Chapter 1 One

Zara’s POV

My name is Zara King, and in my pack, everyone knows exactly who I am, or at least, who they think I am. I’m the kind of person who follows the rules when I have to, but I’ve never been afraid to push back when the rules don’t make sense. Independent. Stubborn. Loyal to a fault. Sometimes, perhaps, too impulsive.

Tonight, I was supposed to keep a low profile. The annual Moonlight Celebration was meant for showing unity among packs, for exchanging pleasantries, and for reminding everyone that appearances mattered more than anything else. And I, well, I had promised myself I would attend quietly, enjoy a little music, maybe dance with friends, and not do anything that would draw attention.

Of course, promises are easy to make and impossible to keep.

Lola, my best friend since childhood, had insisted I come out of my corner of the packhouse and have some fun. “Zara, you’re always brooding,” she said, tugging my arm with that relentless energy only she could summon. “Tonight, no brooding. Dance, laugh, flirt if you must. But do not stand in the shadows, sulking.”

And I had agreed, stupidly, willingly. Because Lola had that effect on me. She was all fire and spark, and when she grabbed hold of your hand, there was no escaping.

So there I was, in a room awash with lantern light, the scent of pine and smoke lingering in the air, music thumping beneath our feet. I smiled, letting myself sway with the rhythm, letting my laughter join the hum of conversation, pretending I belonged without thinking about what could go wrong.

That’s when I saw him.

Ezra Johnson.

Even across the room, he drew my gaze like a magnet. Dark hair falling over sharp features, eyes that could cut through bone if he wanted, and an aura that screamed danger louder than any alarm. He was the alpha of the rival pack, the one everyone whispered about but no one dared challenge openly. I had heard stories, how ruthless he could be, how cunning, how utterly untouchable. And yet, tonight, for reasons I couldn’t explain, I felt my heart thump harder when our eyes met.

“Stay away from him,” Lola muttered, her voice low in my ear, almost lost in the music. She didn’t need to explain why; I already knew. But stubbornness was part of me. Curiosity, another.

Before I could think too much, the moment happened.

It started as a laugh, a playful, reckless game of daring among some of the younger pack members. Someone had challenged me to kiss the first stranger I saw. The words were lighthearted, but my pulse had spiked at the absurdity. I hadn’t noticed how close Ezra had been until I found myself face-to-face with him. His eyes widened fractionally, almost imperceptibly, as I leaned in.

Then my lips brushed his.

I froze instantly, shock running through me like electricity. My lips on his. Him, Ezra Johnson, the last person I should ever have kissed. My stomach twisted in panic and… something else. Something electric, hot, impossible to ignore.

Pulling back, I stumbled, my cheeks on fire. “I, I didn’t mean, ” My voice was barely a whisper, strangled by the pounding of my heart.

Ezra’s gaze didn’t waver. He was studying me now, his expression unreadable but intense, like he was trying to figure out whether I was brave, foolish, or simply crazy. His jaw was tight, his nostrils flaring slightly. I could feel the weight of his scrutiny pressing down on me, making my every nerve hum.

“You kissed me,” he said finally, his voice low, smooth, and dangerous. “And now… well, now I don’t know if I should be furious or intrigued.”

“I, ” I opened my mouth, closed it, tried again. “I didn’t mean it. Really. It was… a mistake.”

Ezra didn’t respond. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, watching me like a predator evaluating prey that might, in some strange way, bite back. My heartbeat quickened, not just from fear, but from something else I couldn’t name, something that made my cheeks burn hotter.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Lola storm toward me, her expression a mix of horror and outrage.

“You kissed him!” she hissed, grabbing my arm and pulling me aside. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done, Zara? This isn’t some silly game! That’s Ezra Johnson!”

“I know!” I said, exasperated, trying to pull my hand free, though part of me didn’t want to. “It was an accident! I didn’t mean to!”

“You call that an accident?” Lola’s eyes were wide, fierce, and slightly terrifying. “You could have started a war with our pack with one stupid kiss!”

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. She was right, of course. I had just made the kind of mistake that would haunt every rumor mill in every pack for weeks, maybe months.

And then I felt it, the piercing eyes across the room. Orion Hale. My mate. The one I was meant to bond with, the alpha of our own pack. He was standing there, arms crossed, jaw tight, expression dark as storm clouds. Every instinct in me screamed that I had already failed him.

Ezra moved away then, gliding through the crowd like a shadow. He didn’t need to speak again; the tension between us said more than words ever could. But my pulse didn’t slow. Even as he disappeared, I could feel the lingering heat of that kiss, the memory of his lips, the way his presence made me want and fear all at once.

Lola tugged me further away, her grip firm. “Zara, you need to think,” she said, her voice softer now, but still full of warning. “Orion saw you, didn’t he?”

I nodded, unable to look away from where Orion stood. His expression was unreadable, but the tension radiating off him was undeniable. He was angry, yes, but there was more, hurt, confusion, maybe even jealousy. My stomach churned.

“I… I don’t know what to do,” I admitted, my voice trembling. “I didn’t mean it, Lola. It was… it just happened.”

Lola shook her head, exasperated. “Zara, this isn’t just about meaning to do it or not. That’s Ezra Johnson you kissed! He doesn’t play games the way we do. And Orion… Orion will think you were, ”

“Careless?” I suggested quietly.

“Dangerous,” she said, her eyes narrowing. “And foolish.”

I sighed, letting myself sink onto a nearby bench. The music pulsed around us, but all I could feel was the heat of Ezra’s gaze, the weight of Orion’s silence, and the pounding of my own heart. I had kissed the wrong alpha. And in doing so, I had set something in motion that I couldn’t yet understand.

Because even as I tried to convince myself it had been a simple mistake, a fleeting moment of folly, I knew better. The way Ezra had looked at me, like I was both a threat and a temptation, was not something that could be undone with an apology.

And the worst part? I wasn’t sure I even wanted it to be undone.