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The Cursed Luna Returns

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Synopsis

Chapter 1 - The Cursed Luna

Selene Ardyn graced the vaulted chambers of the Moonglade Pack, where the warm glow from firelight had done nothing to ease the tension that suffocated the members. The elders were holding council to discuss matters pertaining to the future of the pack when she found out the true intention of this meeting. It had nothing to do with the pack's matters but her fitness to take Alpha.

She was born under a cursed moon, and all her life was watched over by the shadows of superstitions. They gossiped about her behind their backs and nicknamed her the "Cursed Luna," and it had been a nigh-cloud for her. But she has tried hard to prove herself that she is much more than a misbegotten prophecy.

Her late father, Alpha Tobias Ardyn had a firm belief in her. He had trained her for leadership, in the lessons of strength, loyalty, and wisdom. But after he died, the pack became mostly divided against itself and scanned her very well for her claim to leadership.

Drawing a breathed hush of attention from the hall, Elder Rowan, the serious man marked by lines of years, began "Selene," his voice heavy with authority, "while showing you strength and determination, there are concerns. The pack fears the prophecy ringed around your birth. They wonder if you will be able to lead without incurring misfortune on all of us."

Selene gave him a steady gaze and her heart pounded in her ears but her voice was calm. "I understand the concerns, Elder Rowan. But I have spent my life preparing myself for this role. My father believed in me, and I will not let him—or this pack—down."

Kieran, her mate now, stepped forward from beside her. His presence was a soothing influence; his hand brushed against hers in quiet reassurance.

"Selene has proven her worth time and again," he said, his deep voice carrying conviction. "She's strong, wise, and capable. The pack would be lucky to have her as its Alpha."

A flicker of relief crossed Selene's face and warmed her, for Kieran meant the world, as much as he could. He meant more to her than just that he was her mate- he was her partner, her ally. Together, they could face anything.

For some other people, Kieran didn't mean much; Lyra, Selene's younger half-sister from near the council table, would have crossed arms, and he would gaze at the proceedings with a calculating stare-the very same gaze she used to apply over Selene. Jealous, always. With all her heart, she hated Selene for that bonding with their father, and although she had been faking it not to speak against Selene's claim, the silence was loud.

"Just strength is not enough - a pack needs a leader who can unite us all; one who inspires trust. Could Selene do this when half the pack fears her?" the voice so harshly slicing across the room.

Selene turned sleekly at her, calm yet unwavering. "I've spent my life earning the pack's trust, Lyra. I've trained among our warriors, fought alongside them, led them and if there's fear, then it's based on these old superstitions, not from anything I did."

Lyra curled up a little in her immediate whisper of a smile but said no more. Her challenge was nonetheless there omitting talk but felt by everyone in the room.

The elders exchanged glances and murmured in hushed voices. Finally, Elder Rowan spoke again. "We will take your words into consideration, Selene. But know this- the pack's survival comes first. We shall act accordingly, if at all we sense any threat to our future."

So did Selene nod; for his words meant much to her. The council's decision wasn't final, but the doubts left in the conduct of the room were evident. Prove herself again, though.

As the meeting ended, Selene stepped outside and breathed in the autumn night air. The crescent moon was positioned low in the sky, and its pale light extended across the ground in long shadows. Kieran came to sit beside her, palm flat, resting lightly on her shoulder. "You did really well," he said softly. "But you know this will not be easy."

"It never is," Selene replied tiredly. She turned to face him and scrutinized his face with her eyes. "Do you believe in me, Kieran? Truly?"

Kieran softened his demeanor and took her hands in his. "I do. You were born to lead, Selene. Don't let anyone make you doubt that."

The breath caught in Selene's throat, and she dropped deep within herself, feeling a flurry. The echoing words could be heard in her head but it was how he held her that made her heart race. She could not fathom why, but something about touching him made all the self-doubt feel so small even though they were still there gnawing at her.

"I... I don't know if I'm ready," she said, just over a whisper. Her voice cracked, giving away all that she tried so hard to hide.

Kieran brushed his thumb across the back of her hand. He held her gaze as he moved closer, closing the distance.

The touch moved on to her cheek, fingers gliding along the line of her jaw with such tenderness that heartbeats speeded. "You don't need to be ready," he murmured. "You simply need to believe in yourself. I believe in you, Selene."

The warmth in his words filled the void within her, but he didn't wait for the latch on her lips before leaning in. His lips were gentle at first then turned urgent as arms encircled her, pulling her into him.

Selene practically gasped when the kiss deepened, her palms instinctively going to the fabric of his shirt, pulling, as if to say that no matter how close she was, it was not close enough for her.

Electricity transported her senses into an awareness she had never known before, feeling the outline of his hands on her back, his chest pressing against hers, the heat rising between them, making everything else disappear around them. Only the beating of their hearts remained with the synchronized hunger that would not be silenced.

When they finally pulled away, breathless and panting, Selene, her fingers grazing against his skin, lingered at his neck. With the rising and falling of her chest with each breath, she could not take her eyes off him. For a second, the world stood still around them.

Kieran's voice broke the soundless silence, but it was soft yet steady: "You're not alone, Selene. Not in this."

There was no response from her, but somehow the tightness in her chest eased just a little. The fear was still lurking, but it didn't feel so heavy now when he stood there right in front of her.

His words gave her strength; but the remarkable twist of the facts in her life made it impossible to ignore the growing disquiet deep within her. Doubts of the pack, hostility from Lyra, that shadow, hazy but present, looming from the prophecy-it all weighed heavily upon her.

 But there was no breaking of her spirit. She was the daughter of Alpha Tobias Ardyn, and she would fight for her place, no matter the cost to herself.

As of now, though, the pack had not turned against her. But Selene was aware that trust could be such a precarious thing, shattered easily. And as she stood beneath the glare of the damned celestial light of the moon, she simply vowed silently to prove them all wrong.