Ashina woke to pale morning light filtering through her childhood curtains and forgot, for one blissful moment, that her entire life had ended. Then she moved, and the mark on her neck pulled with a sensation that wasn't quite pain but wasn't comfort either. The bond hummed to life, immediately orienting her toward Kendrick's location which was northeast, awake, and radiating anticipation mixed with anxiety.
He was waiting for her.
Today was the day.
The memory of last night crashed back. Darren showing up two hours too late with excuses and empty words." I couldn't respond earlier, I was in a meeting. This is all happening so fast. Maybe we can still figure something out". But his eyes had kept sliding away from hers, from the mark, from the reality of what had happened. And through the bond, she'd felt Kendrick's jealous rage at another male being near his marked mate, felt him fighting the urge to come and claim what was his.
She had told Darren to leave. Told him she didn't want his pity or his half-hearted attempts to salvage something that had never really existed. He'd looked almost relieved and that had hurt worse than anything.
Now, lying in her childhood bed for the last time, Ashina stared at the ceiling and tried to memorize the pattern of cracks in the plaster. Tried to brand this moment into her memory the feel of her old mattress, the smell of her mother's lavender sachets, the sound of birds outside her window.
All the things she was leaving behind.
A soft knock on her door. "Ashina?" Her mother's voice, gentle and breaking. "Breakfast is ready, sweetheart."
Ashina closed her eyes. I'm not ready. I'll never be ready.
But the bond disagreed. It pulled at her insistently, a constant tug toward Moonlit Pack, toward Kendrick, toward a future she'd never chosen. The longer she stayed away, the more uncomfortable it became a low-grade nausea, a tightness in her chest, a wrongness in her bones.
The bond wanted her to go to her mate.
Ashina wanted to crawl under her blankets and never come out.
"I'll be down in a minute," she called, her voice rough from crying herself to sleep.
She forced herself out of bed and looked at her reflection in the mirror. The mark stood out starkly against her skin it was a two crescents of scar tissue where Kendrick's teeth had pierced her, surrounded by a faint shimmer that marked it as an Alpha's claim. Already, it had started to integrate into her, the edges softening, the pain fading to a constant awareness. Her mate mark. Permanent. Undeniable.
Ashina pulled on a high-necked sweater, but it didn't hide the mark. Nothing would. That was the point. Everyone who saw her would know immediately that she belonged to Kendrick Ridge, Alpha of Moonlit Pack.
That she was claimed. Owned. His.
She descended the stairs slowly, each step feeling heavier than the last. Voices drifted from the kitchen her parents speaking in low, worried tones. They went silent when she appeared in the doorway.
The kitchen table was set with all her favorite breakfast foods. Pancakes with fresh berries. Bacon cooked crispy the way she liked. Her mother's special hot chocolate with cinnamon. A feast, as if calories could somehow make up for what was about to happen.
"Sit, baby." Elena's smile was brave but fragile. "I made everything you love."
Marcus and Torin were already seated, both looking like they hadn't slept. Her father's jaw was tight, his hands clenched around his coffee mug like he wanted to break something. Torin's eyes were red-rimmed, and when he looked at Ashina, fresh tears threatened.
She sat, and the four of them stared at the beautiful breakfast no one wanted to eat.
"I'm not hungry," Ashina said quietly.
"Please try." Elena's voice cracked. "Just a little. For me."
So Ashina forced down bites of pancake that tasted like ash. Her family did the same, all of them going through the motions of a normal breakfast that was anything but normal.
This was their last meal together. The last time she'd sit at this table as part of this household. After today, she'd be Luna of Moonlit Pack, a visitor when she came back, not a daughter of this house.
The silence was suffocating.
"I called the school," Marcus said finally, his voice carefully controlled. "Told them you'd be withdrawing. Transferring to wherever Moonlit Pack's educational system is."
Ashina had forgotten about school. About her classes, her part-time job at the bakery, her study group. All the mundane pieces of her life that were simply ending.
"I talked to your boss at the bakery," Elena added. "She understands. Sends her well wishes." A pause. "And her condolences."
Condolences. Like someone had died. Maybe someone had the girl Ashina used to be, the future she'd planned, the freedom she'd taken for granted.
"The pack's talking," Torin said bluntly, ignoring their mother's warning look. "Some are sympathetic. Most are not."
"Torin"
"She should know." Her brother's voice was fierce. "They're saying she should be honored to be claimed by such a powerful Alpha. That she's lucky. That she brought this on herself by rejecting him publicly." His hands curled into fists. "I got into three fights yesterday defending you."
"Torin," Marcus said sharply.
"What? It's true. Half the pack thinks she should just accept it and be grateful." Torin's young face was twisted with anger and helplessness. "The other half thinks Dad should challenge Kendrick Ridge and get killed in the process. Nobody's talking about what Ashina wants. What was done to her."
The words hung in the air, brutal and honest.
"Thank you," Ashina whispered. "For defending me. For seeing it for what it was."
"A violation," Torin said flatly. "Anyone with eyes can see that. The mark doesn't make it right."
Elena reached across the table and took Ashina's hand. "I have something for you." She pulled out a delicate silver necklace with a small moonstone pendant. "This was my mother's. And her mother's before that. It's been passed down through our family for generations."
"Mom, I can't"
"You can. You will." Elena stood and fastened it around Ashina's neck, her fingers gentle as they avoided the mark. "It's for protection. For strength. For remembering who you are, even when everything else changes." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Don't let him take that from you. Don't let anyone take that from you."
Ashina touched the cool stone, feeling the weight of generations of women who'd worn it. Women who'd survived. Women who'd endured.
"Promise me you'll contact us," Marcus said, his voice rough. "Every day. Even if it's just a text. I need to know you're okay."
"I promise."
"And if he hurts you or if he does anything worse than he's already done then you call me immediately." His eyes were fierce. "I don't care if I can't beat him in a fair fight. I'll find a way to make him pay."
"Marcus,"
"I mean it, Elena." He looked at his wife, then back to Ashina. "You're our daughter. Pack politics, Alpha power, mate bonds, none of that matters more than your safety. Your wellbeing. If you need us, we're there. No matter what."
"I'll come get you myself," Torin added. "Sneak you out in the middle of the night if I have to. Just say the word."
Their fierce protectiveness made Ashina's throat tight. "I love you all so much."
"We love you too, baby." Elena's tears finally spilled over. "So much. More than anything."
They abandoned the pretense of breakfast and just held each other, this family unit that was about to be fractured. Marcus's arms were strong and steady. Elena smelled like home. Torin clung to his sister like he had when he was small and she'd protected him from nightmares.
Now she was walking into a nightmare, and they couldn't protect her.
Through the bond, Ashina felt Kendrick's awareness sharpen. He knew she was awake, knew she was with her family, knew probably that she was saying goodbye. His emotions were complex, anticipation at her impending arrival, guilt that never seemed to fade, possessive satisfaction that she was marked and coming to him, and underneath it all, a desperate hope that maybe today would begin to mend what he'd broken. He was delusional if he thought that was possible.
"I should finish packing," Ashina said, pulling away. "They'll be here soon."
The morning passed too quickly and too slowly at once. Ashina took one last look at her room, the walls covered with photos of friends and family, the bookshelf overflowing with favorites she'd read dozens of times, the window seat where she'd spent countless hours dreaming of her future.
A future that would never happen now.
She touched her desk, her bed, the doorframe where her parents had marked her height every birthday. Trying to imprint the feel of everything into her memory.
"Ashina?" Torin appeared in the doorway, holding a stuffed wolf toy, the one she'd had since she was three, worn and loved. "Take him. So you're not alone."
"I'm too old for..."
"You're never too old for Mr. Howls." He pressed the toy into her hands. "He'll protect you when we can't."
A car door slammed outside.
They all froze. Through the window, Ashina saw a sleek black SUV parked in front of the house expensive, powerful, intimidating. The Moonlit Pack crest was emblazoned on the door.
They were here.
Her heart began to race. The bond pulled sharply, urgently, sensing how close she was to her mate's territory, his pack, his home. Their home now, whether she wanted it or not.
"I'm not ready," she whispered.
"You'll never be ready," Marcus said gently. "But you'll survive anyway because you're our daughter, and we raised you strong."
Footsteps on the porch. A firm knock.
Marcus opened the door to reveal a tall man with dark hair and kind eyes it was the same man who'd steadied Ashina when the mate bond had first snapped at the gathering. Ryker Lupe, Beta of Moonlit Pack.
"Alpha Marcus," Ryker greeted formally, his voice respectful. "I've come to escort Ashina to Moonlit Pack."
"She's not a prisoner being transported," Marcus growled.
"No, sir. She's the Alpha's mate, and I'm here to ensure her safe passage and comfort." Ryker's gaze moved past Marcus to where Ashina stood frozen in the hallway. Something softened in his expression. "Hello, Ashina. I'm Ryker. We met briefly at the gathering. I'm here to take you home."
"This is her home," Torin snarled.
"It will always be her home," Ryker said evenly. "And she's welcome to visit whenever she wishes. But her primary residence now is with her mate."
The words made it real in a way nothing else had. Primary residence. With her mate. She was really leaving.
"Can you give us a few minutes?" Elena asked, her voice strained.
"Of course. I'll wait by the car." Ryker's eyes met Ashina's. "Take your time. The Alpha is patient today."
After he left, they stood in the hallway Ashina and her family, facing the inevitable.
Outside, pack members had gathered. Some looked sympathetic, their faces reflecting the tragedy of what was happening. Others whispered behind their hands, judging, gossiping, treating this like entertainment rather than the destruction of a young woman's autonomy.
"I hate them," Torin muttered. "I hate everyone who's acting like this is normal."
"Let them talk," Marcus said firmly. "Their opinions mean nothing."
Elena helped Ashina with her jacket, her hands trembling. "Remember who you are. Remember you're loved. Remember you have choices, even if they're not the ones you wanted."
"Be smart," Marcus added. "Learn his weaknesses. Alphas have egos so use that and if you need to run or you need to fight, you do it. Damn the consequences."
"Don't let him break you," Torin whispered fiercely. "Don't let him make you into someone you're not."
Ashina nodded, not trusting her voice.
They carried her bags outside together. The gathered pack members fell silent, watching. Ashina felt their eyes on her neck, on the mark that announced her new status. Some faces showed pity. Others showed envy. A few showed satisfaction as if she'd gotten what she deserved for rejecting such a powerful Alpha.
Ryker took her bags and loaded them into the SUV with efficient care. Then he opened the back door, waiting. This was it. The moment of no return.
Ashina turned to her family. Elena pulled her into a crushing embrace, whispering prayers and blessings in her ear. Marcus held her next, his body shaking with suppressed emotion. Torin hugged her last, clinging tight.
"I love you," she told them, tears streaming down her face. "I love you so much."
"We love you too, baby," Elena sobbed. "So much. Come back soon. Come back whenever you need to."
"Every day," Marcus commanded. "You contact us every day."
"I will. I promise."
Ashina climbed into the SUV, and Ryker closed the door with a gentle click. He got into the driver's seat and started the engine.
As they pulled away from the curb, Ashina looked back through the rear window. Her family stood together in the front yard Marcus with his arm around Elena, Torin standing slightly apart, all of them crying openly. Behind them, her childhood home grew smaller and smaller.
Pack members dispersed, already moving on to the next piece of gossip, the next drama but her family stayed, watching until the SUV turned the corner and they disappeared from view.
Ashina pressed her face against the window, watching her home fade into the distance. The streets she'd walked a thousand times. The bakery where she'd worked. The school she'd attended. The park where she'd played as a child. All of it disappearing behind her.
Through the bond, she felt Kendrick's awareness spike. He knew she was on her way. Knew she was in the car, getting closer with every passing mile. His emotions were a storm of anticipation, anxiety, fierce possessive joy, and that ever-present guilt.
The SUV crossed from Silverpaw territory into neutral lands, and something in Ashina's chest loosened slightly. She wasn't pack territory anymore. She was in-between. Not quite here, not quite there.
"I'm sorry," Ryker said quietly from the front seat. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry this happened the way it did."
Ashina didn't respond. Couldn't.
"Kendrick is complicated," Ryker continued, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. "He's not as bad as you think. He's actually...."
"He forced me," Ashina cut him off, her voice hollow. "He hunted me down and marked me against my will. How could he be anything but bad?"
Ryker was quiet for a long moment. The only sound was the hum of the engine and the whisper of tires on asphalt.
"You're right," he said finally. "What he did was wrong. I told him not to. Warned him it would destroy any chance he had at winning your heart willingly." He sighed. "But I also know why he did it. And that doesn't make it right, but it might... eventually... make it understandable."
"I'll never understand forcing someone."
"No," Ryker agreed. "You probably won't. But you might understand desperation. Fear of losing someone. The kind of love that makes you do terrible things to protect what's yours."
"I'm not his," Ashina said fiercely.
Through the bond, she felt Kendrick's sharp reaction to those words, pain and denial and that stubborn certainty Yes, you are. You'll always be mine.
"The mark says otherwise," Ryker said gently. "And I know you hate that. But the bond is real, Ashina. What you're feeling from him that's real too. His guilt, his love, his desperation. All of it is real."
"That doesn't make what he did okay."
"No, it doesn't." Ryker met her eyes in the mirror. "But it might make living with him bearable. Because he's not a monster. He's just a wolf who's been alone too long, who found his mate and panicked when she walked away. Who made a terrible choice because he couldn't see another way."
"There's always another way."
"Is there?" Ryker's voice was thoughtful. "When your mate is destroying herself over a man who doesn't deserve her? When she's in pain and won't accept your help? When every instinct in your body screams to protect her, claim her, save her is there really another way?"
"Yes," Ashina said firmly. "He could have respected my choice."
"And watch you waste years on Darren Kale?" Ryker shook his head. "Kendrick couldn't do that. Right or wrong, he couldn't stand by and watch."
The SUV crossed into Moonlit Pack territory, and Ashina felt the shift immediately. The bond sang with satisfaction, recognizing pack lands, home territory. Through it, she felt Kendrick standing from wherever he'd been sitting. Felt him move toward the entrance of his home, unable to stay away now that she was so close.
"We're almost there," Ryker said unnecessarily.
Ashina's hands clenched in her lap. Mr. Howls, the stuffed wolf Torin had given her, was clutched against her chest like a shield. The moonstone necklace from her mother felt heavy around her neck. Her father's knife was in her pocket.
Pieces of her family, going with her into exile.
"What happens now?" she asked.
"Now?" Ryker glanced back at her. "Now you meet your pack. Your home. Your mate like really meet him, not just the Alpha who marked you, but the man underneath." He paused. "And you decide who you want to be. The victim of this situation, or the woman who survives it and comes out stronger."
"That's not fair," Ashina whispered. "Making me responsible for how I handle being violated."
"No," Ryker agreed softly. "It's not fair at all. Nothing about this is fair. But fair or not, you still have choices. How you respond. How you survive. Whether you let this break you or forge you into something harder."
The SUV pulled through tall iron gates bearing the Moonlit Pack crest a wolf howling at a full moon. The driveway was long, winding through dense forest before opening onto a massive estate. And there, standing on the front steps of an enormous stone mansion, was Kendrick.
He looked different than he had in the forest. More human, less wild. He wore dark jeans and a simple black shirt, his hair slightly damp like he'd just showered. But his eyes those ice-blue eyes were fixed on the SUV with an intensity that stole Ashina's breath.
Through the bond, she felt everything he was feeling. Relief so profound it made him shake. Joy at having her here, finally, where she belonged. Anxiety that she'd hate the house, the pack, him. Guilt that sat in his stomach like lead. Love that radiated from him in waves, overwhelming and absolute. And underneath it all: satisfaction. Possessive, primal satisfaction that his mate was here, on his territory, wearing his mark.
Mine, the bond whispered in a voice that was both hers and his. Finally, completely mine.
The SUV stopped. Ryker turned off the engine.
Ashina's new life was waiting just beyond the car door.
She took a deep breath, touched the moonstone necklace, and thought of her family.
I'll survive this, she promised them silently. I'll survive him. And somehow, I'll find myself again.