Chapter 2

The wolf’s jaws snapped shut just inches from my throat, and I felt the heat of its breath on my skin. It was relentless with the gnashing of its teeth sending shockwaves of terror straight to my core. My claws scraped against the ground as I tried to shove the creature off, but it was too strong, too fast. It had me pinned—my legs caught beneath its massive body. It was a painful reminder that I was a weak omega.

“Get away from me!” I growled, a deep, animalistic sound that barely covered the panic gnawing at me. There was blood on the ground. Whether it was mine or the wolf’s, I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t think about that at the moment.

With a surge of desperation, I twisted, driving my elbow into the wolf’s chest. It staggered back slightly, just enough for me to scramble to my feet. But before I could fully regain my balance, the wolf was on me again. Its claws scraped across my shoulder, leaving long, burning gashes as it bared its teeth and lunged again.

“Damn it!” I shouted, trying to avoid the vicious bite that was aimed straight for my neck. I managed to twist out of the way, but my movement wasn’t fast enough. The wolf’s teeth sank into my arm, and a hot flash of pain shot through me. I hissed, the world narrowing to the sharp sting as blood began to pour from the wound.

Then, just as the wolf was preparing for another strike, I heard a growl, and the weight on top of me suddenly lifted. The wolf was knocked sideways, its growl turning into a surprised yelp as it crashed to the ground with a force that made the earth beneath us tremble.

I didn’t know who or what had saved me, but in the brief moment of relief, I didn’t care. My body screamed for air and survival. My heart hammered in my chest as I scrambled backward, clutching at the bloody wound on my arm.

Then, the man appeared.

The wolf, who had been snapping and thrashing a moment ago, now lay crumpled and pinned beneath the man’s strong grip. His dark hair fell into his eyes, and his posture was completely composed, as though he had been born for this moment.

Without a word, he shoved the wolf aside, throwing it across the spacious living room like it was nothing more than a rag. The beast hit the ground with a sickening thud before stumbling to its feet, shaking itself violently before he began to shift back into his human form.

Bones cracked audibly in the stillness of the room, and fur melted away like steam. The man behind all of it groaned as his human form slowly reformed, rising to stand with a sneer. His eyes, still glowing with a feral light, locked onto me.

“You don’t deserve the throne,” he spat, his voice dripping with venom. “You’re weak. You’ll never lead this pack. You should have died when I had the chance to kill you. You have done nothing for this pack!”

I stared at him, my breath catching in my throat. The words felt like an ice pick to the chest, sinking deep. My legs wobbled beneath me, but I forced myself to stand. I had always known that being the leader of the Silverblood pack was not something I was born for, but hearing it from one of my own pack members—the venom in his voice—felt like a betrayal that twisted my insides.

Before I could react, the man who had saved me moved with terrifying speed. He didn’t hesitate. In a flash, he was on top of my pack member, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him back against the floor. The attacker gasped for air, but there was no mercy in the man's gaze.

With one sharp twist, the man’s hands tightened, and the attacker’s breath stopped altogether. The silence that followed was deafening.

The man released his grip and stepped back, allowing the lifeless body of my attacker to crumple to the hard floor. He wiped his hands clean of the blood, his gaze never leaving the motionless form of the man he had just killed. His demeanor was calm, almost too calm, as if murder was a simple act, nothing to be disturbed by.

I couldn’t speak for a moment, still too stunned by the brutal efficiency of his actions. Finally, I found my voice.

“Why… why did they attack me?” I whispered, my words thick with disbelief. “I know I don’t deserve this spot all that much, but couldn’t they have spoken to me? Was I really that bad of an alpha that they thought killing me would be better than talking to me?”

The man, who had rescued me, turned to me. His eyes were cold, calculating, unreadable. He didn’t answer my questions, though I was not expecting him to. He didn’t look very familiar.

“I’m here to discuss our mate bond,” he finally said, his voice firm and low, as if the dead man on the floor and my almost-death didn’t matter. It was as though none of it registered in his mind. “I’m Theo, future alpha of Mooncrest. You should know me.”

I blinked, stunned. His words felt strange yet familiar. It was something I had known for a long time. My thoughts spun wildly. Theo was the future alpha of Mooncrest Pack, the pack my parents had arranged an alliance with long ago. They had always spoken highly of him, but I had never met him. Not in person. My parents had informed me before they died that the moon goddess had revealed that I was to be mated to the future alpha of Mooncrest, who turned out to be Theo.

“You… you came here to talk about our bond?” I repeated, still trying to wrap my head around the situation . “But… why now? This whole time, since my parents died, you never cared to show up.”

“I’ve been keeping an eye on you, Anaya,” he continued, his voice steady, though something dark lingered in the depths of his gaze. “Since your parents died, I’ve been protecting you from your pack.”

My stomach twisted at his words. Protecting me? From my own pack?

“They’ve been plotting against you,” Theo went on. “They’ve been planning to get you off the throne for months. You’re weak in their eyes. A threat to their power. Why do you think nobody was around your own house to help you against one wolf? They all folded their arms.”

His words rang through my mind, but they made no sense even after the heavy words of one of my pack members who had just attacked me. Why would my pack betray me like this? My mind churned, images of my parents flashing through my thoughts.

Theo’s voice cut through my thoughts. “You’ll be safer with me in my pack. You don’t belong here, with them. They’ll tear you apart, Anaya.”

I didn’t know what to say. The weight of his words settled heavily on my chest. My pack, the Silverblood pack, was the oldest and most powerful pack in the territory. To think that they might actually turn against me—it made my blood run cold.

I opened my mouth, but my voice failed me. Everything I had known about leadership, about power, seemed to be crumbling right before my eyes. But there was one thing I could say.

“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice barely audible, even with how close he was. “For saving me.”

He didn’t acknowledge my gratitude. Instead, he gave me a hard, measured look. “I didn’t save you for that. I saved you because of what you are. Because of what you can be. We’re bound, Anaya. Whether you want it or not.”

A cold shiver ran through me as I felt something stir deep inside. It was something I couldn’t quite explain. Theo’s words lingered in the air, heavy with unspoken intent. And then, before I could respond, his gaze hardened. He turned his back to me, walking toward the dark woods.

“You’ll come with me,” he said simply, as if I had no other choice. “You’ll be safe there.”

I stared after him, torn between the safety he promised and the uncertainty that clung to his every word. As I followed, a dreadful thought echoed through my mind: What if I was walking into a different kind of trap?

But before I could ask myself another question, darkness overtook me, and the world spun wildly.

Everything went black.