CAIDY ELLIS POINT OF VIEW "I won't marry him, Dad. Over my dead body." The marriage contract sat between us, its red wax seal glowing in the afternoon light. The parchment looked fancy with its silver wolf crest. To anyone else, it would have resembled the beginning of a prosperous, highly coveted alliance between two noble bloodlines. To me, it looked like a gilded death sentence, signed in ink and sealed with my own destruction. I stared at the name written right under mine: Corbin Vesperis. Seeing it made my skin crawl and brought back memories of his hands gripping my wrists. My chest tightened, but I forced myself to stay still. My father sat behind the massive mahogany desk. Alpha Magnus Ellis wore an immaculate black coat across broad shoulders, silver streaks frosted his temples, and his cold gaze commanded total submission. "You'll sign the contract before sunset," he said, and straightened a stack of documents. "Preparations for the mating ceremony have already begun, and the elder council gave their blessing."  I looked outside. Outside the arched windows, members of the Ellis Pack crossed the sunny courtyard, unaware that their Alpha arranged his only daughter's future as though negotiating the sale of prized livestock. I lifted my gaze from the parchment and forced steel into my spine. "No. I won't marry him, Dad. You can't force me into this." My father leaned back in his leather chair and folded his hands. "You've always mistaken stubbornness for courage, Caidy. It is a foolish flaw that will ruin you." "I'm not being stubborn. I know exactly what this contract is," I said, my voice rising as panic turned into fury. "You call sending me back to the man who nearly killed me a political duty?" His expression remained stoic. "You've already shared a bond with him, Caidy. It is time to formalize what you started." "It wasn't a bond." I stepped toward the desk and clenched my hands into tight fists. "It was never a courtship. He wasn't even my fated mate." "It was proper courtship. And come on, do you really think fated mates exist? If yes, I am a hundred percent sure that you won't have anyone," he corrected smoothly. "It was abuse." The word echoed through the quiet study. He frowned and let out a slow sigh. "Kael acted rashly," Father said, and dismissed two years of terror with a single sentence. "Young wolves lose control when their instincts spark. It is the nature of our beast." "He fractured my ribs," I choked out, the pain tearing at my throat as memories surged back. "He left me bleeding on his floor." "And you recovered," he replied coldly. "Our bloodline heals quickly." "He locked me inside his estate for three whole days without food or light." "And yet, you survived." He tilted his head. "You stand before me now, healthy and whole." "He tried to mark me by force." The confession tore out of me and silence crashed over the room. My pulse pounded against my throat and my chest rose and fell with every shaky breath. Angry tears burned behind my eyes but I refused to let them fall. "I begged him to stop," I said. My voice shook no matter how hard I tried to steady it. "I screamed until I couldn't scream anymore. Do you remember that part, Dad? Do you remember when I came back to you covered in his marks and begged you to help me?" Father rubbed his temples. "You've always been so dramatic, Caidy."  I stood my ground, squared my shoulders, and dug my fingernails deep into my palms. "I won't sign it," I said with icy precision. "I refuse to become his mate! No fucking way! I would rather be cast out as a rogue." The heavy wooden chair scraped across the floor as Alpha Magnus rose to his feet. His aura flooded the room and crashed into me. The pressure settled on my shoulders until my joints protested and my knees threatened to give out. He stepped around the desk, stopped inches away, and met my eyes. "I have given you everything a daughter of House Ellis could ever desire." A bitter laugh escaped me. "Everything? I'd rather have nothing than be your fucking daughter." His hand struck my face before I finished the sentence. The crack rang through the room. My head snapped to the side and blood filled my mouth. I staggered into the edge of the desk, but I barely recovered before his fist tangled in my hair. He yanked my head back and forced me to face him. "You forgot who you're speaking to, my daughter," he said with a cold snort. His grip tightened until my scalp burned. He jerked my hair again and stole the breath from my lungs. "I am your Alpha." "You stopped being my father long before you decided to become my Alpha," I shot back. Blood dripped from the corner of my mouth, but I never looked away. His face twisted with fury and his grip tightened. "You were born for one purpose alone," he said. "To continue the Ellis bloodline and secure our power." "But I am just your daughter..." "You were born a failure!" he roared as he shoved me backward. I hit the marble floor hard, slid across it, and slammed into the base of the wall. Pain exploded through my shoulder and stole the air from my lungs. He straightened his cuffs and looked down at me as if I were beneath him. "You should thank the Gods," he said. "I could have chosen any ruthless Alpha to strengthen our border alliances. Instead, I graciously chose the man who already wanted you." "Wanted?" I let out a bitter laugh that almost turned into a choke. "He doesn't want me, Dad! He hates me because he knows that I will never love him." "At least he will give us powerful heirs," my father replied without the slightest hesitation. "He'll put me in my grave before I ever give him a child." I braced a hand against the floor and forced myself back up even though every muscle shook with the effort. His expression hardened with disgust.  "You have one responsibility left to this House, Caidy." He took another step until he stood over me. "You failed to awaken an Alpha wolf at twelve. You failed to surpass the Volkaris heirs at the academy. You never developed the strength this family expected. Instead, you inherited far too much of your disgusting mother's magic." He looked at me with contempt. "So fulfill the only purpose a weak woman like you still has. Become a vessel. Give this House children worthy of inheriting it, then stay out of the way." Every muscle in my body went rigid. A cold wave of horror swept through me and drowned out every trace of physical pain. "What?" I whispered. "That," he said quietly. His eyes held nothing but cold malice. "That is the only true value you still have to offer to our pack, you useless little piece of shit." "I would rather die." My voice came out calm and almost lifeless. I forced myself to my feet and stood in front of him even though every part of my body trembled. "I would rather watch this entire bloodline burn to ash with me than spend another day belonging to that fucking Corbin Vesperis" The room fell silent. My father studied for several long seconds. His eyes searched my face for the slightest hint of fear or hesitation but he found neither. At last, a smile spread across his lips. I gulped.  "The ceremony will proceed on the next Blood Moon," he said. He smoothed the front of his dark coat as though we had discussed nothing more serious than business. "You will remain in your quarters until then. Every servant has orders to report your movements, and guards will stand watch outside your door at all times." A cold chill ran down my spine. He had expected me to fight from the very beginning. "If you try to run," he continued as he walked past me toward the heavy oak doors, "I will hunt you down myself. I will break your legs and drag you back here in chains." His hand settled on the iron handle, but he stopped before he opened the door. "Oh, and Caidy..." I flinched. He spoke my name without a trace of affection. "Remember this," he said as he glanced back at me. "No one in this realm will ever help you because you were such a bad... bad girl. No one will ever want you."  The heavy door clicked shut behind him and I was left alone.  My gaze shifted from the mirror to the bookshelf along the eastern wall. Behind the bottom shelf sat a loose stone that only I knew about. I crossed the room on unsteady legs, knelt before the wall, and pulled it free. A small wooden box wrapped in a faded blue cloth rested inside the hidden compartment. My hands shook as I set the box on my lap and opened it. Inside lay a single unopened letter. The parchment had yellowed with age but the elegant handwriting of Lady Seraphine Volkaris remained clear. A shaky breath escaped me as tears blurred my vision. It was the last thing my mother had given me. The memory hit me at once. She lay weak beneath heavy blankets, her face pale, her breathing slow. Even then, she smiled every time I walked into the room. "Listen to me carefully, my sweetheart," she whispered as she placed the box in my small hands. "If the day ever comes when you have nowhere else to go, take this letter to Seraphine." "Malakai's mother?" I asked. "Mom... she's our enemy." My mother brushed my hair away from my face and cupped my cheek. "Not every promise dies in war, Caidy. She promised me that if I could no longer protect you, she would." The memory faded, and the cold reality returned. There were just two massive, life-threatening problems with my mother's grand escape plan: first, Lady Seraphine is dead, and second, her five sons absolutely hated my guts. They despised everything about me. To the Volkaris brothers, I was the spoiled princess of House Ellis. The academy bully who never missed a chance to humiliate them, challenge them or mock their family. I tightened my grip on the letter until the old parchment crumpled beneath my fingers. For some reason, the choice felt painfully simple. I could face five dangerous men who hated my existence, or I could spend the rest of my life with a monster who would break me until nothing remained... heck, I would rather fall to my knees and beg my enemies for mercy than waste another day begging Corbin for his. My gaze drifted to the tall windows and settled on the snow-covered mountains beyond them. They marked the border between House Ellis and House Volkaris. Before the Blood Moon rises, I will definitely cross that border and leave this nightmare behind.  Whatever awaits for me on the other side, it couldn't be worse than this... right?

CAIDY ELLIS POINT OF VIEW Rain poured from the black sky and soaked through my thick wool cloak until it felt like a second skin. Thunder rolled across the valley as I forced my aching legs to keep moving. I had left my wedding gown draped over a chair to fool the guards before I climbed out my bedroom window and disappeared into the woods. Every breath burned my lungs and the cold settled deep into my bones but fear drove me forward. I just need to see Malakai and his brothers. If they found out that I have a letter from their mother, they'll surely entertain me... right?  At last, the Volkaris estate emerged through the rain. The dark mansion stood on the hill behind towering iron gates, where two guards kept watch in black armor. I swallowed the lump on my throat. Shit! I forgot that there's guards here! They're just guards and they know that I am Alpha Magnus' daughter, they won't shoot me right away if they saw me, right? I stumbled out of the trees and onto the gravel path. The moment they noticed me, both men drew their swords. Halt!" one of them barked. "Identify yourself." "I need to get inside," I called back. My teeth chattered as rain ran down my face and beneath my cloak. "I need to see Malakai. Like... right now. He's inside, right?" The second guard lifted his lantern. Its light fell across my bruised cheek and split lip. Recognition flashed across his face before it hardened into disgust. "Well, look who wandered onto Volkaris land," he said. "The little Ellis princess." "Let me in," I said. "It's urgent. I really have to talk to him." The first guard lowered his spear. "Go home to your father. Anyone from your disgusting House isn't welcome here." I secretly rolled my eyes. "I have a letter from Lady Seraphine and it was addressed to her sons. I have to give it to them." I looked at them up and down before I cleared my throat. "Personally." "Wait," the second guard said with a cruel grin. He turned to another guard nearby. "Go tell Lord Malakai that Alpha Magnus's daughter is standing at our gate, soaked to the bone and begging to be let in." The younger guard hurried toward themansion. I stayed where I was and wrapped my cloak tighter around myself. My hands had gone numb and my heartbeat refused to slow down. If Malakai rejected me, I had nowhere else to go. My father's trackers were probably already searching the woods for me. Several long minutes passed before the gates finally opened. The guard stepped aside and jerked his head toward the house. "You're lucky," he muttered. "Lord Malakai wants to see what game you're playing. Get inside before he changes his mind." I didn't waste another second. I gathered my heavy skirts and hurried up the stone steps. The front doors stood partly open and warm light spilled onto the rain-soaked porch. The heat hit me the moment I stepped inside, but water still dripped from my clothes onto the polished marble floor. Loud laughter, low groans and the unmistakable, heavy scent of sex and expensive liquor drifted down from the open double doors at the end of the hall. I walked forward slowly as my wet boots squeaked against the polished floor. My chest heaved with anxious breaths. When I reached the doorway of the grand sitting room, the sight inside made me freeze dead in my tracks. The room was bathed in a dim crimson glow from the roaring fireplace. Plush velvet sofas and soft furs covered the floor and the five Volkaris brothers were scattered across the space, caught in a wild, uninhibited orgy. Naked and half-naked women were writhing against them in every corner of the room. I gulped... well, I certainly didn't expect this scene. In the center of the largest sofa, Malakai sat back with his dark hair messy, his pants unbuttoned and low on his hips while a voluptuous brunette rode him with heavy and rhythmic thrusts, her bare breasts bouncing as she threw her head back with a loud moan. Near the fireplace, Knoxx leaned against the stone mantel, his muscular back exposed as he held a blonde woman up against the wall by her thighs, his hands digging into her bare rear as he drove into her from behind while another girl knelt at his feet, taking him into her mouth. Across the room, Lucien,Evren, and Sylas were taking turns with two other women on a heap of velvet cushions, their bare skin slick with sweat, the sound of wet skin slapping against skin and heavy breathless groans filling the air. A sharp gasp from one of the women near the door broke the heavy rhythm of the room. Malakai slowly turned his head toward me, his dark eyes heavy and dark with raw lust. When his gaze landed on my drenched and bruised form standing in the doorway, his eyebrows pulled together in faint surprise. I lifted my brow at him in return. Without missing a beat, he grabbed the woman riding his lap by her hips, lifted her off his length and set her cold on the cushion beside him. "Get out," Malakai commanded. The women looked confused, but none of them dared to disobey him. Knoxx pulled himself out of the blonde against the wall and tossed her thin silk dress back at her with a bored look. Within seconds, the flustered and half-naked women gathered their scattered clothes and shuffled past me as they cast dirty looks at the girl who had just ruined their night. I just gave them a shrug. First, I don't know any of them. Second, I don't really care about their sex lives. At this point, it's none of my concern.  The five brothers stood up and took their time to pull on their trousers and button up their shirts. It's not my first time seeing a dick but I have to admit, from the short glimpse I had of theirs, I can say that they're pretty... gifted. I forced my posture straight and kept my face completely blank as I tried my very best to ignore the hot blush creeping up my neck. As a woman standing in a room that still smelled heavily of male sweat and slick passion, I felt horribly out of place and exposed but I refused to let them see me flinch. Knoxx, the annoying nine-tailed fox that I used to bully when we were in school, walked over to the side table, poured himself a glass of dark liquor, and turned around. His sharp gray eyes locked onto mine as he took a slow drink.  "Well, well," Knoxx drawled. He let out a short and humorless laugh. "What brought you here, little minx?"  I didn't answer him. He's not the one I'd like to talk to.  He stepped closer as his eyes traveled over my soaked clothes before they settled on the bruise across my cheek and the dried blood on my lower lip. He lifted his brow.  "Last I heard, tonight was your wedding night. Shouldn't you be in Corbin Vesperis' bed right now, playing the good little bride?" He taunted me but I didn't answer him. A few of his brothers exchanged amused looks but Knoxx wasn't finished. Evren, his Ice Elemental brother, cleared his throat. "Knoxx, stop it." Knoxx ignored him. Instead, he tilted his head and looked at me over again. "You've got some nerve showing up here. What happened? Did Corbin finally get sick of your attitude and throw you out before the ceremony was even over?"  The mention of Corbin's name made my stomach twist but I didn't give him the reaction he wanted. Instead, I slipped a hand beneath my cloak and pulled out the letter I had protected from the rain.  "Well, obviously, I didn't marry Corbin." My voice shook from the cold but I held the letter out for all the five brothers to see. I saw how Malakai's gaze landed on the paper I was holding. His eyes widened but he immediately masked it with indifference. "I have a letter from your mother..." I cleared my throat as I looked at them one by one. "... and I need your help." –

MALAKAI VOLKARIS POINT OF VIEW   Fuck, she was beautiful.   Not the kind of beautiful that faded once you looked too long. Caidy only seemed to get prettier the longer I watched her, and I hated how easily she could make me forget every damn thing around me. She was too good for Corbin. Hell, she was too good for any of us. That arrogant bastard didn't deserve to stand beside her, let alone put a ring on her finger and call her his.   And yet, here I was, watching her like a fool.   The Volkaris name carried enough power to make kingdoms bow but none of it mattered when it came to Caidy. I could have all the authority in the world and I still wouldn't feel worthy of her. Neither would my brothers. She was the one thing our name could never earn, no matter how much blood, power, or nobility came with it.   I wanted her more than I had any right to... that was the part I couldn't fucking stand   Seeing Caidy standing in our mansion hit me harder than it should have. Tonight was supposed to be her wedding night. By now, she should have belonged to another house and bonded  to Corbin through a marriage that would cement the rivalry between our families for good. Instead, she stood in the middle of our sitting room, soaked from the rain and completely out of place in a way that made it impossible for me to look anywhere else.   I couldn't stop staring at her.    Maybe it was the shock of seeing her here when she should have been with him. Maybe I had spent too long pretending I didn't want her. Either way, my eyes stayed on her and the thought of Corbin seeing her like this made something ugly twist inside me. She was supposed to be his tonight yet she had somehow ended up here.   Back in the academy, Caidy and I had something real. It was subtle and never had a name but I was young enough to believe it meant something. Then she disappeared without a word. She ghosted me completely, only to show up weeks later and make my brothers' lives hell at every chance she got. Whatever we had died after that. At least, that was what I told myself because my brothers are my number one priority.   When my parents died, naturally, I took over as Alpha of House Volkaris. House Ellis became our sworn enemy and hating Caidy should have been easy. She was an Ellis. She was the daughter of the family we had spent years fighting against. Every bit of logic told me to keep my distance, so I did. I buried the memories of her beside me, the sound of her voice, the way she used to look at me and every damn moment when I had wanted to pull her closer instead of letting her go.   I thought I had buried it all well enough. Then I heard she was marrying Corbin.   I kept my face straight when the news reached me but my brothers knew me too well. They saw the way my control started to crack, so they decided the best solution was to fill the house with a parade of women and force me to forget her for one night. It was ridiculous, loud, and exactly the kind of mess I didn't need.   Then Caidy walked through the door.   Of all the nights she could have chosen to come back into my life, she had to pick the one when I was surrounded by women I didn't even want. I should have been embarrassed. I was, but that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was how quickly everything I had spent years trying to bury came rushing back the moment I saw her.   Silence settled over the sitting room. The smell of spilled liquor and rain filled the air but I barely noticed either. My four brothers stood around Caidy as all of them watched her with the same suspicion. I know I couldn't blame them for treating her this way. She looked out of place among us and the sight of her standing there made something in my chest tighten.   Her hands trembled as she unfolded a sheet of yellowed parchment. She looked exhausted  yet she still held herself together as she faced us.   "What is that?" Knoxx asked. He took a slow sip from his glass and kept his eyes on the paper.   "My mother told me to bring this to Lady Seraphine," Caidy said. Her chest rose and fell as she caught her breath. "Now that she's dead, I guess I have to bring it to you."   Her eyes found mine.   For a second, I forgot how to breathe. I hated how easily she could still do that to me. After everything that had happened between our families, after all the years I had spent convincing myself that I wanted nothing to do with her, one look was enough to drag me right back to the girl I had once cared about.   I swallowed and looked away before anyone could notice.   "Your mother died years ago, princess," Lucien said. He stepped closer with a bitter laugh. "What game are you playing?"   Before she could offer another explanation, Knoxx snatched the paper straight out of her hands. I stepped up beside him and leaned over his shoulder to read the script, while Lucien, Sylas, and Evren crowded into our tight circle.   Instead of a long letter or neat family explanation, sprawling, jagged runes covered the parchment and burned with a faint, unnatural violet light. At the bottom, a single block of ancient script glowed like dying embers, spelling out an incantation that made my stomach drop.   "Sanguine nectere, animae imperare. Servus ligatur, Domini imperant. Procul dolor, prope vinculum. Ne mors quidem hoc pactum solvet."   I recognized the structure immediately. My eyes snapped to Sylas. He was already staring at the parchment, and the look on his face told me he understood exactly what we were looking at.   "What the hell is this?" Lucien muttered. He leaned closer and frowned at the unfamiliar script. "Is this a spell?"   "Don't read it out loud-" Sylas warned.   It was too late.   Knoxx's eyes reached the final symbol and the entire parchment erupted with light. The flash hit so hard that I had to shield my eyes. A violent gust tore through the room and blew out the fire in the hearth. The warmth vanished at once and the room fell into darkness.   For a moment, none of us moved. Then I heard Caidy gasp as my head immediately snapped toward her.   Caidy gasped and dropped to her knees. She clutched the front of her dress as if something had burned straight through the fabric. Across the room, my brothers and I groaned at the same time. A sharp heat tore through my chest, and when I looked down, a black mark had appeared beneath my skin.   "What did you do?!" Lucien roared. He drew his dagger and pointed it at Caidy. "What the hell did you just put on us?"   My eyes went straight to her. She looked terrified, and for a second, every instinct in me told me to move toward her. I forced myself to stay where I was. Whatever this was, I couldn't afford to let my concern for her cloud my judgment.   Sylas dropped to one knee and closed his eyes. Green fae light gathered around his fingers as he tried to trace the magic. Sweat ran down his temples but before he could get anywhere, a sharp spark cracked through the room and threw his hands back. He hissed and held up his palms. The skin was raw and smoking.   "Damn it." Sylas pressed one burned hand against his chest. "I can't fucking break it. It's ancient blood magic. Whatever did Mom and Caidy's mother put into this... it's raw witchcraft. It's locked directly into our souls."   "Fix it!" I snapped. My gaze stayed on the black mark etched into my chest. "Undo it, Sylas."   "I can't!" he shot back. His usual calm had disappeared. "It's a binding contract. A Master-Servant spell."   I stilled on my spot. No way. No fucking way....   "A servant?" Lucien spat. He took a step toward Caidy, his grip tightening around the hilt of his blade. "You brought a fucking curse into our house! You trapped us with you!"   "Back off, Lucien," Evren said. He stepped between them although the tension in his voice gave away how worried he was. He rubbed at the glowing mark on his chest and paced across the rug. "Think about this. The Ascendant Trial is next month. How the hell are we supposed to compete if we're bound to her?"   "To hell with the trial," I growled.   My jaw tightened as I stared at the mark on my chest. I had spent years preparing for the Ascendant Trial. Aside from that,I was weeks away from finding my true mate and the elders had already begun arranging the formal court proceedings. I was supposed to be thinking about my future, my position and the responsibilities that came with being Alpha.   Instead, I had a blood bond tied to my soul.   And Caidy was at the center of it.   I looked at her on the floor. She had gone pale and her hands shook as she tried to push herself up. Every instinct in me screamed to cross the room and help her. I wanted to pull her into my arms and make sure she was all right. I wanted to shield her from whatever pain this spell had caused.   I hated that I still wanted her after all these years.   So I hardened my expression and forced myself to look at her with something close to disgust. If I let my brothers see what I was really feeling, I would never hear the end of it.   "I didn't know!" Caidy cried. She pushed herself up with one trembling hand. "I didn't know what was written on the paper!"   I looked towards Sylas to confirm whether she was lying or not. Sylas let out a harsh breath before shaking his head. She wasn't lying. She really didn't know what the letter entailed.   But for some reason, my brother couldn't grasp the fact that Caidy isn't lying to us.    "Shut up! I don't know what kind of witchcraft you're using but I know you're lying to us!" Lucien barked. He turned toward the door and started walking away from her. "Lucien, get back here!" Sylas shouted. Lucien stopped and looked at Sylas with a menacing gaze. "The contract enforces proximity," Sylas said as he let out a loud sigh. "She is the servant and we are her masters. If any of us tries to leave her, or if she tries to leave us, the magic will tear our souls apart until we get close again." Silence fell over the room. I stared at the black mark on my chest and forced my face into something cold. Across from me, Caidy still knelt on the rug. She looked exhausted and the sight of her like that made something twist in my chest. I wanted to go to her. I wanted to make sure she wasn't hurt. Instead, I stayed where I was. Evren stared at the floor as he worked through the political disaster this could cause. Lucien kept his eyes on Caidy with enough hatred to make it clear he still blamed her for something she hadn't even known about. Then all of the sudden, Knoxx laughed. It was quiet at first but it was enough to make all of us look at him. He straightened and inspected the mark on his chest before a slow grin spread across his face. He walked toward Caidy and stopped beside her. The tip of his boot brushed against her wet cloak. "Well, look at that," Knoxx remarked. He bent down until his gray eyes met hers. "The high-and-mighty princess of the House of Ellis is officially our little servant." Caidy glared at him but she didn't have the strength to move away. "I don't know about you, my dear brothers," Knoxx said with a low chuckle, "but I think I'm going to like this." My jaw tightened as I shot my brother with a sharp glare.  I didn't like the way he looked at her...  and I liked it even less that a part of me wanted to drag him away from her.