The silver light of the full moon poured over Lunaris Hall, bathing the grand courtyard in an ethereal glow. Packs from all corners of the realm had gathered—Alphas, Betas, and their most trusted heirs. The air was thick with anticipation, whispers of power, and the raw energy of supernatural beings.
At the highest terrace, Theodore, the Alpha of the most formidable pack, stood tall. His golden eyes glimmered like molten sunlight, scanning the crowd. Tonight was the Moon Goddess Ceremony—a ritual of blessings, the union of mates, and the forging of alliances. Every pack waited, but Theodore's attention wavered. A subtle scent teased at the edge of his senses, one that stirred something deep and undeniable.
And then… she appeared.
Isabella.
The girl who thought herself human, raised among humans, now stepping onto the sacred grounds of Lunaris Hall. Her dark, almost black eyes reflected the moonlight, wide with confusion and awe. She had no idea what the Moon Goddess was, or why every movement, every presence around her made her pulse quicken.
Before anyone could react, shadows moved.
From the edge of the moonlit forest, a hybrid leapt, snatching Isabella with terrifying precision. Her scream echoed through the hall as her captor disappeared into the trees. Theodore's golden eyes flared, igniting like fire. His senses burned as he caught her lingering scent, strong and singular. She is mine…
The packs froze, watching the Alpha tense with a power that radiated off him like heat. His focus sharpened, his muscles coiling with predatory precision. The forest beyond the hall became a blur of movement, but Theodore saw every detail, every step of the hybrid carrying Isabella.
Isabella struggled, terrified and disoriented, unable to comprehend the rituals, the packs, or the significance of the Moon Goddess Ceremony. But even in her panic, a pull—the unspoken bond between her and Theodore—stirred, faint but undeniable.
Theodore's golden eyes burned brighter in the moonlight, almost unnatural in their intensity. Nothing else mattered—no pack politics, no ceremonial decorum. Only her safety. Only her. The Alpha's growl rumbled low, deep in his chest, vibrating through the hall, a warning to all who might dare stand in his way.
Even as Isabella's wide eyes mirrored fear and confusion, the bond began to anchor them together, invisible yet palpable. The Moon Goddess may have orchestrated the night, but destiny had its own plan. Theodore, Alpha of the strongest pack, and Isabella, the human-raised girl who didn't yet know her true self, were now bound by something neither fully understood.
The hybrid vanished into the forest, but Theodore's gaze followed, his every sense attuned to the girl he could already feel as his mate. The first chapter of their entwined destiny had begun—suspended between fear, wonder, and the undeniable pull of what was meant to be.