chapter 1

Talis’s POV

The moon’s cold kiss grazes my bare knees as they sink into the damp earth, my heart pounding like a war drum in my chest. I’m kneeling in a forest clearing, surrounded by the Blackshaw pack, my new mate’s piercing iceblue eyes pinning me from across the circle. Dayne Blackshaw, my stepbrother and the ruthless alpha I’m now bound to, watches me with a hunger that makes my wolf stir, a forbidden spark igniting where fear and fury collide.

The mating ceremony is a blur of ritual and tension. My uncle Glynn, his cruel smile cutting through the night, stands at the edge, his presence a reminder of the years he beat me into submission, convincing me my wolf was weak. I’m supposed to be a submissive, the lowest in any pack, yet Dayne’s gaze feels like a challenge, daring me to rise. My silk robe clings to my skin, the only barrier between me and the pack’s scrutiny. I want to run, to hide, but there’s no escaping this bond, this man, or the secrets I’ve buried deep.

“Stand, Talis,” Dayne’s voice rumbles, low and commanding, slicing through the murmurs of the pack.

I force myself to my feet, my legs trembling, not from fear but from the electric pull of his presence. Our stepsibling bond, formed when our packs allied years ago, makes this mating forbidden, a scandal whispered about in shadowed corners. He steps closer, his dark beard framing a jaw that could cut glass, and I hate how my body responds, betraying me with a flush of heat.

“You’re mine now,” he says, his voice a growl that sends shivers down my spine. “No running.”

I clench my fists, nails biting into my palms. “I’m not yours,” I snap, my voice sharper than I intend, drawing gasps from the pack. Defying an alpha is suicide, especially one with Dayne’s reputation rumored to have slaughtered his own family. Yet, something in his eyes, a flicker of silver, tells me he’s not just the monster they say.

Glynn steps forward, his dark eyes gleaming with malice. “She needs a firm hand, Blackshaw. Don’t let her disrespect you.”

My stomach twists at his words, memories of his fists and cruel taunts threatening to surface. I shove them down, focusing on Dayne’s unreadable face. He doesn’t acknowledge Glynn, but his hand shoots out, grabbing my wrist, pulling me against his hard chest. The contact is a jolt, my wolf howling inside, torn between submission and a strange, defiant urge to push back.

“Don’t,” I whisper, my voice barely audible, but he hears it. His grip tightens, not painful but possessive, and I hate the part of me that doesn’t want him to let go.

The pack shifts, their eyes on us, waiting for the ritual bite that will seal our bond. Dayne leans in, his breath hot against my neck, and I brace for the pain. Instead, his lips brush my skin, a soft tease that makes my knees buckle. Then, sharp teeth sink into my flesh, and I gasp, the pain mingling with a rush of heat that’s anything but submissive. My wolf surges, her silverblue eyes flashing in my mind, a secret I’ve kept locked away since Glynn convinced me I was nothing.

As Dayne pulls back, blood on his lips, his eyes lock onto mine, and I see it as recognition. He knows. My heart stops. He knows I’m not just a submissive, that there’s an alpha buried inside me, caged by years of abuse. The pack murmurs, sensing the shift, but before I can process it, a shadow moves in the trees beyond the clearing. A wolf, its scent unfamiliar, watches us, its eyes glinting with intent.

“Who’s that?” I blurt, my voice cutting through the silence, drawing Dayne’s attention to the trees.

His head snaps up, his body tensing. “Stay here,” he growls, releasing me and striding toward the forest, the pack parting for him.

Glynn’s laugh is cold, slicing through the tension. “Always causing trouble, Talis. You’ll never change.”

I whirl on him, my wolf snarling, but before I can speak, a woman steps into the circletall, blonde, with a confident stride. Savannah. I’ve heard of her, the pack member who’s too close to Dayne, her scent lingering on the clothes in his room. My wolf growls, jealousy flaring, and I realize this mating is more complicated than I thought.

“Dayne,” Savannah calls, her voice smooth, ignoring me. “We need to talk. Now.”

He pauses at the tree line, glancing back, his eyes flicking between us. My chest tightens, the bond between us straining under her presence. The mysterious wolf vanishes into the shadows, but its scent lingers, a threat I can’t ignore. As Dayne hesitates, I know this is only the beginning of the storm we’re about to face.

I’m in Dayne’s truck, the leather seat cold against my thighs, the silence between us heavier than the Colorado night. We’re driving to the Blackshaw pack’s farmhouse, my new home, after the ceremony. My neck throbs where he bit me, the mate bond pulsing like a live wire. I want to hate him, this coldblooded alpha who’s now my stepbrother and mate, but my body hums with his proximity, betraying me again.

“You’re quiet,” Dayne says, his voice low, his fingers tapping the steering wheel to a rock song I don’t know.

I glare at the dashboard, avoiding his eyes. “What do you expect? You just claimed me in front of everyone, and now Savannah’s acting like she owns you.”

His lips twitch, almost a smirk. “Jealous already, Talis?”

My cheeks burn, but I don’t deny it. “She’s got no right. And that wolf in the woodswhat was that?”

He doesn’t answer, his jaw tightening. The silence stretches, and I realize he’s hiding something. My wolf stirs, sensing danger, but also something else: his scent, cedar and musk, pulling me closer despite my anger.

“Answer me,” I demand, my voice sharper, surprising even myself.

Dayne glances at me, his eyes flashing silver. “You don’t give orders, little wolf.”

The nickname stings, reminding me of Glynn’s taunts, but there’s a heat in his gaze that makes my pulse race. I lean closer, defiant. “Maybe I should start.”

He laughs, a low, dangerous sound, and pulls the truck over to the side of the dirt road. Before I can react, he’s out of his seat, rounding the truck, and yanking my door open. His hand wraps around my arm, pulling me out, and I stumble into him, our bodies pressed together in the moonlight.

“You want to challenge me?” he growls, his face inches from mine, his breath warm on my lips.

My heart hammers, fear and desire warring inside me. “Maybe I do,” I whisper, my voice trembling but firm.

His eyes narrow, and for a moment, I think he’ll kiss me or kill me. Instead, he releases me, stepping back. “Get back in the truck. We’re not done.”

As I climb back in, my wolf howls, sensing the truth he’s not saying. That wolf in the woods wasn’t random. It’s connected to Glynn, to me, and Dayne knows more than he’s letting on. The mate bond burns, pulling me to him, but the secrets between usand Savannah’s shadowpromise a fight I’m not sure I can win.