Chapter 3

Tamara’s POV

The ringing from my faint still echoed in my skull as Tati’s brush glided through my hair, steadying me while she fussed over how important today was for me.

I blinked, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My voice came out hoarse. “Tati… can I ask you something?

“Of course, dear. What more do you want to know?” she affirmed warmly, carefully brushing through my full thick long brown hair, its luscious strands relaxing past my shoulders.

“I’d only seen him once, just a glance before my… you know.” My hand brushed the scar on my shoulder, memories flooding back. “I didn’t even know his name. But at the hospital, half-conscious, I remember calling out for him. Percy. How?”

Her comb stilled. Her eyes flicked up, sharp and knowing. “The bond doesn’t wait for introductions. Your wolf sensed him the instant your paths crossed his name etched itself into you before words could.”

“What about in the alley?” Our stares met in the mirror. “How did they find me? I was half-conscious. I don’t even remember leaving the hospital… and–” My voice dropped to a whisper, shame rushing through me. “My sister.”

She gave the last few brushes, her tone firm. “The bond dragged him to you. Even fading, even broken, that tether yanked Percy straight to where you lay.”

I pressed my hand against my chest, as if I could smother the fire burning there. “It hurts. Every time he looks away, it feels like I’m being torn apart.”

Tati leaned closer, whispering. “Your wolf nature claws to be seen. You can’t run from it. They’ll judge you, they’ll despise you, but you can’t let them see weakness. Even beauty can be defiance.”

My lips trembled. “What if he doesn’t see me at all? What if Percy looks at me and sees nothing?”

Her gaze hardened. “He will see you. The question is whether he admits it.”

“I just want to go home. My sister will be worried sick. But… will I ever be normal again? Why does a part of me feel comfortable here?” A sigh escaped me.

She pulled me up, turning me to face her. “You’re wolf-blooded now. Normal life is gone. You must choose who you want to be, cling to the past, or step into the future. Safety no longer exists for you outside these walls.” Her eyes bored into mine. “The council is waiting. Meet them in the chamber.”

I looked back at my reflection: my bangs nearly covering forest‑green eyes, strapless silk dress draping to my toes. “Is this it? What are you doing, Tamara?” I scolded myself inwardly. “Three days ago, I was just a girl fresh out of college, rejected by jobs, rejected by life. Now I’m bitten, bound, and haunted by someone I barely know.” A half‑laugh escaped me. “Oh Lord, my sister will kill me. And if I return home, who would believe me?”

Tilting my chin, I steadied my breath. Masking the fear bubbling in my stomach, I stepped out. Each step felt like a question fate refused to answer.

Percy’s POV

Being Alpha meant control. Without it, the pack unraveled. Every command, every decision had to be firm, even when the pack resisted. My life had been orderly, predictable, until her. The human who threatened my heart.

Today, I would announce my decision before the pack and the council. My choice would be final.

“Alpha, the council is gathered. They await you,” Alex informed, his sharp eyes glinting with calm assurance.

I crushed the last drag of my cigar beneath my shoe. “What about the human?”

“She’s ready, sir.” His tone was smooth, respectful.

I raised a brow. “Is there something amusing about this situation, Alex?” My voice was cold, commanding.

“Oh, nothing, Alpha. Only that the pack has noticed how the human unsettles you. They wait eagerly for your decision, and I have no doubt you’ll choose what’s best for us all.”

I held his stare, unamused. “Leave, Alex.”

He bowed slightly. “Yes, Alpha.”

I watched Alex leave, the door closing with a quiet finality. The weight of my decision pressed heavier with each step I took. Straightening my shoulders, I turned toward the council hall, the place where tradition awaited, where every Alpha’s word became law.

The hall was carved from stone and timber, its roof slightly open so moonlight spilled through, reflecting the forest canopy above. Pack members sat in a crescent, leaving a clear path down the center. At the far end, three veiled women waited the council. Their bodies were draped in black, faces hidden, eyes never seen. They were Keepers of Tradition, witnesses to the Alpha’s decree.

I walked to the elevation, cold and calculating.

Tamara’s steps echoed as she entered. The chamber stilled. My gaze met hers and faltered. For a heartbeat, my chest tightened. Her full hair framed her face, her silk dress flowing. Beautiful. Painful. The tether seared me. I let out a sharp breath I hadn’t meant to.

Our stares collided. The bond flared. She felt seen, claimed, even without words.

One of the veiled women spoke, her voice low and resonant:

“Alpha, the bond has been revealed. The bitten stands before you. By law, you must speak. Do you claim her as your Luna, or cast her aside?”

Her heartbeat quickened. Tears shimmered in her eyes. She whispered, fragile, “Percy…”

The sound of my name from her lips cut deeper than I wanted. My jaw tightened. I wrenched my eyes away, then back again, dragged by the tether. For a moment, I saw her, not a burden, but something achingly beautiful.

Her gaze pleaded silently: Don’t turn away. I feel it. You do too.

The chamber was silent.

My chest rose sharply. My mask slipped for a heartbeat. Then I crushed it. My voice came out like steel.

“She is nothing to me. She belongs nowhere.”

A tear slid down her cheek. She pinned me with her stare, desperate. “Percy… please. I don’t want to be alone. I don’t want this pain.”

My attention lingered, betraying me. For a moment, the tether pulling, the bond burning. But I crushed it again, louder, final:

“She is rejected!.”

The council bowed their veiled heads, sealing the ritual. No protest, no power to change it, only witnesses to the Alpha’s decree.

Tamara staggered back, confusion and heartbreak etched across her face. Tears fell freely, her stare still fixed on me even as I refused to meet it. A faint growl rumbled in her throat, raw and unbidden.

Silence choked the hall, breaths held like frozen mist. Then Alex’s boots scraped forward, voice slicing the hush. “A hard choice, Alpha… but strength is never gentle. It demands sacrifice. The pack will remember this.”

And then the ancient Moonstone at the council’s altar split with a deafening crack, its glow spilling across the floor. Gasps erupted from the pack a sign no wolf had witnessed in generations.