Luna was an orphaned Omega wolf, passed from parentage after her parents perished in a winter raid. When her aunt sold her to Roland—the most feared hunter in the pack—for five copper coins, she anticipated only cruel mistreatment, or at best, indifference. Roland was a legend, his deeds used to frighten disobedient wolf cubs: a lone wolf abandoned by his parents as a cub, who at twelve had torn a grown bear apart with his claws and fury. The scar from his forehead to his chin was proof of that battle. Everyone feared him. Luna, too, deliberately avoided his gaze.
However, on her first night at Roland's secluded cottage, Roland did not claim her. He gave her a moonstone pendant, told her she deserved better, and then slept on the floor by the fireplace. The next morning, Luna began cleaning his filthy home—washing pots and pans, sweeping, and mending what she could. In return, Roland brought her food, treated her with a calm yet rugged tenderness, and entrusted her with the household finances. Gradually, Luna's fear of him subsided, and she began to trust him.
Roland taught her hunting, tracking, and skinning. When she did well, he praised her—a praise she hadn't heard since her parents' deaths. When they finally held their alliance ceremony, it wasn't a violent act of possession, but a vow exchanged under the full moon. Roland left a mark on her neck, but it was a symbol of belonging, not ownership. For the first time, Luna felt she had a home.
