Chapter 2 Mate Bond.
Late at night, Violet tossed from one side of the bed to the other, growing more frustrated with every passing minute.
She sat up from the bed and looked outside the window. The forest surrounding the cottage shimmered beneath the moonlight, and tiny floating lights drifted lazily through the darkness.
Then a bright flicker of light shot past the window.
Violet flinched before she looked closer, pressing her face against the window. The light appeared again, this time moving slower.
A tiny silver-winged creature fluttered past the window.
Violet's lips parted.
A moon moth.
She had never seen one up close.
Lyra would never believe that she'd actually seen one.
Back at school, everyone had heard the rumours about moon moths. They were supposed to grant a wish to anyone who managed to catch one.
Violet had always thought it was ridiculous,But there was one right outside her window.
What if the rumours were true?
If they were, she'd wish she was home and didn't have to be here.
The creature fluttered away, its silver wings disappearing between the trees.
“No.”
Violet looked around the room.
If there was a chance it was true, she couldn't let it get away. But her aunt had mentioned wolves. She watched as the moth continued into the forest.
“I'm sorry, I have to try,” she whispered.
She glanced around the room once more before she silently pushed open the window,She lifted one leg over the sill, then the other, lowering herself onto the narrow ledge outside. She gripped the edge of the window frame and carefully climbed down the sloping roof.
The moon moth hovered just beyond the cottage.
Violet hurried after it.
“Wait!”
The moon moth weaved between the trees, its silver wings glowing whenever the moonlight caught them.
Violet pushed through a cluster of bushes, almost tripping over a root.
She paused when she heard a loud rustle ahead of her.
The moon moth flew out of reach, and she slowly looked around.
Her heart caught in her chest when she heard the rustling again.
She had gone too deep into the woods.
A howl so loud the ground seemed to vibrate beneath her feet.
Violet stumbled back as her eye caught a shadow moving past.
She noticed it's eyes first.
Light grey, they stared at her from behind the trees.
Then the creature stepped into the light. It was a wolf.
The largest wolf she had ever seen.
Silver hair covered its body, shining beneath the moonlight. Its ears stood alert, and its paws pressed silently into the grass.
Violet felt her heart hammering against her ribs.
Stupid wish.
Stupid moth.
What was she thinking?
Why would she come out alone?
She stepped back slowly and pulled out her wand.
“I will use this if you come closer!” she yelled.
The wolf took a step forward and growled.
She cast a fire spell, but her hands were trembling. It slipped right past the silver wolf, and a tree nearby burst into flames.
Violet turned around to run, but the wolf was already on her.
She screamed loudly, pushing and kicking against its body.
Its teeth sank into the side of her neck before she realized what was happening. Then it pulled away as quickly as it had pounced on her.
She pressed her fingers against the bite site but felt no pain. It pulsed beneath her fingers.
Her eyes grew wide.
Did it mark her?
“No, no, no, no.” She rubbed the bite site furiously.
The wolf watched her intensely.
She rose to her feet.
“Why would you do that?”
The wolf didn't move. Its grey eyes remained fixed on her.
She pressed her fingers on the spot again. It still pulsed.
“What did you do?” Her voice cracked.
The wolf took a step back. It looked almost as confused as she was.
She turned around and ran as quickly as her legs could take her.
Branches slapped against her face as she tore through the forest, her breath burning in her lungs.
She stopped when she was back in front of the cottage. She looked around for any signs that she had been followed. Satisfied, she climbed back into her room and fell into a deep sleep as soon as she hit the bed.
She dreamt about the silver wolf and his grey eyes.
Ronan didn't move until her footsteps faded.
His wolf paced restlessly beneath his skin, urging him to follow her scent. He dug his claws into the dirt and held still.
He hadn't meant to mark her.
It had happened too fast. He'd been on his way to see his best friend when the pull hit, sharp and impossible to ignore. It led him into the forest, where a girl in bare feet was chasing a glowing moth.
Mate.
The word rolled through him, low and certain, and it wasn't his.
No, Ronan thought. Absolutely not.
He didn't know her. He didn't know her name or why she was wandering the woods at midnight. He only knew that his wolf had made up its mind, and his wolf had never once asked his opinion.
Then she pointed a wand at him.
He was the strongest wolf in three territories. He'd faced wolves twice his size without blinking. Her wand was somehow more alarming.
A fire spell tore past his shoulder, and a tree behind him burst into flames. His wolf didn't even flinch.
Mine. Mark her.
"Not like this," he hissed, though it came out as a growl.
She turned to run, and his control snapped like a thin thread.
Now, alone in the dark, he couldn't shake the sound of her voice. What did you do? As if he'd been asking himself the same thing.
He wasn't sorry she was his mate. He just wished he'd had a say in it.
He'd heard the stories about mates. Apparently, they'd been understating it. No one had mentioned how much it would feel like losing an argument with himself.
The tree she had set on fire was nothing but a charred husk now. It toppled to the ground with a heavy thud, and he flinched again.
He stared at the path she'd taken. He had to find her and apologize. Then he'd find out who she was.
Why his wolf was so certain she was his mate?
He threw back his head and howled.
