The corridors of the town hall stretched long and wide, damp from the rain hammering relentlessly against the high arched windows.

Damien held my wrist in an ironclad grip and dragged me forward. It wasn’t tight enough to hurt. It was just firm enough to remind me who was in charge.

I didn’t mind it. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’d find any excuse to make Damien put his hands on me, but it was starting to feel like a waste. How had he not figured it out after all these years? How clueless could he be?

The thought burned inside me, just as bitter as the rain-soaked chill that clung to my skin.

He didn’t lead me back to his place, he veered toward the private barracks in the hall. An area where you don’t have to worry about eavesdroppers. A room meant for brutal interrogations.

The heavy wooden doors slammed shut behind us, the echo bouncing off the stone walls. Everything was the same as I remembered. A Spartan, cold, unwelcoming place. Not even a fire to keep it warm. There were a few battered chairs, a worn wooden desk, and weapons mounted neatly along one wall. It wasn’t a place for comfortable conversations.

Eventually, Damien released me and stepped back, jaw tight, eyes like granite. Sprits of water drizzled down the sharp planes of his face, soaking into his black combat tunic. He was breathtaking in a way that made me deeply aware of my femininity.

He took his time removing his gloves, his fingers moving methodically, like he was giving me a chance to break first.

He didn’t need to wait long.

“You shouldn’t have dragged me out like that,” I snapped, rubbing my wrist, even though it didn’t hurt. “Do you know what kind of rumours you’ve just started?”

He cocked his head slightly. “You’re worried about rumours? The only thing you should worry about is yourself.”

I folded my arms over my chest, tilting my chin up. “I’m fine.”

I couldn’t tell what was going on in his head with that look in his eyes. “Fine,” he repeated. He took a slow step forward, closing the space between us until I had to crane my neck to hold his gaze. “You were about five seconds from incriminating yourself back there, and you think you’re fine?”

I swallowed hard, refusing to back down. “I handled it.”

His laugh was cold. “You were crumbling.”

I clenched my fists at my sides. “You might have been better off letting me fall apart.”

He exhaled sharply through his nose, and I could tell his patience was wearing thin. “Tell me where the witches took you.”

My heart kicked up a notch. “I already told you.”

“Try again.”

I glanced away. “Damien’”

He grabbed my chin and made me look at him again. I could tell he wasn’t playing around now.

“Don’t look away from me,” he said in a way that made me yearn.

I hated how that voice made my stomach tighten. I glared at him, but it was pointless. My body betrayed me, responding to every inch of space he took away.

“Why does it even matter?” I asked. There was a little slur in my voice as I tried not to ogle his lips. “We know witches can cross undetected.”

His lips pressed together and I glanced. “We don’t know everything yet. What I need is the truth. The real one. Don’t hold anything back.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, becoming increasingly aware of how close he was. Of his scent—woodsmoke, steel, and that other scent I’ve never been able to place.

His hand dropped off my chin, but he didn’t move. He studied me like he was looking for a crack he could exploit.

When he spoke again, he was softer. “They took you across the river, didn’t they?”

I felt a sharp jolt go through me. The moment I stiffened, it was too late. Just seeing my eyes flicker and my breath catch was enough for him.

The look in his eye darkened. “I knew it.”

Turning away, I walked to the desk just to put something between us. “It’s not what you think,” I said in a whispered croak that was impossible to believe.

He didn’t move. Just stood there, waiting.

“How do you know what I’m thinking?” he asked, and had a smile on his face, which almost made me smile too. A smile from Damien is a rare sight, but it vanished just as fast as it appeared.

I exhaled sharply, tilting my chin up. “Because I know you,” I said, watching his mouth twitch-not quite a smirk, but close enough to make my pulse race.

“Even though you’re stone-faced,” I continued, arms folded, pretending I was happy to talk to him so casually. “I can read a few of your” imperceptible emotions.” I boasted.

The corners of Damien’s lips twitched. “Alright, all-knowing. Tell me exactly what happened out there.”

My nails ripped into my palms as I clenched my fists. “I woke up on the other side,” I said sharply. “In a temple hanging off the edge of a river on their side.”

His eyes widened slightly and his shoulders tightened. “You jumped in. That’s why you were soaked.”

“No, I didn’t’”

He took a slow step toward me. “Yes, you did.”

I backed up until the desk dug into my spine. “It doesn’t matter.”

I couldn’t look away from Damien’s stare. “I’m sure you’d have told the council everything if it didn’t matter. Now I get to hear it.”

I turned my back on him, staring at a stone wall instead. “Why do you care?”

His voice was quiet. “Because it’s you.”

My breath hitched. It was so hard to stay composed. I clenched my fists harder, my whole body tight.

“I met someone,” I murmured. “A warlock.”

Damien went still. “And?”

I turned, forcing my jaw tight. “I found out he was my mate.”

There was a long, terrible silence between us. Damien stood there with a blank stare. I could see the way his jaw tensed, how his hands curled at his sides, even though he didn’t say anything.

Finally, he exhaled slowly. “Oh. I see.”

I heard it in his voice, that tiny crack in his composure almost unnoticeable to others.

Something inside me snapped at his response, so I laughed bitterly. “That’s it?”

A furrow appeared between his brows. “It sounds like you want to say something to me.

“I don’t,” I said, shrugging. I hated that my voice was shaky. “Just” underwhelming, that is all.” I scoffed, shaking my head.

Now the words poured out too fast, like a broken dam.

“That’s what it takes for you to see me? To actually’” I cut off, horror gripping my throat as I realized what I was saying.

Damien’s eyes widened in surprise. Then he was right in front of me, closing the distance faster than I could think. The fingers curled under my chin, tipping my face up toward him, and for the first time I had nowhere to run.

“You wanted me to see you?” he asked, his voice rough, like he was trying to swallow his disbelief.

My pulse was hammering so violently that I was sure he could hear it.

“What does it matter now?” I whispered, forcing the words against the pain in my chest. It wasn’t until now that I even considered that Damien might not like me, and the thought of rejection made my heart hurt even more.

The look on Damien’s face softened, and desire flashed in his eyes. His hand lingered on my chin, and he sighed, a quiet sound that made me shudder. He gently released my chin, his eyes searching mine with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat. But then he stepped back.

“You should head back,” he finally said, his voice gentler now. “I’ll deal with Kael.”

Trying to find some sign that I hadn’t imagined what had just happened, I stared at him. There was no yearning in his eyes. Now his walls were higher than ever, cold and impenetrable.

Nodding stiffly, I turned toward the door, my pulse still uneven and my mind a mess.

I had just wrapped my fingers around the handle when his voice stopped me. It was the softest I’d ever heard it.

“You were wrong.”

I hesitated, my heart clenching painfully.

“I did see you,” he said.

His voice was rough, but not angry. Honestly, I didn’t know what it was. In a way, it sounded like a confession meant for no one but me.

“I’ve only ever seen you, Luna.”

That hit harder than it should have, sinking into my chest like a boulder. I should have kept walking. It would have been better to let the moment die, let him make his quiet confession, and pretend it never happened.

But something about the way he said it-the way it slipped past his defenses like he hadn’t meant to say it-made my breath catch.

And then the knock at the door shattered the moment.

In the corridor, two sentinels stood at attention with drenched hoods, steam rising from their cloaks where the torches met their soaked fabric. They were from Marrick’s inner circle.

“The Alpha requests your presence,” the taller of the two said.

Damien growled beside me, and squared his shoulders as his mask slammed back into place so fast I almost flinched.

I nodded. “I assume both of us?”

The second sentinel inclined his head. “Both the Gamma and the accused.”

Damien’s jaw tightened at the word, and I snickered. Accused. Of what?

We didn’t talk as we followed them down the corridor, the only sounds were the distant roll of thunder and heavy boots of the guards. The rain kept pounding outside with no signs of letting up, as if the gods themselves were restless.

The Alpha’s Restate was in a secluded wing of the town hall, separate from the council chambers. It was warmer here, its walls lined with dark oak, its polished floors lit by a single chandelier, unlike the cold, gray inquisition hall.

Kael and Marrick were waiting.

Kael stood near the fireplace, arms crossed over his chest, green eyes sharp as he watched us enter. The ends of his dark, rain-slicked hair curled slightly, still damp, as if he had just arrived. He had discarded his cloak over the chair beside him.

As for Marrick, he looked like he had aged ten years in the past minute. His uniform was still stiff with dried blood. What was that about? His eyes flickered over me, not out of anger but almost out of fear.

As soon as the doors closed behind us, Kael started talking.

“It’s just us now, Luna. So tell me everything.”

The way he said it made it clear he wasn’t interested in partial truths. Damien didn’t move, but his stance changed, more rigid, like he was preparing for a fight.

As Marrick raked a hand through his rain-damp hair, he sighed. “The Elders are already suspicious, Kael,” he muttered, frustration bleeding into his tone. “If we don’t get ahead of this, they’ll decide for us, and I don’t like the direction their whispers are taking. They want Luna out of the way so Selene can be your Luna.”

As always, Kael glanced at me, his eyes flashing in that way that made me uneasy. “Which is why she’ll explain what the hell happened so we can get ahead of this.” He turned back to Marrick, his jaw tight. “Once we have the truth, we can shut down their plans before they gain any more traction. Luna?”

I took a deep breath, my throat still raw from what happened earlier with Damien. It wasn’t just that I was too tired to fight them, but I knew these three would always be there for me. So, I told them.

About the witches. The leader who knew my name. My fall into the river and how I survived. Still, I didn’t tell them that this was my second time in the river. The first was an intentional jump after my dad was ambushed and murdered.

I hesitated only once, and Kael noticed.

“What aren’t you saying?” He asked, a little quieter.

I swallowed hard. My fingers curled into the damp folds of my dress, my nails pressing against my palm. “The witch,” I admitted finally. “He’s my mate.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

As Marrick exhaled, he tilted his head to the ceiling like he was looking for patience from the gods. Kael’s hands tightened over his arms, his knuckles briefly going white before he forced himself to relax.

Finally, Kael let out a sharp breath. “Gods.”

Then Marrick shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re telling me one of the witches that took you is your mate? ’

I nodded stiffly.

“Did he know?” Kael gowled.

I hesitated, but I couldn’t lie. “Yes.”

Marrick cursed under his breath.

Kael’s eyes darkened. “That changes things.”

Marrick scoffed. “No kidding. A witch and a wolf. The council will cast her out of the pack.”

“Luna,” Kael said gently, like he was afraid of breaking me. “Do you want this bond?”

My mouth went dry. That was a dangerous question. That wasn’t just because it wasn’t allowed, but because Kael asked. And Kael, of all people, wouldn’t want me to say yes.

But I hadn’t even considered it. Did I want it?

I shouldn’t. That was the right answer, wasn’t it? Reject it. Deny it. Pretend it didn’t crawl under my skin, winding through my veins like something alive, a silent thread wrapped tight around my ribs, pulling me toward something I couldn’t escape.

But I couldn’t lie. Not now.

Lifting my chin, I took a deep breath. “I don’t know.”

Kael held my gaze for a minute before looking at my brother. A silent conversation. A decision was being made without me.

“This is what’s going to happen,” Kael said, stepping forward with authority. “We’re not letting the council know about this. You can’t tell anyone outside this room about your mate or the river.”

Marrick’s lips pressed together, but he nodded anyway. How come he hasn’t said anything to me yet?

Kael’s gaze shifted between us. “In the meantime, you’re under Damien’s supervision. The elders will try to instigate the pack against you. They won’t dare if you’re in the Gamma’s care. You move into his place tonight.”

Seeing Damien stiffen beside me made my breath hitch, my chest tighten as I thought about it.

The way Marrick looked at Kael made my skin prickle with suspicion. “You think that’s wise?” he asked.

He said it in a way that made me scowl. The question wasn’t about strategy, and Marrick wasn’t questioning Kael’s judgment. He was asking about something else. As if he thought something would happen between Damien and me.

I stared at my brother, fingers curling into fists. Did he know? The thought almost made me scowl. That was impossible. Unless Lyra blabbed, which was highly unlikely since she valued her life, no one knew about my feelings for Damien.

Then Kael exchanged glances with Damien, too fast and discreet, as if he already knew the answer to Marrick’s suspicious question.

A chill ran up my spine, the pieces shifting and clicking into place in a way that left me sick. Gods. How long had they known? Was that why Damien and Kael grew apart? Because of me?

No. It couldn’t be. Could it?

The corners of Kael’s lips quirked. “She’s his ward,” he said, his voice sharp, like he was accusing Damien of something. “She chose him.”

Then, after a pause, he added: “Might as well make it official.”

That way he said it, with that knowingly flickering gaze toward Damien, just didn’t sit right with me.

My eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t sound right,” I said. “What do you mean I chose him?”

He didn’t look at me, but something cold passed through his eyes as he glared at Damien.

“Fine,” Damien said, brushing past my words like they didn’t matter, like the conversation was already over.

My jaw tightened, but I didn’t push.

Finally, Kael turned toward me fully. “Stay put. Do not return to the pack house alone or go anywhere else without him or his warriors.”

I tilted my head, letting a smirk tug at the corner of my lips. “Is that all?”

There was a flash of warning in his green eyes. “Don’t push me, Luna.”

I shrugged, feigning indifference even as something twisted inside me. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Alpha.”

Kael exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair, looking momentarily exhausted before straightening again. “Dismissed. Damien, make sure she is safe.”

Marrick looked at me but still said nothing. I guess it was a blessing that he wasn’t verbally attacking me.

Damien turned toward me, his jaw set, shoulders tense—the image of barely contained frustration.

“Let’s go.”

I followed without another word.