Elara.
The bonfire burned high in the center of the clearing, sparks shooting into the night sky. The entire pack had gathered, their voices low, anticipation thick in the air. Tonight was the night the Moon Goddess's choice would be revealed. Tonight, Alpha Kael would claim his mate.
I stood on the stone platform, my palms damp, my heart pounding so loud I could barely hear the drums. All my life, I'd been told the Goddess had a plan. All my life, I'd been told that when the moment came, it would be magic.
Kael's eyes locked on mine as he strode through the crowd, tall and broad-shouldered, the kind of man who drew every gaze without trying. His dark hair caught the firelight, and even from here, I could see the hard set of his jaw.
He stopped in front of me, his scent smelt like pine and storm, hitting me in a dizzying rush.
"Elara," he said, voice deep enough to carry over the murmurs.
I straightened, my breath caught in my throat. "Kael."
The pack fell silent, waiting for the words everyone expected.
But they didn't come.
"I, Alpha Kael of the Silverfang Pack," he said slowly, his gaze never leaving mine, "reject you as my mate."
The words slammed into me like a physical blow. Gasps rippled through the crowd. Someone muttered, "No…"
My stomach dropped. My vision blurred. "What?" My voice was barely a whisper.
"I reject you," he repeated, his tone flat, final. "You are not fit to stand at my side."
Laughter, low, but cruel came from somewhere in the crowd. I recognized it instantly: Lyra, the Beta's daughter, and Kael's constant shadow.
Heat burned behind my eyes. "Why?"
Kael's mouth tightened. "You're weak, Elara. And a weak Luna will only get my pack killed."
The humiliation hit harder than the rejection. My nails dug into my palms, the metallic tang of blood filling my mouth where I'd bitten my tongue to keep from screaming.
"You think strength is measured in how loud you roar," I said, my voice trembling but steady enough to carry. "One day, you'll find out it's more than that."
He didn't flinch. He didn't even blink. "Get out of my territory before dawn."
The crowd erupted in whispers. My best friend, Mara, tried to push through to me, but a guard blocked her path.
I lifted my chin, refusing to let him see me break. "Fine. But don't forget… you threw away your Goddess-given mate tonight."
I turned and walked down the steps, the sting of every pair of eyes burning into my back. Each step away from that bonfire felt like a step away from the life I'd been promised.
By the time I reached my small cabin at the edge of the pack lands, my hands were shaking. I slammed the door behind me and pressed my forehead to the wood, letting the tears come now that no one could see.
I'd thought the Goddess had chosen him for me. I'd thought fate meant something. I'd been wrong.
The sickness in my stomach had been there for days, but tonight it felt heavier, precise. I stumbled to the bathroom, gripping the sink, and stared at my reflection. My cheeks were pale, my eyes too bright.
I knew what it meant.
I'd missed my last heat.
My breath hitched. I pressed a hand to my abdomen. No. Not now. Not like this.
I left before dawn, carrying nothing but a small pack and the weight of the secret growing inside me. The guards at the border didn't question me; they'd been ordered to let me go. The last thing I saw of Silverfang territory was the treeline, the scent of pine fading as I crossed into the human world.
⸻
Seven years later…
The rain pelted the cracked pavement outside my apartment, the neon sign from the diner across the street flickering through the blinds. Liam sat at the kitchen table, swinging his legs as he shoveled cereal into his mouth.
He had my eyes. My hair. But everything else, the strong jaw, the stubborn set of his brow was Kael.
"Eat slower," I told him. "You'll choke."
He grinned, milk clinging to his upper lip. "I'm fine, Mom."
I smiled back, but it didn't reach my eyes. My sister's text still glowed on my phone screen:
Need you. Urgent. It's about the herb.
The herb was rare, found only deep in Silverfang territory. And my sister, my only remaining family besides Liam needed it to survive.
Which meant going back.
Which meant risking everything.
I didn't tell Liam where we were going. I just packed his bag, loaded him into my beat-up sedan, and drove through the night.
The forest loomed ahead, dark and endless. My pulse raced as I turned onto the narrow dirt road that would take us to the border.
I parked and stepped out, the scent of pine hitting me like a punch to the gut. Liam hopped out behind me, tugging his hood over his head.
"Where are we?" he asked.
"Somewhere I never thought I'd come back to," I said in a low voice.
A rustle came from the trees. My head snapped up.
And there he was.
Kael stepped into the clearing like he'd been carved from the night itself, taller, broader than I remembered. His eyes locked on mine, and then shifted to the boy at my side.
Liam froze under his gaze.
Kael's nostrils flared, his shoulders tensing. "Who is he?"
My throat tightened. "None of your concern."
His gaze darkened, and I knew that look. The Alpha assessing prey, or possession.
"He smells like me," he said, his voice low, dangerous.
Liam's small hand slipped into mine, his fingers curling tight.
I swallowed hard. "We're here for something and then we're leaving."
Kael took a step closer, the air between us electric, suffocating. "Not without answers. And not without him."