CHAPTER 11

Raithe The great hall of Silver Shadow was warm, loud, and far too full of people. Wolves talked, laughed, clattered plates, and greeted us with the sort of polished hospitality packs liked to flaunt during alliance gatherings. I sat at the long central table beside Alpha Thorn, a position meant to honour me as a visiting alpha. Instead, it felt like a spotlight I never asked for. My wolf was pacing so aggressively beneath my skin he might’ve worn a groove into my ribs. Again, I thought irritably, shifting in my seat. We are not under threat. Calm down. He didn’t. Ever since arriving yesterday, a strange current had been coursing through me—mild at first, then growing sharper with every passing hour. The forest, the pack grounds, the pack house… all of it kept tugging at the edge of my awareness like a constant whisper I couldn’t decipher. Tonight it was worse. Tonight it felt personal. Dax leaned close, voice low but amused. “You’re vibrating.” “I’m not,” I mutter

Last Updated : 2025-12-20

CHAPTER 12

AINSLEY I woke up before dawn. Not the gentle kind of waking where your mind wanders itself into consciousness. No—this felt like being yanked out of sleep by a hand wrapped around my sternum. My wolf was already pacing. It’s today, she whispered, more alert than I’d ever felt her. Tonight we know. I rubbed my face, sitting up slowly as nerves and excitement tangled in my chest. Today was my birthday. Today was the ceremony. Tonight, at the stroke of midnight, I would know who my mate was. If I had one. If he was here. If he cared about who I was, not who the world thought a Luna should be. I swallowed the knot forming in my throat and forced myself out of bed. The pack house was buzzing with early activity—kitchen staff prepping food, warriors loading last-minute supplies, omegas finishing decorations. Hushed whispers of “The guests will be arriving soon” drifted around me. Breathe, I told myself. Everything will be fine. Except it didn’t feel fine. Ever since yesterday’s

Last Updated : 2025-12-23

CHAPTER 13

By the time afternoon sunlight slanted through my bedroom windows, the pack house was in full celebration mode. Laughter echoed through hallways, kitchens bustled with nonstop activity, and the air outside shimmered with the energy of dozens of visiting wolves arriving at once. It felt like the whole world was humming. I wished it would shut up—for just a minute—so I could breathe. Today was supposed to be exciting. Monumental. One of the most important days of my life. But all I felt was pressure. A ticking clock behind my ribs. A thousand expectations clinging to my shoulders like heavy fabric. And under all of it… That pull. That unexplainable awareness that kept brushing my senses whenever he was near. Raithe. The Blood Moon Alpha. The one man I absolutely refused to be drawn to—not until the Moon declared anything real. Focus, my wolf reminded, nudging. Tonight is ours. I exhaled shakily and forced myself to concentrate on the present. My mother stepped into my room c

Last Updated : 2025-12-23

CHAPTER 14

AINSLEY The festival lights strung between the pines glow like captured stars, swaying gently with the evening breeze. The courtyard buzzes with music and laughter, the scent of roasted meat and sweetberry wine thick in the air. My heart thrums in my chest—not from nerves about the spotlight or the ceremony—but from… something else. Something tugging at me. My wolf is pacing again, too alert, too sharp. He’s here. She’s been saying it all night, a low hum of anticipation. Who? I snap back. But she only growls softly, satisfied and impossible. I smooth my palms over my dress—a deep twilight-blue that glitters when I move—trying to force my breathing into something normal as guests mingle around us. My mother fusses over last-minute arrangements, my father stands speaking with other alphas, radiating calm authority. Me? I’m gripping a cup of sparkling cider like it’s a lifeline. “Relax,” my best friend Lyra murmurs at my side, bumping her shoulder into mine. “You look like you’

Last Updated : 2025-12-24

CHAPTER 15

AINSLEY The moon is high—so bright it looks carved from polished bone—as the ceremony circle fills with warm golden torchlight. My hands tremble slightly as Lyra helps adjust the silver clasp on my cloak. “You ready?” she whispers. No. Yes. Maybe. My wolf is practically vibrating, pacing behind my ribs like she’s waiting for gates to be thrown open. He’s close, she breathes. I swallow. “Who?” You’ll know soon. Not helpful. The music dwindles, replaced by the low, steady beat of ceremonial drums. Pack members gather around the circle in rows—my family at the front, the visiting alphas forming a half-ring opposite them. And there—slightly to the right—Raithe. Tall. Silent. Watching. Not obviously, not intensely. Just… present. But every time our eyes accidentally meet, something inside me jolts like a struck chord. I step forward when my father gestures. The crowd quiets. The torches flicker. The forest seems to lean closer. “Tonight,” Alpha Thorn begins, voice carrying,

Last Updated : 2025-12-24

CHAPTER 16

For a long moment after the bond snaps into place, I can’t hear anything except the thundering of my own heartbeat. The cheering, the whispers, the rustle of clothes and movement around us—they all fade into a blur. All I can feel is him. A warm, fierce pressure against my chest, like my soul is leaning forward toward his. My wolf is absolutely losing her mind. MATE. OUR MATE. OURS, OURS— She’s practically somersaulting in circles. I’m… shaking. Not out of fear. Not even out of shock. Because the moment our eyes locked after midnight—really locked—I felt something crack open inside me. Something deep and quiet that I hadn’t known was waiting. And now he’s standing two feet away, looking at me like I’ve just rewritten his entire world. Raithe. Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. Ruthless, feared, battle-scarred, half-whispered-about Raithe. My mate. Goddess help me. He takes a slow step closer, careful, controlled, as if he’s afraid I’ll bolt. His voice is low, rough around t

Last Updated : 2025-12-24

All Chapters of Moon-Marked and Mated: Chapter 11 - Chapter 16

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16