MOONBOUND: HIS ROGUE MATE

Chapter One

The Rogue and the Alpha

ARIA

The wind howled through the forest like a warning-cold, sharp, and full of danger.

I crouched behind a tangle of undergrowth, my chest rising and falling rapidly, blood soaking the side of my shirt. Not mine. But close enough. My entire body ached, and every breath burned. I'd been running for too long. My limbs felt like they didn't belong to me anymore.

But I couldn't stop. Not now.

Behind me, the rogues were still chasing. I could hear them-snapping twigs, low growls, claws against bark. They'd been hunting me since dusk two days ago. I wasn't even sure why anymore. Maybe it was for sport. Or maybe because I'd taken something they thought belonged to them.

All I knew was that I couldn't outrun them much longer.

Ahead of me, just past the final ridge of trees, I could feel it-the border. The air changed as I neared it, thickened with the scent of unfamiliar wolves and something colder, more primal. The scentline of Blood Hollow Pack.

Everyone knew you didn't cross into Blood Hollow territory unless you had a death wish.

I crossed it anyway.

The instant my foot stepped past the line, a chill ran through me. My wolf whimpered low in my chest. I pushed forward, leaves rustling beneath me, the wind biting my face. Maybe if I moved fast enough, I could lose the rogues behind me. Maybe the Blood Hollow patrols wouldn't find me right away.

Maybe I could survive.

I never saw him coming.

In a flash, a large hand grabbed the collar of my torn shirt and slammed me into a tree. My back hit bark with a sharp crack, knocking the breath from my lungs. I gasped, clawing at the arm that pinned me in place.

And then I saw him.

Golden eyes. Stone-hard jaw. Broad shoulders. Muscles coiled with power and rage. His presence hit me like a freight train-raw, commanding, terrifying. He looked like he'd been carved from fire and fury, every inch of him screaming Alpha.

I froze.

Then my eyes locked with his.

And the world-shifted.

The air went still. The sound of the forest died. My wolf, who had been quiet my entire life, suddenly surged forward with a whisper that echoed through my mind.

MATE.

My legs nearly gave out. My heart slammed against my ribs.

He must've felt it too. His grip faltered for a second. His eyes narrowed.

"No," he growled. "This isn't happening."

I tried to speak, but my throat was dry. The bond between us was undeniable, thick and magnetic. My wolf was clawing inside me, desperate to get closer. To touch him. But his entire body was tense-dangerous.

"Please," I rasped, barely able to breathe. "I'm not here to fight."

"I don't care why you're here," he said coldly. "You're a rogue. And in Blood Hollow, that means you die."

He released me suddenly, and I crumpled to the ground. The impact sent a fresh wave of pain through my body. I gasped, clutching my side, vision swimming. But I didn't look away from him.

He stared down at me, nostrils flared, fists clenched. Conflicted.

"I'm Alpha Kael Draven," he said. "And this is your last chance. Speak, or bleed."

I coughed, tasting copper on my tongue. Then I looked him dead in the eyes.

"I think..." My voice shook. "I think I'm your mate."Chapter One

The Rogue and the Alpha

ARIA

The wind howled through the forest like a warning-cold, sharp, and full of danger.

I crouched behind a tangle of undergrowth, my chest rising and falling rapidly, blood soaking the side of my shirt. Not mine. But close enough. My entire body ached, and every breath burned. I'd been running for too long. My limbs felt like they didn't belong to me anymore.

But I couldn't stop. Not now.

Behind me, the rogues were still chasing. I could hear them-snapping twigs, low growls, claws against bark. They'd been hunting me since dusk two days ago. I wasn't even sure why anymore. Maybe it was for sport. Or maybe because I'd taken something they thought belonged to them.

All I knew was that I couldn't outrun them much longer.

Ahead of me, just past the final ridge of trees, I could feel it-the border. The air changed as I neared it, thickened with the scent of unfamiliar wolves and something colder, more primal. The scentline of Blood Hollow Pack.

Everyone knew you didn't cross into Blood Hollow territory unless you had a death wish.

I crossed it anyway.

The instant my foot stepped past the line, a chill ran through me. My wolf whimpered low in my chest. I pushed forward, leaves rustling beneath me, the wind biting my face. Maybe if I moved fast enough, I could lose the rogues behind me. Maybe the Blood Hollow patrols wouldn't find me right away.

Maybe I could survive.

I never saw him coming.

In a flash, a large hand grabbed the collar of my torn shirt and slammed me into a tree. My back hit bark with a sharp crack, knocking the breath from my lungs. I gasped, clawing at the arm that pinned me in place.

And then I saw him.

Golden eyes. Stone-hard jaw. Broad shoulders. Muscles coiled with power and rage. His presence hit me like a freight train-raw, commanding, terrifying. He looked like he'd been carved from fire and fury, every inch of him screaming Alpha.

I froze.

Then my eyes locked with his.

And the world-shifted.

The air went still. The sound of the forest died. My wolf, who had been quiet my entire life, suddenly surged forward with a whisper that echoed through my mind.

MATE.

My legs nearly gave out. My heart slammed against my ribs.

He must've felt it too. His grip faltered for a second. His eyes narrowed.

"No," he growled. "This isn't happening."

I tried to speak, but my throat was dry. The bond between us was undeniable, thick and magnetic. My wolf was clawing inside me, desperate to get closer. To touch him. But his entire body was tense-dangerous.

"Please," I rasped, barely able to breathe. "I'm not here to fight."

"I don't care why you're here," he said coldly. "You're a rogue. And in Blood Hollow, that means you die."

He released me suddenly, and I crumpled to the ground. The impact sent a fresh wave of pain through my body. I gasped, clutching my side, vision swimming. But I didn't look away from him.

He stared down at me, nostrils flared, fists clenched. Conflicted.

"I'm Alpha Kael Draven," he said. "And this is your last chance. Speak, or bleed."

I coughed, tasting copper on my tongue. Then I looked him dead in the eyes.

"I think..." My voice shook. "I think I'm your mate."