The full moon hung low and heavy in the sky, its silvery light bathing the clearing in an ethereal glow. I stood at the back of the gathered pack, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure everyone could hear it. Today was my eighteenth birthday, the day I had dreamed of for so long. But instead of the freedom I had hoped for, I found myself trapped in a nightmare I couldn't escape.
Alpha Asher's words from the night before still echoed in my mind. "Did you really think it would be that easy?" The memory of his cruel smile sent a shiver down my spine. After catching me trying to escape, he had locked me in a small, windowless room, only to drag me out for this ceremony. A ceremony I wanted no part of.
"Lyra!" Beta Kieran's harsh whisper cut through my thoughts. "Pay attention, you worthless girl. The ceremony is about to begin."
I straightened my posture, forcing my face into a mask of neutrality. Around me, the pack buzzed with excitement, all eyes fixed on the raised platform where Alpha Asher stood. He cut an imposing figure, his powerful frame silhouetted against the moonlit sky.
Elder Anya stepped forward, her voice ringing out across the clearing. "Brothers and sisters of the Crescent Moon Pack, we gather tonight under the blessing of the full moon to witness a sacred event. Our Alpha, Asher, will choose his Luna, the she-wolf who will stand by his side and help lead our pack into a new era of prosperity."
A ripple of excitement passed through the crowd. I could feel the anticipation building, the air thick with it. My own emotions were a tangled mess – fear, resignation, and a tiny, traitorous spark of curiosity. Who would Asher choose? And what would become of me once he did?
Asher's voice boomed out, silencing the murmurs of the crowd. "For too long, our pack has been without a Luna. Tonight, that changes. I have considered this decision carefully, weighing the needs of our pack and the strength we will need to face the challenges ahead."
His eyes scanned the crowd, and I found myself holding my breath. Please, don't let it be Cora, I thought desperately. Anyone but her.
"The she-wolf I have chosen," Asher continued, "is one who has shown great strength in the face of adversity. One who has endured much, yet remained unbroken."
Confusion rippled through the pack. This didn't sound like any of the she-wolves who had been vying for the position of Luna.
And then, Asher's eyes locked with mine, and the world seemed to stop.
"Lyra," he said, his voice ringing with authority. "Step forward."
For a moment, I was sure I had misheard. But all around me, wolves were turning, their eyes wide with shock as they stared at me.
"Lyra," Asher repeated, his voice tinged with impatience. "Come here."
My legs moved of their own accord, carrying me through the parting crowd. Whispers followed in my wake, a mix of disbelief and outrage.
"The slave girl?""Has he lost his mind?""This can't be happening."
As I reached the platform, Asher held out his hand. I stared at it, my mind reeling. This had to be some kind of cruel joke, another way to humiliate me.
"Take my hand, Lyra," Asher said, his voice softer now, meant only for me.
Trembling, I placed my hand in his. And the moment our skin touched, something inside me ignited.
It was like a bolt of lightning, a rush of warmth and power that surged through my entire body. I gasped, my eyes flying to Asher's face. He looked as shocked as I felt, his eyes wide with wonder.
"The mate bond," Elder Anya breathed, her voice filled with awe. "By the Moon Goddess, it's true."
Asher recovered first, his face settling into a mask of calm authority. But I could see the turbulent emotions in his eyes – surprise, confusion, and something else I couldn't quite name.
"Lyra," he said, his voice carrying across the now-silent clearing. "Do you accept the position of Luna of the Crescent Moon Pack?"
I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. My mind was in chaos. This morning, I had been a slave, despised and abused. And now... now I was being offered a position of power. But was it really an offer? Did I have a choice?
As if reading my thoughts, Asher's grip on my hand tightened. "Choose wisely, Lyra," he murmured, too low for the others to hear. "Remember, you have nowhere else to go."
The threat was clear, and it made my decision for me. "I accept," I said, my voice stronger than I felt.
A cheer went up from some members of the pack, while others remained silent, their faces a mix of shock and displeasure. I saw Cora in the crowd, her face twisted with fury and disbelief.
Elder Anya stepped forward, an ornate silver circlet in her hands. "Then by the power vested in me by the Moon Goddess, I crown you Luna of the Crescent Moon Pack."
As she placed the circlet on my head, I felt another surge of that strange, warm power. It was as if something long dormant inside me was awakening, stretching after years of slumber.
Asher turned me to face the pack, his arm around my waist in a possessive grip. "Behold your Luna!" he proclaimed.
The response from the pack was mixed. Some cheered, while others muttered among themselves. I saw confusion, anger, and fear on many faces. Cora and her friends looked like they might be sick.
As Asher began to speak about unity and strength, I found my gaze drawn to the edge of the clearing. There, half-hidden in the shadows, stood a familiar figure. Lucian. His eyes met mine, and I saw a whirlwind of emotions there – surprise, concern, and something that looked almost like pride.
But before I could dwell on it, a bone-chilling howl split the night air.
Asher's words cut off abruptly, his body tensing beside me. More howls followed, coming from all directions. These weren't the howls of our pack – they were wilder, more feral.
"Rogues!" someone screamed, and chaos erupted.
Asher pushed me behind him as the first wave of attackers burst into the clearing. They were wolves unlike any I had seen before – larger, more savage, with a madness in their eyes that sent terror coursing through me.
"Protect the pack!" Asher roared, his body already beginning to shift. "Lyra, run!"
But I couldn't move. All around me, pack members were shifting, snarls and growls filling the air as they prepared to defend their home. I watched in horror as the rogues tore into our ranks, their ferocity unlike anything I had ever seen.
And then, to my shock, I realized that many of the rogues were ignoring the other pack members. Their eyes were fixed on me.
"Get the Luna!" one of them snarled, his voice guttural and barely human.
Terror froze me in place as three massive rogues charged towards me. This couldn't be happening. Why were they after me? I was no one, nothing...
Just as the first rogue reached me, Asher's massive wolf form leapt in front of me, teeth bared in a fearsome snarl. But more rogues were coming. I could see the pack fighting desperately, but they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of attackers.
"Run, Lyra!" Asher's voice, somehow in my head, startled me out of my paralysis. "Head for the eastern border!"
I hesitated for a split second, torn between the instinct to flee and the strange pull I felt towards Asher. But as another wave of rogues burst into the clearing, my decision was made for me.
I ran.
My feet pounded against the forest floor as I fled, branches whipping at my face and arms. Behind me, I could hear the sounds of battle – snarls, howls of pain, the sickening crunch of bone. And closer, too close, the heavy footfalls of pursuit.
They were still coming for me. But why? What could they possibly want with me?
As I ran, I became aware of a strange sensation building inside me. It was that same warm power I had felt earlier, but stronger now, pulsing in time with my racing heart. With each step, it grew, spreading through my body like liquid fire.
A snarl from behind me sent a fresh surge of adrenaline through my veins. I pushed myself harder, my lungs burning, my muscles screaming in protest. But I knew it wasn't enough. The rogues were faster, stronger. I couldn't outrun them forever.
Just as I felt my strength beginning to fail, I burst into a small clearing. Moonlight filtered through the trees, illuminating a scene that made my blood run cold.
There, blocking my path, stood a group of rogue wolves. Their eyes gleamed with feral hunger as they advanced on me. I spun around, looking for an escape route, only to find more rogues emerging from the trees behind me.
I was surrounded.
As the rogues closed in, their snarls sending shivers of terror down my spine, I realized that this might be the end. On my eighteenth birthday, the day that should have marked my freedom, I was going to die.
But as I stood there, trembling but defiant, I felt that strange power inside me surge once more. It built and built, like a wave about to break.
Something was happening. Something impossible. Something that would change everything.
And as the first rogue leapt at me, teeth bared for the kill, I felt that power exploded outward in a blinding flash of light.