Introduction

Willow had always loved the forest.

The way the wind moved through the trees, rustling the leaves with soft whispers. The way the scent of pine and damp earth curled around her, grounding her in something older than time itself.

She had grown up in a good pack. Strong. Stable. Loyal. But it had never felt like home. Not truly. She didn’t know why. She couldn’t explain it. She was happy. She was safe. But somewhere deep inside her, something was missing. A piece of herself that had never quite fit.

And then she met him.

The first time Willow saw Theo, she felt it.

A pull so strong, so sudden, she had nearly stumbled. It had been a routine pack meeting. A diplomatic visit from the Onyx Pack to discuss border agreements. She had been standing with her father, listening half-heartedly to the discussion, when he arrived. Theo stepped into the room like he owned the ground beneath his feet. Tall, powerful, every inch the Alpha he was born to be. But it wasn’t his strength that caught her breath.

It was his eyes.

Striking blue, piercing, unrelenting.

The moment they met hers, she knew. And from the way his entire body went still, she knew he felt it too. The mate bond snapped into place between them, invisible but undeniable.

A connection that had always existed, waiting.

She inhaled sharply. Theo’s lips parted, his nostrils flaring slightly as he took a step forward. Her father’s voice faded into the background. The murmuring of the gathered wolves blurred into nothing.

Because there was only him.

And there was only this.

“Theo,” she breathed before she could stop herself.

He didn’t speak. Didn’t blink. He only reached out. Her fingers twitched before she met him halfway, their hands locking together. A rush of warmth slammed through her. A spark that set her entire body on edge, burning through her veins like wildfire. She gasped. Theo let out a low growl, stepping closer. His free hand lifted, fingers brushing lightly, reverently against her jaw, tilting her face up to his.

“Mate,” he murmured.

The word sent a shudder through her. She should have felt nervous. Overwhelmed. Cautious. But she didn’t. Because he was hers. And she was his.

Everything moved quickly after that.

Because when a wolf found their mate, there was no waiting. There was no doubt, no hesitation. Willow left her pack, joining Theo in Onyx Territory, stepping into a new life with him.

And gods, it was bliss.

Theo loved her fiercely. Protectively. Possessively. He wasn’t suffocating, wasn’t controlling—but he was always aware of her. Every room she entered, his eyes found her first. Every meeting he led, his hand brushed hers beneath the table.

Every night, he pulled her into his arms as if he couldn’t stand to be apart from her, even in sleep.

And she loved it. Loved him. Every part of him. But sometimes…

When the world was quiet, when the fire crackled low and the night stretched long—

She felt it.

That missing piece.

Like an echo of something just out of reach. Something deeper. Something… sinister.

——

It had been a long day. Theo was tense. Agitated. A diplomatic meeting had gone sideways, and it had put him in a mood that even she struggled to break through.

Willow watched him from across their room, the way his hands curled into fists at his sides, his shoulders tight with frustration. She knew what he needed.

He needed her.

She stood slowly, padding across the wooden floor until she was in front of him. Theo didn’t move, but his sharp blue eyes flickered to hers. She reached for his hand, prying his fingers apart before linking them with hers. He exhaled, his head dipping slightly forward, resting against her shoulder.

“I don’t deserve you,” he murmured.

She frowned, tilting his face up with gentle fingers. “Yes, you do.”

His jaw clenched. She leaned in, brushing her lips over his—once, twice, soft and teasing. Theo shuddered. Then, as if something inside him snapped, he pulled her against him.

Hard. Desperate. Needing.

His lips crashed into hers, stealing her breath, claiming her completely. She melted into him, her arms sliding around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair. His hands roamed—gripping, exploring, consuming. He lifted her effortlessly, carrying her to the bed before lowering her onto the mattress with a reverence that made her ache. There was nothing slow about the way he touched her. Nothing hesitant about the way he undressed her, kissed her, pulled her apart piece by piece.

And she gave him everything.

Because he was hers.

And she was his.

And that was all that mattered.

——

Hours later, wrapped in Theo’s arms, Willow felt it again.

That unshakable sensation. Like something was missing. Like something was watching. She pressed closer to him, burying her face against his chest.

His arms tightened around her instantly, pulling her beneath him, tucking her against him as if to shield her from something he couldn’t see. His lips brushed her forehead.

“Sleep, love.”

She closed her eyes, but she knew sleep wouldn’t come easily. Because no matter how whole Theo made her feel—

No matter how much love, how much passion, how much fire burned between them—

Something still wasn’t right. Something darker lurked beneath the surface.

Waiting.

Watching.

And soon, they would understand why.