Chapter 1: The Mark of Fate

I didn’t plan on returning to Silvermoon Ridge, but heartbreak has a way of rewriting your story without your consent. The air here is thicker, charged with the faint hum of pack energy, like a heartbeat thrumming beneath the surface. I didn’t need this reminder of what I was—a lone wolf among my kind, not by choice but by circumstance.

“Alina, sweetheart, you look so thin!” My mother’s voice was a mix of concern and relief as she pulled me into her arms. The scent of her lavender shampoo filled my nose, grounding me for a moment in something familiar.

“I’m fine, Mom. Just tired.” The lie slipped out easily. How could I explain the gnawing ache in my chest that had nothing to do with physical exhaustion? My ex had gutted me, and I’d been running on fumes ever since.

“Come in. Your stepfather will be thrilled to see you,” she said, ushering me inside.

I stepped into the house I once called home, a sprawling cabin nestled at the edge of the woods. It smelled of cedarwood and roasted chicken, and for a fleeting moment, I felt safe.

Until I smelled him.

The unmistakable scent hit me first—dark and woodsy with a hint of musk. My pulse quickened as my wolf stirred, restless and alert. I turned toward the staircase, and there he was, leaning casually against the banister like he owned the place.

Dax Carter.

The infamous playboy of Silvermoon Ridge. The alpha-in-waiting. And my stepbrother.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the prodigal sister,” he drawled, a slow smirk curling his lips. His amber eyes sparkled with mischief, and his golden hair was artfully tousled, as if he’d just rolled out of someone else’s bed.

“Dax.” My voice was flat, but inside, my wolf was pacing, agitated by his presence.

“Didn’t think you’d ever come back.” His gaze raked over me, lingering a fraction too long. “Though I can’t say I’m complaining.”

I ignored the heat crawling up my neck and forced myself to meet his gaze. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m here for Mom.”

His smirk widened. “Keep telling yourself that.”

I hated him. I hated his arrogance, his effortless charm, and the way my body betrayed me whenever he was near. He was everything I despised—reckless, selfish, and completely out of my league. But there was something dangerous about the way he looked at me, as if he could see straight through my defenses.

“Dinner’s ready!” Mom called from the kitchen, breaking the tension.

I moved past Dax, determined to put as much distance between us as possible. But as I brushed by him, our arms touched, and the spark was instantaneous—a jolt of electricity that made my wolf howl in recognition.

I froze.

No. No, no, no.

This couldn’t be happening. The mate bond was rare, sacred, and binding. And it was unmistakable. My wolf didn’t care about Dax’s reputation or the complications of our family dynamic. She only knew one thing: he was hers.

“What the hell was that?” I whispered, more to myself than to him.

But Dax heard me. Of course, he did. His smirk vanished, replaced by something darker, more primal. He stepped closer, his voice low and rough. “You felt it, didn’t you?”

I backed away, shaking my head. “No. This isn’t… This can’t be…”

“Alina.” My name on his lips was a growl, raw and possessive. His eyes glowed faintly, his wolf surfacing. “You’re my mate.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and irreversible. My heart pounded, and my wolf clawed at me, desperate to get closer to him. But my mind screamed at me to run.

“I can’t do this,” I said, my voice shaking. “Not with you.”

His jaw tightened. “It’s not like either of us chose this.”

“I won’t let this ruin me,” I snapped, my voice rising. “You’ve ruined enough lives already.”

His eyes flashed, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something—hurt, anger, regret. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the infuriating arrogance I’d come to expect from him.

“You think I’m happy about this?” he said, his tone sharp. “You think I want to be tied to someone who hates me?”

“Good,” I shot back. “Then we’re on the same page.”

I turned on my heel and stormed out of the house, needing space, air, anything to escape the suffocating intensity of the moment. But no matter how far I ran, I couldn’t outrun the truth.

Dax Carter was my mate. And there was no escaping him.

I spent the next few days avoiding him like the plague, throwing myself into unpacking and helping my mom around the house. But no amount of busywork could silence the pull of the bond or the way my wolf whimpered whenever Dax was near.

He didn’t make it easy, either. He was everywhere—leaning against doorframes, lounging on the couch, watching me with that infuriating smirk. It was as if he enjoyed watching me squirm, knowing I couldn’t resist him forever.

“Alina, can we talk?” His voice startled me one evening as I stood on the porch, staring out at the forest.

I didn’t turn around. “What’s there to talk about?”

“Everything,” he said, stepping closer. His presence was magnetic, and despite my best efforts, I found myself turning to face him.

He looked different tonight—less cocky, more serious. Vulnerable, even. But I didn’t trust it. Dax Carter doesn’t do vulnerable.

“This bond,” he began, his voice rough, “It’s not going away. We both know that.”

I folded my arms, trying to ignore the way my heart raced at his nearness. “So what? You expect me to just fall into your arms and forget everything I know about you? Not to mention you are my stepbrother, or did you conveniently forget that?”

“No,” he said quietly. “But I do expect you to stop pretending you don’t feel it too.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. Of course, I felt it. Every cell in my body screamed for him, and it was maddening. But giving in meant surrendering to him, to the bond, to a life I wasn’t sure I wanted.

“I can’t do this, Dax,” I said, my voice breaking. “I won’t.”

“You don’t really have a choice, Alina.” His tone was firm, but there was an edge of desperation in his eyes. “The bond doesn’t care about your pride or your fears. It’s there, and it’s real. You can fight it all you want, but it’ll destroy you.”

I swallowed hard, tears stinging my eyes. “You don’t know that.”

He stepped closer, his hand brushing against mine. The touch was gentle, but it sent a wave of heat through me that left me breathless.

“Yes, I do,” he said, his voice softer now. “Because it’s destroying me too.”

The vulnerability in his words shattered something inside me. For the first time, I saw beyond the mask he wore—the playboy, the alpha, the man who seemed untouchable. Beneath it all, he was just as lost as I was.

But that didn’t change the fact that he was Dax Carter, and I was Alina Stone. And some lines weren’t meant to be crossed.

“I need time to think about this,” I whispered, pulling away from him. “Please.”

He nodded, his jaw tight. “Take all the time you need. But don’t forget—you’re mine, Alina. Whether you like it or not. And I will have you.”

As he walked away, I felt the weight of his words settle over me like a storm cloud. I hated him for what he was, for what he represented, for the way he made me feel. But more than anything, I hated the part of me that wanted to run after him and never look back.