Chapter 3

ISLA

I had woken up to find myself in the arms of a stranger. I screamed and tried to run away but he held me.

"Where am I? What am I doing here?" My panicked eyes roamed around the room trying to take my surroundings?

"Who are you?" I demanded, my eyes locked on his red eyes.

"You are in the Black Moon pack and you are here to be my bride," he answered flatly.

I stared at him, my mouth agape, unable to comprehend what I had just heard. Surely, I had misheard him. This must be some cruel jest.

“Bride?” My voice came out hoarse and broken, the single word heavy with disbelief.

“Yes,” he said, his blood-red eyes watching me with an intensity that made my already fragile heart lurch. “You belong to me now.”

I scrambled away from him, pressing myself against the headboard of the luxurious bed as if I could disappear into it. My body screamed in protest, every wound, every torn muscle, every broken bone reminding me that I had no strength to resist.

“I don’t—” My voice cracked. “I can’t be—”

“You are.” His tone was final, leaving no room for argument.

“I know this is overwhelming,” he said, his deep voice almost tender now, “but you are my mate, Isla, and it is my duty to protect you. To cherish you.”

“I will ensure your survival.”

I could feel the tears welling in my eyes. “Survival? You think this is survival?” My voice was a whisper, my gaze dropping to the pristine white sheets beneath me, already stained with my blood from the horrific injuries. “You don’t understand. I don’t want to survive. I want to die.”

His growl was low and guttural, sending a chill down my spine. “You will not speak of death again,” he commanded.

I lifted my gaze to meet his, shocked to see something other than disgust or anger in those crimson eyes.

“Why?” I whispered. “Why do you care what happens to me? I am nothing to you. I am nothing.”

His jaw tightened, the muscles flexing under his skin as if he were holding back a storm of words. Finally, he spoke, his voice a low rumble that made the air around us seem heavier.

“You are mine now,” he said simply. “And no one harms what is mine.”

My heart stuttered at the possessiveness in his tone, the weight of those three words settling over me like chains.

He reached for me, hesitating as though unsure whether I’d flinch or fall apart at his touch. But something primal and unrestrained surged within me, and before I could think, I buried myself in his arms, clutching him like he was the anchor keeping me tethered to the world.

His arms felt like both a fortress and a home, an unfamiliar but intoxicating mix of safety and warmth. His reputation loomed large in my mind—the blood-red eyes of a monster, the whispered tales of his cruelty—but the man holding me now seemed entirely different.

“You’re safe now,” he said softly, his voice a soothing balm against the chaos in my mind. “No one will ever hurt you again. That’s my promise to you as your mate.”

Mate. The word struck me like a lightning bolt.

“You don’t have to decide anything now,” he continued, his crimson eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that left me breathless. “I know this is sudden. And with… your wolf being quiet, you might not even feel the bond yet. But I’ll wait. We’ll go at your pace. There’s no rush.”

The door to the room burst open, startling me.

“Alpha,” a gruff voice said, and I turned to see a slim, handsome man. His eyes darted to me briefly, filled with disdain, before returning to him.

“What is it?” he snapped, his gaze never leaving mine.

“The elders have convened. They wish to speak with you—urgently.”

His expression darkened. He turned to the man at the door, his voice laced with irritation. “They can wait.”

“With all due respect, Alpha,” the man pressed, his tone careful but firm, “they have heard of your decision to bring her here. They believe it shows... weakness.”

I saw the shift in him, the way his body tensed and his eyes narrowed, and I knew that the elders had struck a nerve.

“They question me,” he said, his voice deadly calm. “ Tell them to wait.”

The man bowed his head, though I could see the reluctance in the gesture. “As you wish.” He cast one last disgusted glance at me before retreating from the room, the door clicking shut behind him.

Zane turned back to me, and I flinched under his gaze. “Rest,” he ordered, softening his voice. “Your wounds are deep, and you need time to heal.”

“I can’t stay here,” I said, my voice trembling. “I don’t belong here. I don’t belong anywhere.”

He stepped closer, his towering presence making the room feel smaller, the air thicker. “You belong to me,” he said again, his tone leaving no room for argument. “And as long as you are mine, no one will harm you—not the Red Moon pack, not my elders, not even yourself.”

Before I could respond, he turned and strode toward the door, pausing only briefly to glance back at me. “Do not try to leave,” he said, his voice a quiet warning. “You wouldn’t make it past the gates.”

"By the way, I am Zane, Alpha of the Black Moon pack," he said with a twinkle in his eyes and with that, he was gone, leaving me alone in the suffocating silence of the room.

I curled into myself, the pain in my body nothing compared to the torment in my mind. I closed my eyes, hoping for sleep to take me, but even in the darkness, his blood-red gaze haunted me.

After trying so hard to sleep and with no avail, I got up from the bed and started to wander through the magnificent house. I kept to the shadows, hiding whenever I heard someone approaching. After a while, I heard voices coming from a room.

I was about to walk by when I heard the Alpha's voice. This was the meeting he had been called to. Out of curiosity, I drew nearer and peeped through the gap in the door.

The tension in the chamber was so thick I could touch it and I wondered what deep politics they were arguing on.The faces of the elders which were lined with age and wisdom, were set in disapproving scowls while Zane’s was hardened like a stubborn goat.

“Alpha,” an Elder began, his tone heavy with reproach, “we must discuss the matter of the girl.”

My breath hitched at the reference to me and my heart started to race as I moved closer to hear better.

“There is nothing to discuss,” Alpha Zane's voice was cold. “She stays.”

“She is a liability,” another elder interjected, his lined face twisted in disdain. “A wolf without a wolf? She’ll curse us just as she cursed her own pack!”

It seemed my notorious reputation had preceded me, I thought as my eyes closed in sadness.

“She’s not fit to be our Luna,” another added, his voice sharp with contempt. “Her kind brings nothing but misfortune.”

The sadness made my knees weak and I almost collapsed. I could not be sent back. I would rather die than be sent back to my pack. Zane should have just let me burn.

“You dare question my decision?” My eyes flew wide open as I heard Zane retort.

“No Alpha!” I could see some people flinching back in fear and my heart leaped.

“We question what is best for the pack,” the first elder said evenly. “And keeping her here—protecting her—puts us all at risk. The other packs will see it as a sign of weakness.”

“Enough!” Zane’s voice was a thunderclap that silenced the room.

“If I hear one more word of disrespect against my mate, I’ll personally rip out your tongue. She is your Luna. That’s final.” Zane snarled with fury.

The elders exchanged uneasy glances, their whispers barely audible over the pounding of my heart.

“You are blinded by something,” another elder said finally, his voice softer now. “But I pray you know what you are doing, Alpha. For all our sakes.”

The sound of approaching feet jerked me out of my eavesdropping and without delay, I pulled myself away and ran back to the room.

Climbing back into bed, I curled myself up. The peace of knowing Zane would protect me lulled me to sleep with a smile on my face.

That night, the events of the day replayed in my mind, making sleep impossible. I lay in the massive bed Zane had provided, my body clean and dressed in soft, luxurious clothes, yet my thoughts churned with doubt and unease.

Could I truly belong here?

I was drifting into a restless sleep when a sound jerked me awake. My heart pounded as I sat up, squinting into the darkness.

“Zane?” I whispered, my voice trembling.

A cloaked figure emerged from the shadows, and before I could scream, a searing pain pierced my chest. I gasped as a silver dagger drove deep into my heart, its cold bite spreading fire through my veins.

I collapsed to the floor, clutching the wound as darkness crept in. My vision blurred, but I saw Zane burst into the room, his face a mask of rage and desperation.

“Stay with me!” His hands were on me, his warmth fighting the cold overtaking me. “Isla, don’t you dare leave me!”

Tears fell from his eyes onto my skin as for the first time in my wretched life, someone wept for me.

I had prayed for death countless times, but now, as it loomed over me, I didn’t want to go. Not like this. I realized I wanted to live. To stay. To feel the love I had never known. Never hoped for.

But it was too late.

Darkness claimed me, and the last thing I felt was Zane’s desperate hold, his whispered promises chasing me into oblivion.