Pain ripped through Aeryn's body as she fell to her knees. Everyone around her gasped. This wasn't meant to happen - no one shifted during their ceremony. Yet her bones were stretching, her skin burning like fire.
"Get back!" Lars yelled, pushing through the crowd to reach his sister.
But Alpha Thorne was faster. He caught Aeryn before she hit the ground, his strong arms wrapping around her.
"Fight it," he whispered in her ear. "Control your wolf."
Aeryn had never heard of anyone stopping a shift once it started. But something in his voice made her try. She took a deep breath and focused on pushing back the fire in her veins. Slowly, painfully, the shifting stopped.
She looked up into Thorne's ice-blue eyes, now just inches from hers. Her heart beat so fast she thought it might burst from her chest.
"How did you do that?" she whispered.
He didn't answer. Instead, he helped her stand, keeping one hand on her arm as if afraid she might fall again. The touch of his fingers on her skin sent strange tingles up her arm.
Lars reached them, his face dark with anger. "Take your hands off my sister," he growled.
Thorne didn't even look at him. "The ceremony will continue," he announced to everyone watching. His voice carried across the street, deep and commanding. No one dared argue with an Alpha.
Elder Mae stepped forward, her old eyes sharp with interest. "As our honored guest says, the ceremony continues." She motioned for the other omegas to stay in line. Then she turned to Aeryn. "Are you able to stand, child?"
Aeryn nodded, though her legs felt like water. She moved back into line with the others, very aware of Alpha Thorne watching her every move. What had just happened? Why had she almost changed, and how had he stopped it?
The ceremony continued. Elder Mae blessing each omega, one by one. The whole time, Aeryn could feel Thorne's eyes on her, never looking away. It made her skin warm and her stomach flutter with both fear and something else she couldn't name.
When the blessing was done, Elder Mae raised her hands. "Let the celebration begin!"
Music started. People moved to the tables of food or crowded around the big bonfire that now blazed in the center of the square. Aeryn stood frozen, not sure what to do. Her friends crowded around her, all talking at once.
"What happened?" "Did you almost shift?" "Why is Alpha Thorne staring at you?"
Aeryn didn't have answers for any of their questions. "I need some air," she said, pushing past them. She walked to the edge of the square where it was darker and quieter.
"You're wondering why your wolf tried to come out." The deep voice shocked her. Thorne had followed her, moving quietly despite his size.
Aeryn turned to face him. Up close, he was even more frightening. Tall and strong, with shoulders that blocked out the light from the bonfire behind him. But it was his eyes that made her catch her breath - so blue they seemed to glow in the darkness.
"Why did that happen?" she asked, finding her confidence. "And how did you stop it?"
Thorne stepped closer. "Your wolf recognized something. So did mine." He took a deep breath, as if taking in her smell. "You're special, Aeryn."
Her heart skipped. "How do you know my name? I never told you."
A small smile touched his lips. "I know many things. I know you're the daughter of James, who was once a friend to my pack. I know your birthday is tonight. And I know..." He paused, his eyes flashing gold for a moment. "I know you're meant to be mine."
Aeryn took a step back, bumping into a tree. "What do you mean, yours? I don't even know you!"
"But you will." He reached out slowly and touched the silver moon pin on her dress. "This was your father's, wasn't it? Did he ever tell you where it came from?"
Aeryn shook her head, too confused to speak.
"It came from my pack. Your father was under my care once, a long time ago." Thorne's voice got softer. "He saved my life when I was young. Before he left to start his own family."
This couldn't be true. Dad had never mentioned knowing an Alpha, let alone saving one's life. "You're making this up," she said.
Thorne's eyes narrowed. "I never lie, little dog. Especially not about debts due."
From across the street, Aeryn could see Lars watching them, his face worried. She should go back to her family, away from this strange Alpha who said impossible things. But something kept her stuck to the spot, unable to look away from Thorne's intense gaze.
"Why are you really here?" she asked. "Our village is small. We have nothing valuable to offer a pack like yours."
"Don't you?" His eyes traveled over her face slowly, making her cheeks burn. "I came because of a promise I made to your father before he died. To check on his family, make sure you were safe." He paused. "I didn't expect to find my mate."
Aeryn's heart nearly stopped. "Mate? That's not possible. Alphas don't mate with omegas from tiny towns. Everyone knows you never stay with the same woman twice."
Thorne laughed, the sound low and rich. "Don't believe everything you hear." He moved even closer until she could feel the heat coming from his body. "Would you like to know what I felt when I first saw you, Aeryn?"
She should say no. She should run back to the safety of the flames and her family. But instead, she whispered, "What?"
"Recognition. My wolf knew you instantly." His hand came up to her face, one finger tracing her cheek so lightly it felt like a whisper. "Do you feel it too? The pull between us?"
Aeryn couldn't lie. She did feel something - a strange tugging feeling in her chest whenever she looked at him. "That doesn't mean we're mates," she said, her voice shaking. "Mates are rare. Special."
"Yes, they are." His smile made her stomach flip. "And now I've found mine."
The music from the celebration got louder as more people joined the dancing around the bonfire. Aeryn should be there with her friends, enjoying her wedding night. Instead, she was here in the dark with this dangerous man who claimed she belonged to him.
"I need to go back," she said, trying to step around him.
Thorne didn't stop her, but as she moved past, he caught her hand. "Dance with me first," he said. It wasn't quite a question, and not quite an order.
Before Aeryn could answer, a scream cut through the night. Everyone froze as a young boy ran into the square.
"Rogues!" he shouted. "Rogues at the north edge of the village!"
Chaos occurred. Rogue wolves were dangerous - wolves with no pack, no Alpha to control them. They attacked small towns like theirs for food and fun.
Thorne's whole body stiffened. He turned to Aeryn, his face suddenly fierce. "Stay here," he ordered. Then he was gone, running toward the danger with inhuman speed. His own pack members followed, changing into wolf form as they ran.
Aeryn didn't listen. She ran to find her mother and brother. Lars was already gathering the village fighters.
"Get Mom and the other omegas to the meeting hall," he told Aeryn. "Lock the doors and don't come out until I come for you."
Aeryn helped herd the younger children and adults toward the stone building at the center of the village. From outside came the sounds of fighting - growls and howls that made her hair stand on end.
Just as they reached the hall, a huge black wolf jumped from the shadows, landing in front of them. Women screamed. Aeryn froze, looking into the yellow eyes of the rogue wolf.
Then something even bigger slammed into the rogue, throwing it away. A massive silver wolf stood before them, its ice-blue eyes recognizable even in wolf form. Thorne.
He didn't look at Aeryn as he chased after the rogue, disappearing into the darkness.
Inside the meeting hall, Aeryn paced uncomfortably. Would Lars be safe? And what about Thorne? She barely knew him, but the thought of him being hurt made her chest ache.
An hour passed. The sounds of fighting stopped. Then came a knock at the door. Aeryn's mother opened it carefully.
Lars stood there, blood on his shirt but otherwise unhurt. "It's over," he said. "The rogues are gone."
Relief washed over Aeryn. "Is everyone okay?"
Lars's face darkened. "Most of us. But Alpha Thorne..." He stopped, looking directly at Aeryn. "He's been hurt. Bad. And he's asking for you."
"For me? Why would he ask for me?"
"I don't know," Lars revealed. "But he saved many lives tonight. We owe him that much."
Aeryn followed her brother across the now-quiet square to their house. Inside, on her father's old bed, lay Thorne. His chest was bare, covered in deep claw marks that weren't healing as a wolf's cuts should.
"Poisoned claws," someone explained. "The rogues fight dirty."
Thorne's eyes were closed, his breaths shallow. He looked less scary now, almost vulnerable. It made Aeryn's heart hurt in a way she didn't understand.
"He asked for you before he passed out," Lars said. "Said only you could help him."
"But I don't know how to help him," Aeryn whispered. "I'm not a healer."
As if he heard her words, Thorne's eyes fluttered open. They found her instantly, locking onto her face.
"Aeryn," he said, his voice weak. "Come here."
She moved closer to the bed, suddenly afraid. "I'm here."
His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist with startling strength. He pulled her down until her face was close to his.
"The mate bond," he whispered. "It's the only thing that can save me now."
"I don't understand," Aeryn said, fear rising in her chest.
Thorne's eyes began to close again, but his grip on her wrist stayed tight.
"Complete the bond," he whispered. "Or I'll die before the sun rises."