Luna Everleigh's POV
***
I forced myself to stand, even as my head spun.
And that's when I saw it—the village.
Nestled between the ancient trees, the settlement pulsed with an energy that set my nerves on edge. Wooden structures rose in graceful arcs, woven into the land as if they had grown there naturally. The pathways glowed faintly beneath the moonlight, carved with symbols I didn't recognize.
But it wasn't the village itself that sent a chill down my spine.
It was them.
Wolves.
Dozens of them. Some in their human forms, others prowling on all fours. Their gazes snapped to me the moment we stepped into the clearing.
And they did not look pleased.
Low growls rippled through the crowd. Some bared their teeth. Others exchanged wary glances. The hostility in the air was suffocating.
I swallowed hard, my pulse racing.
They didn't want me here.
A figure stepped forward, tall and broad-shouldered, his presence commanding in a way that rivaled even Rhydian's. His dark hair was cropped short, his sharp features set in a permanent scowl.
"Who is this?" the man demanded, his piercing gaze flicking to me with thinly veiled contempt.
Rhydian didn't hesitate. "She is mine."
The words sent a bolt of electricity through my spine.
The man—Kael, I realized—stiffened. His eyes narrowed. "You bring a human here?" His voice was low, dangerous. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
Rhydian's expression remained calm, but the air around him grew heavier, charged with something lethal. "I know exactly what I've done."
Kael let out a sharp breath, looking at me again, this time with something akin to disgust. "She doesn't belong here."
"I decide who belongs here." Rhydian's tone dropped to something quiet. Deadly. "And I will not be questioned."
A ripple of tension spread through the gathered wolves. Some immediately lowered their heads in submission. Others held their ground, their eyes flicking between Rhydian and Kael.
Kael clenched his jaw, but after a moment, he exhaled through his nose. "Then I hope for all our sakes that she is worth it."
With that, he turned on his heel and stalked away.
But the unease in the air didn't fade.
I could feel their eyes on me, filled with doubt, suspicion, and something else—something darker.
Rhydian didn't seem to care.
He reached for me, his grip firm as he pulled me closer, his voice a quiet promise against my ear.
"They will accept you," he murmured. "Or they will suffer the consequences."
A shiver ran down my spine.
I had stepped into a world I didn't understand.
And there was no turning back.
—
(To be continued…)