"Let me die, then," Thorne growled, suddenly pushing Aeryn's hand away. His eyes flashed with anger despite his weakness. "I won't force you."
Aeryn stepped back, shocked by his change. One moment he was asking for her help, the next pushing her away. The drug must be affecting his mind.
"I don't even know what a mate bond is," she whispered. "How can I help if I don't understand?"
The room had emptied except for Lars, who stood guard at the door, his face dark with worry.
Thorne's breathing grew more ragged. The poison lines spreading from his cuts had turned black, creeping toward his heart. "It needs..." he struggled to speak, "...a mark. And acceptance."
"A bite mark?" Aeryn asked, her hand going unconsciously to her neck.
He nodded weakly. "But only... if freely given."
Lars stepped forward. "Absolutely not! Aeryn, you can't let him mark you. Once an Alpha marks his mate, the bond is forever."
Forever. The word echoed in Aeryn's mind. This morning she had been a normal girl getting ready for her wedding. Now a powerful Alpha was dying in her house, saying she could save him by accepting a lifetime bond.
"There must be another way," she said. "Herbs, or medicine?"
Thorne shook his head. "No time. Poison... works fast on Alphas." His eyes, still that startling blue even in his pain, found hers. "Your choice, little dog. I won't blame you... for refusing."
Aeryn looked at her brother. Lars shook his head firmly, quietly begging her not to do this. Then she looked back at Thorne. Despite just meeting him, something inside her couldn't bear the thought of him dying. The strange pull she'd felt since first seeing him hadn't lessened.
Taking a deep breath, Aeryn moved closer to the bed. "If I do this, what happens to me? To my family? I can't just leave them."
Thorne reached for her hand, his grip weak. "You would be Luna... my pack would be yours. Your family... protected always."
"And if I refuse?"
His eyes softened. "Then I thank you... for being the last beautiful thing... I see in this world."
Something in his words, in the way he looked at her like she was precious, made Aeryn's choice. She couldn't let him die, not when she could avoid it.
"I'll do it," she said quietly.
Lars made a sound of protest, but Aeryn stopped him with a look. "It's my choice, Lars."
She sat on the edge of the bed and tilted her head, revealing her neck. Her heart hammered in her chest. "What do I need to do?"
With what seemed like his last power, Thorne pushed himself up. "Say the words... I accept this bond."
Aeryn swallowed hard. "I accept this bond."
Thorne leaned forward, his mouth against her ear. "Thank you," he whispered. Then his teeth sank into the soft skin where her neck met her shoulder.
Pain flashed hot and bright, making Aeryn gasp. But quickly the pain changed to something else - a warm, tingling feeling that spread from the bite throughout her body. It felt like liquid sunshine flowing through her veins.
Thorne fell back onto the bed, his breathing steadier. The black lines of poison began to fade from his skin. It was working.
"What have you done?" Lars whispered, but Aeryn barely heard him. She felt dizzy, her vision blurred at the edges. The room seemed to spin around her.
"Rest now," she heard Thorne say from far away. "The bond will take energy from both of us."
Aeryn felt someone lift her - Lars, probably - and carry her to her own bed. Her last thought before darkness took her was that she had just tied herself forever to a man she barely knew.
—
Aeryn woke to sunlight flowing through her window. For a moment, she thought everything had been a dream - the ritual, Thorne, the mate bond. Then she felt the tender spot on her neck and knew it was all real.
She sat up slowly, surprised to find she felt stronger than ever before, like energy was buzzing under her skin. The door opened and her mother entered, bringing a tray of food.
"You're awake," her mother said, her face a mix of worry and something else - respect? "How do you feel?"
"Different," Aeryn admitted. "Is he...?"
"The Alpha is fully recovered. His wounds healed fully during the night." Her mother set down the tray and sat on the edge of the bed. "Do you understand what you've done, Aeryn?"
Aeryn touched the mark on her neck. "Not really. It happened so fast."
Her mother sighed. "You're his Luna now - his mate, his wife in wolf words. When he returns to his pack, you'll go with him."
The truth hit Aeryn like a bucket of cold water. "Leave? Leave you and Lars and the village? But I've never been anywhere else!"
Before her mother could answer, the door burst open. Lars stormed in, his face red with anger.
"The entire village is talking about it," he snapped. "Everyone knows my sister is now bound to an Alpha who never keeps a woman more than a night! What were you thinking?"
"I was thinking I couldn't let him die," Aeryn shot back. "What would you have done?"
"Let him die! Better that than sell yourself to a man who'll use you and throw you away!"
Their mother stood up. "Enough, Lars! What's done is done. And you forget - a mate bond is precious, even to Alphas like Thorne. He can't break it even if he wanted to."
A knock at the door stopped them all. Thorne entered without waiting for clearance. He looked fully recovered, strong and intimidating in the small room. His eyes went right to Aeryn.
"Good morning, Luna," he said, the term sending a shiver down Aeryn's spine.
Lars growled low in his throat. "You have no right to be in my sister's bedroom."
Thorne didn't even look at him. "I have every right to be near my mate." His voice was calm but carried an obvious warning. "Aeryn, we need to talk privately."
Her mother touched Lars's arm. "Come, son. Let them talk." She practically pulled Lars from the room, closing the door behind them.
Aeryn pulled her blanket higher, suddenly very aware she was in her nightclothes. "You're better," she said.
Thorne moved closer, sitting where her mother had been. "Thanks to you. The mate bond cleared the poison."
"So it's real? We're really..." She couldn't finish the sentence.
"Mated? Yes." He reached out slowly and brushed his fingers over the mark on her neck. Aeryn gasped at the jolt of pleasure the touch sent through her body.
Thorne smiled, noticing her reaction. "The mark is sensitive. It connects us."
"What happens now?" Aeryn asked, trying to ignore the remaining feeling of his touch.
"Now you come with me, to my pack. As my Luna."
"But my family, my home-"
"Your mother and brother are welcome to join us. Though I doubt your brother will accept." Thorne's face got serious. "I know this happened faster than you expected. But I meant what I said last night - you were always meant to be mine."
Aeryn looked down at her hands. "Why me? I'm nobody special."
Thorne lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "You're special enough that the moon picked you for me. Do you feel it? The pull between us?"
She nodded slowly. Even now, she felt drawn to him, as if invisible threads linked them.
"That's the mate link. It's rare, even among wolves. Some search their whole lives and never find it." His thumb traced her bottom lip, making her heart race. "I wasn't looking for it. But now that I've found you, I won't let you go."
There was a possessiveness in his voice that should have scared her. Instead, it made her feel wanted in a way she never had before.
"When do we leave?" she asked quietly.
"Tomorrow. My pack needs to meet their Luna." He stood up. "Rest today. Tomorrow your new life starts."
After he left, Aeryn sat frozen on her bed. Everything was happening so fast. Yesterday she had been a normal omega girl. Today she was the mate of one of the most powerful Alphas in the area. Her head spun with questions.
Why had he really come to their village? Was it truly because of a promise to her father? And why had he picked her, when he could have any woman he wanted?
The door opened again, and Mavis, her best friend, rushed in. "Is it true?" she asked. "Everyone's saying you're mated to Alpha Thorne!"
Aeryn nodded, pulling down her collar to show the mark.
Mavis's eyes widened. "Do you even know what this means? The stories about him, Aeryn..."
"What stories?"
Mavis dropped her voice. "They say no woman holds his interest for long. Mate bond or not, he'll break your heart."
"The bond can't be broken," Aeryn said, echoing her mother's words.
"Maybe not. But that doesn't mean he'll be faithful." Mavis sat beside her. "And there's something else you should know. Something I overheard his men saying this morning."
Aeryn's stomach tensed. "What?"
"They weren't surprised he claimed you. They said he came to this village specifically to find you. Like he knew all along who you were."
Before Aeryn could reply, another knock came at the door. One of Thorne's pack members stood there, a tall woman with cold eyes.
"The Alpha requests your presence," she said flatly. "Now."
As Aeryn followed the woman across the town square, wolves stopped to stare at her. Some looked curious, others jealous, a few even angry. She held her head high despite her beating heart.
They reached a small building the village used for meetings. Inside, Thorne stood with several of his pack members around a table covered with maps. He looked up when she entered, his face blank.
"Leave us," he told his people. They filed out, the woman who had guided Aeryn giving her one last cold look.
When they were alone, Thorne's face changed. He looked worried.
"What's wrong?" Aeryn asked.
"The rogues who attacked last night weren't random," he said. "They were sent by someone. Someone who knew I would be here."
"Why would anyone send rogues after you?"
Thorne's eyes darkened. "Not after me. After you."
Aeryn felt the blood drain from her face. "Me? That's impossible. I'm no one."
"You're my mate. And it seems someone knew that before either of us did." Thorne came closer, his voice dropping. "There's something you need to know about your father, Aeryn. Something he kept from you your entire life."
She felt a chill run down her spine. "What about my father?"
Thorne took her hands in his. "Your father wasn't just my friend. He was my uncle. Which makes you..."
"Family," Aeryn whispered, the room suddenly
spinning around her.
"Yes. And the proper heir to a power greater than you can imagine."