Maeve's POV
I slammed the door of my house so hard that the windows rattled. Tears streamed down my face as I grabbed the silver band from my wrist and threw it across the room. It hit the wall with a tiny clink before dropping to the floor.
How could Raiden do this to me? All those sweet words, all those vows – lies, all of them! Just last night he'd held me close, saying I was special. And now he was announcing his mating to Ariana in front of everyone!
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," I mumbled, pacing back and forth. "I'm such a fool."
A knock at the door made me jump.
"Go away!" I shouted, wiping my tears. I didn't want anyone to see me like this.
The door opened anyway. I spun around, ready to yell at whoever dared to come in, but the words died in my throat.
"Luca?" I whispered.
My childhood friend stood in the doorway, his green eyes filled with worry. We'd grown up together, two misfits in the pack – me as the omega healer and him as the quiet, bookish son of a high-ranking wolf.
"I saw what happened," he said softly, going inside and closing the door. "Are you okay?"
"Do I look okay?" I snapped, then instantly felt bad. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault."
Luca picked up the band from the floor and held it out to me. "Raiden gave you this, didn't he?"
I nodded, fresh tears spilling down my face.
"Oh, Maeve." Luca pulled me into a hug. "I've been worried about this for weeks."
I pulled back, shocked. "You knew?"
"Everyone knows," he said softly. "You've been going out every night. And the way you look at him... it's pretty clear."
My face burned with embarrassment. "I thought we were being careful."
"You can't hide something like that in a pack," Luca said, leading me to sit on my small couch. "Especially not from me. I know you too well."
He was right. Luca had been my friend since we were pups. He knew all my secrets... well, almost all of them. " He said I was different," I whispered. "He said I wasn't like the others."
"And you believed him?" Luca's voice hardened. "Maeve, he's the Alpha. He can have anyone he wants."
"He chose me," I insisted. "Twenty-three nights in a row."
Luca's eyebrows shot up. "That many times?"
I nodded, a tiny spark of pride fighting through my sorrow. "He broke his own rule for me."
"That doesn't change what just happened," Luca said strongly. "He's still going to mate with Ariana."
The memory felt like a knife to my heart. "He said it was for the pack. The alliance—"
"Is that what he told you?" Luca interrupted, his green eyes sparking. "That he doesn't want to mate with her?"
"Yes," I whispered. "He showed me his secret house. He said he's never shown anyone else."
Luca ran a hand through his dark hair. "Maeve, listen to me. You need to stay away from him."
"I can't," I admitted. "I'm supposed to be Ariana's personal healer now."
"What?" Luca jumped to his feet. "No. That's too dangerous."
"I don't have a choice," I said. "He announced it in front of everyone."
"There's always a choice," Luca maintained, pacing now. "You could leave the pack."
I stared at him in shock. "Leave? This is my home!"
"It won't be safe for you anymore," he said, his words urgent. "Not with Ariana here."
"Why? What do you know about her?"
Luca paused, then sat down beside me again. "I've heard things. About the Northern pack. About Ariana's family."
"What things?"
"Dark things," he said, lowering his voice. "They say her father was involved in illegal magic. That's how he became Alpha."
A chill ran down my spine. "Forbidden magic?"
Luca nodded. "And now she's here, about to become our Luna."
"Raiden would never allow dark magic in our pack," I said, but doubt crept into my voice.
"Would he even know?" Luca asked. "You said yourself he's doing this for the union. He might not know what he's bringing into our pack."
I thought about Ariana's cold blue eyes, her beautiful smile that didn't reach them, and her threatening whisper: "This is a wound you won't be able to fix."
"I need to warn him," I said, standing up.
Luca grabbed my arm. "No! You can't let Ariana know that you know about her."
"But if Raiden's in danger—"
"Raiden can take care of himself," Luca said confidently. "I'm worried about you."
The genuine concern in his eyes made me stop. Luca had always been there for me, through all the hard times. When other kids bullied me for being an omega, when my parents died, when I fought to control my healing powers – Luca had never left my side.
"Why do you care so much?" I asked softly.
Something flickered in his eyes. "Because I—"
He stopped, looking irritated. Then he took my hand in his.
The moment our skin touched, a strange force sparked between us. It felt like tiny lightning bolts dancing over my skin, warm and tingly and... right somehow.
"What was that?" I gasped, pulling my hand away.
Luca's eyes widened. "You felt it too?"
"Like electricity," I said, rubbing my hand. "What is it?"
Luca looked away. "Nothing. Just static."
But I could tell he was lying. "Luca, what aren't you telling me?"
He stood up suddenly. "Forget it. Listen, I just came to make sure you're okay. And to warn you. Stay away from Raiden and Ariana as much as you can."
"I told you, I can't," I said. "I'm her healer now."
Luca's face darkened. "Then be careful. Don't trust anything she says or does. And..." he hesitated. "Don't drink or eat anything she gives you."
"You think she'd poison me?" I asked, worried.
"I think she knows about you and Raiden," he said sadly. "And she won't like it."
I thought about her whispered threat again and shivered.
"Just promise me you'll be careful," Luca said.
"I promise," I whispered.
He moved toward the door, then stopped. "One more thing. The full moon is in two weeks."
"I know. That's when the mating ceremony will happen."
Luca shook his head. "It's not just that. It's a special moon. A blood moon."
"What does that mean?"
"It means power," he said quietly. "Old magic is stronger on a blood moon."
Before I could ask what he meant, there was another knock at the door.
Luca tensed. "Are you expecting someone?"
"No," I said, suddenly nervous.
The door opened, and one of Raiden's guards stepped in. "Omega Maeve, you're needed at the pack house immediately."
"Now?" I asked, my heart racing.
"Yes," the guard said. "Lady Ariana is asking for you."
I glanced at Luca, who gave me a warning look.
"I'll be right there," I told the guard.
After he left, Luca grabbed my shoulders. "Remember what I said. Be careful. And whatever you do, don't tell her about us."
"About us?" I repeated, confused. "What about us?"
A strange sadness filled his eyes. "Just promise me, Maeve. This is life or death."
"I promise," I said again, though I didn't understand.
Luca left, and I gathered my healing tools with shaking hands. As I headed to the pack house, I couldn't shake the thought that something terrible was coming.
Ariana was waiting for me in a big guest room, sitting on a couch like a queen on her throne. She smiled when I entered, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"Ah, the little healer," she said sweetly. "Come in."
I stepped forward, trying to hide my fear. "You asked for me, Lady Ariana?"
"Yes, I did." She patted the spot beside her. "Sit. We have much to discuss."
I sat down reluctantly, keeping as much space as I could.
"Raiden tells me you have a special gift," she said, studying me closely. "You can take away pain with just a touch?"
I nodded warily.
"Fascinating," she muttered. "Tell me, does it work on all types of pain? Physical... emotional?"
"Mostly physical," I said carefully.
"Hmm." She leaned closer. "And how long have you been healing Raiden?"
My heart stopped. "I... I'm not sure what you mean."
"Don't play dumb with me," she snapped, her sweet voice suddenly sharp as a knife. "I know what you've been doing with my mate."
"He's not your mate yet," I said before I could stop myself.
Ariana's eyes flashed dangerously. "But he will be. In two weeks. Under the blood moon."
The same words Luca had used. Blood moon.
"You know what's special about a blood moon?" she asked, her voice soft again. "It's when the veil between places is thinnest. When old magic is powerful."
She took my hand suddenly, her grip painfully tight. A cold feeling shot up my arm, like ice in my veins.
"You feel that?" she whispered. "That's real power. Not your little healing trick."
I tried to pull away, but she held firm.
"Now listen carefully, little omega," she said. "You're going to help me prepare for the mating ceremony. You're going to do exactly as I say. And in return, I might let you live."
"What do you want from me?" I asked, my voice shaking.
Ariana smiled, and this time it reached her eyes, making them glow with an eerie blue light.
"I want your blood, doctor. On the night of the blood moon."