Chapter 4 : Moonrise

Full moon night.

I felt it all day. In my blood. In my bones. That pull. That need.

The mill was tense. Other werewolves too. Betas mostly. But I could smell their anxiety. Their anticipation.

Lucas was worse. Pale. Shaking. Hands unsteady.

At lunch, I pulled him aside. "You okay?"

"No."

"Going home tonight? Family gathering?"

He laughed. Bitter. "Family gathering means being paraded. Pure blood Omegas on display. Alpha suitors choosing. Like cattle."

"Your sister''s idea?"

"Tradition''s idea. Three hundred years of pure blood tradition."

"You could say no."

"Say no to Victoria? To the Blackwood name?" He shook his head. "Not an option."

"So what then?"

He looked at me. Desperate. "I don''t know."

The shift ended. Four PM. Moon already rising. Pale in the afternoon sky.

Lucas didn''t leave. Stayed at his bench. Cleaning tools that were already clean.

I finished my paperwork. Locked up. "You coming?"

He looked up. "Can I... can I come to your place?"

The question hung in the air. Dangerous.

"Why?"

"Because I can''t go home. And I can''t be alone. Not tonight."

I thought about saying no. Should say no.

Said yes. "Fine. But no funny business."

He almost smiled. "No promises."

---

My apartment. Small. Messy. But mine.

Lucas looked around. Taking it in. "It''s... you."

"Meaning?"

"Simple. Functional. No bullshit."

"Exactly."

I got beers from the fridge. Handed him one. "Drink. Might help."

He took it. Drank. Fast. Like he needed it.

We sat. On the couch. Not touching. But close.

The moon rose higher. Light through the window. Silver.

I could feel the change coming. The ache. The need.

Lucas felt it too. I could see it. In his eyes. In his breathing.

He finished his beer. Got another. Drank that too.

"Slow down," I said.

"Can''t. If I''m sober, I''ll think. If I think, I''ll remember. What I am. What I''m supposed to be."

"What are you supposed to be?"

"Pure blood Omega. Breeder. Carrier of the line. Matched with a suitable Alpha. Produce pure blood pups. Continue the dynasty."

He said it like a prison sentence.

"And what do you want to be?"

He looked at me. Really looked. "Free."

One word. Heavy.

We drank. More beers. The moon climbed.

His scent changed. Stronger. Omega in heat. In moonrise.

My Alpha scent answered. Before I could stop it.

The air thickened. Charged.

He moved closer. Not much. Just an inch.

I didn''t move away.

Bad idea. Very bad idea.

"Jack."

"Yeah."

"Why are you edge Alpha?"

"Told you. Don''t like politics."

"There''s more."

I drank. "My father was pack Alpha. Strong. Traditional. Wanted me to be like him. Take over. Lead. Breed."

"And?"

"I didn''t want it. Wanted to fix machines. Not people. So I left. Became edge. Technically in the pack. But not really."

He nodded. "Rebel."

"Not rebel. Just... different."

"Different is rebel. In our world."

Maybe he was right.

The moon was high now. Full. Bright.

Lucas stood. Unsteady. Drunk. "I need air."

"Balcony."

He went out. I followed.

The balcony was small. Overlooked the street. The mill in the distance. The moon overhead.

He leaned on the railing. Looked up. "It''s beautiful. And terrible."

"Yeah."

He turned. Faced me. Close. Too close.

His scent was overwhelming now. Omega in full heat. Moon-pulled.

My Alpha instincts roared. Claim. Protect. Mate.

I fought them. Hard.

"Jack."

"Lucas."

"I can''t go back. To them. To that life."

"You don''t have to."

"I do. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

He stepped closer. One hand on my chest. Warm through my shirt.

"Unless I choose something else. Someone else."

His eyes were dark. Serious. Drunk but clear.

"Lucas..."

"Shut up. Just... shut up."

He kissed me.

Not gentle. Not tentative. Desperate. Needy.

Omega need. Alpha answer.

My hands went to his hips. Pulled him closer. His body against mine. Warm. Solid.

The kiss deepened. Teeth. Tongue. Hunger.

Moon above. Instinct below.

We broke apart. Breathing hard.

His eyes were wild. "I choose you. Edge Alpha. Mechanic. Rebel."

"Lucas..."

"I know what I''m doing. For once in my life, I know."

He kissed me again. Harder.

This time I kissed back.

The balcony. The moon. The city below.

His hands in my hair. My hands on his back.

Clothes too much. Skin not enough.

We stumbled inside. To the couch. Fell onto it.

Him on top. Me underneath.

His mouth on my neck. Teeth scraping. Not biting. Not yet.

"Mark me," he whispered. "Here. Now."

"Lucas..."

"Do it. Before I change my mind."

I turned my head. Exposed my neck. Alpha submission. To an Omega.

He hesitated. Then bit.

Not hard enough to break skin. But hard enough to mark. To claim.

Omega claiming Alpha.

The world tilted.

His scent flooded me. Omega. Pure. Mine.

My scent answered. Alpha. Edge. His.

The marking began.

Not complete. Not permanent. But started.

He pulled back. Looked at me. "Now you."

I bit his neck. Same place. Same promise.

His blood tasted sweet. Omega sweet.

Our scents mixed. In the air. In our mouths.

Marking started.

We stayed like that. On the couch. Breathing. Scent-mixed.

The moon shone through the window.

Game changed. Forever.

---

Later. Much later.

We lay on the floor. Clothes half off. Not all the way. Not yet.

The marking ache was there. In our necks. In our blood.

"Victoria will kill me," Lucas said. Quiet.

"Probably."

"My father will disown me."

"Probably."

"The pack will talk."

"Definitely."

He turned his head. Looked at me. "Worth it?"

I thought about it. Really thought.

His scent in my nose. His mark on my neck. His choice.

"Yeah. Worth it."

He smiled. Small. Real. "Good."

We dressed. Slowly. The moon still high.

"What now?" he asked.

"Now we sleep. Tomorrow we work. Life goes on."

"And the marking?"

"It''s started. Can''t undo it."

"I don''t want to undo it."

"Me neither."

We went to bed. My bed. Single. Crowded with two.

He slept against me. Head on my chest. Breathing even.

I lay awake. Feeling his weight. His warmth.

Omega. Marked. Mine.

Edge Alpha. Marked. His.

Moon above. City below.

Everything changed.

---