SERA'S POV
My power explodes outward like a nuclear bomb.
"STOP!"
The command rips from my throat in a voice that shakes the walls—ancient, divine, unstoppable.
Silver runes blaze across my skin, burning so bright they light up the entire apartment. My eyes ignite with power that's been suppressed for seven years.
Every wolf in the room freezes mid-attack.
Then they collapse.
To their knees. Heads bowed. Unable to fight the compulsion even for a single second.
The rogues. Kade. All of them.
Even the Alpha—the strongest wolf in Seattle—is forced to submit to my command.
The apartment falls silent except for my ragged breathing.
Kade shifts back to human form slowly, his silver eyes wide with shock. But he's still on his knees, still unable to move.
Because I haven't released the command yet.
"Sera," he says quietly, his voice strained. "Let them go."
My hands are shaking. Power courses through me like electricity, begging to be unleashed further. I could kill them all with a word. Could make them tear each other apart. Could—
No. I'm not that person. I'm not the monster Mom was afraid I'd become.
I take a shuddering breath and release the power.
The command cuts out. The runes fade from my skin. My eyes stop glowing.
The rogues scramble to their feet, whimpering and backing away from me like I'm death itself.
"Run," I whisper, and they don't need to be told twice.
They pour out through the broken window, trampling each other in their desperation to escape.
Within seconds, they're gone.
Leaving me alone with Kade.
He's still kneeling, but now it's by choice. He's staring at me like he's seeing me for the first time.
"Lunaris," he breathes. "You're really Lunaris."
My legs give out.
I collapse, and Kade catches me before I hit the floor. His arms wrap around me, pulling me against his chest.
"I've got you," he murmurs. "You're safe."
"I'm never safe." The words come out broken. "They found me. Which means others will too."
"Not while I'm breathing." His hand cups the back of my head, holding me close. "You're under my protection now."
"You don't understand what I am. What I can do." I pull back to look at him. "I just commanded an Alpha. Made you kneel. Wolves don't forgive that. They—"
"I don't care." His silver eyes are blazing with intensity. "You're my mate. That bond is absolute. Sacred. Nothing breaks it."
"The mate bond is impossible. I'm not a wolf—"
"The Moon Goddess doesn't care about species. She cares about souls." He brushes hair back from my face. "And apparently, our souls are meant to be together. Whether you like it or not."
I should argue. Should push him away. Should grab my bags and run like I always do.
But I'm so tired.
Tired of running. Tired of hiding. Tired of being alone.
"I can't stay here," I whisper. "My apartment is destroyed. The rogues know where I live. And soon everyone else will too."
"I know." Kade stands, lifting me effortlessly into his arms. "That's why you're coming home with me."
"What? No—"
"Yes." His voice carries Alpha command now. "You're out of options, little mate. Either you come with me to pack territory where I can protect you, or you stay here and wait for the next wave of rogues to kill you. Your choice."
It's not really a choice at all.
"How long?" I ask quietly.
"How long what?"
"How long do I have to stay with you?"
Kade's jaw tightens. "As long as it takes to eliminate the threat."
"And if the threat never goes away?"
"Then you never leave." His eyes meet mine with absolute certainty. "I told you—I protect what's mine. And you, Sera Winters, are MINE."
The possessiveness should terrify me.
Instead, something warm unfurls in my chest.
Before I can analyze that feeling, Kade carries me toward the door. His three wolves are waiting in the hallway, looking nervous.
"Finn," Kade orders the largest one. "Call Maya. Tell her to prepare the guest room. We have a VIP coming home."
"Boss..." Finn's eyes flick to me nervously. "She commanded you. Made you kneel. The pack—"
"Will accept their Luna or answer to me." Kade's voice drops to a lethal growl. "Spread the word. Anyone who threatens Sera answers to their Alpha. Understood?"
All three wolves bow their heads. "Yes, Alpha."
Luna. He called me their Luna.
That's not just a mate. That's a Alpha's mate. The female leader of the entire pack.
"I didn't agree to that," I protest as Kade carries me down the stairs.
"You didn't have to. The mate bond made you Luna the moment it snapped into place." He sounds almost amused. "Welcome to pack politics, little mate. It's going to be a wild ride."
We emerge into the parking lot where a massive black SUV is waiting. Kade sets me gently in the passenger seat and buckles me in like I'm made of glass.
"I can buckle myself," I mutter.
"Humor me." He closes my door and walks around to the driver's side.
His wolves pile into a second SUV behind us.
As we pull out of the parking lot, I take one last look at my apartment building. At the life I built here over four months.
Gone. All of it gone because I couldn't resist saving a child.
"Don't look back," Kade says quietly. "That life is over."
"I know." My voice is hollow. "It always ends this way. I build something, and then it gets destroyed."
"This time will be different."
"How can you possibly know that?"
He reaches over and takes my hand, threading his fingers through mine. The touch sends sparks through my entire body.
"Because this time, you're not alone."
I want to believe him. God, I want to believe him so badly.
But hope is dangerous. Hope gets you killed.
We drive in silence for fifteen minutes. Seattle's downtown area rises around us—glass towers and expensive buildings I've never been able to afford.
Kade pulls into an underground parking garage beneath the fanciest building I've ever seen. The sign says BLACKTHORN TOWER in silver letters.
"You own this?" I ask.
"I own three towers in Seattle. This one's home." He parks in a spot marked PRIVATE - ALPHA ONLY.
Of course he does. Because apparently my fated mate is not just an Alpha—he's a billionaire Alpha.
My life just keeps getting weirder.
Kade opens my door and offers his hand. When I take it, electricity shoots up my arm.
The mate bond is getting stronger.
We're halfway to the private elevator when Kade's phone rings.
He answers on speaker. "What?"
"Alpha." A woman's voice—urgent, almost panicked. "We have a massive problem."
"Maya, what is it?"
"Seven rogue packs just surrounded our territory. They're not attacking. They're... waiting."
My blood runs cold.
Kade's grip on my hand tightens. "Waiting for what?"
"They're all chanting the same thing. Over and over." Maya's voice shakes. "Lunaris. Lunaris. LUNARIS. They know she's with you, Kade. And they're demanding you hand her over."
The elevator dings, doors sliding open.
Kade pulls me inside, his face hard with rage.
"How many wolves?" he asks.
"At least three hundred. Maybe more." Maya pauses. "They sent a message. If you don't surrender the Lunaris by sunrise, they'll declare war on the Blackthorn Pack."
I'm going to be sick.
"Three hundred wolves will destroy your pack," I whisper. "You can't fight them all."
"Watch me." Kade's eyes are blazing silver—his wolf right at the surface. "Tell the pack to prepare for battle. Every wolf who can fight gets armed. We defend our territory."
"Kade, no—" I start.
"And Maya?" Kade's voice drops to something deadly. "If anyone suggests we hand over my mate to save our own skins, they can leave now. Because I will kill anyone who touches her. Are we clear?"
Silence on the other end.
Then: "Crystal clear, Alpha. We stand with you. All of us."
Kade hangs up and pulls me into his arms.
"They're going to kill you because of me," I choke out. "Your whole pack—"
"Is MY responsibility. Not yours." He tilts my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes. "You are not responsible for what those rogues choose to do. You're only responsible for surviving. Let me worry about the rest."
"I can stop them. I can use my power to—"
"No." His voice is firm. "You just used your power for the first time in years. You're exhausted. And I won't let you put yourself at risk."
"But—"
The elevator doors open directly into a massive penthouse.
And standing in the middle of it, arms crossed and eyes blazing gold, is a beautiful woman who looks ready to murder someone.
"You," she snarls, pointing at me. "You're the reason three hundred rogues want to destroy my pack. You're the Lunaris."
She moves so fast I don't see her coming.
One second she's across the room. The next, her hand is wrapped around my throat, slamming me against the wall.
Not choking me. Just holding me there with supernatural strength.
"I'm Maya Blackthorn," she growls. "Kade's sister and Beta of this pack. And you're going to tell me exactly why I shouldn't throw you to the rogues myself."
Her eyes flash gold.
And I realize with growing horror that she's not bluffing.
She would actually do it.