It presses on my skin so hard before I can even understand what it is. I feel a strong presence impossible to ignore. It's not just a presence...it's more.
The air feels very different here. It recognizes me. Strange. I should be cautious. This isn't somewhere I'm used to. But instead...I feel drawn. Something inside me pulls me forward.
Then I realize I'm standing right behind the Nightfang back gates.
The moonlight shifts across the gates. Its silver lights spill on the ground like it's guiding.
My feet begin to move eve before I realize it. The forest opens slowly.
And there he stands.
Alpha Triston.
Tall. Still. Facing a very tall tree. The moment I see him, everything...stillness, silence, even the wind seems to pause.
He doesn't move, yet the space around him feels occupied. Power rolls off him in quiet waves. Not loud. Not aggressive. But undeniable. His aura alone explains why he is Alpha.
His eyes are open... But unfocused. He can't see me. I step closer.
His head turns immediately following the sound of my footsteps.
The air tightens around us.
His voice softly cuts through the silence.
"...Who is that?"
I don't answer. I simply stand there.
"How do you know I'm here?" I ask
He puts on a faint smile.
"You breathe differently when you're nervous."
I blink. "That's not true."
"And yet." He says calmly, "you're here."
He looks at me like he can actually see me.
His eyes look directly into mine. Not past me. Not around me. There's no hesitation in his gaze. No searching. He's certain about where exactly I stand.
It sends a strange chill down my spine. I take a slow breath but it doesn't steady me at all. I step closer before I can stop myself.
"You can't see." I say slowly. "So how so you know where I stand?"
"My wolf knows." His answer was immediate.
Simple. Certain.
I fold my arms. I try to study him carefully.
"You trust your wolf that much?" silly of me to even ask, of course he does...
"I trust him more than I trust most people."
"That sounds lonely for an Alpha."
He chuckles softly. "Come closer."
I slowly step forward. One step. Then another.
Until only a breath separates us. The moment I stop, his hands gradually wrap around my waist.
I gasp. His grip wasn't rough, but it was firm.
Unyielding.
My heart begins to race. The moon inside me surges. Like it recognizes him. Like it's been waiting.
His thumb brushes slightly over my cheek. My fingers twitch beside me, unsure of whether to push him away...or pull him closer. Then he whispers... "Mate."
I'm completely numb and unable to move, in shock of the words I just heard.
"...What?"
His grip tightens slightly.
From the moment you stepped into my territory, my wolf recognized you.
"That's impossible," That word feels weak the moment I say it. Because something inside me already clings to Triston. Adrian's voice echoes in my mind. "You were convenient."
No. I won't fall again. Not like before. Not for anyone. "You don't even know me." I say to him.
His head tilts again. 'You're right. I don't." he continues "But I know what you are to me."
My throat goes dry.
"You're wrong.'
"Am I?"
"Yes."
"Then why does our heart beat in the same rhythm?"
"You're imagining things."
"Your scent is different as well."
I pull my wrist free.
"You're unbelievable."
"And you're avoiding the question."
I stare at him.
"How can you call me your mate, when you don't even know my name?"
His expression doesn't change.
"Names don't matter to wolves."
"Oh really?"
"Yes."
"And yet," I say sharply, "you're the Alpha of Nightfang. Don't you think they expect you to know who you're claiming?"
He sighs. "Are you worried about my pack...or about yourself?"
I open my mouth... but then I close it right after because I don't have an answer.
Triston steps closer.
Once again, the distance between us vanishes.
"You're afraid.'
"I'm cautious."
"You're running."
"I'm thinking." I fold my arms.
"Let's say for a moment you're right."
"I am."
"Hypothetically." I snap.
"Go on."
"Why don't you have a luna already?"
Finally, he pauses. The faint smile disappears off his face.
"Because none of them were you." My heart skips. His words land softly. But they hit harder than anything he's said so far. There's no arrogance in his tone. No manipulation. Just...truth.. That's what wins my heart over the most.
I look into his eyes. I exhale slowly. "You're the Alpha of one of the strongest packs in the territory."
"Yes."
"You're powerful."
"I've been told."
"You're wealthy."
"Money is useful." He shrugs.
"So, every she-wolf in your pack most definitely wants to be your Luna."
"They do."
"Then why haven't you chosen one?"
He looks more serious. "Because choosing isn't the same as finding."
He sounds so honest and subtle.
"You waited all this time for someone you can't even, see?"
He responds almost immediately. "I don't need eyes to recognize my mate."
"What if you're wrong?"
He steps closer. "So far... I haven't been."
For few seconds, we're both silent.
Suddenly, the wind sweeps across the trees so aggressively. The water in the lakes ripple. Wolves begin to howl throughout Nightfang.
Dozens of wolves.
All at once.
Triston looks at me dead serious.
"...Lyra."
I never told him my name. "...How did you know that?"
He tightens his jaw.
"Because I heard it."
"Heard what?"
"I heard the moon say...the moon goddess has returned."
