Selene's POV
Morning came slow, dripping through the apothecary windows in golden threads that caught the steam of the simmering cauldron. I had not slept. None of us had. The aftermath from the attack still clung to the air, faint echoes of pain, fear and the miracle that followed it.
Flora was resting now, her breathing steady, her baby swaddled beside her. The little girl's skin shimmered faintly, as though the moonlight had kissed her before she drew her first breath. Even the vines around the apothecary walls had grown restless, curling toward the cradle as if drawn to its glow.
Elara sat nearby, whispering a prayer of gratitude to the Moon Goddess. But beneath that peace, I could still feel it, a residue in the air, thick and cold. The kind of darkness that doesn't vanish when the night fades.
I moved quietly to Flora's bedside and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "She's strong," I said softly.
Elara nodded, though her eyes darted toward the cradle. "And the baby?"
I hesitated. "Different."
When I looked at the infant, my heart stilled. Around the crescent moon has moved from around her head toher tiny wrist— a crescent moon intertwined with what looked like a shadow, etched in silvery black. The mark pulsed faintly, alive.
"Elara," I whispered. "Do you see it?"
She leaned closer, her brows knitting. "That… that is not natural, Selene."
"I know," I murmured. "It's the residue of dark magic. I felt it during Flora's labor. It clung to her like smoke."
Elara's face paled. "Kira."
"Yes." I moved to my worktable and began setting out crystals and herbs, white sage, moon salt, lavender and a drop of silverleaf oil. "She tried to curse the child."
"But she failed," Elara said, almost pleading.
I glanced at the baby again. "No, she didn't fail. The curse twisted. It became something else."
"What do you mean?"
"She carries both — the moon's blessing and the shadow's touch. If the balance tips either way, it could decide her fate, and maybe ours."
I lit the sage and began chanting softly, ancient words that hummed through the room like a distant melody. The light grew, washing the walls in silver. For a heartbeat, the baby's mark shimmered brightly, then dimmed again, as if hiding itself.
I reached out and touched Flora's hand gently. "She will need protection, always."
Flora stirred weakly, her voice barely a whisper. "Selene… what's wrong?"
I smiled faintly. "Nothing, dear. Your baby is beautiful. Keep resting, You're safe."
But in truth, I was not certain any of us were.
As Flora drifted to sleep again, I stepped away, my gaze fixed on the cradle. The vines outside rustled against the windows and I swore I heard the faintest whisper from the shadows, a name carried on the wind.
Kira.
And in that moment, I knew she was still watching us.
************
Lucian's POV
The scent of blood and herbs lingered even after I left the apothecary. The morning wind carried it through the trees as I rode back toward the pack grounds, Darius close behind me.
I could not shake the image of Flora — pale, trembling, clutching Selene's hand or the sound of the baby's first cry. It had been both a relief and a warning.
"She's safe, Alpha," Darius said beside me, as if reading my thoughts. "Selene made sure of it.
I nodded but said nothing. My mind wasn't on Flora anymore. It was on the one who had caused it.
Kira Ronan.
I had seen her once again in my office, her eyes lowered, her voice honeyed with false remorse. She had spoken of forgiveness, of peace, of wanting to return to her kind. But every word had tasted of venom. "Kira Ronan, you lied to me again."
"You shouldn't believe her when she said, she has changed!" Darius said carefully. While Alora didn't say anything.
"No, I didn't believe her" I said coldly. "Kira never returns without purpose. If she is here, it means the Shadow Court has has sent her and i want to know the reason."
Darius's jaw tightened. "Should we have her followed?"
"She's already being watched," I said. "But keep it quiet. I don't want the pack to panic."
When we reached the gates of Moonfang, I paused and looked back toward the forest. The path that led to Selene's apothecary glimmered faintly beneath the sun. A strange pull tugged at my chest, something primal, protective.
I had never felt so bound to someone before — not by the mate bond, but by something older, something carved in fate.
"Alpha," Darius said quietly. "What if the prophecy Astra spoke of… what if this is how it begins?"
I looked up at the moon still faint in the daylight sky. "Then may the goddess give us strength to see it through."
When I entered my study, the first thing I noticed was a scent. Jasmine. Sweet, familiar. My muscles tensed instantly.
And there she was.
Kira Ronan, draped in a dark cloak, standing by the window as though she owned the place. Her smile was soft, but her eyes glimmered with malice.
"Why are you in my office, who allowed you in? You should have told me you were coming," I said evenly, though my voice carried warning.
"I wanted to surprise you," she purred. "It has been years, Lucian. Have you missed me?"
"It's Alpha and not once."
Her smirk faltered. "I see you still have that temper."
"And you still have no right to stand in this room," I snapped. "Why are you here?"
She moved closer, her scent thickening the air. "I told you, I want peace. I've served my punishment in shadow court when they saw me. And now the Court has granted me release."
"The Shadow Court does not release its servants," I growled.
For a moment, something flickered in her eyes — a spark of unease. Then she smiled again. "You think too little of me, Alpha. I have changed."
"Lies do not change," I said, turning away. "They only learn to speak softer."
Her voice turned cold. "You should be careful who you trust, Alpha. Especially the witch you run to in the dark."
I froze. Slowly, I turned to face her. "What did you say?"
She smiled, sharp as glass. "Selene, isn't it? The apothecary witch with silver eyes. You should keep her close… before the shadows take her too."
Before I could respond, she vanished — the air where she stood rippling with faint black smoke.
My fists clenched. She had been near Selene's home. I knew it now. And that meant the threat was not just against us, but against the very balance Astra had warned of.
*************
Kira's POV
The forest swallowed me whole as I fled from the pack grounds, my cloak dragging against the roots and thorns. The dark magic I'd woven last night still pulsed in my veins like venom.
I stopped near the lake's edge, panting, the reflection of the sun fractured across the water. I closed my eyes and hissed through my teeth.
From the shadows, a figure emerged — cloaked in red and black. His eyes glowed faintly crimson beneath the hood.
"The child is touched."
"Yes," the figure mused. "But that was not your task. You were meant to destroy, not mark."
Kira turned sharply, her fury barely contained. "The Moon's power shielded them. I could feel it, burning through my curse. The witch's bloodline is older than I thought."
"Then you must finish what you began," the man said. "The Shadow Court grows restless. The prophecy must not be fulfilled."
Kira's lips curled into a wicked smile. "Oh, I intend to finish it. The witch believes herself untouchable. But even the brightest moon has a shadow."
I looked down at my hands, the dark veins glowing faintly beneath my skin. The price of my magic was already spreading, binding me closer to the darkness i served.
"Soon," i whispered, her voice trembling with hunger. "The Moonfang Alpha will see who truly holds power. And when the witch falls, I will take everything that was once mine."
*************
Selene's POV
Later that day, as the apothecary grew quiet again, I returned to the baby's side. She stirred softly, her tiny fingers curling as though clutching unseen light.
"Elara," I said softly, "prepare a silver basin. I need to see her future."
Elara hesitated but obeyed. She brought the bowl and I filled it with moonwater and three drops of my own blood and a strand of the baby's hair. The surface shimmered and slowly, the image formed.
The child, grown. Standing between fire and light. The moon above her split in two — half silver, half black. And beside her, two shadows — one of moon and one of shadows court— bound together by flame.
I gasped softly, pulling back. "Oh goddess…"
Elara's voice trembled. "What did you see?"
I looked at her, my heart racing. "The child...