The black SUV wound its way up the mountain road, tires crunching over gravel as the towering obsidian gates of the Lycan capital came into view. Asis stared out the window, her fingers absently tracing the engagement ring on her left hand, a stunning piece with a central diamond flanked by two crescent moon sapphires, Harald's design.
"You're quiet," Harald observed from the driver's seat, his golden eyes flickering to her before returning to the road.
Asis exhaled, watching her breath fog the window. "Just thinking about how different this arrival is from the first time you dragged me here." A muscle twitched in Harald's jaw. "I wasn't exactly giving you a choice then."
"No," she agreed, reaching across to squeeze his thigh. "But I'm choosing this now."
The gates swung open before them, revealing rows of Lycan guards standing at attention. As they passed through, every warrior dropped to one knee, right fists pressed to their chests in salute. "Luna Queen," they murmured as the car passed.
The title sent a shiver down Asis's spine.
*****
The grand hall had been transformed into a vision of silver and moonlight.
Asis stood at the center of the dais, draped in a gown that seemed spun from starlight, silver threads woven through white silk, the bodice embroidered with tiny diamonds arranged in constellations. Her hair flowed freely down her back, interwoven with delicate chains of platinum that caught the torchlight with every movement.
Harald stood beside her, every inch the Alpha King in his ceremonial armor, black steel inlaid with silver runes, the pelt of his first kill draped across his shoulders. The obsidian and antler crown sat heavy on his brow, but his gaze when it met hers was soft.
The High Elder, a wizened Lycan with eyes like clouded amber, stepped forward. His voice echoed through the silent hall:
"Asis Sinha, human-born, witch-marked, mate of Harald Eirik Dyre, Alpha King of all Lycan Clans. Do you accept the mantle of Luna Queen? To stand beside him in peace and war? To rule these people as your own? To protect them with your lifeblood as they will protect yours?"
The weight of hundreds of stares pressed against her skin. She could feel Berit's encouraging gaze from the front row, Anders' steady presence at Harald's flank, the wary curiosity of the elders who had doubted her.
"I do," Asis said, her voice clear and unwavering.
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Then, to the shock of every Lycan present, Harald did the unthinkable: he knelt before her.
Gasps filled the hall as the Alpha King lowered himself to one knee, his crown glinting in the firelight. He took her left hand, pressing his forehead to her engagement ring in a gesture of submission so profound that several elders staggered back.
"The Moon Goddess did not give me a queen who kneels," Harald declared, his voice rough with emotion. "She gave me one who stands above all others—including her king." The silence that followed was absolute.
Then Anders was the first to move, dropping to his knees with a fist to his chest. "Luna Queen!" The hall erupted.
"Luna Queen!" Berit echoed, her voice breaking with pride.
"Luna Queen!" roared the warriors.
"Luna Queen!" chanted the elders, some grudgingly, others with growing fervor.
The sound shook the very stones of the palace as, one by one, every Lycan in the great hall knelt to their new queen.
Asis stood frozen, her throat tight. She barely registered Harald rising, his hands warm as they settled the delicate silver crown upon her head, a masterpiece of woven moonlight metal shaped like two wolves chasing each other in an eternal circle. "Now you're truly mine," he murmured, his breath warm against her ear. Asis turned her head just enough to brush her lips against his jaw. "I think you'll find," she whispered, "that you're mine."
His growl vibrated through her bones as he captured her mouth in front of his entire kingdom. The celebration that night was legendary.
The great hall overflowed with music and laughter, the long tables groaning under platters of roasted venison, honey-glazed pheasant, and steaming bread still warm from the ovens. Barrels of spiced mead and blackberry wine flowed freely, and the air was thick with the scent of pine needles and burning cedar.
Asis sat at the high table, her new crown surprisingly light atop her head, watching as Berit attempted to teach Anders some complicated Lycan dance that involved a great deal of spinning and howling. "They're terrible at this," she laughed, sipping her wine.
Harald's arm draped over the back of her chair, his fingers playing with the ends of her hair. "Anders has two left feet. Always has."
At that moment, Berit misjudged a spin and went careening into a group of warriors, who caught her with good-natured laughter. Anders tried to help but tripped over his boots, sending them all crashing to the floor in a heap of limbs and drunken giggles. Asis pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter. "I think your Royal Beta might need rescuing."
"Let him suffer," Harald said, but there was warmth in his eyes as he watched his oldest friend.
The feast stretched long into the night, with warriors competing in feats of strength, elders sharing ancient ballads, and even a few brave souls attempting to flirt with the newly crowned Luna Queen until one glare from Harald sent them scurrying back to their ale.
It was near midnight when the elders approached with their final gift, a velvet box containing a set of matching arm rings, each crafted from silver and inlaid with tiny moonstones.
"For the royal pair," Elder Varys said, his gruff voice uncharacteristically soft. "Worn by the first Alpha and Luna of our kind."
Harald's breath caught as he lifted one of the ancient bands. "These were lost centuries ago."
"We kept them safe," another elder admitted. "Waiting for a queen worthy of them."
Asis felt the weight of the moment settle over her as Harald slid the larger ring onto his right bicep, then tenderly fastened the smaller one around her upper arm. The metal was warm against her skin, the moonstones glowing faintly as they came into contact with her magic. A collective sigh went through the assembled Lycans.
"The bond is recognized," someone whispered.
Harald's hand found hers, their fingers intertwining as the arm rings pulsed in unison. When the last embers of the feast had died down, Harald led Asis to the sacred grove where he'd once purged Vlad's poison from her veins.
The moon hung heavy overhead, painting the snow-dusted clearing in shades of crimson and silver. At the center stood the ancient altar stone, its surface carved with runes that seemed to shimmer in the moonlight.
Harald turned to her, his golden eyes nearly glowing in the dark. "There's one last ritual," he said, his voice rough. "If you're willing."
Before she could respond, the Alpha King dropped to both knees before her, his head bowed. He drew a ceremonial dagger from his belt and offered it to her hilt-first.
"Asis Sinha," he began, the words resonating with power. "You were never meant to be my captive. You were always destined to be my equal. My queen. My mate." He pressed the knife into her palm. "Mark me as I marked you. Let the world know I belong to you as completely as you belong to me."
Her fingers trembled around the hilt. This wasn't just a claim, it was a surrender. A vow. With steady hands, she pressed the blade to his chest, just over his heart. The skin parted easily beneath the sharp edge, a thin line of blood welling up as she carved the same symbol he'd given her, a crescent moon over a howling wolf.
The moment the first drop of his blood hit the earth, the runes on the altar stone flared to life. The bond between them sang, a golden thread pulling taut, brighter and more powerful than ever before. Harald surged to his feet, crushing his lips to hers as their mingled blood dripped onto the sacred ground. His hands framed her face, his touch desperate, reverent.
"Forever," he vowed against her mouth.
She tangled her fingers in his hair, her magic rising to meet his. "Forever."
And under the watchful eye of the blood moon, the Luna Queen and her king were bound for eternity.
*****