The moon was full the night my life ended.
They called it the Night of Choosing.
Every unmated wolf in the Shadow Moon Pack stood beneath the sacred Moonstone, waiting for the Moon Goddess to reveal their fated mates.
Laughter echoed through the village square.
Families celebrated.
Lovers whispered promises beneath silver light.
I stood among them, my hands trembling.
Tonight, I would finally become Luna.
At least…
that’s what I believed.
For years, everyone had said Alpha Damon Blackwood and I were destined for each other.
We grew up together.
He protected me from rogue wolves when we were children.
He held my hand after my parents died.
Every smile he gave me made me believe I belonged beside him.
When the Moonstone glowed, the entire pack held its breath.
The silver light wrapped around Damon first.
Then it reached me.
Our eyes met.
My wolf stirred for the first time.
Mate…
Joy exploded inside my chest.
I smiled through tears.
“Damon…”
But instead of walking toward me…
He laughed.
It was a cold, cruel laugh that froze the blood in my veins.
“I reject her.”
The world stopped.
Gasps spread through the crowd.
Every face turned toward us.
“I, Alpha Damon Blackwood, reject Aria Nightshade as my mate.”
Silence.
My knees weakened.
“No…” I whispered.
“Please…
don’t.”
His beautiful blue eyes held no warmth.
“You are weak.”
“You have no wolf.”
“You are an embarrassment to this pack.”
“I refuse to let a wolfless girl become my Luna.”
Each word struck harder than a blade.
The mate bond shattered inside me.
Pain tore through my soul.
I screamed.
No one came.
No one defended me.
Even the elders lowered their heads.
Then she stepped forward.
Selene Ashcroft.
The strongest female warrior in the pack.
She wrapped her arm around Damon as if she had already won.
“I’ll make a far better Luna than she ever could,” she said with a smile.
The crowd began to cheer.
Cheer.
For my humiliation.
Someone threw rotten fruit.
Someone spat at my feet.
Someone shouted, “Get out!”
I looked up at the moon.
“Moon Goddess…”
“What did I do to deserve this?”
No answer came.
Only darkness.
As I stumbled toward the forest, blood dripping from my split lip, I didn’t notice the pair of crimson eyes watching from the shadows.
Ancient.
Patient.
Hungry.
A deep voice echoed through the trees.
“So…”
“The lost princess has finally awakened.”
And for the first time in a thousand years…
The Lycan King smiled.