Chapter 3 003 A name left unspoken

The grand hall shimmered under the glow of a thousand lanterns, their golden light reflecting off the polished marble floor. A soft melody played in the background, weaving through the hushed conversations and laughter of unmated wolves gathered for the Choosing Ball.

I took a slow breath, the weight of expectation pressing against my chest. Tonight, every eligible wolf was expected to mingle, to choose. To find their destined mate-or settle for a convenient one.

I had no intention of doing either.

My fingers tightened around the stem of my untouched glass of wine as I stood near the edge of the ballroom, watching wolves swirl across the dance floor. The women were dressed in flowing silks, the men in crisp tailored suits, each pair moving in seamless harmony. It was all so pointless.

I shouldn't even be here.

I should be tending to wounds, running through the woods, doing something useful. But no, I had to stand here, pretend, and smile while Kaiden sat at the high table, beside her.

His Luna.

Xylara leaned into him, whispering something in his ear, her hand lightly brushing his arm. He didn't flinch, didn't move away. And why would he? She was his mate. His chosen one.

My throat burned as I averted my gaze, but my wolf lurched inside me, restless. Unsettled.

"You look beautiful tonight, Astrid."

I turned sharply, my mask of indifference slipping for a fraction of a second. It was Lucien, the Alpha of the neighboring Crimson Fang Pack. He was tall, well-built, with sharp green eyes that gleamed with interest.

"I wasn't aware you noticed," I said coolly, taking a sip of my drink.

Lucien chuckled, tilting his head. "Hard not to when you're the only one here who looks like she'd rather be anywhere else."

He wasn't wrong.

Lucien stepped closer, his gaze assessing. "Confidence suits you," he mused. "You'd make a perfect Luna."

I raised a brow, swirling the wine in my glass. "For your pack?"

Lucien smirked. "For any pack." Then he leaned in, voice dropping to something softer, silkier. "Anybody who has a mate as beautiful and confident as you would be lucky."

It was a reminder. A cruel reminder. One day, I have to be mated to someone else, someone chosen for me, someone my pack approves of, someone... someone who isn't him.

Lucien must have sensed the shift because, without missing a beat, he extended a hand toward me.

"Would you dance with me, Astrid?"

I hesitated. Not because I didn't know how to refuse-because something about his voice was smooth enough to make saying no feel unnecessary. He was just trying to out me at ease. Not like he will just hold my hand and run to the mating altar and mark me there forcefully.

Slowly, my fingers lifted, reaching for his hand-

A presence. A shadow. A shift in the air so effortless yet so absolute that I felt it before I even heard him.

Kaiden.

His voice was calm. Smooth. Not even a hint of irritation. And yet...

"That won't be necessary."

I froze.

Lucien's smirk didn't falter, but there was something sharp in his eyes when he looked past me.

"I don't recall needing permission, Alpha Kaidën." Lucien said lightly.

Kaiden stepped forward, not sparing him a glance. He was looking at me. Only me.

"You don't," Kaiden agreed. "But she's not dancing with you."

Lucien's jaw ticked. "Is that so? I thought you have a Luna to take care of."

Kaiden tilted his head slightly, as if considering it. Then, with the same unreadable calm, he turned to me.

"You don't like dancing anyway."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement. And yet, I wasn't sure if it was a reminder for Lucien or for me.

My fingers twitched slightly before falling back to my side. I cleared my throat.

"He's right," I said smoothly, ignoring the strange weight in my chest. "Dancing isn't really my thing."

Lucien exhaled through his nose, then offered a tight, knowing smirk. "Another time, then."

He gave a polite nod before stepping away, but not without one last glance between us.

I could still feel Kaiden beside me. The heat of his presence. The effortless authority in the way he carried himself. The undeniable way the room shifted around him. And for some reason, something about it unsettled me.

I turned to him, lifting a brow. "That was unnecessary."

Kaiden exhaled through his nose, his lips quirking up slightly. "You looked like you needed saving."

"I can handle Lucien."

His lazy smile deepened. "I know. But I wanted to see if he'd push his luck."

I narrowed my eyes. "That sounds a lot like...like..."

I wanted to say it. Jealousy. But then u had no right to say that. Not when he had a mate, a perfect mate. His Luna.

Then what he said next made my heart stop.

"If that's what you want to believe," he murmured before turning on his heel, leaving me standing there with my pulse inexplicably unsteady.

And for a fleeting second, I wondered-was it just me? Or did something about him feel just as off-kilter as I did?

The Choosing Ball continued, laughter and music filling the air, but I couldn't focus. Something in my chest felt tight. Wrong. Unsettled. I needed air.

Stepping onto one of the balconies, I exhaled, pressing a hand against my forehead. Why did Kaiden always have to make things so damn confusing?

But then-

A sharp, stabbing pain flared at the base of my neck, burning through my skin like fire. My knees felt weak as they touched the ground.

I gasped, staggering, my vision darkening-

And suddenly- A flash. A memory that wasn't a memory.

Warm breath against my shoulder.

A hand gripping my waist, pulling me close.

Teeth grazing the sensitive skin of my neck-right over the bond mark.

A deep, possessive growl.

"Astrid, from this day forward you're mine."

A sharp bite.

The pain. The rush of something ancient, primal. My body shuddering as my wolf howled, her essence melting into his. A bond sealing. A connection locking into place.

It was real.

"And I am yours, your Alpha K-"

It was-gone.

The vision snapped away like a string cut too soon, and I stumbled forward, my knees buckling. My hands shot out to grab the balcony railing, chest heaving.

The pain in my neck wasn't there anymore.

No bite. No bond.

But I had felt it. Lived it. My heart pounded wildly as I pressed a trembling hand against my skin.

A mate mark. It was supposed to be there. But it wasn't.

My breath hitched. My knees buckled. The past clung to me like a phantom.

K...? Who was that..?

The music of the Choosing Ball crashed into me, too loud, too real. My pulse pounded in my ears, my fingers trembled. I blinked hard, forcing myself back into the present. Forcing myself to turn-

Luna Xylara.

She stood there, watching me. Waiting.

A slow, knowing smile curled on her lips, her eyes gleaming like moonlight on a predator's fangs. She tilted her head, stepping closer, her voice soft, almost soothing.

"The past doesn't matter when the future is already written, Astrid."

A chill slithered down my spine. I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry, but before I could respond-

She turned, and her gaze flickered to Kaiden.