Chapter 3

Ilana POV:

My hand was on the door handle, ready to escape the suffocating confines of the truck, but Silas's final words froze me in place. I pulled my hand back and turned to face him, meeting his hard gaze with a defiance I didn't know I possessed.

"What if Cole is my fated mate?" I challenged, the words hanging in the air between us. "What if the Moon Goddess herself chose him for me?"

For the first time all morning, Silas was speechless. His mouth opened, then closed again. The air in the cab, already thick with tension, seemed to crackle with a new kind of energy.

In the werewolf world, a fated mate was the highest law. It was a sacred bond, a divine decree from the Goddess that could not be denied or ignored.

His brow furrowed, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "You're not of age yet. You haven't had your first shift. There's no way you could know that for sure," he finally managed, but his voice lacked its earlier conviction.

A small, triumphant smile touched my lips. "My wolf knows," I said softly. "Every time I'm with him, every time I even think about him, Moonlight feels... settled. At peace." I took a breath, deciding to reveal the secret I had held so close to my heart. "And Cole feels it too. We made a pact. On our eighteenth birthdays, when we have our first shifts, if the Goddess hasn't made it official, we're going to perform the ritual ourselves. We'll become chosen mates."

The idea of it, the promise of a future bound to him by our own choice, sent a warm shiver through me. It was our stand against the rigid rules of our world, our declaration that our love was enough.

Silas's expression was a complicated mix of emotions. I could see a flicker of admiration for my resolve, but it was quickly overshadowed by a deep, weary sadness.

"Chosen mates?" he repeated the words under his breath, as if testing their weight. "Ilana, that pact will shatter like glass if either of you meets your true fated mate." He turned the key in the ignition, the engine rumbling to life again, a clear signal he wanted this conversation to end. "Have you ever thought about what happens when you reject a fated mate? The pain... it's like having your soul torn in two. Not everyone survives it."

A cold dread washed over me. I'd heard the stories, of course. Whispers of wolves who went mad with grief, or simply faded away after denying the Goddess's will.

"That won't happen to us," I insisted, my voice firm despite the fear coiling in my gut. "I only want Cole."

He looked at me then, a profound helplessness in his eyes. He knew he couldn't win this argument. He couldn't fight against a love that was so determined to believe it was destiny.

I pushed the door open and slid out of the truck, my worn backpack slung over my shoulder. Before I closed the door, I looked back at him. "I know you're just trying to protect me, Silas. But this is my choice."

He didn't answer. He just watched me, his face a grim mask of worry.

I shut the door with a solid thud and walked toward the school, feeling his eyes on my back the entire way. The sun was warm on my skin, but a chill from our conversation lingered. I pulled out my phone, the picture of Cole's bright smile a welcome antidote to the darkness Silas had tried to plant in my heart.

Our love was special. It had to be. It was strong enough to defy anything, even fate.

A classmate waved as I walked past, and I forced a smile in return, but my mind was miles away. All I could think about was Cole-his gentle touch, the way he smelled like the forest after a storm. He was my whole world.

As I entered the bustling main hall of the school, I felt like a ghost, disconnected from the laughter and chatter around me. Only one thought consumed me, burning brighter and more urgent than ever before.

I had to see him. Not later. Now.

I needed to feel his arms around me, to let his presence chase away all the doubts and fears my brother had conjured. The idea took root, growing from a simple want into a desperate, undeniable need.

Meanwhile, in the school parking lot, Silas didn't drive away. He watched until I disappeared inside the building. Then, he pulled out his own phone and dialed a number.

"I need a rundown on the Alpha's security detail at the Packhouse," he said, his voice low and all business. The authority of the Gamma was back in full force. "Effective immediately."