Chapter 2 The Bride's Cage

I didn’t sleep.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the five words written in my mother’s familiar handwriting.

When you meet your mate, run.

I had read the message so many times that I could almost feel her voice speaking the words beside my ear. My mother had been dead for six years. I had buried her beneath the willow tree behind our pack house, cried until my throat became sore, and spent countless nights wishing I could hear her voice one more time.

Yet somehow, a message written in her handwriting had appeared inside my bedroom at Blackwood Fortress.

And it wasn’t the message itself that frightened me most.

It was the fact that she had known I would meet my mate.

I sat on the edge of the enormous bed, holding the silver envelope between my fingers. I had searched every corner of the room, hoping to discover something else, but there was nothing. No explanation, no additional letter, and no indication of who had placed it there.

Kael had insisted that my mother had nothing to do with his brother’s death. But the moment I mentioned her name, his expression had changed. He had become unusually defensive, almost angry.

Was it possible that he knew something about her?

A soft growl escaped my throat as my wolf stirred.

Ask him.

I shook my head.

He won’t tell us anything.

Then find out yourself.

I looked toward the locked door. I had no idea how I would investigate anything while being held inside a fortress filled with warriors who considered me an enemy.

Still, I wasn’t going to surrender.

I carefully folded the letter and slipped it beneath the mattress. Whatever secrets my mother had left behind, I intended to uncover them.

A sudden click interrupted my thoughts.

The door opened.

I quickly turned, expecting Kael, but a woman stepped inside instead. She was tall and elegant, with silver-streaked hair pulled into a tight bun. Her sharp features gave her the appearance of someone who had spent most of her life commanding others.

She wore a fitted black uniform with gold embroidery around the collar.

“Get up,” she ordered.

I remained seated.

“Good morning to you too.”

Her eyebrows lifted slightly.

“Do you always have something to say?”

“Only when someone enters my room and starts giving orders.”

She walked farther inside, her gaze moving over the room before settling on me.

“Delta Rhea,” she introduced herself. “The Alpha has instructed me to prepare you for the wedding ceremony.”

I stared at her.

“The wedding is today?”

“Unless you’ve suddenly changed your mind about becoming his wife.”

I almost laughed.

“Did anyone ask whether I wanted to become his wife?”

Rhea’s expression remained cold.

“Wanting something and being permitted to have it are two very different things in Blackwood territory.”

She placed a bundle of clothing on the bed.

“Put this on. The ceremony begins in one hour.”

I looked down.

A wedding dress.

It was made of white silk, decorated with delicate silver embroidery. Tiny wolves had been stitched along the waist and sleeves, and the fabric shimmered whenever the light touched it.

It was beautiful.

That somehow made everything worse.

“Did he choose this?” I asked.

“Of course.”

“How thoughtful.”

Rhea studied me.

“You should be careful with your tongue, girl. The Alpha is not known for tolerating disrespect.”

“And you’re not known for being friendly, apparently.”

For the first time, something resembling amusement appeared in her eyes.

“You’re either very brave or you have absolutely no understanding of the situation you’re in.”

“Perhaps both.”

She shook her head and pointed toward the changing screen.

“Get dressed. I won’t ask again.”

I picked up the dress and disappeared behind the screen.

As I changed, my thoughts returned to Kael. I wondered whether he had slept. I wondered whether he was looking forward to the ceremony or simply treating it as another opportunity to humiliate my father.

Most of all, I wondered whether he felt the mate bond as strongly as I did.

My wolf had been restless all night. Every time I thought about him, she pushed against my consciousness, desperate to reach him.

I hated that.

I hated that my instincts could betray me so easily.

When I stepped out from behind the screen, Rhea briefly paused.

The dress fitted perfectly. Its long sleeves were decorated with silver patterns, while a delicate train flowed behind me. My dark hair fell over my shoulders, and the small silver necklace my mother had given me rested against my collarbone.

Rhea examined me from head to toe.

“At least you look presentable.”

“Thank you. I’ll treasure that compliment forever.”

She ignored me and opened the door.

“Come along.”

The corridors seemed longer than they had the previous night.

As we walked, warriors turned to stare. Their expressions ranged from curiosity to open hostility. Some whispered behind their hands, while others didn’t bother hiding their disgust.

“That’s the omega from Silver Moon.”

“She’s the Alpha’s revenge bride.”

“How can he possibly make her his Luna?”

A woman standing beside one of the pillars stepped forward as we passed.

“Traitor’s daughter,” she spat.

I stopped.

Rhea immediately tightened her grip around my arm.

“Keep walking.”

The woman laughed.

“Perhaps her father should have sent his useless daughter to the battlefield instead of allowing our Alpha to bring her here.”

I looked at her.

“My father sent plenty of warriors to the battlefield. Apparently, yours wasn’t among them.”

Her expression hardened.

Rhea pulled me forward before the woman could respond.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” she whispered.

“I was answering a question.”

“That woman is the Alpha’s cousin.”

“Then perhaps she should learn some manners.”

Rhea sighed.

“You really don’t understand how dangerous this place is.”

I glanced at her.

“Believe me, Delta. I’ve understood danger since I was old enough to recognize the sound of my father’s footsteps.”

She didn’t answer.

But for the rest of the walk, her grip on my arm became slightly less forceful.

We eventually reached two enormous doors decorated with silver wolves. Beyond them, I could hear the low murmur of hundreds of voices.

Rhea stopped.

“Remember something,” she said quietly. “Whatever happens inside, don’t provoke the Alpha.”

I studied her face.

“Why? Are you afraid of him?”

Her expression changed.

“Everyone with any sense is.”

Before I could ask another question, the doors swung open.

The throne room was magnificent.

Massive stone pillars supported the high ceiling, and silver torches illuminated ancient tapestries depicting the history of the Blackwood bloodline. At the far end stood an enormous obsidian throne, surrounded by carved wolves with their mouths open in silent howls.

Hundreds of pack members had gathered.

At the centre of the room, beneath the Blackwood crest, stood Kael.

He wore a black ceremonial suit with silver detailing along the shoulders and sleeves. His dark hair had been brushed away from his forehead, exposing the hard lines of his face.

He looked nothing like the man who had arrived at Silver Moon covered in blood.

Today, he looked like a king preparing to claim a kingdom.

And when his eyes found mine, the mate bond awakened with such force that my breath caught.

Mate!

My wolf surged forward.

I nearly stumbled, but forced myself to remain standing.

Kael’s expression tightened. I noticed the slight movement of his jaw and the way his fingers curled against his side.

He felt it too.

“Bring her forward,” he commanded.

Rhea released my arm and stepped aside.

I walked toward him, keeping my head high. When I reached the bottom of the platform, I stopped.

Kael waited.

I didn’t move.

A murmur spread through the assembled wolves.

His eyes narrowed.

“Come closer, Luna.”

“I can hear you perfectly well from here.”

Someone in the crowd gasped.

Kael descended the steps slowly. His movements were controlled, but I could sense the anger building beneath his calm expression.

When he finally stood before me, the difference in our height became painfully obvious.

“Do you enjoy testing me?”

“Not particularly. I simply don’t enjoy being ordered around.”

His gaze travelled over my face before settling on my eyes.

“Your father killed my brother. Your pack destroyed my family. And yet you stand here wearing my wedding dress as though you have forgotten why you’re here.”

“I haven’t forgotten anything.”

“Then remember your place.”

I felt my wolf growl.

I swallowed the fear rising in my throat.

“My place? You mean the place you decided for me without asking?”

His jaw tightened.

“You’re standing here because I allowed you to live.”

“And I’m standing here because you dragged me away from my home. Don’t confuse those things.”

For a moment, the entire room seemed to disappear.

There was only Kael and me.

His expression remained unreadable, but something shifted behind his dark eyes.

“You’re a difficult woman.”

“And you’re a difficult man.”

A faint, dangerous smile touched his lips.

“Perhaps this marriage will be more interesting than I expected.”

He turned toward the gathered pack members and extended his hand.

“Witnesses of Blackwood!”

The room fell silent.

“Today, I take Luna of Silver Moon as my wife. Her father’s blood debt remains unpaid, and this marriage marks the beginning of what he owes my family.”

The crowd responded with approving growls.

I felt sick.

He wasn’t announcing a marriage.

He was announcing a punishment.

Kael took my hand, and the moment our fingers touched, warmth spread through my body. The mate bond surged between us, filling my chest with emotions I couldn’t separate from my own.

For one terrible second, I wanted to lean against him.

I wanted him to hold me.

I wanted to believe that the man who had destroyed my home might somehow become the person who protected me.

Then I remembered his words.

You’re my revenge.

I pulled myself together.

The pack elder stepped forward carrying a small wooden box.

He was an elderly man with white hair and a long beard. A silver pendant hung around his neck, bearing the symbol of the first Blackwood Alpha.

“Before the ceremony begins,” he announced, “the ancient laws require both parties to acknowledge the bond and accept the responsibilities of marriage.”

I looked at Kael.

“Responsibilities?”

He ignored my question.

The elder opened the wooden box and removed two silver rings.

“These rings represent the joining of two bloodlines. Once the vows are spoken, the union will be recognized by the pack.”

He handed Kael one ring.

Kael took my hand.

The contact sent another wave of warmth through me, and I struggled to keep my expression neutral.

“Do you, Kael Blackwood, accept Luna as your lawful wife, promising to protect the bond between you and honor the responsibilities of this union?”

Kael’s gaze remained fixed on mine.

“I accept the union.”

The elder nodded.

Then he turned toward me.

“Do you, Luna, accept Kael Blackwood as your husband and acknowledge the bond that joins you?”

I hesitated.

My mother’s letter flashed through my mind.

When you meet your mate, run.

I looked at the ring in Kael’s hand.

I wanted to refuse. I wanted to tell everyone that this marriage was built on lies, blood, and revenge.

But refusing would not return me to Silver Moon. It would only give Kael another reason to punish me.

So I lifted my chin.

“I accept the union.”

The elder placed the ring on my finger.

The moment it settled against my skin, a strange sensation travelled through my body. The bond pulsed once, stronger than before, and my wolf went completely still.

For a brief second, I thought I heard another voice.

Not mine.

Not Kael’s.

Something distant and ancient.

Blood remembers.

I blinked.

“What was that?” I whispered.

Kael turned toward me.

“What?”

I looked at him, confused.

“Nothing.”

The elder raised his hands.

“By the ancient laws of the Blackwood pack, you are now husband and wife.”

A low cheer filled the room.

Kael didn’t smile.

He simply turned toward me, his eyes dark and unreadable.

The elder cleared his throat.

“The Alpha must seal the union with a kiss.”

My stomach tightened.

Kael placed one hand around my waist and drew me closer. His touch sent a shiver through my body, and my wolf immediately responded.

His face lowered toward mine.

“I hate you,” he whispered.

I looked directly into his eyes.

“Then we’re starting our marriage honestly.”

Something almost resembling amusement crossed his expression.

Then his lips met mine.

The kiss was intense, brief, and filled with emotions neither of us seemed willing to acknowledge. I felt the mate bond flare between us, but I refused to let the moment make me forget why I was standing there.

When he finally pulled away, his breathing was uneven.

His gaze remained on my face for another second before he turned toward the crowd.

“The ceremony is complete.”

The room erupted into cheers.

But I barely heard them.

I was too busy wondering why the man who claimed to hate me had looked almost as shaken by that kiss as I was.

“Take her to my chambers,” Kael instructed Rhea.

I turned toward him.

“Your chambers?”

“Did you expect to spend your wedding night in the servants’ quarters?”

“I expected to spend it somewhere that didn’t belong to a man who kidnapped me.”

His expression hardened.

“Be careful, Luna.”

“You’re always telling me that.”

Rhea approached and gently touched my arm.

“This way.”

I followed her out of the throne room, leaving Kael behind.

The corridor was quieter now. The celebrations continued somewhere in the fortress, but Rhea seemed uninterested in them.

We walked for several minutes before she finally spoke.

“Do you understand what you’ve just become?”

“His wife?”

“More than that. You’re now connected to the most powerful Alpha in the northern territories. Every decision you make will affect the people around you.”

I looked at her.

“Does that mean they’ll finally stop treating me like an enemy?”

She gave a small, humorless smile.

“Probably not.”

“Wonderful.”

We reached a pair of dark wooden doors.

Rhea opened them.

Kael’s chambers were enormous. A large fireplace occupied one side of the room, while a massive bed stood beneath a canopy of dark fabric. There was a sitting area near the windows, several bookshelves, and another door leading to what appeared to be a private dressing room.

Everything smelled of cedar, smoke, and something unmistakably belonging to Kael.

I stepped inside.

Rhea remained near the entrance.

“The Alpha will return later.”

“How comforting.”

She studied me for a moment.

“Listen carefully, Luna. There are things about this pack you don’t understand. Don’t trust everyone who smiles at you, and don’t assume that everyone who treats you harshly wishes you harm.”

I frowned.

“That’s a strange thing to say.”

“Blackwood has secrets. Some of them are older than the Alpha himself.”

Before I could ask what she meant, she walked out.

The door closed.

I stood alone in the centre of Kael’s chambers, staring at the expensive furniture and the enormous bed.

I was married.

To my enemy.

To my mate.

And I had no idea what would happen when he returned.

I removed the wedding ring and examined it beneath the light.

Something was engraved inside the band.

A small symbol.

A crescent moon surrounded by three tiny stars.

My heart began to pound.

I had seen that symbol before.

It was on the back of the silver necklace my mother had given me.

I immediately reached for the necklace around my neck and turned it over.

The markings were identical.

I stared at the two objects, trying to understand what they could possibly have in common.

My mother had owned something connected to the Blackwood family.

And somehow, the wedding ring had the same symbol.

A sudden knock interrupted my thoughts.

I quickly slipped the ring back onto my finger.

The door opened.

Kael entered.

He had removed his ceremonial jacket, and the sleeves of his black shirt were rolled to his elbows. His expression was tired, but his eyes immediately settled on me.

“You’re still awake.”

“I wasn’t aware I was supposed to sleep.”

He closed the door behind him.

“Rhea told me you caused a scene during the ceremony.”

“Then Rhea should have told you that I didn’t particularly enjoy being forced into a marriage.”

Kael walked toward the fireplace.

“You’ll get used to it.”

“I hope you don’t expect me to thank you.”

He turned.

“Do you ever stop talking?”

“Do you ever stop giving orders?”

For several seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then his gaze dropped to my necklace.

“Where did you get that?”

I instinctively touched it.

“It belonged to my mother.”

His expression changed.

“Your mother?”

“Yes. Why?”

He stepped closer, studying the small pendant.

“What’s her name?”

“Elena.”

The silence that followed was so sudden that I could hear the fire crackling behind him.

Kael stared at the necklace as though it had awakened a memory he had spent years trying to forget.

“Take it off,” he ordered.

I stepped backward.

“No.”

“Luna, take it off.”

“Why? What’s wrong with it?”

His eyes darkened.

“That symbol belongs to my family.”

My heart began to race.

“That’s impossible.”

“Where did your mother get it?”

“I don’t know. She never told me.”

Kael reached toward the pendant, but I closed my fingers around it.

“Don’t touch it.”

His hand stopped.

For a moment, I thought he might force me to surrender it.

Instead, he lowered his arm.

“Your mother was not who you think she was.”

I stared at him.

“What does that mean?”

He looked away.

“Go to sleep, Luna.”

“No. You don’t get to say something like that and walk away. What did you know about my mother?”

His expression hardened.

“Some questions are better left unanswered.”

“Not when they concern my family.”

He moved toward the door.

“Stay away from the northern wing of this fortress. You’re not permitted there.”

“Why?”

He paused.

“Because I said so.”

The door opened.

Before leaving, he turned back one final time.

“And Luna?”

I met his gaze.

“Yes?”

“Whatever your mother told you about the Blackwood family, forget it.”

Then he disappeared into the corridor.

I stood frozen, my fingers wrapped around the necklace.

My mother had warned me to run when I met my mate.

Kael knew the symbol she had left behind.

And now he was telling me to forget everything she might have known about his family.

I looked toward the closed door.

For the first time since arriving at Blackwood Fortress, I understood that my marriage was only the beginning of something much bigger.

And whatever secret my mother had carried to her grave, it was buried somewhere inside this fortress.