Selene watched the bloodred sky as the sun dipped behind the mountains. The shadows stretched long and low, covering the forest like a blanket. She tightened the straps of her black leather boots and pulled her hood over her head. The air was getting colder, but it was not the weather that made her shiver. It was what she was about to do.
She was not afraid. She had been trained to handle fear. But tonight was different. This was not just another mission. It was her biggest yet. And failure was not an option.
She glanced down at the small folded paper in her pocket. The last message from her handler.
Infiltrate BloodMoon. Kill the Alpha. Disappear.
No names. No greetings. Just orders. That was how it had always been. She was a shadow. A tool. A ghost in the wind. The Shadow Fang Pack had raised her to be nothing more than a weapon. And tonight, she would do her job.
Or at least, that was the plan.
She took a deep breath and stepped into the clearing. Her scent was masked with herbs. Her aura was suppressed. To any wolf nearby, she would seem like a weak rogue. Lost. Wandering. Harmless.
But Selene was anything but harmless.
The pack border was marked by old pine trees and warning signs scratched deep into bark. Anyone who crossed without permission could be killed on sight. She knew that. But she also knew how to act desperate, scared, and broken. It was not hard. She had lived that life once.
Before they turned her into this.
She stepped across the invisible line, heart steady, breath controlled. The wind carried the strong scent of wolves and power. She could feel them before she saw them. Guards. Two of them. Male. Big. Not Alpha level, but dangerous enough.
They appeared between the trees like shadows. One growled low. The other stepped forward, golden eyes scanning her from head to toe.
"State your name and your purpose."
Selene dropped to her knees, just like she had practiced. She made her voice tremble.
"I… I mean no harm. Please. I was chased out of my old pack. I've been running for weeks."
One of them sniffed the air. He frowned.
"You don't smell like any pack."
"I masked my scent. I had to," she said. "They were hunting me."
He looked at the other guard, who nodded once.
"Come with us. The Alpha will decide what to do with you."
Selene kept her eyes down, heart thudding. This was it. Step one. Get inside.
They led her through the trees and toward the heart of the BloodMoon Pack. The territory was wide, filled with wooden cabins and stone paths lit by fire lanterns. Wolves moved through the streets, some in human form, some not. Children played. Warriors trained. It looked… normal.
Peaceful.
She hated that it made her chest tighten.
They brought her to the pack house, a large two-story building made of dark wood and glass. It stood like a fortress, strong and proud. And somewhere inside was the man she had been sent to kill.
Alpha Kael.
The guards pushed open the front doors. Warm light spilled out, along with the scent of spice, leather, and something else. Something that made her stomach twist.
She stepped inside.
And then everything changed.
The moment her boots touched the polished floor, a heavy presence filled the room. It was strong, demanding, electric. Her wolf stirred inside her, confused and alert.
She looked up.
And saw him.
Kael stood at the top of the stairs. Tall, broad, and impossibly still. His eyes were silver like the moon. His black hair was tousled as if he had just come from training. His chest rose and fell slowly, and his gaze was locked on her.
Something inside Selene snapped.
A bond. A call. A feeling she had never known before.
Mate.
No. No, it could not be.
Kael began to descend the stairs, slow and silent, like a predator. Everyone in the room stilled. Even the guards beside her backed away.
Selene's heart pounded.
This was wrong. This was not supposed to happen. She was the spy. The enemy. The blade meant to end him.
So why did her knees feel weak?
Kael stopped in front of her. His scent hit her like a wave. Power. Rain. Forest. And something that pulled at her soul.
"You," he said, voice deep and calm. "What is your name?"
She opened her mouth. Lied like she had been trained to do.
"Lena."
He tilted his head slightly. "Where did you come from?"
"I… I don't remember. I was running for days. I'm just looking for safety."
His silver eyes narrowed. Not in anger. In curiosity.
Selene felt like he could see through her. Strip her bare. Read every lie on her lips.
"Take her to the guest room," he said to the guard. "Make sure she's fed. She stays under watch until I say otherwise."
She looked up, surprised.
"You're not throwing me out?"
Kael looked at her for a long moment.
"No. I want to know more about you."
And with that, he turned and walked away.
Selene stood frozen.
She had just entered enemy land, stood before the Alpha she was meant to destroy, and discovered something far more dangerous than any mission.
He was her mate.
And now, her lies would become her greatest weapon.
Or her greatest curse.