Maelis

'Rut?' Rosa shrieked internally, ‘This is the worst possible time!'

My mind went into lockdown. A rut was a biological necessity for male wolves, often triggered by severe stress or physical trauma, forcing them to seek out their mate to breed. Lucian was my mate. My body knew it, and despite my hate, it was already responding.

“No,” I whispered, stepping back toward the door. “No, you need to go to your own room, Lucian. You need your Luna's attention.”

He shook his head slowly. “I can’t be near Mira right now, I can't.” He looked at me, and his eyes were now mostly gold, burning with a feverish...