Chapter 3

I didn’t sleep a wink.

Every time I closed my eyes, I felt him again—his scent, his voice, the heat of his breath against my skin. Liam. The rogue who claimed to be my mate. The one the Moon Goddess bound me to without warning. I tossed and turned, trying to ignore the flutter in my stomach, the ache in my chest, and the anger clouding my thoughts.

I hated that he had power over me.

Morning light slipped through the sheer curtains of my bedroom. I sat up slowly, brushing tangled strands of hair from my face. A light drizzle tapped against the window. Fitting. The sky seemed just as stormy as my thoughts.

I dragged myself out of bed and got dressed in a fitted black turtleneck and leather pants. No Alpha should look shaken, no matter what chaos raged inside. I had appearances to keep, respect to maintain.

Downstairs, I found my Beta, Maren, already waiting with a clipboard in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other. She raised a brow when she saw me.

“You look like you fought a battle in your dreams,” she said, handing me the coffee.

“I did,” I muttered, taking a sip. “He’s still here, isn’t he?”

“In the cells,” Maren confirmed, her tone cautious. “He hasn’t tried anything. Just sits there. Quiet. Watching.”

That made my stomach twist. Why was he so calm? Rogues were usually desperate—filthy, broken, snarling things that barely remembered what it meant to be part of a pack. But not him. Liam had walked in like he belonged here, like he was ready for a throne I never offered.

“Has anyone reported his scent?” I asked.

“No. He doesn’t smell like a rogue,” Maren said. “That’s the weird part.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Keep that to yourself. No rumors. Not yet.”

She nodded. “What are you going to do?”

What could I do?

I didn’t answer her. I simply turned and made my way to the holding cells.

The packhouse dungeons were cold, damp, and miserable—built that way on purpose. As I descended the narrow staircase, the scent hit me before I even saw him. Earth and smoke. The kind of scent that got under your skin, made you want to breathe it in even when your brain screamed no.

I hated it.

He sat in the far corner of the cell, back against the wall, legs stretched out in front of him. His shirt was torn from yesterday’s scuffle, and a cut on his brow had scabbed over. Yet he looked annoyingly composed, like this was just another day for him.

“You didn’t run,” I said, arms crossed.

Liam lifted his head. His eyes locked with mine, deep and unreadable.

“I said I wouldn’t.”

I stepped closer to the bars. “So you expect me to believe a rogue just happens to show up at my border the same day my wolf chooses him as her mate?”

“I didn’t know who you were until I saw you,” he said calmly. “I only knew I was being pulled here. I followed the bond.”

I clenched my jaw. “That bond is a curse.”

His gaze flickered, and something dark passed behind his eyes. “Is that what you really think?”

I hesitated.

My wolf stirred again, whining softly, but I shoved her down.

“You’re a stranger. You don’t belong here.”

He rose slowly to his feet, walking toward the bars until only inches separated us. My breath caught before I could stop it.

“Then reject me,” he said softly.

“What?” My voice cracked.

“Reject me. Right here. Right now. Say the words, and I’ll walk away.”

I stared at him, heart pounding. My wolf howled in protest, and my lips parted—but no words came. I couldn’t do it.

Coward.

He tilted his head, studying me. “You can’t, can you?”

I stepped back, furious with him, with the bond, with myself. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

“I’m not,” he said. “I’m just trying to understand why an Alpha like you, who clearly hates being told what to do, hasn’t already cut the tie.”

I turned on my heel. “Enjoy your stay. You won’t be in there long.”

By the time I left the dungeons, the rain had picked up, falling in thick sheets. I stood at the back entrance of the packhouse, watching the training grounds through the downpour. Pack members were gathered, their sparring matches soaked and gritty. But my mind wasn’t on training.

It was on him.

Why hadn’t I rejected him? I could’ve ended it right there. No ties. No weakness.

But I’d felt it—the moment he challenged me with those words. Part of me wanted to say them, to break free. The other part… the deeper, dangerous part… wanted to reach through the bars and touch him.

Claim him.

“Selene.”

I turned to see my mother, Luna Amara, walking toward me. She carried herself like royalty, even in the rain. Her silver hair was tied back, and her pale eyes studied me with quiet wisdom.

“I heard about the rogue,” she said.

“Of course you did,” I muttered.

She smiled faintly. “Nothing stays secret long in a pack. Especially not the scent of a bond.”

I sighed. “So what now? You think I should welcome him with open arms?”

“I think you should listen to your instincts,” she replied. “You’re strong, Selene. But strength without vulnerability becomes bitterness. You don’t have to choose yet. But don’t shut the door out of fear.”

Fear.

That word made me bristle. I wasn’t afraid. I was—

Uncertain.

Angry.

Drawn to him in a way that made no sense.

“I don’t trust him,” I said.

“Good. You shouldn’t. Not yet.” She touched my shoulder. “But don’t punish yourself for feeling what you feel. The Moon Goddess doesn’t make mistakes, even if her timing is cruel.”

That night, the storm worsened. Thunder shook the sky, and wind howled through the trees. I couldn’t sleep again. My wolf was restless, pacing, pulling at my control. I finally gave in and slipped into the night, shifting beneath the trees and racing into the forest to clear my head.

The rain soaked my fur, but I didn’t care. I ran until my paws ached and my lungs burned. Only when I stopped at the edge of the river did I shift back to human form, collapsing onto the wet grass.

I didn’t hear him approach.

“You run like you’re trying to escape yourself,” Liam’s voice said from behind me.

I turned sharply, covering myself with my arms, though the rain had already made me slick and bare.

He tossed me a long cloak. “I won’t look.”

I hesitated, then pulled it over me. “You escaped.”

“The guards let me go. Your mother’s orders.”

I blinked. “She what?”

“She thinks I deserve a chance.”

I cursed under my breath.

“I don’t want to cause trouble, Selene,” he said quietly. “I just want to understand what this is. I want to know you.”

I stared at him—this rogue who didn’t act like a rogue. Who spoke with patience, not pride. Who looked at me not like I was his Alpha, but like I was his equal.

That scared me more than anything else.

“I don’t know who you are,” I said.

“Then let me stay,” he replied. “Let me prove it.”

For the first time, I didn’t say no.