Luna could not move.
The clearing felt suddenly too small, the air heavy and tight in her lungs. The silver mark on her chest burned softly, pulsing in time with her racing heart. Every instinct inside her screamed danger.
"A vampire?" she repeated, her voice low and unsteady.
Kael did not look away from her. His golden eyes were sharp, alert, tracking every shift in the shadows around them. "Yes," he said. "And not just any vampire."
The cold presence in Luna's mind stirred again.
You wound me, the voice said calmly. Speaking of me like I am not here.
"Stop," Luna whispered, shaking her head. "Please, just stop."
She clutched at her chest, feeling overwhelmed. One moment, she had been a normal college student. Next, she was a wolf standing in a forest with an Alpha and a voice in her head that claimed to be a vampire.
This was too much.
Kael took a careful step closer. "Focus on my voice," he said gently. "Don't let him pull you under."
"I'm not pulling her anywhere," Adrian replied smoothly inside her mind. I am simply speaking.
"You're inside my head," Luna snapped. "That's not normal."
Neither is turning into a wolf under a full moon, Adrian replied. Yet here we are.
Anger flared, pushing back her fear. "Get out," she demanded.
There was a pause.
Then the voice laughed softly. I would love to. Unfortunately, I can't.
"What do you mean you can't?" Luna asked, dread curling in her stomach.
Kael answered for him. "Because the bond is already forming."
Luna stared at him. "Bond? You already said the Moon chose me. Once."
Kael's expression darkened. "It was never supposed to happen twice."
Her legs trembled. She sat back on her haunches, suddenly exhausted.
"Explain," she said. "Now. No more secrets."
Kael hesitated, then nodded. "Come with me. This clearing is not safe for long."
"I'm not going anywhere," Luna snapped. "Not until I understand what's happening to me."
Kael studied her for a long moment, then sighed. "All right."
He crouched a few feet away from her, careful not to appear threatening. "Mates are chosen by the Moon. One soul, one bond. It ties two beings together. Strength, loyalty, instincts. Everything."
Luna swallowed. "And that mark?"
"It confirms the bond," Kael said. "Once it appears, it cannot be removed."
Her chest tightened. "You mean I'm stuck like this?"
"With me," he said quietly.
The words sent a strange mix of heat and panic through her.
Before she could respond, Adrian's voice cut in again.
How romantic, he said dryly. If only it were true.
Kael's head snapped up. "Stay out of this."
You don't get to decide that, Adrian replied. She belongs to me as well.
Luna shot to her feet. "I belong to no one!"
The force of her shout echoed through the trees. For a moment, even the forest seemed to pause.
Adrian was silent.
Kael watched her carefully. "You're right," he said. "You belong to yourself. No bond changes that."
She searched his face, trying to see if he meant it. To her surprise, he looked sincere.
"Then why does it feel like something is trying to tear me in two?" she asked, her voice cracking.
Kael's jaw tightened. "Because two different powers are pulling on you."
"Moon and vampire," Luna said bitterly.
"Yes," he replied.
As if summoned by his words, the air around them grew colder. The moonlight dimmed slightly, shadows stretching unnaturally across the clearing.
Luna's fur bristled.
Kael stood. "He's getting closer."
"I thought you said he was not here," Luna said sharply.
"He's not," Kael answered. "Not physically. But vampires don't need bodies to influence blood bonds."
Fear crept up Luna's spine. "So what do we do?"
Kael met her gaze. "We move. Now."
Before she could argue, another wave of weakness hit her. Her legs buckled, and she would have fallen if Kael had not moved fast, catching her easily.
"Hey," he said quietly. "Breathe."
She hated how safe his arms felt.
"I don't trust you," she muttered.
"That's fair," Kael replied. "But you can trust that I won't let him take you."
"Take me where?" she whispered.
Kael did not answer right away.
He guided her through the forest, moving swiftly but carefully. The trees grew denser, the air buzzing faintly, like static.
Luna noticed strange stones half-buried in the ground, carved with symbols that glowed softly as they passed.
"What are those?" she asked.
"Wards," Kael said. "Old ones."
They stepped into another clearing, smaller than the first, ringed by tall stone pillars etched with glowing runes. The moment Luna crossed into the circle, the cold pressure in her mind vanished.
She gasped. "It's quiet."
Kael nodded. "He can't reach you here."
For the first time since the change, Luna felt like she could think.
She sank to the ground, exhaustion crashing over her. Kael removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
"Try to rest," he said. "Your body needs it."
She looked up at him. "You said something about old blood earlier."
Kael's eyes flicked to the silver charm hanging at her neck. "That necklace," he said. "It's not just a trinket."
"My grandmother gave it to me," Luna said. "She said it would protect me."
"It did," Kael replied. "For a long time."
Her heart skipped. "From what?"
He hesitated.
Before he could answer, the runes around the clearing flared bright blue.
Luna stiffened. "What's happening?"
Kael turned sharply toward the forest. "Someone is testing the wards."
A familiar cold voice slipped into her mind, faint but clear.
You can hide for now, Adrian said. But not forever.
Luna's hands clenched. "I don't want this," she whispered.
Kael looked back at her, his expression grave. "I know."
The ground trembled slightly beneath them, the forest groaning like it was waking from sleep.
Kael's voice dropped. "But the moment the Moon marked you, the balance broke."
Luna stared at the glowing stones, her heart pounding.
"And now," he continued, "everything is coming for you."
The silence that followed felt heavier than any sound.