Luna Everleigh's POV
***
I froze.
The words—impossible, absurd—echoed through the stillness of the forest.
No. I must have misheard. Wolves didn't speak. Creatures like this didn't speak.
But as I stared, wide-eyed, the beast took another step toward me, its massive paws silent against the damp earth.
My breath hitched.
Every instinct screamed at me to run, but my body trembled too violently to obey.
"You…" My voice came out barely above a whisper. "You talk."
The wolf's silver eyes flashed, something almost amused passing through them.
"And you listen," it murmured, voice smooth as silk, yet laced with something dangerously sharp.
I shook my head, trying to clear the fog of fear and confusion. "No. This—this isn't real."
A dark, rumbling sound—almost like laughter—vibrated through the air.
"You know it's real," the wolf said, tilting its head slightly. "You feel it."
My stomach twisted.
Because I did.
A strange, electric pull coiled deep in my chest, something old and unexplainable. It had been there the moment our eyes met, wrapping around me like invisible chains.
But that was impossible.
Mates.
The word slithered into my mind unbidden, making my breath catch.
No.
Damian had been my mate. He was supposed to be my only mate.
This—this thing—couldn't be—
The wolf took another slow step forward, and I scrambled back, my hands pressing against the damp earth. "Stay away."
It stopped, studying me.
For a long moment, silence stretched between us, thick with something neither of us could name.
Then, slowly, impossibly, the massive form of the wolf began to shift.
Bones cracked, muscles stretched, and before I could even comprehend what was happening, the beast was no longer there.
In its place stood a man.
Tall. Powerful. Ethereal in a way that was almost unnatural.
His silver hair was tousled, his bare skin dusted with blood from the battle. Shadows clung to the sharp edges of his face, highlighting cheekbones that could cut glass.
And his eyes—those same piercing silver eyes—held me captive.
I couldn't breathe.
"Who…" My voice shook. "Who are you?"
His lips curved slightly, a dangerous, knowing smirk.
"Rhydian," he murmured.
The name sent a chill down my spine, as if the very earth recognized it.
Then, in a voice like a promise and a curse, he spoke again.
"You are mine, Luna."
—
(To be continued…)