My Alpha Forced a Bond to Save Another Woman

I set the last candle on the dining table and stepped back to check the arrangement. The flames flickered against the crystal glasses, casting warm light across the white linen. Everything looked perfect. Three years ago today, Cody had marked me as his Luna in front of the entire Ironvale Pack. Three years ago, I had believed I was the luckiest she-wolf alive.

I smoothed down the silk dress I'd chosen—deep blue, his favorite color—and glanced at the clock. Seven-thirty. He'd promised to be home by seven. The roasted lamb was resting under foil. The wine was breathing. I'd made his favorite dessert, the chocolate tart that took four hours because the ganache had to set at exactly the right temperature.

I touched the mark on my neck, tracing the raised scar tissue with two fingers. The gesture had become a habit over the years, something I did when I was anxious or happy or waiting. Right now, I was all three.

My wolf stirred beneath my skin, sluggish as always. She'd never been strong. Delia, Cody's mother, had told me it was normal for some she-wolves to have delicate constitutions. The pack healer, Rowan, had echoed the same thing during my monthly check-ups, always with a sympathetic smile as he drew yet another vial of blood for 'routine monitoring.' I'd learned not to question it. Learned to be grateful that Cody had chosen me despite my weakness.

Eight o'clock came and went. I texted him. No response.

At eight-thirty, I called. Voicemail.

I sat down at the table and poured myself a glass of wine. The candles burned lower. My wolf—silent for weeks as usual—suddenly shifted inside me, restless and uneasy in a way I couldn't name. It felt like a warning, but I didn't know what I was supposed to be warned about.

By nine o'clock, the lamb was cold. I wrapped everything in foil and put it in the fridge, blowing out the candles one by one. The house felt too quiet. I pulled out my phone again and texted Silas, Cody's Beta.

*Is the meeting still going?*

His response came quickly. *What meeting?*

I stared at the screen. My pulse kicked up.

*The alliance meeting with the neighboring pack. Cody said he'd be back by seven.*

Three dots appeared, then disappeared. Then reappeared.

*Alpha didn't mention any meeting to me tonight, Luna. Let me check with him.*

I set the phone down on the counter. My hands were shaking. There was a perfectly reasonable explanation. Cody had forgotten to tell Silas. Or it was informal, not official pack business. Or—

My wolf stirred again, harder this time. Not a warning. A pull.

I didn't think. I grabbed my coat and slipped out the back door of the pack house, following the instinct I'd learned to ignore. Following the scent trail that belonged to my mate.

It led away from pack territory entirely, into the woods that bordered Crescentfall land. I shifted halfway, letting my wolf's senses