Freda Pov
"I Freda of the WolfTrail Pack take you Urdon as my mate."
My voice rang out clear and strong across the ceremony grounds. The entire pack surrounded us in a circle. The moon hung full and bright overhead, everything was perfect. This was the moment I'd been dreaming about for months.
"I Urdon Alpha of the WolfTrail Pack take you Freda as my mate and Luna," Urdon said. His eyes met mine and they were full of love. "From this day until my last breath you are mine and I am yours."
Elder Marta stepped forward with the ceremonial binding cord. She wrapped it around our joined paws while chanting the ancient words. I didn't understand all of them because they were in the old language but I felt their weight. Their power.
When she finished the pack erupted in howls of celebration. Urdon pulled me close and nuzzled my neck, I was officially Luna now.
"I love you," Urdon whispered in my ear.
"I love you too," I said.
The celebration feast began and everyone seemed happy. Wolves came up to congratulate us and welcome me as their new Luna. I smiled so much my face hurt, this was everything I'd ever wanted.
But as the night wore on I started to notice things.
Beta Rex stood at the edge of the celebration. He wasn't eating or talking to anyone, he just stared at Alpha Urdon with an expression I couldn't read. When I tried to catch his eye to thank him for arranging the ceremony he looked away quickly.
"Is Beta Rex okay," I asked Urdon quietly. "He seems upset."
"He's fine," Urdon said. But his voice had an edge to it. "Probably just tired from all the preparations."
"Maybe I should go talk to him," I said. "Thank him for everything."
"Not tonight," Urdon said firmly. He pulled me closer. "Tonight is about us. Rex can wait."
I nodded but something about the way Urdon dismissed it bothered me. Beta Rex was his closest friend, shouldn't Urdon be worried if something was wrong.
Later when we were taking our ceremonial walk through the pack grounds I noticed wolves whispering. They would stop talking when we got close but I could feel their eyes on me.
"Do you think the pack really accepts me," I asked Urdon.
"Of course they do," Urdon said. "Why would you think otherwise."
"I don't know," I said. "Some of them seem like they're talking about me. About us."
"Freda," Urdon said gently. He stopped walking and turned to face me. "You're being paranoid, everyone loves you. You're their Luna now, they have to respect you."
They have to respect me. That wasn't the same as wanting to respect me.
But I pushed the thought away. This was my wedding night, i wasn't going to ruin it by being insecure.
We returned to the Alpha den which was now my den too. Urdon showed me around even though I'd been here before. He pointed out where I could keep my things and which sleeping spot he thought I'd like best.
"This is really happening," I said softly. "We're really mated."
"We really are," Urdon said. He looked so happy it made my chest tight. "Everything I've ever wanted is right here."
We settled down together and for a while everything felt perfect.
But then I heard it. Voices outside the den, they were raised and angry.
"What is that," I asked.
"Nothing," Urdon said quickly. "Just pack business."
"It sounds like Beta Rex," I said. I moved toward the entrance. "And Elder Marta. They're arguing about something."
"Freda stop," Urdon said. He grabbed my leg gently. "Whatever it is I'll handle it tomorrow. Tonight is ours."
But I couldn't stop listening. The voices got clearer as they moved closer to our den.
"You can't ignore this any longer," Beta Rex said. His voice sounded strange, harder than normal. "The signs are all there Alpha. The curse is active."
My blood went cold.
"There is no curse," Urdon snapped. "How many times do I have to tell you that."
"Your father said the same thing," Elder Marta said. "And your grandfather before him, but saying it isn't real doesn't make it go away."
"I won't discuss this tonight," Urdon said. "It's my mating night. Show some respect."
"Respect," Beta Rex said. He laughed but it wasn't a happy sound. "That's rich coming from you."
"What's that supposed to mean," Urdon demanded.
But Beta Rex didn't answer. I heard footsteps walking away, then Elder Marta's softer voice.
"She needs to know Alpha," Marta said quietly. "Luna Freda deserves to understand what she's bound herself to."
"She knows everything she needs to know," Urdon said. His voice was cold now and distant. "Go back to your den Marta. That's an order."
More footsteps. Then silence.
I stayed frozen by the entrance. My mind was racing, curse and signs. She needs to know, what did any of that mean.
"Freda," Urdon said behind me. "Come back to bed."
I turned to face him. "What curse were they talking about."
"It's nothing," Urdon said. "Just superstitious nonsense that some of the older pack members believe in. It doesn't affect us."
"Beta Rex seemed pretty convinced it was real," I said. "And Elder Marta said I deserve to know. Know what Urdon."
"Can we please not do this tonight," Urdon said. He sounded tired suddenly. "This is supposed to be happy. Perfect. Why are you trying to ruin it."
"I'm not trying to ruin anything," I said. "I just want to understand."
"There's nothing to understand," Urdon said flatly. "It's pack politics, old grudges. None of it matters."
But it did matter. I could see it in the way his shoulders were tense. The way he wouldn't quite meet my eyes. Something was wrong and he was lying to me about it.
"Okay," I said quietly. "We don't have to talk about it now."
Urdon relaxed a little. "Thank you. Come here."
I went back to him and let him hold me but I couldn't relax anymore. My mind kept replaying what I'd heard. The curse is active, she needs to know. Your father said the same thing.
As we lay there in the darkness I realized something, marrying Alpha Urdon hadn't just made me his mate. It had tied me to something bigger. Something the pack had been hiding. Something that scared even the Beta and the elders.
If the curse was real then marrying the Alpha didn't make me safe. It made me part of it.