Doesn't know I'm male!

After buying clothes_ where Kyle only chooses oversized dresses and skirts, and Alpha Lucan doesn't seem to mind, they head to the pack house.

Alpha Lucan doesn't pressure Kyle into anything, not even into speaking or reacting if he doesn't want to.

When the car finally pulls to a stop, Kyle's heart pounds harder in his chest.

Alpha Lucan steps out first, then reaches for Kyle's hand, gently pulling him along.

Kyle lowers his gaze, unable to withstand the weight of all the curious stares pinned on him.

Lucan calls a guard over.

"Alpha..." He bows.

"Spread the word," he commands, voice steady and firm, yet amusement bleeding in it. "Alpha Lucan has found his mate. There will be a welcoming ceremony tomorrow, from morning. Everyone is invited to celebrate."

Kyle's heart misses a beat.

Is he serious?!

Maybe Kyle is making a terrible mistake by staying silent about who he really is.

But he knows he can't reveal the truth, because doing so would mean confessing that he's not a girl at all. He's a boy.

And worse than that, he is the cursed creature. That's what every wolf believes.

The cursed child, born under a bloodstained moon, with a dark, monstrous mark sprawling across his chest, a tattoo-like beast with jagged jaws and glowing red eyes.

The mark had pulsed faintly with a life of its own, writhing just beneath his skin, something no wolf had ever seen before.

Combined with his unnatural crimson eyes, it had sealed his fate. Marked him as a creature to be feared. An omen of disaster.

The moment he entered the world, the winds howled through the lands, snapping tree limbs and shaking entire dens.

Nearby wolves whimpered and collapsed, overwhelmed by a fear they couldn't explain where it was coming from.

Above them, the full moon had dulled, veiled by a sickly red mist that turned the night into a living nightmare.

By dawn, crops withered in the fields. Rivers ran thick and foul. A heavy dread clung to the packs, sinking its claws into every heart, as if something ancient and terrible had awoken.

Even his parents admitted they had felt it too.

So maybe, just maybe, the others had every reason to believe he was cursed. That he was the herald of misfortune to their world.

But if he truly is cursed... why would the Moon Goddess mate him to an Alpha?

He can't stay here regardless.

It's dangerous.

He has too much to uncover about himself, and staying among these wolves is reckless, especially when they still believe Kyle, the cursed boy, is roaming free, spreading calamity in his wake.

Right now, wolves are vanishing without a trace.

~Kyle hardens his resolve: the moment he finds the slightest opportunity, he will run.

•For now, Alpha Lucan holds his hand tightly, leading him through grand hallways toward what Kyle assumes must be a room.

Every wolf they pass bows low, and Kyle feels their gazes stick to him like thorns, prickling his skin.

At last, they stop before a door. Lucan opens it without a word.

The room is magnificent.

Every inch of the mansion is luxurious, but this room feels almost holy.

Kyle has never seen anything so breathtaking.

His whole life has been forests, rough cabins, and temporary shelters, always running from one hiding place to another before being hunted down again.

No stability.

No beauty like this.

This place feels like paradise.

He wishes he were a normal wolf, a real girl, mated to this Alpha.

But if he were a regular wolf girl, he thinks bitterly, maybe fate would have found some excuse to make Alpha Lucan reject her.

Maybe he would have said she wasn't of his rank. Or didn't just want her.

But now, the acceptance is smooth, definitely because Kyle has other dangerous secrets that he's keeping.

Why does it always happen like this?!

The thought frustrates Kyle to the core.

"You can take a shower if you want," Lucan says softly, gesturing toward the adjoining bathroom. "Or you can rest first and shower later. Whatever makes you comfortable."

Kyle doesn't answer.

He simply moves toward the bathroom, eager for a moment alone. But just as he steps forward, a knock sounds at the door.

He feels Lucan stiffen.

"Come in," he says curtly.

The door swings open. A tall man about Lucan's age strolls inside, eyes flicking briefly to Kyle before settling on Lucan with a smirk.

"So it's true," the man drawls. "You really found her. She's pretty."

Pretty?! Kyle repeats the word numbly in his head.

"What do you want?" Lucan asks, his voice clipped, though the familiarity between them is obvious.

"Relax. I'm not here to ruin any of your moment," the man laughs. "Just thought I'd deliver some news. Well, we caught the two men. They confessed and said it's true. Apparently, they're claiming the Moon Goddess bonded them together, male to male. That they are not having that relationship just because they want to."

Before he even finishes the sentence, Lucan is on his feet, rage evident, snapping through him like a storm.

"The Moon Goddess bonded them? Two males?!" Lucan snarls. "How dare they even say such filth aloud?! I won't allow such sickness to infect my pack! You know what? I'm actually in a good mood today, so I'll deal with them later. Don't ruin my night."

He turns his back with a violent motion, practically dismissing the man.

Kyle feels his knees tremble beneath him.

This is bad. This is really, really bad.