "I said I reject you. I don't want this bond."

A cold, dangerous silence stretched between us. My wolf snarled in fury, clawing to take control, to force her to submit. But I kept it leashed.

"You don't have a choice." My voice was quiet, but it carried weight.

Selene exhaled, her expression unreadable. "I always have a choice."

I should've been furious. Should've accepted her rejection and let her walk away. But instead, something in me snapped into focus.

She thought she could deny fate. Thought she could walk away from me like it was that simple.

She was wrong.

I took another step closer, my presence towering over hers.

"You think rejecting me will free you?" My voice dropped lower, a challenge. "It won't."

Her breath hitched, but she didn't back down. "Watch me."

And then, before I could stop her, she turned and disappeared into the night.

Finn was waiting when I returned to the pack house, his expression unreadable. "How'd it go?"

I clenched my jaw. "She rejected me."

Finn's eyebrows shot up, but he didn't look surprised. "And you let her?"

A slow, predatory smirk curved my lips.

"She thinks it's that easy." I exhaled, shaking my head. "It's not."

Finn's eyes glinted with amusement. "So what now?"

I looked out into the darkened woods, where my mate had vanished into the night.

"Now?" My voice was laced with determination. "Now, the real hunt begins."