That night, I couldn't sleep.
Visions plagued my dreams... silver-eyed wolves, flames rising through trees, a voice whispering my name.
Moonfire.
Then… a flash of light and I woke with a gasp, heart hammering as I saw it, reflected in the mirror.
A faint mark glowing on my collarbone.
Crescent-shaped and silver-gold. The Lunar Sigil, which is the sign of Selene herself. And it had awakened...
The mark was still there.
Silver-gold, glowing faintly on my collarbone like a brand from the moon itself. It pulsed with something ancient, something alive.
I dragged my fingers across it in the mirror. No pain, just… awareness.
'She awakens,' a voice said inside me. I spun, heart leaping, but I wasn't alone. Not really.
Because I wasn't the only one in my body anymore.
'You're not going crazy,' the voice purred. 'You're meeting me.'
"Who are you?" I swallowed.
The wolf stepped forward from the shadows of my mind. Her fur was silvery-black, shimmering like smoke with glints of starlight. Eyes bright violet, powerful and regal.
'Name's Nyra,' she said, her voice calm but fierce. 'And I've been waiting a long time.'
"For what?"
'For you to stop being afraid of who we are.'
Then I heard a whistle blow from outside, signaling that Kade was already waiting for me. I Immediately stepped out and headed to where the sound came from.
As I got there, I saw Kade, but didn't tell him about Nyra, not yet.
He was already waiting for me at the edge of the training field, arms crossed, jaw tense, and expression stoic.
He always wore that look around me... like I was a burden he didn't want but couldn't let go of. It lit a fire in my gut every damn time.
"You're late," he said as I walked up to him.
"Maybe your clock's fast."
His brow twitched, but said nothing about my rude tone. "Let's begin," he muttered.
The training yard was empty. No pack wolves. No Luca. Just him and me, which was perfect.
The sun was barely peeking over the pines as I stepped into the circle.
"I'm not holding back," I warned.
"You shouldn't," he replied, stripping off his jacket and stretching his shoulders. "If you're going to survive what's coming, you'll need to fight better than anyone else."
"And if I beat you?"
"You won't." His golden eyes sparked with confidence.
We circled each other. My wolf, Nyra, hummed beneath my skin, her strength pushing forward.
'Let me help,' she urged. 'You're stronger when I'm closer.'
Kade lunged first.
I ducked under his arm, swept low, but he caught my wrist mid-spin and flipped me flat on my back in one breath-stealing move.
"Faster than you look," he said, standing over me.
I growled and launched up, catching him with a kick to the side that sent him stumbling back a step.
His smirk vanished. And then it began, real sparring.
We clashed, again and again. Bodies crashing, muscles flexing, breathing ragged. He didn't go easy on me, and I gave no quarter.
I felt Nyra surge beneath my skin, lending me balance, speed, clarity. For the first time, I moved with purpose. Not just defense, domination.
'That's it,' Nyra said happily. 'We are not weak. Show him!'
I twisted mid-air, landed on his shoulders, and flipped him backward into the dirt. His grunt of surprise was satisfying.
I straddled his chest, breath heaving as I pinned him.
"You were saying?" I said, smirking down at him.
His hands clamped on my thighs. Hard. And suddenly, we weren't sparring anymore, we were staring.
Breathless... Too close.
The bond, raw and wild... crackled in the space between us. I could feel his heartbeat beneath me. Fast like mine.
His pupils dilated, and his grip tightened.
"Get off," he growled, voice husky. But he didn't move to push me.
"I thought you liked being on your back," I quipped, but the words came out breathier than I meant.
"Don't push me, Lyra."
"Why not?" I challenged, lowering my face just a little. "Afraid of what might happen?"
His hands slid up my thighs, slowly. Heat shot through me, molten and immediate.
"You have no idea what you're playing with," he said lowly.
"And neither do you," I whispered.
Then, he flipped us. In a blink, I was beneath him, pinned in the dirt, his body caging mine completely.
But this time, there was no fight left in us. Only heat, only the pull.
His lips hovered above mine, breath fanning across my mouth. I didn't breathe, neither did he.
Our lips touched, barely. A brush. A burn. But it was enough to send lightning down my spine.
He groaned, low and rough, and I felt him... his hard cock pressed against my hip. His eyes were wild, ferocious.
'He wants to claim us,' Nyra whispered with excitement.
Kade leaned in closer, his lips ghosting mine. "Tell me to stop," he said, voice dark with warning.
"I…" that was the only word that escaped my lips.
He growled, deep in his chest, and dipped his mouth to my neck, his nose brushing the mark there.
Our bond snapped, like a tether stretched too tight. And I moaned, helpless. Heat bloomed low in my belly, and my nails scraped his arms.
Then—"Alpha Kade!"
Luca's voice shattered the moment like ice water.
Kade jerked back from me as if burned, chest heaving, and his eyes wild. I also scrambled to my feet, heart slamming against my ribs.
Luca stood just outside the circle, eyes flicking from me to Kade, brow tight with questions.
"Elder Thom is here," he finally said something. "He wants to speak to you. Now."
"Good!"
Kade didn't look at me as he passed, but I saw his jaw locked. Saw the fists he clenched to keep from touching me again.
And I... I was still trembling and aching. Still burning with the ghost of that almost-kiss.
'He's breaking,' Nyra whispered. 'And so are you.'
"No," I said under my breath as I clenched my fists. "I won't fall for him again!"
'oops... let's see if you can stop the bond heat,' Nyra chuckled but I ignored her.
The bond didn't care about my broken heart.
And neither did the heat fire now raging inside me to have a taste of him at that moment...