Azura's POV
Rhydor's entire body went rigid. His jaw clenched again, harder this time. His amber eyes narrowed into slits.
Then he started walking.
Straight toward me.
Each step was deliberate, heavy with purpose. My heart jumped into my throat. I didn't know what he was planning, but the fury radiating off him promised nothing good.
Silas stepped directly into his path, hands raised.
"Okay, hold on, girl," Silas said gently. "Just calm down for a second."
Rhydor stopped. His hands curled into fists at his sides.
"Move." The word came out low and deadly.
Silas didn't budge. "I know you're angry. I get it. But let's just take a breath and…"
"I said move."
The command in his voice made me flinch from across the room.
Silas frowned, confusion flickering across his face. "Listen, I understand you're upset, but violence isn't going to…"
I stepped forward quickly and tapped Silas on the shoulder.
He turned, eyebrows raised in question.
I leaned in close and whispered, pointing at Rhydor. "He's not the girl. I'm the girl. He's the Alpha now."
Silas froze. His eyes widened. He looked between Rhydor and me, realization dawning on his face.
"Wait. When did this happen?"
"Ten seconds ago," Rhydor snapped. "Now MOVE."
Silas stepped aside slowly, his expression wary. "Okay. What are you planning to do?"
Rhydor moved toward me again, but Silas stepped back into his path.
"Are you planning to hurt your mate?" Silas said firmly.
"She's not my mate," Rhydor said coldly. "I rejected her."
"Rejected or not, whatever you're feeling right now? She's feeling it too. So calm down and let's handle this the smart way."
Rhydor's chest rose and fell with controlled breaths. For a moment, I thought he might actually throw a punch. But then he stepped back, his hands unclenching slowly.
The tension in the room was suffocating.
The door opened, and Axel walked in. "It's all done. The horses are ready for travel."
"There's no need for that," Rhydor said flatly.
Silas turned to him. "We need to talk to your parents."
Rhydor shook his head. "There's no need. The curse ran its course. It's over."
"You don't know that," Silas said, voice hardening. "You don't know when or why it could strike again."
"If it does, we'll handle it."
Silas steps forward "You call this handling it? You just spent hours trapped in someone else's body."
"And now I'm not."
"For how long?" Silas demanded. "What happens when you're in a pack meeting and suddenly switch? What happens during warrior training? What if enemies attack and you're stuck in the body of someone who can barely defend herself?"
He turned to me, his expression softening slightly. "No offense."
The words stung even though I knew he didn't mean them cruelly. It was just the truth.
Rhydor's jaw clenched. "I don't need my father's help."
"Maybe not for yourself," Silas said quietly. "But what about her?"
Rhydor turned to look at me.
"She did nothing wrong," Silas continued. "She didn't ask for this bond. She didn't ask to be rejected. And she certainly didn't ask to be dragged into this curse with you. So if you won't go to your parents for yourself, at least do it for her."
Silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.
Rhydor exhaled sharply. "Fine. We'll go. But only because I need answers about this curse. Not because of what you said. Not because of her."
Silas inclined his head. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Axel cleared his throat. "The former Alpha and Luna are in the eastern territory. We need to leave soon if we want to reach them before evening."
My stomach chose that exact moment to let out the loudest, most embarrassing growl I'd ever heard.
Everyone turned to look at me.
Heat flooded my face. I looked down at my bare feet.
"Before we go…" I said quietly. "Can I at least eat something first?"
My stomach growled again, even louder.
Axel's stern face cracked slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Sure. Follow me."
He led me outside to a covered terrace overlooking the gardens. A wooden table sat in the center, polished and gleaming. Servants appeared almost immediately, setting down plates piled high with food.
Roasted meat that smelled like heaven, fresh bread still warm from the oven, and fruits I didn't even recognize, all of it filled the air with a mouthwatering aroma.
My mouth watered.
I picked up the fork, trying to hold it the way I'd seen higher-ranked wolves do. Delicate. Proper.
But my hand felt clumsy. The fork slipped. I tried again, and it clattered against the plate.
Frustration bubbled up in my chest.
Forget it.
I set the fork down and picked up the meat with my hands. It was tender, falling apart at the slightest touch. I took a bite and barely held back a moan.
This was the best thing I'd ever tasted.
I glanced up and caught Rhydor standing by the doorway, watching me. His lip curled in disgust, like I was something dirty he'd stepped in.
I looked away quickly and saw Silas leaning against the railing nearby. He was shaking his head with a small smile. Not mocking. Just amused.
I didn't care what they thought. All I knew was I was starving, and this food was a gift from the Goddess herself.
When I finished, I wiped my mouth and hands, and we all prepared to leave.
Silas and Axel walked toward the stables. I followed behind them, my stomach finally quiet.
When we reached the horses, Silas and Axel mounted theirs with practiced ease.
Silas looked down at me. "Azura, ride with me."
I started walking toward him.
"She rides with me."
Rhydor's voice cut through the air like a blade.
Everyone froze.
We all turned to stare at him.
"She rides with me," he repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.
My mind raced. Is this a trap? Is he planning to strangle me mid-ride? Does he want to throw me off the horse when we're in the middle of nowhere?
"I'd rather ride with…" I started.
Rhydor stood and walked toward me, his presence overwhelming. "You ride with me."
The command in his voice pressed down on me like a weight. I found myself nodding before I could think.
"Okay. I'll ride with you."
Silas and Axel exchanged glances but said nothing.
Rhydor climbed onto his massive black stallion and held out his hand.
I stared at it, my heart pounding.
"We don't have all day," he said flatly.
I grabbed his hand. His grip was firm, almost rough, as he pulled me up in one smooth motion. I landed in front of him, trapped between his arms.
His chest pressed against my back. His scent surrounded me. Pine and leather and something uniquely him.
Goosebumps spread across my skin. My wolf stirred, restless and confused.
Why do I feel this pull?
"Hold on," Rhydor whispered near my ear.
The horse surged forward, and we burst into the forest.
His arms tightened around me, keeping me from falling. It was strange. He hated me. I knew he did. So why did his hold feel… protective?
We rode for twenty minutes through the trees. The air smelled like earth and pine. The world blurred into streaks of green and brown.
Eventually, the trees thinned, and we came to a clearing.
A stone house stood nestled into a hillside, surrounded by wildflowers. Smoke curled from the chimney. Windows glowed with warm firelight.
Before we could even dismount, the front door opened.
A woman stepped out. She had brown hair streaked with silver and blue eyes that seemed to see straight through me.
"I sensed you coming," she said warmly.
Without being told, I knew. This was the former Luna.
Rhydor dismounted and then lifted me down from the horse. The moment my feet touched the ground, he stepped back.
"Mother," he said. "We need to speak with you and Father, it's urgent."
Silas and Axel dismounted and bowed their heads respectfully. "Luna Genevieve."
Genevieve smiled. "Welcome, my children. Come in."
The interior of the house was warm and inviting. A fire crackled in a large stone hearth. Comfortable furniture filled the space. Paintings of wolves and the moon hung on the walls.
Genevieve called up the stairs. "Arthur, darling, we have visitors."
Heavy footsteps descended. A man appeared at the top of the staircase.
He was tall and broad, with black hair streaked with gray. His amber eyes, so much like Rhydor's, swept over us.
When his gaze landed on his son, disappointment flickered across his face.
"What is it now?" he asked, his tone making it clear this wasn't the first time Rhydor had come to him with trouble.
Genevieve gestured to the sitting area near the fire. "Please, sit."
We arranged ourselves carefully. Rhydor took a chair near the hearth. Silas and Axel sat on a bench together. I took the smallest chair in the corner, trying to make myself invisible.
Arthur and Genevieve sat together, united.
"Start talking," Arthur commanded.
This time, it wasn't Rhydor who spoke. It was Silas.
He explained everything. The mate bond. The rejection. The cursed ground. The body switching.
By the time he finished, the room had grown cold.
Arthur stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor.
"You rejected your mate?" His voice boomed like thunder. "Your fated mate given to you by the Moon Goddess herself?!"
Rhydor's expression didn't change. "I'm not the first one to reject my mate."
"Not in my family you're not!" Arthur's voice shook the walls. "Do you have any idea what you've done? The laws you've broken? The sacred bond you've spat on?!"
Genevieve's voice cut through the anger, quiet but sharp. "Where did this happen?"
Silas answered. "The Hunting Grounds."
Genevieve's face went pale. She stood slowly, her hand pressed to her chest. "How can you do such, on cursed ground? In the forbidden area?"
"How was I supposed to know that land was cursed?" Rhydor muttered.
"Everyone knows about that ground!" Arthur's fist slammed into the arm of his chair. "Every wolf in this pack knows the story! You not knowing means you were careless! Reckless!"
He turned to face Rhydor fully. "Centuries ago, a powerful Alpha was rejected by his mate on that very spot. In his rage and heartbreak, he cursed that ground. Anyone who rejects their fated mate there will suffer the consequences!"
Genevieve's voice was soft but firm. "This is the Moon Goddess's punishment. Since you rejected your mate on cursed ground, she's forcing you to walk in each other's paws. To understand what you've both lost."
My breath hitched. Punishment? I looked at my shaking hands. Was this what the Elder meant when he called me a Void Wolf? Was it related to this? Did we switch because of my bad omen?
Arthur turned his fury on Silas. "Where were you when this was happening? Why couldn't you stop him?"
Silas met his gaze steadily. "I tried. But you know how stubborn your son is."
Arthur's anger faded into something worse. Shame. Disappointment.
He stood there for a long moment, silent.
Then he spoke, his voice decisive. "Fine. If he's this stubborn, then I'll do this the hard way."
He turned to face all of us. "She will move into the pack house."
Everyone froze.
Even me.
Rhydor stood so fast his chair toppled backward.
"Over my dead body."
Arthur's expression darkened. He'd been holding back, trying to stay calm. But those words triggered something.
He moved.
Faster than I could see. Inhuman speed.
His fist connected with Rhydor's face with a sickening crack.
The force of the blow was staggering. Strong enough to break a normal person's neck. Strong enough to throw someone across the room.
But Rhydor only moved his head slightly to the side.
Blood appeared on his lip, bright red against his skin.
He didn't look at his father.
Slowly, he turned his head.
His amber eyes locked onto mine. No fire, no shouting. Just a cold, unreadable stillness that made the hair on my arms rise.
It wasn't just anger anymore. It was personal.
He stepped toward me. Close enough that I caught the sharp, metallic scent of blood.
I glanced down, and the wound on his lip was still there, but healing fast, the torn skin already knitting itself back together with that ruthless speed only an Alpha could manage.
He leaned in, voice low and steady.
"Pack your things," then came the smile, calm, dangerous, "Because I'm going to make sure you regret every second you spend under my roof."
He turned and walked out without another word. Silas and Axel followed behind him, looking back at me with pity in their eyes.
My body refused to move. My lungs forgot how to work.
There were no more options. I was moving into the lion's den, and I was done for.