The grand hall of Blackridge Pack was nothing like Aria expected.
She had imagined cold stone, bloodstains, and snarling beasts in armor. Instead, the chamber was regal and ancient — a cathedral of shadows and fire. Moonlight streamed through a series of high, narrow windows, illuminating a long obsidian table flanked by twelve chairs. In each sat a member of the Council — old wolves cloaked in fur and power, their eyes gleaming like silver coins beneath the torchlight.
Aria stood before them, chin high despite the tremor in her spine. Kael was at her side, his hand hovering near hers but never touching — a silent reminder that until she was claimed, she stood alone.
And she would stand tall.
A woman in blood-red robes rose from the head of the table. Her hair was white as frost, her eyes like polished onyx. Every step she took was silent, measured, and full of intent.
"I am Elder Seraphine," she announced, her voice echoing through the chamber. "High Voice of the Council. You are the human who bears the Alpha's mark?"
Aria's gaze didn't waver. "I am."
Seraphine circled her slowly, examining her as one might a flawed gemstone. "You were not born of a pack. You carry no wolf in your blood. And yet you carry his mark."
"Yes."
"Do you know what that means, girl?"
"It means I'm his mate," Aria replied, her voice firmer than she felt. "Chosen by the Moon Goddess. Just as you were."
Gasps echoed around the table. Seraphine's eyes narrowed.
Kael stiffened beside her, but did not intervene.
Bold, Aria. Dangerous, but bold.
Seraphine's lips twitched with something that might've been amusement — or disdain. "Chosen, perhaps. But that does not make you worthy. You've been marked, but not claimed. Until then, your bond is… fragile. Incomplete. Reversible."
Aria's heart skipped. "What do you want from me?"
"A test."
She raised her hand, and the heavy doors behind them groaned open.
Two wolves stalked in — massive, scarred beasts with snarling faces and eyes that gleamed with malice. Behind them, a third figure entered. Tall. Bare-chested. Tattooed from throat to waist in tribal symbols. He wore the head of a wolf as a cloak.
Aria's blood ran cold.
"This," Seraphine said, "is Toran. A hunter. A blood-born enforcer. He has challenged every Luna before she could be claimed. Most did not survive. If you are truly destined… then prove it."
Kael stepped forward, fury in his voice. "This wasn't part of the Accord!"
"Neither was mating with a human," Seraphine snapped. "Step back, Alpha. This is her trial."
Aria swallowed hard, feeling the weight of a dozen stares piercing her like arrows. Kael's gaze locked with hers — fire, fury, and a thousand silent warnings in one look.
But she didn't flinch.
"I'll fight him," she said.
Gasps echoed again.
Toran smirked, cracking his neck as he stepped into the center of the chamber. "Brave little thing. Let's see if your bark matches your bite."
He lunged.
Aria barely had time to dodge. The room exploded in movement — gasps, movement, tension. But no one interfered. Not even Kael.
Toran struck again, a blur of speed and brutality. Aria ducked, rolled, and kicked with all her strength, catching him in the ribs. He staggered back, more surprised than hurt.
She was no fighter. No trained warrior.
But she was fast. And angry. And determined not to die on the cold stone floor of a throne room guarded by strangers.
Toran circled her, bloodlust in his grin. "No wolf. No strength. You're nothing."
"I'm his," she hissed.
And when he came at her again, she moved. Instinct kicked in — not human instinct, but something deeper. Her body reacted faster than she thought possible. She twisted, drove her elbow into his gut, then brought her knee up hard.
He roared in rage and lunged — this time too fast to avoid.
His fist connected with her side. Pain exploded through her ribs. She hit the ground hard, air knocked from her lungs.
He stood over her, victorious. "You'll die here, girl."
But even as darkness clouded her vision, something pulsed in her chest.
The mark.
It burned — hotter than fire, a searing pulse of light and energy. Kael's power. His soul.
Her soul.
The room tilted. Aria blinked, and suddenly Toran's face twisted in confusion. He backed away from her like she was on fire.
She rose, slowly, her bones aching, her vision red. Her mark glowed like the moon itself. Sparks floated around her body. Her hair lifted in an unseen wind.
The entire room watched in stunned silence.
Toran tried to speak — then dropped to his knees, howling in agony. Smoke rose from his chest where an invisible force branded him with her mark.
Kael's voice, hoarse and reverent, broke the silence. "The bond… she's awakened it."
Seraphine stepped back, her face pale for the first time.
Aria stepped forward, every inch of her glowing with power she couldn't name. "You wanted proof. Here it is."
Toran collapsed, unconscious. The scent of submission hung thick in the air.
Kael was at her side in an instant, steadying her as the glow faded. Her legs buckled, and he caught her, lifting her into his arms like she weighed nothing.
The Council rose in stunned silence.
Seraphine spoke last. "She carries the mark. And now the power. The bond is true."
Aria's vision blurred. Pain flared in every limb. But Kael's voice, low and full of pride, wrapped around her like a blanket.
"You've done what no Luna has. You faced death and claimed your place. You are mine. And I am yours."
She smiled weakly. "I still want that ritual."
Kael laughed softly, a sound like thunder and silk. "After you rest."
As he carried her from the chamber, the Council continued to stare in silence.
But one figure — cloaked in black, hidden in the shadows of the farthest corner — watched with more than curiosity.
They watched with hunger.
And plans of war.