The night was alive. The wind whispered secrets through the trees, rustling the branches above, carrying the scent of damp earth and fallen leaves. Moonlight spilled through the canopy in pale, ghostly streaks, illuminating the forest floor in shifting patterns of silver and shadow. The world around her felt both endless and suffocating, a vast, sprawling wilderness that had become her prison. Alina Everhart moved swiftly, her bare feet barely making a sound against the soft, mossy ground. Every breath she took was controlled, measured, her heart a drumbeat of urgency in her chest. She couldn’t afford to be careless. Not now. Not when they were hunting her.
The Shadowfang warriors were close. She could hear them, their movements swift, predatory, barely more than whispers against the wind. They were skilled—too skilled. She had spent the past few years living among rogues, learning to mask her scent, to evade capture, to survive. But this wasn’t some ragtag group of mercenaries chasing her down. This was an elite hunting party, trained in the ways of war, moving with the coordination of a well-honed pack. They were relentless, their presence a cold, creeping force at her back, pressing closer with each passing second.
Her lungs burned, her muscles ached, but she refused to stop. She had been running for hours, slipping through the dense undergrowth, weaving between towering pines and gnarled roots, pushing her body past its limits. She knew if she slowed, if she faltered for even a moment, she would lose everything. Escape was her only chance. The alternative was unthinkable.
Her gaze flicked toward the ravine ahead, her mind calculating the distance. If she could make it past the river at the bottom, she might have a chance. The water would mask her scent, give her enough of a lead to disappear before they could find her again. It was risky, but she had no other options. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself forward, ignoring the burning in her legs, the sharp sting of branches scraping against her skin.
And then—
She saw him.
A figure stood at the base of the ravine, bathed in the silver glow of the moon.
Tall. Unmoving.
Power radiated from him like a storm, cold and unforgiving.
Alina’s breath caught in her throat.
Killian Voss.
The Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack.
She had never met him before, never stood this close. But she had heard the stories. Whispers of a man who had taken the alpha title with bloodstained hands, who ruled his pack with an iron fist and an unwavering gaze. A warrior. A killer. A man who inspired both fear and loyalty in equal measure. He was the reason the Shadowfangs were feared. The reason no one dared to challenge them.
And now, he was here.
Blocking her only escape.
Her pulse pounded in her ears, her mind racing. She could turn back, try to find another way. But as she moved, she heard the soft growl behind her.
She was surrounded.
A low snarl rumbled through the trees, followed by the sound of footsteps, light and deliberate. Three warriors emerged from the shadows, their golden eyes gleaming in the dark, their expressions impassive. They didn’t shift. They didn’t have to. Their presence alone was enough to tell her what she already knew.
There was no way out.
Alina forced herself to stay calm, to push back the rising panic clawing at her chest. She had spent years fighting, surviving, slipping through the cracks of a world that wanted her dead. She wouldn’t fall here. Not like this.
She squared her shoulders, lifting her chin. If she was going down, she would go down fighting.
The warriors didn’t move. They were waiting.
For him.
Her gaze flicked back to Killian.
He hadn’t spoken, hadn’t moved, but his presence was suffocating. He stood with the stillness of a predator, his expression unreadable, his dark eyes locked onto her with an intensity that made her breath hitch.
For a long moment, there was nothing. No words. No movement. Just the silence of the forest and the weight of his gaze pressing down on her like a physical force.
And then—
She attacked.
She moved fast, her body a blur of motion as she lunged toward the nearest warrior. Her claws sliced through the air, aimed for his throat. A sharp cry rang out as her nails tore through fabric and flesh, but she didn’t stop to see the damage. She spun, twisting away from the second warrior’s grasp, her heart hammering as she bolted toward the ravine.
She barely made it two steps before something hit her.
The impact sent her crashing to the ground, the air leaving her lungs in a sharp gasp. Pain exploded through her ribs as she hit the dirt, the force of the blow leaving her momentarily dazed. Before she could react, a weight pressed down on her, pinning her to the ground.
A hand wrapped around her throat.
Not tight enough to choke her, but enough to make a statement.
Enough to remind her who was in control.
Her vision swam as the scent of pine and smoke filled her senses.
Killian.
The realization sent a jolt of fury through her. She thrashed beneath him, her nails digging into his arms, but he didn’t budge. His grip was unyielding, his body a solid, immovable force against hers.
“Enough,” he said, his voice a low growl, rough with command.
Alina bared her teeth. “Go to hell.”
Something flickered in his gaze. A muscle in his jaw twitched.
She expected him to tighten his grip, to snarl a threat, to remind her that she was at his mercy.
Instead—
A sudden, sharp pull in her chest.
A force so primal, so undeniable, that it stole the breath from her lungs.
The mate bond.
Alina went still.
No. No, no, no.
It wasn’t possible.
It couldn’t be possible.
But the moment their skin had touched, the connection had ignited, a burning thread weaving between them, tightening around her heart like a noose.
Her body betrayed her, reacting to the bond with a rush of heat, an ache deep in her bones. It was wrong. It was impossible. And yet, it was real.
She saw the shift in Killian’s expression. The flicker of realization.
For the first time since she had laid eyes on him, his mask of indifference cracked.
He felt it too.
His grip loosened, just slightly. A hesitation.
It was all she needed.
With a sharp twist, she broke free, rolling out from beneath him. She scrambled to her feet, her breath ragged, her mind screaming at her to run. But before she could take a single step, his hand closed around her wrist, yanking her back.
His grip was firm. Not painful, but unyielding.
“You’re mine.”
The words sent a shiver down her spine.
She yanked against his hold, her voice a whisper of defiance. “I will never accept this.”
Killian’s gaze darkened, his jaw tightening. “You don’t have a choice.”
She stared at him, her body trembling, her mind racing. The bond pulsed between them, raw and unbreakable, an invisible chain tethering her to a man she wanted nothing to do with.
Her heart pounded.
This couldn’t be happening.
And yet, as she looked into his eyes, she knew—
Her life would never be the same again.
