There are two things every wolf in Crescent Moon Pack knows:

The first is that Alpha Damon Blackwood is powerful.

The second is that he doesn't belong to anyone.

Not to the beautiful she-wolves who throw themselves at his feet,

Not to the daughters of neighboring Alphas who dream of becoming his Luna.

And certainly-

Not to me.

Yet for as long as I can remember, I have loved him.

The feeling settled inside my chest years ago and refused to leave,like a stubborn flame.

Quiet,steady,dangerous.

I stood on the balcony overlooking the training grounds, my fingers curled around the wooden railing as the afternoon sun beat against my skin.

Below, dozens of wolves sparred across the field.

But my eyes found only one.

They always did.

Damon moved through the crowd with the confidence of someone born to lead.

Tall,broad-shouldered,strong,every movement carried authority.

Even from a distance, he commanded attention.

The warriors around him looked like boys trying to imitate a king.

A punch landed.

One of the younger wolves stumbled backward.

Damon said something I couldn't hear.

The warrior immediately straightened.

Embarrassed.

The other wolves laughed.

I smiled despite myself.

Typical Damon.

Strict,

Demanding,

Impossible to please,and somehow, everyone still admired him.

Including me.

Especially me.

"You are staring again."

I nearly jumped.

Turning around, I found my best friend Lena leaning against the doorway.

Her amused grin already told me exactly what she was thinking.

"I wasn't staring."

"You were."

"I was observing."

Lena laughed.

"Right. Observing."

I rolled my eyes.

"Why are you here?"

"Because your shift at the infirmary ended an hour ago."

I winced.

Oops.

She folded her arms.

"You forgot again."

"It's not my fault."

"It absolutely is."

I glanced back toward the training grounds.

Damon had removed his shirt.

My brain immediately stopped functioning.

Lena groaned.

"Oh Moon Goddess, you're hopeless."

Heat rushed into my cheeks.

"Can you blame me?"

"Yes."

She pointed dramatically toward the field.

"That man has ignored you for three years."

"Four."

Lena stared.

"You counted?"

I immediately regretted answering.

Her expression turned horrified.

"You counted."

I buried my face in my hands.

"Please stop talking."

She laughed so hard she nearly doubled over.

Unfortunately, she wasn't wrong.

It had been four years.

Four years since my wolf first recognized Damon,four years since my heart decided it belonged to him.

Four years of watching him,helping him,supporting him,loving him without him ever noticing.

Or maybe he noticed.

Maybe he simply didn't care.

That possibility hurt more than I liked to admit.

I pushed the thought away.

Damon wasn't cruel.

Distant?

Yes.

Arrogant?

Definitely.

Frustrating?

Every single day.

But not cruel.

At least, that's what I told myself.

"You're doing it again."

I blinked.

"Doing what?"

"Defending him."

I frowned.

"I'm not."

"You always do."

Lena's smile softened.

"Ava..."

The concern in her voice made me uncomfortable.

Because I knew what was coming next.

"You deserve someone who actually sees you."

I looked away.

The training grounds blurred slightly.

Not because of distance.

Because I suddenly didn't want to look at them anymore.

"Ava."

"I'm fine."

"You say that every time."

"Because I am."

Lena didn't look convinced.

The truth was, I didn't know if I believed it either.

Loving Damon had become such a normal part of my life that I wasn't sure who I would be without it.

Pathetic-

Maybe.

But it was true.

A loud cheer suddenly erupted from below.

Both of us looked down.

The training session had ended.

Several wolves crowded around Damon.

Laughing,talking,trying to get his attention.

He accepted it naturally.

Like breathing,

Like sunlight,

Like power.

Then something unexpected happened:

His gaze lifted.

For one impossible second, our eyes met.

My heart stopped.

It actually stopped.

The entire world seemed to freeze around me.

I couldn't breathe,couldn't move,couldn't think.

Damon's expression remained unreadable.

Then—

He nodded.

Just once.

Before turning away.

Gone.

As if nothing had happened.

As if he hadn't just shattered my ability to function for the rest of the day.

Lena stared at me.

"Oh no."

"What?"

"You have that look."

"What look?"

"The one where a single glance from Damon keeps you alive for another month."

I groaned.

Because unfortunately...

She was right.

That evening, the pack house buzzed with excitement,warriors moved through the halls carrying supplies,servants rushed between rooms,everyone seemed unusually busy.

I caught one of the cooks before she disappeared into the kitchen.

"What's happening?"

She looked surprised.

"You didn't hear?"

"Hear what?"

"The banquet."

My stomach dropped.

"The banquet?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

"Tomorrow night."

Then she lowered her voice.

"They say Alpha Damon is bringing a special guest."

My smile faltered.

"A guest?"

"That's the rumor."

Before I could ask another question, she hurried away,leaving me frozen in the middle of the hallway.

A strange feeling settled in my chest.

Unease,cold,heavy,I didn't know why.

Maybe it was nothing.

Just another rumor.

Just another meaningless story.

But as I stood there beneath the warm glow of the lanterns, my wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin,

Warning me.

For the first time in years...

I felt afraid,and I had no idea that by this time tomorrow, everything I believed about Damon Blackwood would begin to fall apart.