C6

My jaw tightened as Riven pulled Calista back into his arms, his raw, cedarwood-scent flaring with a dark, possessive need that made my inner wolf whimper in betrayal.

"How could you do this to me?" Calista sobbed, her claws digging into his leather-clad chest as she searched his silver-gray eyes for the mate-bond they once shared. "You swore we would rule this territory together!"

"It just happened, Calista," Riven muttered, his deep voice carrying a low, rough edge of guilt, though his arms remained locked around her waist.

A tiny gasp of agony cut through the heavy silence of the office, making my ears twitch.

I was sitting on the cold stone floor by the iron-bound display table, my head spinning so violently I could barely keep my eyes open.

My mother, Orielle, didn't even look in my direction as she stroked Calista’s hair, whispering soothing words to her favorite daughter while completely ignoring my bleeding temple.

With trembling fingers, I pressed a piece of rough linen against my forehead, watching the fabric turn a deep, dark crimson that felt like a physical manifestation of my ruined pack standing.

"Riven, let me go," Calista whimpered, but her fingers remained wrapped in his tunic as she glared down at me like I was a rogue invader.

"Enough," Riven growled suddenly, his wolf finally surfacing as he yanked himself out of Calista's hold and strode toward me.

He knelt on the stone floor, his massive hands hovering over my face. "Let me see the wound, Axista."

I forced a weak, bitter smile onto my lips. "Does it look like I need Pack Healer Varek to stitch me up, Alpha?"

"Do not speak to me like that," he commanded, his silver eyes flashing gold as he gently pulled the bloody linen away to inspect the deep gash on my hairline where Calista’s half-shifted shove had sent me flying.

"Riven, she is perfectly fine," Calista snapped, her voice dripping with venom. "She did this on purpose to steal you from me."

"She is bleeding from her skull, Calista!" Riven barked, his dominant alpha tone making both my sister and mother flinch in shock.

"She is an unshifted, weak-blooded she-wolf, Riven," Orielle sneered, her eyes cold as she stared at me. "She has always been a parasite in this family, and now she has stolen her sister's fated mate."

I tried to push myself up against the stone wall, but my vision went entirely black for a second, my wolf whining in sheer exhaustion.

Riven didn't wait for another word from my mother; he slid one massive arm under my knees and the other behind my back, lifting me bridal style into his powerful chest.

"Where are you taking her?" Calista shrieked, stepping forward to block the heavy timber door. "We have to finalize our pack contract!"

"The mate-bond is already sealed at the Moon Oath Sanctum, Calista," Riven growled, his scent turning harsh and warning. "Step aside before my wolf forces you to."

The scent of crushed mountain herbs and sterile silver-wash filled the private healing chamber of the Ironmoon Keep as Pack Healer Varek finished tying the last thread on my forehead.

"You need to speak to your family, Riven," I muttered, my voice raspy as the healing draught began to make my limbs feel heavy and warm. "They are going to hunt me down."

"Let them try," Riven growled, pacing the stone floor of the chamber like a caged beast.

"I mean it," I said, my head throbbing with every beat of my racing heart. "They will strip me of my status at the Silver Pelt Atelier, and I will have no pack resources to live on."

"You do not need their pity or their gold," he said, stopping at the edge of my cot. "You are my Luna now."

"A Luna of convenience," I spat out, my wolf roaring in anger at the reminder of how he had used me to punish Calista. "You do not want me. You wanted her."

"The pack laws are clear, Axista," he said, his voice dropping to a low, possessive rumble that made my core tighten despite my anger. "The blood oath cannot be broken for six months without risking a territory war."

"Then let us endure the six months," I whispered, closing my eyes as the darkness of the healing draft pulled me under. "And then, you can give me my freedom."

"We will see about that," Riven murmured, his warm, calloused fingers brushing against my jawline just before my mind drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When I finally opened my eyes, the silver moonlight was streaming through the iron-grated window of a massive, master-den.

"Where am I?" I whispered, my throat dry as I tried to sit up, only to feel a sharp ache between my thighs that made my breath catch.

"My personal chambers," Riven’s deep voice rumbled from the shadows near the hearth. "How is your head?"

"My head hurts," I admitted, pulling the heavy wolf-furs tighter around my bare shoulders as I realized I was wearing nothing but a soft linen shift. "And my body is incredibly sore from last night."

A low, dark chuckle vibrated in his chest as he stepped into the moonlight, his massive, shirtless frame covered in silver runic scars. "That tends to happen when an Alpha claims his mate for the first time."

"Do not remind me," I gasped, my cheeks flushing hot as the memory of his thick, throbbing knot stretching me open flooded my mind. "I was a virgin, Riven. You didn't have to be so brutal."

"I am an Alpha, Axista," he whispered, leaning over the bed until his hot breath brushed against my lips, his scent of pine and wild musk driving my inner wolf insane with breeding urges. "And you are mine for the next six months."

"Your family will never accept this," I whispered, trying to ignore the way my core was already turning wet under his intense, predatory gaze. "Lady Velastra and Lord Emeric will want my head."

"My parents are already aware of our mating," Riven said, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath hitch. "And they are arriving at the Keep by sunrise."