Reana blinked. Death?
His eyes flared, rimd with red. "It ans fate made a mistake once. And now it’s correcting itself."
Ryder said almost the sa thing. Her brows furrowed tightly. Was this Ryder? Was he playing a prank on her?
She took a mont to study the man in front of her. He didn’t sll like Ryder –not as the servant Ryder, and not the one sleepy g in her room right now.
Also, this person was tall, yes. Built with ripping muscles under his cloak – she knew this from when she collided against his chest.
He didn’t have the sa voice as Ryder, but he did speak like Ryder... a bit. However, the touch was different. She hated his touch, even though they were mates.
"You’re mistaken." She raised her chin, her eyes flashing with authority and defiance. "I’m not yours and I never will."
The stranger stilled, his head cocking slightly, the muscles in his jaw tightening. Behind the mask, sothing shifted in his eye. Rage.
"Not mine?" he echoed, softly, like a threat cloaked in silk. "Then why do you tremble, Luna Reana? Why does your wolf hide behind your heartbeat, waiting for my voice?"
Reana gritted her teeth. "Because you’re wrong. I already had a mate. Hale was chosen for . My bond was fulfilled."
He stepped even closer, ignoring her words from earlier, his body now a breath away. "Whoever that was, was a placeholder. A pause in our story. But I... I am the unwritten Chapter." He leaned in, his voice a whisper against her lips. "The one fate carved out of ruin and buried in blood."
Reana’s face twisted in disgust, but her wolf stirred again, low and uneasy now, torn between ecstasy and dissatisfaction – the wolf was angry at Reana for treating their mate like that. And for the first ti in her life, Luna Reana of the Black Moon Pack didn’t agree with her wolf.
She planted her hands against his chest, shoving him back, but he didn’t budge. Her palms burned on contact, like his body was forged of fire and old things that shouldn’t walk anymore.
"Leave," she said, her voice like steel now, sharpened by the dread coiling in her belly. "Whatever you are, whoever you are— I, Reana Roughman, Luna of the Black Moon Pack, reject you as my mate."
Her wolf roared in her mind, slamming against her ntal wall. The wolf was furious. It wanted to co out, wanted to take back the rejection.
’Reana! What are you doing?!’ it howled.
’Shut up!’ Reana barked at it. Her fury wasn’t any lesser than her wolf’s.
The wolf whimpered and stopped thrashing, but its discontentnt was evident.
As for the masked man, he didn’t move. He only stared at her.
"You can’t reject ," he finally said, bus blue eyes glowed brighter now. His hand reached up and wrapped around her wrist, yanking her hand up. "The bond will not break. It cannot break."
Reana’s brows furrowed with confusion. What did he an by that? Was he trying to ss with her? She forcefully pulled her hand, but she couldn’t break free.
"Get your hands off !" she glared at him, her eyes shooting ice, but he didn’t let go.
Instead, his other hand wrapped around her waist, and yanked her forward.Reana flinched, her muscles stiffenening.
"You’re coming with—"
Before he could finish, a sharp whizz sliced through the air. Fast and deadly, it hissed with murderous intent.
The stranger released her instantly, spinning just in ti to catch the blade mid-air with supernatural reflexes. Steel t flesh with a tallic clang, sparks flashing as he flung it aside with a low growl, his gaze snapping to the dark corridor behind Reana.
Heavy footsteps pounded forward, quick and unrelenting.
"Step away from her!" a voice thundered—rough, commanding, and laced with fury.
Reana gasped, whirling around.
Ryder was striding toward them, eyes ablaze. His long red hair whipped behind him – though there was no breeze. Overhead, dark clouds began to gather, ominous and slow.
Ryder didn’t slow down.
He was barefooted. He had no shirt on, only loose pants. Yet, every step he took radiated raw power.
Energy crackled around him, invisible yet tangible, like the air itself held its breath. His eyes, once a smoldering dark blue, now burned red, like wildfire locked behind ice.
The stranger stepped there, watching him. No, he wasn’t scared, or so it seed. He was watching. Observing.
"Back Off!" His hand crackled and fla burst forth as he hurled it at the masked stranger.
He didn’t do much. He just tilted his head and the ball of fla slamd into the wall behind him, sending the temple tremble. Dark smoke oozed from the deep hole on the wall.
"You’re Sn–" before the masked stranger could finish the sentence, Ryder lunged.
Faster than thought, faster that lighting. He closed the distance before Reana could blink, his fist colliding with the stranger’s jaw in a thunderous impact that sent him crashing into the sa wall that had just been burnt.
BOOM!
Dust exploded from the force, cracks spiderwebbing across the surface.
The masked stranger rose calmly and dusted his cloak. He lifted his head and saw the darkening sky above them.
Lightning flickered behind the storm clouds. Then, he shifted his gaze to Ryder. He was standing in front of Reana, shielding her behind him.
"Who would have thought you were here?" He said calmly. "For once, I miscalculated. But don’t worry. The next ti I return, she will co with willingly."
And just like that, the masked man vanished.
No sound. No shimr. Just gone... like he’d never been there at all.
Reana’s knees buckled, the adrenaline draining from her body. Ryder twirled around and caught her instantly, his arms tightening around her waist as she slumped against his chest. He was burning hot, like a furnace lit from the inside, but she didn’t pull away. Not this ti.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, voice low and urgent, eyes scanning her face like every scratch would be a mortal wound.
She shook her head slowly, still dazed. "No... but... who was that?"
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