Page 1 of Bitten by Bloodmoon (Mateless Shifters #2)

NYX

“ A snow wolf will be the one to break the curse,” the seer’s voice plays over and over in my head as I watch Lumi and Ambrose descend the stairs.

They look powerfully regal in their all-black attire and golden crowns in a way that makes my stomach churn. If they want to rule the packs, so be it. I couldn’t care less, as long as they leave me and the Bloodmoon wolves alone after the curse is broken.

The crowd watches them in silence, all breaths collectively held until the ceremony is over and the curse is broken. My own breathing remains normal until I catch a full glimpse of her.

Stunning .

Lumi looks good in black lace. It’s a harsh contrast to her fair skin and white hair winding around her golden crown. Her hair grips the crown tightly, as if it were an extension of her. She’s been destined to become a queen this whole time.

In the short month since I first saw her, a confidence has grown in her. She holds her head high, and though her heartbeat has increased, it’s nothing compared to the others sitting on this hillside watching her.

I can’t take my eyes off her; all the air has escaped my lungs.

And then, she’s looking directly at me like she knows the thoughts playing in my head. I shut off all emotion, attempting to keep her out of my thoughts, but her eyes are sharp and full of determination. She’ll try to kill me as soon as she gets the chance.

I smirk. I look forward to it.

Her eyes dart to Kael, who is standing next to me.

She does a full once-over of him, looking for any sign of injury, but I’m a man of my word.

Our deal seemed to have inspired her to take action and get here.

I kept her silly secret about being a Wintermoon wolf, and I kept Kael alive.

In exchange, she learned to shift so she could complete this marking ceremony.

I raise my eyebrows at her as she glances back at me one last time before turning her attention to Isolde.

“A snow wolf will be the one to break the curse…” the words repeat again.

She’s the one, I have no doubt.

Ambrose—I still have my doubts about him. I know he wants to break the curse, just like me. But…

“…she will fall in love with an alpha, and that alpha will love her with everything he has. A love strong enough that it almost destroys the world instead of saving it. Together, they will find a way to break the curse.”

Does he love her? Has their love really had time to grow to that level in a month?

I stare at their interlinked hands, and an uncomfortable feeling rises in my belly. I know nothing of love, and I probably never will. They put on a good show, I’ll give them that. They present a united front, as if they are already joined together.

Isolde speaks, but I’m not listening. I’m too focused on finding any details of the prophecy that has or hasn’t been fulfilled. With a blink, an entire coven of witches surrounds them, and the crowd around me gasps.

Gods, this better work. Otherwise, a lot of creatures are going to end up dead tonight.

I glance over my shoulder to my beta, giving her a look that tells her to prepare— now .

She sends the message through my pack, and one by one, I see my pack shifting into their wolf forms. We aren’t taking any chances if this goes south. I won’t lose a member of my pack tonight.

I look to my right and bare my fangs at the vampires hidden in the crowd. They need to be reminded of their place and to follow my orders.

The witches raise their hands together, and golden threads flow from their fingertips, weaving an intricate design until a see-through cage forms around Lumi and Ambrose, locking them in.

“The moon will soon be at its peak. It’s time to start.” Isolde holds up her hands. “Do you, Lumi, accept Ambrose as your mate?”

“Yes.”

“Do you, Ambrose, accept Lumi as your mate?”

“Yes.”

“Very well, we shall see if you both chose correctly. There are two parts to the ceremony. Part one is to join as your human selves. Part two is to shift into your wolf forms and for Ambrose to mark Lumi’s upper shoulder. If you both survive, then the mating bond should make itself known.”

With a flick of her hand, an altar appears in the center of the stage.

Gods, there is no way that Lumi will agree to this. No way the curse is broken here.

And then suddenly, the cage seems to fog over, preventing any of us from seeing what’s happening.

Ambrose .

For once, I’m glad the bastard has magical powers. I may hate him, but this—this is too much.

Murmurs ripple through the crowd, with some asking, “How can we confirm that they are really joining together if we can’t see?”

“We’ll know they did when they break the curse,” I snap at the crowd, shutting them up.

We don’t have to wait to see if the curse breaks or not to know what they are doing as Lumi’s soft moans and whimpers echo through the air.

My body stills harder than rock as a chill races over my skin. A strange ache shoots through me, and I get the urge to break through the magical cage and rip Ambrose from her body.

My hands are fists beside me, and I anchor my legs to the ground. It’s been too long since I’ve been with a woman, and my emotions are heightened right now—that’s all it means.

“The snow wolf has to complete the marking ceremony no matter what happens—it’s the only way to break the curse. She has to complete the marking and survive. Then the curse will be broken.”

She doesn’t need saving. The sounds she’s making prove she’s enjoying herself thoroughly. Maybe they really are in love? I wouldn’t know anything about such a thing.

I glance at Kael, who looks pale, but he doesn’t speak or try to stop this. He knows what the prophecy says, just like I do. He knows she’s strong enough to finish this.

Ambrose’s roar rips through the air, claiming what’s his.

I close my eyes for a second, trying to block out the sound that seems to burn my ears, but there is no escaping it.

It’s over.

They joined as humans.

Now, they just need to join as wolves.

I open my eyes as the foggy cage becomes visible again.

Lumi is standing glued to Ambrose’s body with flushed cheeks and matted hair, but the crown still sits atop her head, and her dress is barely wrinkled.

But her scent mixed with Ambrose’s invades my nostrils, making it crystal clear what happened.

Fuck me.

I shake my head, confused as to where these emotions are coming from. It must be because of my history with Ambrose. I want to fuck what’s his.

“Move on to part two,” Ambrose snarls.

Isolde nods. “Shift.”

“We are doing part two without shifting,” he says.

Isolde smirks like she knew that’s what he’d say. “That’s not your choice. I know she can shift now.”

Suddenly, Lumi begins screaming, magic flooding her body.

I twitch for just a second, trying to stop myself, before I take a full step toward her.

I can’t stop this. The prophecy says she has to complete the marking ceremony to break the curse and survive. She has to shift. She can do this.

One by one, the entire Moonfire coven pours their magic into her, until I don’t know how she’s not burning alive from the power flowing through her.

“Shift, Lumi, shift,” Kael whispers with wide-eyed panic next to me. He starts toward the stage, but I grab onto his arm, shaking my head.

“I have to do something. She can’t survive this,” he says.

“Give her a chance. She’s destined to be the one. She’s stronger than you know.”

He frowns at me.

“Lumi!” Ambrose screams. “Stop this, Isolde! She can shift on her own. Just give her a minute.”

“We don’t have a minute. The moon is cresting. It has to be now,” Isolde says.

Lumi collapses to the floor, and a shockwave spreads through the crowd.

Get up, get up, Lumi. I send all my strength to her, like that will somehow save her.

Lumi stands with fierce determination. “I will complete the ceremony in my human form.”

“You’ll never survive,” Isolde says with cruel intentions.

“Watch me,” Lumi growls before turning to Ambrose. “Shift.”

A second later, Ambrose has shifted into his massive dark wolf speckled with golden flecks. He’s impressive, I’ll give him that. But so is she. She doesn’t cower, doesn’t even flinch at the thought of the pain she’s about to endure.

“Do it,” she says.

Ambrose lets out a low growl.

“Do it. Mark me as your mate,” she says, her words full of power.

Ambrose stalks toward her in a predatory way, and every hair on my arms stands to attention.

Something’s wrong.

I look around the crowd, but everyone is looking at them with hopeful anticipation.

“The snow wolf has to complete the marking ceremony no matter what happens—it’s the only way to break the curse,” I hear the seer’s voice more clearly than before. I look to my left and see her hiding among the forest with a soft smirk on her lips.

I narrow my eyes. I’m missing something, something important.

I turn back in time to see Ambrose open his massive jaw as his teeth brush against her flesh, barely touching her before I feel the pain.

Fire-hot pain shoots through her, and she sends it out to me in waves, almost as if I’m feeling the same pain she’s feeling.

He’s barely pricked her skin and already the pain is too much for her to handle in her human form.

She needs to change to survive. I examine her more carefully and take a deep breath, gathering all the information I can about her.

She’s lost a lot of blood recently. She’s weak, and I’m unsure if she can shift to save herself.

The energy it would require might overwhelm and kill her.

A jolt shoots through my body, with a power I’ve never felt before.

What the hell?

I start to move—

“The snow wolf has to complete the marking ceremony no matter what happens—it’s the only way to break the curse,” the seer snaps at me, her magic directing her voice into my ear. Her power shoots through me, holding me still as a statue.

Gods, I hate witches .

I can’t let her die.

“This is the only way to break the curse,” the seer says.

I can’t let her die.

The words come stronger and stronger, overpowering the seer.

I won’t let her die.

“Stop! I’m your mate, not Ambrose,” my words fly from my mouth as if I have no control over them. And I have no idea why I say them, no idea if they are true or not.

But my words save her at the cost of saving my pack, and of saving me.