BLOODBOUND MOON

Twelve years ago

Ronan Duskbane knelt in the snow, bleeding out, while the wolves who once swore loyalty to him circled like vultures.

The high cliffs of Blackthorn Keep loomed behind him, the scent of burning wood and blood thick in the air. His father, the Alpha King, lay dead at his feet his throat ripped open by the very pack who had once sworn to protect him.

Betrayal.

The word burned through Ronan's skull as the elders stepped forward, their faces carved from ice.

"You have broken our laws, Ronan Duskbane." The High Elder's voice was cold, final. "Your blood is cursed. Your soul is damned. And from this night forward, you are no longer Alpha of the Bloodmoon Pack."

Ronan clenched his teeth, feeling the burn of the silver cuffs biting into his wrists. They thought they could break him. They were wrong.

He lifted his gaze, locking eyes with the wolves who had once been his brothers. "You think you can kill me?" His voice was raw, dark with something more than pain. Something ancient.

The High Elder sneered. "No. But we can banish you."

And then, under the full Blood Moon, the elders cursed him.

Pain like fire tore through his veins, burning his body from the inside out. His vision blurred, his bones cracked, and something inside him snapped. His breath turned ragged, his throat raw from a silent scream until suddenly, it was gone.

All of it.

The pain. The rage. The ability to feel anything at all.

When Ronan opened his eyes again, the world was hollow. Empty.

The elders stepped back, satisfaction gleaming in their ancient eyes. "From this day forth, your touch will bring only pain. Your heart will know only hunger. And your mate-"

They smiled, cruel and knowing.

"-will die by your hands."

The curse settled into his bones, deep and unbreakable.

That was the night Ronan ceased to be a man and became the monster they had always feared.

The night smelled of rain and something darker-blood.

Celeste Vail pulled her hood lower as she hurried through the Eclipsed Woods, her pulse hammering like a war drum. Her father's warnings echoed in her mind:

Never step off the lantern path. Never enter the woods alone. And never, ever trust a Blood Alpha.

She had never broken the rules before.

But tonight, she had no choice.

Her brother Damon had been missing since dusk, and the only trail led here-into the cursed heart of the forest where no sane wolf dared to tread.

The trees here were unnatural, their twisted branches reaching like skeletal fingers toward the sky. Mist curled low over the ground, thick and ghostly, swallowing the distant glow of the village lights.

Celeste tightened her grip on the dagger at her hip-a pathetic thing against whatever lurked in these woods. Her wolf stirred uneasily inside her, whispering that something was watching.

Then-a sound.

A low, ragged breath.

Celeste froze.

Just ahead, slumped against a fallen tree, was a man.

Her heart slammed into her ribs. No-not a man.

A wolf.

He was massive, even in human form, his body carved from muscle and coated in blood. His black shirt was torn open, revealing deep claw marks across his chest, the wounds barely closing-a sign of silver poisoning.

But that wasn't what made her breath catch.

His eyes.

They weren't the golden hue of a Beta or the deep brown of an Omega.

They were red.

A chill shot down her spine. Blood Alpha.

Her father had told her stories of them as a child-wolves so powerful, so ruthless, they were practically untouchable. But they were myths. Legends. There hadn't been a Blood Alpha sighting in years.

And yet, here he was.

Celeste took a slow step back. Run. Every instinct screamed it. Run now.

Then, his eyes snapped open.

Her breath caught as those crimson irises locked onto hers.

The stranger exhaled, like he had been waiting for this moment. And then, before she could move, his hand shot out-gripping her wrist in an iron hold.

Celeste gasped, a shock of heat exploding through her veins at his touch. Her wolf recoiled and reached for him all at once. A burning sensation rushed through her blood, foreign and familiar all at once, like something inside her had been waiting for this moment.

His fingers tightened, his voice raw. "Don't go."

Celeste tried to pull away, but the instant his skin met hers, a spark of power surged between them-something deep, ancient, and unbreakable.

The stranger stilled. His red eyes widened, his grip shifting to her pulse.

Then, he did something that sent ice through her veins.

He smiled.

"Finally," he murmured, his voice dark with something dangerous.

Celeste's pulse roared in her ears. "What?"

His bloody fingers traced her wrist, sending another wave of heat through her body. His next words were quiet, almost reverent.

"Mine."

Celeste's heart stopped.

And somewhere in the distance, a howl shattered the silence.

---

"You got to be kidding me".

Celeste said stepping back, "I'm not yours I can't be yours. I have a betrothed mate back home and I'm going to marry him I only came to this wood to find clues about my brother"

"And do you think this forest is a place you can

Ronan let out a growl when he heard her say that she had a betrothed mate.

"You are mine and am not letting you go now that have found you"

And before she could say anything else she was in his hands pressed against his chest.

Celeste fought to release herself, "let me go, just pretend you didn't see me, I have to go find my brother I can't be your mate and I don't feel the bond" and that was a lie because even as she fought him she felt the spark and the attraction to him. But she couldn't let herself get distracted this wasn't why she was here, she had to find her brother or at least find clue about him.

"And do you think this forest is a place you can just come anyhow, do you know the much dangers that lies here, have been living in this wood for years and trust me without my help you can't get anything done." Ronan said still holding her nd inhaling her scent. And as if to prove him right, movement in the woods was seen, Ronan tense up and pulled Celeste behind him.

Celeste's breath hitched as the shadows moved.

Figures emerged from the mist, stepping silently between the twisted trees. Five. No, six. Their dark cloaks blended into the night, their faces hidden beneath silver-lined hoods. But she didn't need to see their eyes to know what they were.

Hunters.

They were wolf-killers, trained from birth to track and eliminate their kind. They carried enchanted weapons-silver blades, wolfsbane-coated arrows, and worse, spells that could turn even an Alpha into a helpless pup.

Her stomach twisted. They were here for Ronan.

And she was standing too close to him.

Run. The thought slammed into her like a scream. Run now, before they see you.

But Ronan's hand was still on her waist, his grip unbreakable, his body coiled like a predator waiting to strike.

Celeste's heart pounded. She wasn't stupid. She had heard stories about what Blood Alphas could do. They were untouchable, unstoppable-gods of war, wrapped in fur and blood.

But Ronan was injured.

She had seen his wounds. The deep claw marks. The sluggish healing. The silver in his blood.

There was no way he could fight off six hunters alone.

And if she stayed? She'd die with him.

A hunter stepped forward, tilting his head as he studied Ronan. "You're a hard man to kill, Duskbane."

His voice was smooth, almost amused. But Celeste could smell the fear beneath it.

Ronan's lips curled. "You keep sending pups after me. I barely break a sweat."

The hunter chuckled. "Is that so? And yet, here you are. Bleeding." He tilted his blade, the silver edge catching the moonlight. "Tell me, does it hurt?"

Ronan smiled. "Not nearly as much as it'll hurt you."

And then-he moved.

Celeste barely saw it. One second, he was standing beside her. The next, he was on the hunter, his hand wrapping around the man's throat.

There was a sickening crack.

The hunter's body crumpled to the ground.

The others reacted instantly. Blades flashed. Arrows flew.

Ronan was faster.

He tore through them like a shadow, his movements too quick, too precise, his body a blur of claws and violence. Blood splattered the ground, staining the leaves a deep, unnatural red.

Celeste stood frozen, her breath caught in her throat.

He wasn't fighting like a wolf.

He was fighting like a monster.

Even injured, even poisoned, Ronan Duskbane was unstoppable.

And the bond inside her-that terrible, undeniable thread between them-shuddered in recognition.

Her wolf knew him.

Her wolf wanted him.

The thought sent a sharp, visceral panic through her.

This wasn't normal. This wasn't possible. Blood Alphas didn't have mates.

Then why did she feel like her soul was unraveling every time he moved?

She took a shaky step back-and stepped on a branch.

The snap was deafening.

One of the hunters' heads snapped up. His eyes locked onto her.

Celeste's heart stopped.

And then-he lunged.

No.

It happened in an instant.

A knife flew toward her chest-too fast, too close. She had no time to move, no time to react-

A blur of black and red crashed into her.

She hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the air from her lungs. A heavy weight pinned her down, shielding her-Ronan.

The silver blade buried itself into his back.

Celeste gasped. "No-"

Ronan didn't even flinch.

His head turned slowly, those glowing red eyes locking onto the hunter who had thrown the knife.

The hunter froze.

Ronan smiled. "My turn."

A second later, the man's screams shattered the night.

Celeste squeezed her eyes shut, pressing a hand against her mouth to keep from screaming too.

By the time the silence returned, Ronan was breathing heavily, his hands still dripping with blood.

Celeste's own pulse was a roaring storm, her wolf thrashing inside her.

He had protected her.

Even with a knife in his back, even when it wasn't his fight-he had protected her.

Why?

Why was this happening?

Ronan exhaled and sat back on his heels, his gaze dropping to her. His expression was unreadable.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, voice rough.

Celeste just stared.

He had saved her.

He was still bleeding.

And yet, all she could think about was the way his eyes softened slightly as he looked at her, like she was the only thing in the world that mattered.

The mate bond thrummed between them.

Celeste forced herself to breathe.

She had a choice. Now.

She could run. Leave him here, pretend none of this happened.

Or-

She could do the one thing she swore she never would.

She could help him.

Her wolf already knew the answer.

Her hand moved before she could stop it. Fingers brushing against his arm.

His breath hitched. His gaze snapped to hers-sharp, heated, dangerous.

"Don't touch me," he rasped, but he didn't move away.

Celeste swallowed hard. "I think I already did."

And neither of them could undo it now.