They say your eighteenth birthday is supposed to be magical.
A night of transformation, of destiny. The moment the Moon Goddess reveals your fated mate—the one person meant to love you unconditionally, protect you fiercely, and stand beside you until your last breath.
I guess the Moon Goddess forgot about me.
The crimson satin of my dress clings tightly to my skin as I stand at the edge of the clearing, heart pounding louder than the drums echoing through the forest. The full moon casts a silver glow over the pack grounds, and lanterns float like stars above us. Everyone is here. Every pack member. Every elder. Every unmated wolf.
And him.
Luca Black.
Alpha-to-be. Tall, broad-shouldered, with eyes like frozen steel and a voice that makes even seasoned warriors obey. He stands at the center of the crowd, dressed in all black, radiating power and control.
My wolf stirs restlessly in my chest, aching for him. He’s the one, she whispers.
I don’t need the bond to know it. My soul knew the moment our eyes met two years ago. And now, on my birthday, under the full moon, the bond will finally confirm it.
The drums stop.
Silence falls.
The Elders begin the ritual, murmuring prayers to the Moon Goddess. One by one, wolves step forward, hoping the mate bond will ignite when they touch someone’s hand, smell their scent, or lock eyes.
When it’s my turn, I feel the shift before I even move.
A jolt, like lightning in my chest.
Luca’s head snaps toward me. His eyes widen just for a second. The crowd turns, watching him, watching me.
We both know it.
We are fated.
And for a breathless second, I let myself believe.
That maybe, just maybe, he’ll smile. That he’ll take my hand. That he’ll tell me I’m his, and he’s mine.
But instead—
He laughs.
A cold, hollow sound that cuts through me like a blade.
"No," Luca says, loud enough for the whole pack to hear. "This has to be a mistake."
My stomach sinks. My knees tremble.
"I reject you, Aria Moon," he says, his voice sharp, final. "As my mate."
Gasps ripple through the crowd. I feel every single pair of eyes on me. Pity. Disgust. Amusement.
Rejection.
I can’t breathe.
"Luca…" I whisper, stepping forward. “You can’t—”
"You’re weak," he says coldly. "An orphan with no rank, no power. The Moon Goddess must be playing some sick joke. You’re not worthy to be my Luna."
The tears burn, but I don’t let them fall. Not here. Not in front of them.
So I do the only thing I can.
I run.
Through the crowd, past the trees, into the forest where no one can see me break.
My dress tears on branches, my feet are bare, the wind sharp against my skin. My wolf claws at me from inside, confused, furious, howling at the bond that was just severed.
Pain erupts in my chest, sharp and unbearable.
Then—fire.
Not literal flames, but something ancient and primal ignites in my blood.
My bones shift. My skin stretches. And before I understand what’s happening, I collapse to the ground, gasping as fur sprouts along my arms.
My first shift.
Alone.
Agonizing.
Uncontrolled.
But… something’s wrong. This doesn’t feel like any shift I’ve ever heard of. My fur glows silver under the moonlight. My body hums with strange energy. The forest around me seems to pulse, like it’s alive, watching.
And just before everything goes black, I hear footsteps approaching.
A deep, unfamiliar voice speaks from the shadows.
“Well, well,” it says. “What have we here?”