The Bound by the Alpha's Veil

The warm glow of lanterns flickered against the cobblestone streets of Moonglade, their golden light casting long shadows as twilight settled over the village. The town square was alive with activity, the air filled with the scent of roasted meats, spiced cider, and freshly baked bread. The annual Moonlit Gala was about to begin, an event that marked the changing seasons and reinforced the pack's unity.

Seraphina Lyra pulled the hood of her cloak lower over her face as she wove through the bustling market, her boots making soft, deliberate steps against the uneven stones. She had been in Moonglade for less than an hour, but already, she could feel the weight of their eyes on her.

Whispers followed her like a phantom.

"Who is she?"

"She doesn't smell like one of us."

"A stranger? At the Gala?"

Seraphina ignored them, keeping her pace measured as she took in the surroundings. She had expected scrutiny-newcomers were rare in a place as isolated as Moonglade. But something about the way the villagers looked at her felt different. Their gazes weren't just curious. They were assessing.

She exhaled slowly and adjusted the leather strap of the satchel slung across her body. The letter tucked inside its folds felt heavier than it should have, its edges worn from constant handling. Her mother's final words, penned with urgency, had led her here, to this village tucked deep in the Silverpine Forest.

"Follow the pull of your heart, Seraphina. There is a reason for it."

The pull.

Even now, it thrummed beneath her skin, an unexplainable force drawing her forward. She had felt it ever since she crossed the border into Moonglade, an invisible tether leading her deeper into unknown territory. Her silver eyes flickered toward the distant treeline, where the ancient woods loomed like silent sentinels.

Her heart skipped.

The shadows within them seemed to move, shifting as though something-or someone-watched her from beyond.

"Don't wander too close to the forest," a vendor warned from his stall, his voice laced with an edge of caution. He was an older man, his hands rough and weathered as he stacked wooden carvings of wolves and moons. "They say it's cursed."

Seraphina met his gaze but said nothing. Cursed or not, the forest had called her here.

Before she could respond, a loud cheer erupted from the center of the square. She turned just in time to see a group of fire-dancers begin their performance, their flames illuminating the awestruck faces of the gathered crowd.

Children laughed, elders clapped, and for a moment, it was easy to forget the weight pressing against her chest.

But then, a hush fell over the square.

The laughter faded. The murmurs quieted.

Seraphina felt it before she saw him.

A shift in the air. A sudden, charged stillness.

She turned.

And met the piercing emerald gaze of Kael Draven.

The world tilted.

He stood at the top of the grand staircase that led to the Council Hall, his imposing frame draped in dark leather that fit his powerful form like a second skin. His presence was magnetic, a force of nature that commanded respect.

Seraphina's breath hitched. Mate.

The word slammed into her mind, unbidden and undeniable. The air between them crackled, something ancient and instinctual igniting within her veins.

Kael's jaw tightened, his sharp features betraying no emotion, but she saw the flicker of recognition in his eyes. He felt it too.

The bond.

Seraphina's fingers curled into fists at her sides. This wasn't possible. She hadn't come here looking for a mate. She had come for answers. For refuge. But now, standing beneath the weight of Kael's unreadable gaze, she realized fate had other plans.

The murmurs around them grew louder.

"Who is she?"

"Why is Kael looking at her like that?"

"Could she be-?"

Before anyone could finish the thought, Kael's gaze flicked away. He turned to his Beta, Darius, a broad-shouldered man with a jagged scar down his jaw, and murmured something under his breath.

Darius's eyes found Seraphina briefly, assessing her with sharp calculation, before he gave a curt nod.

Then, just as quickly as it had begun, Kael disappeared into the crowd, his powerful strides carrying him toward the Council Hall.

The moment passed, but the weight of it lingered.

Seraphina exhaled sharply, trying to steady herself. She had expected obstacles when she arrived in Moonglade-but she had not expected this.

Her mate was the Alpha.

And he had just walked away.

With her heart hammering against her ribs, she turned from the square and slipped into a quieter alleyway. The cobblestones soon gave way to soft dirt as she reached the village outskirts. The forest loomed ahead, dark and inviting.

The pull inside her intensified.

Seraphina hesitated at the edge of the trees, her fingers grazing the rough bark of an ancient oak. Her instincts screamed at her to go further, to push past the boundary between safety and the unknown.

Then-

"Why are you here?"

The voice was low, edged with warning.

Seraphina spun around.

Kael stood just a few paces away, his green eyes burning in the dim light. The way he looked at her sent a shiver down her spine-not just because of the mate bond, but because there was something else lurking beneath his gaze.

Something dangerous.

"I-" She swallowed. "I came seeking refuge."

Kael's expression hardened. "Refuge from what?"

Seraphina clenched her fists. "A past I'd rather leave behind."

His jaw tensed. His gaze flicked over her, assessing her in the way only an Alpha could-measuring whether she was a threat or something else entirely.

A long silence stretched between them. Then, to her shock, he smirked.

It wasn't a kind expression. It was sharp, edged with something almost amused.

"The forest doesn't offer refuge," he said quietly. "Only danger."

Seraphina lifted her chin, refusing to be intimidated. "I've never feared the dark."

Kael's smirk faded. His gaze lingered on her for a fraction too long before he took a step back.

"Stay out of the woods," he said, voice gruff. "And stay away from me."

Then, without another word, he turned and disappeared into the night.

Seraphina remained rooted to the spot, the mate bond thrumming between them like an unspoken promise.

Stay away?

Not a chance.

Whatever fate had planned, she wasn't going anywhere.