The night was cold, but the full moon burned brightly in the sky watching… waiting.
Lira stood at the center of the pack ground, her heart pounding like a war drum. Tonight was supposed to be the happiest night of her life.
Her mate, her Alpha… was finally going to accept her.
"Alpha Kael," the elder called, his voice echoing across the silent crowd. "Do you accept Lira as your fated mate?"
Lira's breath hitched. Her fingers trembled as she looked at him, the man she had loved in silence for years.
Kael stood tall, powerful, and cold. His sharp eyes met hers… but there was no warmth in them. No love. No bond.
Only rejection.
"I…" he paused, then his lips curled slightly.
"I, Alpha Kael, reject you, Lira, as my mate."
The words struck like thunder,her heart got hurt
A gasp spread across the crowd.
Lira staggered back as if slapped. "N-no… Kael… please…" her voice cracked, tears spilling freely. "You can't… we are fated"
"I said reject," he repeated coldly.
Pain exploded through her chest. The mate bond snapped violently, sending her crashing to her knees. Her wolf howled in agony inside her.
"Why?" she whispered, broken. "What did I do wrong…?"
Kael stepped closer, his voice low and cruel. "You are weak. A nobody. The Luna of my pack must be strong… not a useless orphan like you."
The crowd murmured. Some pitied her. Others mocked her.
Lira's heart shattered completely.
But then,
Something strange happened.
The moon above flickered.
A sudden wind swept through the grounds, powerful and unnatural. The air grew heavy… charged.
Lira gasped as a strange energy surged through her veins.
Her tears stopped.
Her pain… began to fade.
And in its place…
Something ancient awakened.
Her eyes slowly glowed silver.
A voice echoed inside her soft, yet commanding.
"You have suffered enough… my child."
Lira froze.
"W-who… are you?" she whispered.
"I am you."
The wind roared louder.
"I am the power buried within your blood… the one they feared… the one they tried to destroy…"
A sudden flash of light blinded everyone.
And when it faded
Lira was no longer trembling.
She stood.
Calm. Cold. Different.
Her silver eyes locked onto Kael.
"You rejected me…" she said quietly.
Kael frowned, slightly unsettled.
Lira tilted her head, a faint, dangerous smile forming.
"Then watch carefully, Alpha…"
Her voice dropped, filled with power.
"As I rise… beyond you."
The moon glowed brighter than ever before.
And that night
The Moon Goddess began to return.