Hearts bound by Moon

Cold wraps around Luna like fog, slowly sinking into her bones. Branches bow in the wind as the forest moves overhead, whispering mysteries. Her hands are pressed together by damp shady plants. She blinks slowly and unfocused like she's about to faint.The forest breathes.Her chest rises fast. Her heart's beating so hard it hurts. Those snarls keep replaying in her head, wild and angry. That silver fur-just remembering it messes everything up. She can't focus. It's like the world cracked open for a second.Her skin hums.

Sound crashes in-leaves rustle, a rabbit's heartbeat flickers behind the bushes, a howl stretches long and lonely in the distance.She pushes herself up. Nails dig into the earth-long, sharp, wrong. She stops breathing for a second. There's this weird feeling deep in her stomach. It's not because she's hungry-it's something else, something stronger.A voice sounds through the trees. "Don't move too fast."Three shapes come out of the shadows. They're not really human, but not animals either. Their arms and legs don't move right. And their eyes... way too bright.A tall woman steps forward, silver braids shining in moonlight. Her voice drops low. "You're not human anymore. And you're not safe out here."Luna takes a step back, almost falling. Her legs are shaking. Her body feels weird, like it doesn't even belong to her.Then he moves.He's having big shoulders and barely moves, like a statue with shiny eyes locked with hers, and she just freezes. It's not fear. It's not like she wants to run or fight. It's something older. Something she doesn't understand.He walks closer. Still doesn't say anything. There's this power around him-it's quiet but intense, like it could cut through the air.The silver-haired woman looks at him, then at Luna. "This is Kael. He's the Alpha King. You're in Nightfang territory now. Either come with us, or stay here and die."Lyra's breathing goes all weird. Her heart's going wild, pulling her toward him. It's like her body knows him-even before her brain does.She goes after him.The trees get thicker as they go higher. The wind moves through the pines, whispering. Up ahead, the lodge waits, all stone and wood, glowing from the firelight inside.When she walks in, the warmth hits her. But somehow, she still feels cold on the inside.People stare. Voices start up. Everyone's tense."She smells like a rogue.""She's not part of the pack."Kael doesn't say a word. Just stands there, and somehow the whole room goes quiet around him.He looks at her-not mean, not nice. Just... like he sees everything. Even the stuff she tries to hide."I didn't ask for this," she says, her voice rough."No one does," he replies.They give her a room. It's small but warm. There's a blanket, but she doesn't touch it. Night feels heavy, like it's holding her down. Her body aches. Muscles twitch. Sleep doesn't come.When she finally drifts off, the dreams come fast. Claws. Running. shiny Eyes, time gets all weird. The forest gets louder-like it's alive or something. The training ring's full of growls and grunts. Wolves circling, hitting each other hard. Lyra's stuck in the shadows, fists tight, watching.Kael's there too. Always watching.He barely talks. Never smiles. But when she wakes up screaming, he's right there. When she falls apart halfway through work, he just picks her up and carries her. No words. Nothing.She hates that she needs him. But part of her doesn't want to let go.Moonlight cuts sharp across the clearing. Wolves get ready to run. They start shifting like a wave crashing-eyes glowing, limbs stretching, bones snapping and changing.Her heart's pounding so loud she thinks it'll burst.It happens really fast. The pain hits her hard, but she doesn't try to stop it. Fur just pops out of her skin. Her claws dig into the ground. She runs.The wind's loud in her ears. So many smells all at once-dirt, blood, life.For one moment, she feels free. Like she's flying.Then suddenly there's blood. Everywhere. It's all she can see.Another wolf brushes by her. It's small and way too close. She snarls without thinking and lunges.Claws out, teeth showing.The little wolf louds. The whole pack goes quiet.Then Kael appears. Huge and fast.He stands right between her and the small wolf. A deep growl shakes the trees.Her hands and legs start shaking. Her anger fades away.Kael looks at her. Not mad, just serious. Like he's warning her.She falls to the ground, breathing hard. Dirt sticks to her fur. The blood in her head starts to go away.Kael shifts back to human form. Steam rises off his shoulders. He stands over her."You're not alone," he says. "But if you let the wolf, take control, it'll ruin everything."His voice feels heavy in her chest. She tries to breathe, but her chest feels tight.It's not fear. It's something else.Something dangerous, soft, and confusing.She doesn't know if it's the wolf part of her or the girl part that's feeling it.Kael turns and walks away.She stays there, shaking, watching.She can still smell him in the air.Something inside her breaks open.Now she's fighting for more than just surviving.Kael isn't just the Alpha. He's like gravity-pulling her in.And her heart moves whether she wants it to or not.