(LUNA)

ALEXANDER

The moment Alpha Damon's gaze settled on me-those ink-dark pupils stark against the whites of his eyes-all I could see was hatred and disdain.

"My daughter!" Jezebel, my stepmother, screamed. In an instant, the once-quiet castle hall erupted into chaos, voices piling over one another.

Before my eyes, Alpha Damon shifted. His massive black wolf was breathtaking, a vivid red streak cutting through his fur. I watched, caught between fear and awe, as he sprang three powerful leaps and vanished from sight.

When I looked around, the pack warriors were already mobilizing. Even a handful of hot-blooded youths-ones who weren't warriors-gathered in small groups and rushed out after him. For a heartbeat, I wondered what it would feel like to be in Tracy's place.

Then I forced myself back to reality. No one in this pack would ever organize a search like that for me. If anything, they'd be relieved to be rid of me.

A sudden chill skated down my spine. I swallowed hard. Someone was staring at my back-someone unfriendly. Slowly, I turned and found Jezebel watching me, hatred burning in her eyes. Her fists were clenched so tight they cracked. She didn't say a word, just turned and walked away, but her glare spoke louder than any threat.

I didn't dare linger in the castle centre. Too many eyes were fixed on me-too many filled with the same hatred. I swallowed again and hurried out, forcing my heavy legs to run as fast as they could. By the time I reached the main entrance thirty minutes later, I was panting and exhausted, and it felt like I'd been running for a year.

I stayed hidden in my room, hardly daring to step outside. Sleep wouldn't come, and even sitting offered no comfort. Every so often I peered through the window, waiting. It felt like the longest night of my life. Even exhausted, I couldn't close my eyes-I kept bracing for something I couldn't name.

Dawn was just breaking when an ear‑piercing scream tore through the castle. My heart lurched. I didn't need to be told-the search had ended the way I'd been dreading.

I retreated to the far corner of the room, arms locked around my legs, shuddering at every footfall in the hall. As daylight slowly filled the room, my door creaked open, and two young men stepped inside.

They looked nearly identical-twins weren't uncommon in the pack. What was uncommon was the council's messengers coming here, to me.

"Come with us, Alexander," one said. "Your presence is requested in the council hall immediately."

Fear surged. The large badge on their chests only made it worse. My legs went weak, and I had to force myself to keep pace. By the time we reached the corridor, I was already gasping.

That was where I met my stepmother.

Jezebel looked disheveled-especially her hair, usually perfectly combed. She loved jewelry and fine clothing; people even whispered her wardrobe could rival the late queen's. Not today.

"You killed my daughter, Alex-cursed child..." she hissed. The words hit me like thunder. I froze, unable to take another step.

"Enough!" my father's voice rang out from somewhere distant. No one else could do what he could-project his voice across space, a gift that had helped him command warriors and seize territory from rogue wolves.

Jezebel fell silent. She didn't block our way again, but her cold stare followed me down the corridor. I didn't realize I could walk that fast until I was already hurrying away.

We walked all the way to the council hall. The messengers the council had sent should've been able to cover the distance in a minute, but because of the Presence, they didn't push me or make things harder.

When we arrived, one of them motioned for me to climb the staircase. I did, and when I reached the wide-open doors, I paused and peered inside.

What I saw stole every bit of courage from me. I couldn't bring myself to take another step.

Alpha Damon stood before the elders. They sat in a semicircle around a towering, high-backed chair on a platform nearly two metres tall, and the air in the hall felt thick-suffocating.

"Go in," one of the messengers urged.

I forced my feet to move and stepped inside, walking slowly. Alpha Damon didn't even look at me. His broad back was rigid, like an unsheathed sword, and the thought that this man was my mate twisted something complicated in my chest.

"She's here," one of the elders said. "Now you must decide."

The words snapped me out of my thoughts, and sweat broke out on my skin. Anyone in this room could determine my life and my fate. I was standing before a council that had condemned countless wolves and carried out ruthless judgments.

"Either you accept her as your mate and remain Alpha," an elder's sharp voice cut through the silence, "or you reject her and have her executed-then step down. We will not allow a weak Alpha to lead this pack."

My heart dropped, as if it had fallen straight into my stomach. Only then did I understand the danger I was in. The pressure in the room seemed to climb by the second. My knees nearly buckled, and I wasn't sure what was keeping me upright-maybe fear, maybe the instinct not to draw their attention.

I didn't want to die.

I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart hammering so hard I could hear it pounding in my ears.