The footsteps outside the door stops. My pulse is as loud as war drums in my ears. Every shadow in the room looks like they are stretching towards us.

It's as though the walls themselves are listening. Adrian's fingers dig into my wrists. Not hard, but enough to remind me that he's here.

I can smell fear in the air, taste it even. Adrian's hand tightens around my wrist again as he whispers, 

"Someone's coming."

My heart jumps into my throat. "Hide."

"Where?" Adrian hisses, glancing around my bedroom.

I shove him into the tall wardrobe by the window. 

"Inside. Now."

He slips in just before the door handle rattles. I drag a blanket to cover my shoulders, while I try to slow down my breath.

"Lyra?" a voice calls.

I open the door.

"Emery," I say, as I force a calm smile. "Is something wrong?"

She tilts her head a little. 

Emery is the only daughter of Alpha Cassius, the powerful Alpha of my pack. She is the heir everyone believes will someday rule over Crescent.

I grew up beside her, not as family though. As a mere servant. A charity case the Alpha took in out of pity when my parents died. 

Emery's eyes are sharp and calculating. She looks at me confused. Not knowing whether or not to trust me. As usual. We both look at our selves the same way.

looking at her reminds me of the long years, as a shadow living in her household. As a mere servant. Always unseen. Always alone.

"The ceremony will begin soon." She says.

"I know."

She looks past my shoulders into the room. For a moment, I feared she could hear Adrian's heart beating inside the wardrobe.

"Have you seen Adrian tonight?" she asks.

I feel my stomach flip.

"No," I quickly say. The lie feels so heavy on my tongue.

"We haven't seen him around; I thought he might be with you." She continues.

I force a light laugh. "Why would Adrian be here?" 

Emery raises an eyebrow.

I shrug casually. "Maybe he went to the lake. He likes how quiet it is there."

That wasn't a lie entirely. Adrian does love the lake. It was where we had our first kiss.

"I'm sure he'll be in time for the ceremony."

Emery looks at me a little while longer, then she sighs.

"Okay. Don't waste any more time. Everyone's waiting."

My chest tightens. "I'll be right behind you."

She turns and walks away. I wait till I can no longer hear her footsteps then I shut the door.

"Coast clear?" Adrian asks.

"Yes."

The door creaks open. He steps out, running his hand through his dark hair. His eyes are gleaming with mischief. I can't resist the shiver that's running through my spine. Not from fear, but from knowing how easily he can unsettle me.

"Whao! That was close. You really handled that well." His voice is low, teasing.

"Barely," I muttered.

"Relax, Lyra. You look like you're about to face execution."

"This is no time for jokes Adrian, we have to go now. I'll leave first, and you'll follow right after, okay?"

"Okay." He said with a nod.

While I was leaving, he catches my chin between his fingers. His thumb brushes my lower lip. "Lyra?"

"Yes?"

"Try not to look so nervous. Tonight, I will claim you as my mate."

I smile with ease as I walk down to the caern, because these are the exact words I need to hear.

I turn to look behind, above my shoulder. I see Adrian following right behind me with good distance.

The caern awaits. The wolves are whispering among themselves. Their breaths mist in the cold night air. I can feel every heartbeat. Every wolf stirs in anticipation. It's as though the forest itself is holding it's breath with me. 

"He's going to claim me," I whisper to myself, with so much happiness.

Reaching the caern, the entire pack is waiting. The moon hangs above us. Full. Perfect. I see Emery standing close to the elders. I walk down to stand beside her.

The tension and awe are alike. I can feel the faint rustle of furs. The shuffle of paws. wolves clearing their throats. 

"You look nervous Lyra." Emery says.

"Shouldn't I be?"

She shrugs "I suppose. Tonight is...important."

There's something strange in her smile...

The horn sounds... Elder Thaddeus steps forward.

He is the oldest and most respected of all the Crescent pack elders.

"Dear Crescent pack," Elder Thaddeus says loudly, 'tonight we witness the sacred mate claim beneath the full moon."

My heart begins to beat faster than usual.

Adrian steps forward. His chin high. Like a man who is about to claim everything he wants. 

He looks around. His eyes meet mine. For a moment, it feels like we're the only wolves existing in the entire world.

He starts walking.

One step closer.

Then another. He is walking directly towards me, just like he promised.

Thaddeus raises his voice again. It resonates across the caern. It echoes off the stone walls. Commanding. Unyielding. The other elders are watching like hawks.

Adrian of Nightfang, step forward and claim your mate."

Adrian moves with so much grace. Like someone who knows he owns the entire world. My world. I can tell that he's indeed a very proud wolf. 

Every step Adrian takes echoes with meaning. The air is thick with anticipation, and I can hardly breathe for the sheer weight of it.

Every wolf stands in silence. Adrian takes another step. 

Closer.

Closer. 

He walks past me.

I hold my breath. My world tilts. I turn slowly.

Adrian stops in front of Emery.

Gasps ripple through the pack.

At this point, I'm struggling to understand what my eyes are seeing.

"Adrian?"

He didn't look at me. He holds Emery's hand instead. I freeze in shock.

"What...are you doing?" I stutter weakly. My knees feel as though they will buckle. He crossed a line I didn't think possible. The warmth I feel from him standing close to me turns to ice.

My mind is racing, I'm trying to make Dence of his audacity. Of how casually he can entwine himself with Emery, the one I had barely tolerated growing up. 

All I can do is stand frozen. My heart is hammering as I watch the impossible unfolds.

Then, Adrian turns toward me. His expression is not the same as the one from earlier tonight. It's cold.  Distant.

"I'm sorry, Lyra..."

"My heart belongs to Emery."

Adrians words pierce through my heart like a sharp knife.

"I choose Emery as my mate."

My world deans shatter all at once. It cracks. Slowly. Quietly. Just like a glass that splits beneath an invisible pressure. My ears still ring from the sound of the words I'm hearing from Adrian.

I can still see his lips moving. But his words don't make sense anymore.

This isn't real... This isn't happening.

Emery smiles slowly. I accept," she says.

"You told me you love me..."

 "Love doesn't make an Alpha." Adrian shrugs.

"What are you talking about?" I ask as tears roll down my eyes.

He tightens his hold on Emery.

"She is the heir of the Crescent pack." He says.

I can't stop shaking.

"You used me."

"You were convenient." He said firmly.

convenient?

The same lips that once whispered "my forever '" now reduced me to something... usable.

I remember the lake. His hands in mine. The promises.  Were those lies too... or was I just foolish enough to believe them?

"You promised..."

'I promised nothing."

Everyone stands in absolute silence.

I stand there with my heart shattered into irreparable pieces. 

I stumble back. My knees shaking, my feet can no longer hold my weight.

Adrian's hand in Emery's. Her smug smile.

I can't breathe. I run, not knowing exactly where to, but anywhere away from Adrian.

I can feel their eyes on me. Pity. Curiosity. Satisfaction. Their whispers follow me like shadows. "she really thought he'd choose her..."

I run faster.

I notice Emery chasing after me. "Lyra..." Emery's voice is so soft. Too soft, it cuts through the haze. It's the kind of softness that doesn't belong in moments like this. I slowly turn to her but I can't decipher if her concern is real or fake.

"Are you okay?" Emery asks.

I laugh bitterly. "No. I'm...far from okay."

Her eyes soften. "I didn't know Adrian would choose me to be his ma..."

"Go and be with Adrian, leave me alone." I continue, yelling at the top of my voice.

"You actually don't care, you never have, and you never will."

She tilts her head, "of course I care. I'd never intentionally hurt you."

Her words were almost enough to make me believe her. 

Almost. 

"Oh, Lyra," Emery cooed, as she steps closer. You need something to calm your nerves.

"Come, let's go back home, so I'll tell Linda to prepare some hot tea for you."

I and Emery arrive home. I walk straight t my bed room, while she goes to look for Linda in the maiden chambers.

I lay on my bed heartbroken, thinking that maybe, just maybe, tonight would've turned out differently if perhaps I was heir to the crescent pack and not Emery.

Linda, Emery's most trusted maid walks in with a cup of tea.

"Here. Emery asked I bring you this cup of tea, she prepared herself." 

I stand up from my bed. She hands me the tea and leaves the room.

The tea was darker than usual. A strange scent is lingering beneath the herbs. Faint, but unfamiliar.

I hesitate. Just for a second. But it seems harmless. I take it and I drink it. The bitter taste clings to my tongue instantly. A strange warmth rolls through my body.

Emery walks in. "I hope the tea is helping, do you feel better?"

I nod, though I don't feel completely at ease. "Better."

All of a sudden, my hands start to shake severely, out of my control.

"Lyra?" Emery leans closer.

The cup drops to the floor. The sound it makes as it hits the floor is deafening. 

I can barely see clearly.

My veins feel like they're burning from inside out. My fingers are curling against the floor. My claws are scraping the wood. I feel the room shaking.

"W-what...?" I stammered, cold sweat breaks out on my skin. My legs give out beneath me and I collapse to the floor.

"Lyra!" Emery's face hovers above mine.

"Stay with me..."

I try to lift my head, to speak, but it seems like the world is melting into chaos. The moon stretches into a glowing smear across the sky.

"You'll be fine..."

I want to scream. I want to claw her. But I'm too weak. I see flashes. 

I see myself as a child. Alone, afraid. My parents running, my uncle, Alpha of crescent watching. Moments of love, of fear, of longing. All of it at once.

Adrian's smirk as he walks past me. Then Emery's hand in his. Emery's fake concern. My mind twists and contorts. It all reshapes into a very painful memory.  I gasp for breath.

Then...nothing.

Silence.

Void.

And then, a warm, bright and pulsing light spreads through me. The light doesn't just touch me, it invades me. It moves deep into my bones, reshaping and reforging.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhrrrr!" I scream. But my scream, it turns into something deeper. Something primal.

The moon.

The moon itself sips into my bones. Into my soul.

I slowly open up my eyes. 

Everything feels new. "Where am I?" 

I stumble across a mirror. My reflection shimmers in the silver light.

"This isn't me..." 

"Not the me I was before."

My hair, once dark and short, is now thick and so long with waves that shimmer in silver-blonde under the moonlight.

My body...perfect. My skin glows vibrantly. So smooth and flawless. My eyes, my eyes burn with silver light.

"Awooooooo...Awooooooo..." I roar as power surge through me, filling every nerve, every sinew. I could feel the forest. The pack. The night itself. 

Several thoughts whisper to me. First faint, then louder. I can hear everything now. The wind, the trees...even the heartbeats pf other wolves from miles away. 

I, Lyra, I'm...alive. But not as I had been.

I am...more.

I see her. A new Lyra. More beautiful. Stronger. Immortal, in a way I had never imagined.

A goddess reborn. And yet...lost.

My skin tingles, alive with a sensation I have never felt. Each breath tastes like moon light. Crisp and electrifying. It feels like the night itself is whispering my name.

I can feel the moon inside me. The surge of power, lingers on my fingertips.

The moon speaks to me. And I listen.

For a moment, I feel like I'm lost. My heart pounds heavily against my ribs. Memories flash back at me all at once.

Adrian's voice. His rejection. The entire pack staring. Emery's smile. The bitter taste of the tea. The burning in my throat. My body collapsing.

My fingers wrap around my neck. 

"I died..." I whisper hoarsely.

My words echo faintly, through the quiet room. But my voice sounds different. 

Stronger.

Clearer.

I lift my hand slowly.

The wind follows, carrying with it a small feather lying on the floor, shifting in the direction of my hands.

My eyes widen. Could this be real?

"I didn't touch that."

I close my palms and the feather falls back to the floor.

"What the..."

I open my palms again. The feather spins once in the air and drops gently on my palm.

I stare at it.

I laugh softly.

"No way..."

Is this what it means to be reborn, to be a moon goddess? To wield power that the moon itself lent? 

I can hear voices in my head, thoughts that aren't mine. 

I walk outside and the forest welcomes me immediately. Each step feels scary. The earth whispers secrets beneath my feet. A fox darts across the trees, it pauses as if bowing to me.

The wind wraps around my body like an old friend.

Leaves rustles like they are greeting me.

The moon light follows every step I take.

"This feels..." I take a deep breathe.

"...amazing."

I stretch my fingers again.

A small stone on the floor, rolls across towards my foot.

"Hahahahaha..." I laugh slightly.

"...that's definitely new."

I suddenly feel something.

A familiar heartbeat.

I freeze. Adrian. My eyes widen instantly. The wind shifts my hair across my face. 

He's standing near the edge of the lake, leaning casually against a tree.

Arrogant.

Relaxed. 

Like nothing had happened.

Like he didn't destroy my life.

Should I reveal myself? Test my new found powers? Or let him wonder, let him fear?

For a moment I feel like revealing myself.

But then I pause.

No.

Not yet.

I step forward into the moonlight and Adrian lifts his head instantly.

His eyes lock on mine. We stare at each other far longer than we should.

His eyes slowly travel from my face down my body and back again.

"...Wow."

I fold my arms calmly.

He frowns slightly, clearly confused.

"Do I...know you?" I let him linger in curiosity, savoring the moment. His question seems to probe. Trying to understand the woman standing in front of him. I mirror his gaze.

My lips twitch.

"No." My heart remains guarded. But the thrill of seeing him not settled is addictive.

He probably still thinks he has the power here. Yet I know something he doesn't.

His eyes fill with curiosity.

"Strange," he mutters. "I'd remember someone who looks like you, but she died a week ago."

"A week ago?" I ask.faking a look of surprise. Turns out that Adrian's not the only wolf that knows how to fake a thing or two.

"Yes." He answers.

"What happened to her?" I ask.

"I guess she couldn't handle the fact that I rejected her as my mate..."

"Oh, that's sad to hear. But why did you reject her though, didn't you love her? I ask still longing for some form of clarity, hoping that Adrian isn't as evil as I think he is.

"Love doesn't make an Alpha...forgive my manners, what's your name?"

"My name is Lyra."

"Her name was Lyra too...I knew there was something about you." He says as he smirks.

"Alright, I've got to go now...enjoy your night." I say as I walk past him.

Adrian turns as I pass.

"Wait," he calls.

I don't stop.

I keep walking deep into the Nightfang territory.

Deep in thoughts. Oblivious to what may be happening around me. Trying to make sense of what may be my new life. 

This...this energy... it's feels like the night itself is alive inside of me. Everything feels familiar, yet not. A feather spins in the air...I didn't touch it.

I slow my steps. The forest is suddenly quiet. Not empty, just waiting. My fingers lightly brush against a tree's trunk. Something shifts the moment my skin touches the bark.

The tree. It pulses once. Then again. The tree is alive. Not just alive...but aware.  Suddenly, a small injured bored falls Landon's weakly near my feet. 

I quickly kneel, scooping it into my hands. "Hey...hey, it's okay..." it's tiny body is trembling and it's right wing is broken. My heart breaks at the thought of her pain.

I close my eyes without thinking. The warmth flows deeply from within me through my palms  wrapping around the bird. Soft. Gentle. 

She suddenly stills. Then Flutters. My eyes snap open. It blinks once...twice...then spreads its wings. 

Perfect. Healed. It chirps softly before flying off into the night. I stare after it. "I...I healed it..." My fingers tremble slightly as I look down at my hands.

I take a step forward. I  accidentally stumble on another wolf.

"Oh!" I blink in surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't see you coming." I raise my head slightly. 

Emery.

"Its fine..." she says.

"Are you visiting from another pack?" Emery asks.

"No." I simply answer.

She looks over my hair, my face, my body.

And suddenly she sighs. "You're really beautiful."

I almost laugh.

"Goodnight," I say as I walk away.

And that is when I feel it.