Chapter 3 Chapter 3
Blake
No.
That was the only word in my head as I left the pack house.
No to fate.
No to the Moon Goddess.
No to a human mate.
My wolf was a traitor.
The second Theo said the words, something inside me had already known. The second he said mate, my chest had gone tight, like a fist closing around my lungs. The second he said human, my wolf had surged forward like it didn’t care about logic or politics or survival.
Mine.
I hated that word.
I hated the way it felt.
I hated that my feet were already carrying me toward town before my mind had caught up.
I moved fast, cutting through the trees, following a scent I shouldn’t have been able to recognize so easily.
Vanilla.
Paper.
Something warm and soft and… hers.
It was ridiculous.
I didn’t want this.
We were the future Alphas of the pack. Not just one—three. A rare tri-alpha bond that had taken generations to be born again. We needed a mate who could stand beside us. A wolf. Strong. Respected. Someone who wouldn’t break the second the world got sharp.
Not a human girl with soft curves and shy eyes and the kind of scent that made my wolf want to lie down at her feet like an idiot.
She was wrong.
She was a mistake.
She was—
Mine.
I swore under my breath and pushed harder, the town coming into view through the trees.
I found her before I meant to.
She was sitting on a bench near a little café, a book open in her hands, legs tucked slightly to the side like she was trying to take up less space in the world.
The sight of her hit me like a punch.
Not because she was stunning in the way pack women were.
Because she was… real.
Soft.
Quiet.
Unaware.
And my wolf lost its damn mind.
Mine. Mate. Protect. Claim.
I clenched my fists so hard my claws bit into my palms.
She looked up.
Our eyes met.
And something electric snapped between us.
Her breath hitched.
My wolf surged.
I stepped forward before I could stop myself.
Then I stopped.
Because fear cut through my anger like ice.
If enemies found out…
If rivals learned…
If anyone knew the future Alphas had a human weakness—
She wouldn’t survive a week.
I turned my face away, jaw locked.
She stood, hesitating.
“Um… hi,” she said, tentative.
The sound of her voice did something to my chest I didn’t want to name.
I faced her.
And forced cold into my expression.
“Stay away from my brother,” I said.
Her eyebrows shot up. “Your… what?”
I took a step closer, letting a little of my presence bleed out. Not the full alpha pressure—just enough to make the air heavy.
“I said,” I growled, “stay away from him.”
Her confusion shifted into anger.
“I don’t even know him,” she snapped. “And I definitely don’t know you.”
Good.
Keep it that way.
“Good,” I said coldly. “Keep it that way.”
Then I walked away before my wolf could do something unforgivable.
Before I could reach for her.
Before I could breathe her in again and lose what little control I had left.
I didn’t go back to the pack house.
I ran.
Miles. Fast. Hard.
Until my lungs burned and my wolf howled in my skull.
She’s ours.
She’s fragile.
She needs us.
She’ll die.
That last thought stopped me cold.
I shifted, bones cracking, fur exploding over my skin, and tore through the forest until I collapsed near the river.
When I shifted back, I sat there in the dirt, breathing hard, staring at nothing.
This was a disaster.
Sebastian would see it immediately.
Theo would try to protect her.
And me?
I’d ruin everything.
Because some part of me already knew the truth.
I didn’t want her dead.
I didn’t want her hurt.
I didn’t even want her afraid.
I just… didn’t want her.
And that was the lie.
By nightfall, I was back.
Theo was waiting.
“You scared her,” he accused.
“I warned her,” I shot back.
“You terrified her.”
“She should be terrified!” I snapped. “She doesn’t belong in our world!”
Sebastian stood behind him, silent.
“She’s in our world whether you like it or not,” Sebastian said quietly.
I looked away.
Because my wolf was still pacing.
Still restless.
Still whispering:
Mine.
And I was starting to realize…
The Moon Goddess doesn’t make mistakes.
