They kicked me out before sunrise the next morning, no explanation, nor farewell ceremony. I barely had time to grab my belongings, the only few things I managed to take were the clothes on my back and the purse of herbs still strapped to my waist from the previous night.

“You’re a disruption to the bond ceremony,” Beta Nelson said, his eyes hard as stone. “Your presence is… problematic.” He stuttered to say as if looking for the most demeaning words to describe the situation.

“Problematic?” I asked my eyes widening, like I was some broken artifact they didn't know how to explain to guests. Like I had ever caused trouble or dishonored any of the wolves in the park. I could feel my heart sink, like something sacred had shattered inside me.

No one would meet my gaze. Not even the healers I’d spent five years working alongside. Not even Elder Rowan nor Enchantress Mara, who once told me I had “a gift of gentle light.” Maybe they saw the mark blooming over my heart when the bond ignited—a silver crescent moon etched into my skin like a drawing.

Perhaps the whispers were already spreading; that the bond was fake, that maybe I had used evil magic to trigger it, or that the Goddess had made a mistake. That a lowly girl like me, without a wolf, couldn’t be chosen by someone like him; their almighty Alpha

“Keep moving, girl,” the border guard yelled, interrupting my thoughts as I hesitated at the edge of Blue Crest territory.

I turned back one last time.

Castillo’s black fortress sparkled against the pale blue dawn. The banners still waved from the towers. Gold and Green.

They’d celebrate him for years to come, and no one would ever speak my name and even if they did it would be speeches of mockery and hate. Tears filled my eyes as I blinked immediately to hold them back. I wouldn’t want the guards or Beta Nelson to see me cry.

---

Hours Later – (At the Forest beyond the Border)

I walked until I had wounds all over my legs and my feet bled through the soles of my boots which are now old and thin

The forest here was wild and cold. The wind howled as dead branches shook harshly and little chunks of snow stung my cheeks. I was getting hungrier and my mouth was dry, but I wouldn’t touch the dried roots I carried. Those were for healing. For survival, though consumable they aren’t food.

My body felt like it wasn’t mine anymore. The world was quiet, but my mind was in chaos. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I would be able to survive.

What did I do wrong? Why didn’t Alpha Castillo feel what I felt? Or did he feel it—and just chose to ignore its sensation and reject me?

Was I that easy to cast aside? So many thoughts rampaged through my head

---

*At dusk –( The Riverbank)

By nightfall, I finally found the river. It seemed a bit frozen in some places, but I could feel the water from beneath the ice. I knelt beside it, my reflection looked different, and I didn't seem like me anymore that I barely recognized myself.

My lips were cracked. My eyes were hollow and my complexion a bit darkened. The silver crescent mark still pulsed faintly over my heart—tho faded, but still there. Still real, I could feel it.

“I don’t understand,” I whispered, my voice spluttering. “Why did the Goddess choose me… just to break me?”

Silence was my only answer.

But then something stirred in the trees.

A rustle. A whisper. The sound of a cracked tree branch under heavy feet.

I stood up instantly, heart racing.

A wolf? No.

Several wolves?

I couldn’t see them, but I could feel their presence. Shadows circling just beyond the clearing, too silent and too careful to be heard.

“Rogues”

I backed up slowly, reaching for the small blade hidden in my boot. My hands shook, but I refused to show fear.

The leader stepped out first.

A man who looks tall and malnourished , with dark, scattered hair and yellowish-brown eyes that glows faintly even in the fading light. His scent hit me like smoke from burning wood and rot. Not pack.

“Not safe” I mumbled

“Well, well,” he said, grinning like a snake. “The little moon-girl wanders far from home.”

I froze. He shouldn’t know, he couldn’t know.

“What did you call me?” I asked, my voice steady despite how scared I was

His grin widened. “The Moon-Blessed. We’ve been looking for you, Maybel”

Hearing my name pronounced fully by him felt wrong, dirty, claimed. Very few people call my name in full

“I’m nobody,” I said. “You’re wasting your time.”

But he stepped closer, and suddenly I couldn’t move. My legs were frozen in place, my body locked up.

Witchcraft!

“We saw what you did at the ceremony,” he whispered, his voice like shattered ice. His breath, disgusting “You shone like a silver flame. We’ve waited a long time for a girl like you to appear.”

More shapes shifted behind him. Wolves in half-shifted form. Red eyes. Too many to outrun.

“I don’t want anything to do with you,” I said, my voice steady. I had to be strong.

“Oh, but you don’t get to choose, little moon,” the rogue leader said, tilting his head. “The old ways are returning. The world needs balance. The packs have grown too proud, too cruel.”

He stepped closer, and then I did the only thing I could think of. I leaned forward and slashed my palm with my blade, letting my blood splashed across the snow and as it flowed, the witchcraft they used to hold my legs and lower body at a place got destabilized

The rogues hissed, some of them pulling back. My blood shimmered faintly in the moonlight.

The leader let out a frown. “So it’s true. The Moonfire runs in you.”

I felt my leg become free as I turned and ran. The dried leaves hanging lazily on tree branches whipped against my face. The cold air affected my lungs. I had no idea where I was headed as I ran, I just knew I shouldn’t stop.

I heard howls behind me as I raced blindly into the mountains, heading to a place I had once read about. It looked deadly and no pack member nor wolf dared to enter. The old maps called it cursed — ‘The Cold Lands’

I finally collapsed at the foot of a big tree, my lungs almost out of breath, as my heart palpitated.

The last thing I saw were silver eyes in the dark, then a massive black wolf emerged from the shadows.

And then— Darkness.

(Somewhere in the North – Unknown Territory)

Pain was all I felt right as I opened my eyes. Every breath felt like pins pierced against my ribs. My head ached like it would explode. My whole body felt wounded and bruised. I could feel it from within, like it had been set on fire but surprisingly I was warm and covered.

I was wrapped in soft cozy blankets, shielding myself from the cold wind. Nearby, wood burned subtly, filling the air with scents of smoke and wolf

I scrubbed my eyes and opened them. The room was dim, lit only by the wavering firelight and some pale lighting sneaking through a half-covered window. I realized I was in a cabin. It looked hand-built and remote. Everything smelled like snow and ash. Weapons decorated the far wall—blades, axes, and sharp-tipped iron spears.

And in the corner, sitting in an old wooden chair covered in strange-looking leather, was the finest man I had ever seen.

He was tall and broad, with good-looking muscles wrapped in leather and fur. His blonde hair fell messily over his forehead, and his eyes— wow his piercing eyes were silver-gray, seductive, and Impossible to read.

The same eyes I saw before everything went blank

He watched me like a predator would watch its prey, it had decided to chase and devour

“Good. You’re alive,” he said, his muscular voice sounding deep and sexy. “I thought you might be stupid enough to die.”

I flinched. “Who… are you?”

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he paced around the room, and then he knelt beside me. I defensively tried to pull away, but he held me, grabbing my wrist gently. Even though his grip was soft, it felt like he could break me into two if he wanted.

“Your fever got intense four hours ago,” he muttered. “You lost a lot of blood. That wound on your hand… It’s glowing.”

I glanced down.

My palm—the one I had sliced open was completely healed. But a faint, silver scar remained in the shape of a crescent just like the mark over my heart.

I pulled my hand back

“Who are you?” I questioned further, my voice more stern this time.

He stood slowly, studying me like I was a puzzle trying to decipher what and who I am

“Aether” he finally said. “Alpha of Northwood pack.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Aether Thorne? Northwood?” I said almost in disbelief

A pack that hardly anyone believed was real, just whispers from old stories. They were known as outcasts—ghost wolves living in cursed lands. They were tough, fierce, and not to be messed with

Not the kind of Alpha you’d want to beg for mercy.

“Why did you help me?” I asked, feeling a mix of confusion and curiosity.

“I didn’t,” he replied hastily. “My patrol found your half-dead body near the black ridge. You were screaming in your sleep. Almost bit one of my men when he tried to lift you.”

My cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

Alpha Aether crossed his arms akimbo, squinting his eyes.

“What were you doing that far north, with that scar glowing like a gesture for rogues?”

I didn’t give him an answer.

He leaned in closer. “You’re not just a lost girl. So why don’t you tell me what you are?”

I bit my lip. “I’m certain it’s none of your business.”

“I disagree,” he said calmly. “You stumbled into my territory. You bled on sacred land. And now the snow smells like you.”

I stiffened. “I don’t intend to stay here.”

“Good!” he said. “I don’t want you here either.”

His words were plain, and a bit rude. They stung more than I expected.

But then he added, “But you’re not walking out that door until I get some answers. And you’re not strong enough not to collapse.”

I didn’t want to argue, so I turned away and stared at the burning fire.

–––

Later at night, I stayed awake long after he left the cabin. Sleep didn’t come easily anymore.

When I finally pulled away the blanket and stood, my legs felt half-frozen. The cabin was quiet, but I could sense the pack outside—silent and sharp-eyed. Watching.

I slipped outside.

The Cold Lands stretched out endlessly—mountains and silver woods covered in deep snow. But it wasn’t lifeless. I could hear bird sounds and see torchlight flickering along the outer walls.

The Northwood pack wasn’t extinct, they were fierce and surviving.

A movement caught my eye—up on the ridge. It was Aether Thorne

He stood alone at the edge of the cliff, as the wind blew towards his direction scattering his blonde coloured hair. his face turned as he stared towards the full moon. He looked like a beautiful ghost. A mini god, like someone who didn’t quite belong to this world.

I’m not sure what got into me, but I realized I was walking towards him.

His voice echoed right away before I could get too close to him. “Your wolf,” he said without turning. “She’s silent.”

I stopped in my tracks.

“How do you know that?” I asked, feeling a chill run down my spine.

He turned his head just a bit. “I’ve seen it before. The Moon-Blessed sometimes go mute when their fated bond is broken.”

My heart raced. “You know about the bond?”

He finally faced me completely. “I don’t believe in mates.” He uttered

“Why not?” I pressed further

“Because bonds lie. People lie. Power doesn’t.”

I stared at him, I was shivering, and not just because of the cold.

He took a step closer. “You’re dangerous, May of Blue Crest. I don’t know why the Goddess marked you. But until I figure it out, I’m keeping you here”

He took another step, we were close now—too close.

My breath fastened. “You can’t make me stay if I don’t want to”

He let out a frown. “You’re free to leave. But— You won’t survive out there,” he said simply, his eyes glowing. “And we both know it.”

He stared at my chest for just a moment—right where the crescent moon mark was, hidden beneath my clothes. I immediately sensed that he could see the mark

Then he looked back at my face, as if to read my thoughts, but stepped back, nodded, and walked away

Back in the cabin, I covered myself up under the blankets, my heart racing.

He didn’t believe in mates. He doesn't trust the Moon Goddess, but the way he looks at me says something different:

Everything about him makes me feel unsettled.

Aether Thorne, the unrivaled Alpha, a man with unpredictable actions, and maybe… just maybe, there’s more to him than I can imagine.