Chapter 1 Eyes in the Dark

The chamber was dark except for the glow of moonlight spilling through tall windows. Rhea lay on the edge of the bed, her body tense, her breath shallow. She hated the way the walls closed in, hated the weight of the heavy curtains that trapped the air.

But most of all, she hated the man stretched out behind her.

Alpha Dorian Creed. Her mate in name, not in bond.

His hand rested lazily on her waist, his touch claiming what her heart never gave. To the pack, they were perfect-Alpha and Luna, chosen to rule together. But the truth pressed like chains against her skin. She had never wanted him. Never chosen him.

She closed her eyes, trying to stop the tremor that shook through her. She had learned how to hide fear, but she couldn't silence it. Not here. Not with him so close.

"You're restless tonight," Dorian murmured, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. His voice was smooth, practiced, the kind of tone that charmed everyone else but made her stomach knot.

"I'm fine," she whispered.

He gave a low chuckle, shifting closer, his breath hot against her neck. "You forget, little Luna... I can smell a lie."

Her chest tightened. She forced her body still, even as his hand slid lower, fingers pressing against her hip. Every nerve screamed to pull away. Every instinct warned what that would cost. So she stayed silent, her breath caught, her nails digging crescents into her palms.

Dorian smirked, satisfied with her stillness, and closed his eyes again. Soon his breathing evened, the slow rhythm of a man who had taken what he wanted and felt no need to fear.

Rhea's eyes stayed open in the dark. The ceiling blurred. She listened to the steady rise and fall of his chest and wished she could tear free, and wished she could breathe without weight pressing her down.

But the bond was false. The title was hollow. And her heart... her heart whispered of something else. Something that hadn't yet come.

---

The next night, she slipped from the Alpha's chamber under the guise of air. Her feet carried her through the quiet halls, into the open fields beyond the keep. The night was cool, sharp with the scent of pine. She let it fill her lungs, desperate to cleanse the cloying perfume of Dorian's room.

The moon hung high, silver and strong. Its light touched her skin in a way that made her feel both seen and haunted. Ever since she was marked, the moon never left her alone. It called to her in dreams, whispered warnings she could never understand.

Tonight, the whispers were louder.

She pressed a hand to her chest. "What do you want from me?" she breathed. Her voice cracked in the empty dark. "I'm not strong enough."

The words hung heavy, almost swallowed by the silence. She didn't hear the rustle at first. Not until it came again, closer this time, the soft shift of leaves and weight pressing against the earth.

Her heart slammed. Her head snapped toward the trees.

Eyes glowed from the shadows. Silver. Piercing.

She froze, her breath caught sharp in her throat.

A figure matched out, tall and broad, his presence rumbling like thunder. His shirt was torn at the sleeve, dirt streaked across his skin, his hair wild as if he had been running for miles. But it wasn't his body that made her heart seize.

It was his scent.

Raw. Fierce. Untamed.

The air snapped between them. Her chest heaved, her knees weak. Heat rushed through her veins so fast she thought she might fall.

Mate.

The word slammed into her mind before she could stop it.

The stranger's gaze locked on hers. His jaw tightened. His chest rose heavy. For a long, terrible moment, neither of them moved. The bond pulled tight, invisible and unbreakable, until it hurt to resist.

Rhea staggered back, her hand clutching the stone wall behind her. No. This couldn't be. She already had a mate. She already belonged to someone else.

But her body didn't care. Her pulse didn't care. Every part of her screamed for him.

"Who..." Her voice shook, breaking against the air. "Who are you?"

The man stepped closer, the moonlight catching his face. His eyes burned silver, his expression sharp with something between fury and need.

"Jace," he said, his voice low, rough.

The sound of it lit fire through her.

Her lips parted. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't move.

He dragged his gaze over her, not in hunger, but in recognition. His body was rigid, like he was fighting the same war tearing her apart. "You feel it too," he growled.

Her stomach flipped. "No." She shook her head fast, clutching tighter to the wall. "You're wrong."

His eyes darkened. "Don't lie to me."

She pressed back harder, her breath coming sharp. She hated that her body betrayed her, that heat still pooled low in her belly, that her hands trembled not from fear but from want.

This was impossible. This was forbidden. She already had a mate. She was Luna.

"I don't know you," she whispered.

His jaw clenched. He stepped closer, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from him. "But you will."

Her heart thundered so loud she swore he could hear it. She wanted to scream at him to leave. She wanted to close the space and give in. She hated herself for both.

Before she could speak, a low growl broke the air.

Rhea stiffened. Her blood ran cold.

From the shadows of the keep, a figure stepped forward. Broad shoulders. Hard eyes. A cruel smirk twisting his mouth.

Thorne.

Dorian's enforcer.

His hand rested on the hilt of his blade, his gaze cutting between Rhea and the rogue standing before her.

"Well," Thorne said slowly, his voice dripping with venom. "What do we have here?"

Rhea's breath hitched.

Jace didn't move. His silver eyes burned brighter, locked on the threat.

The air thickened, filled with danger.

And Rhea was aware... her secret wasn't safe anymore.