Moonlight’s chosen

I see her lying in the bed, pale and losing blood, while she holds the baby—tiny, fragile, with bright silver eyes. She drops soft kisses all over the baby’s face as doctors rush around the room, shouting orders and trying desperately to save her. In the background, a man is screaming. “Shhh,” she hums gently, motioning the man closer. “Look how beautiful she is.” As I focus, my chest tightens. The woman is my mother. Which means the screaming man… is my father. “She is,” he agrees hoarsely. I scoff in my head. I know this is a dream, but it’s impossible to believe he would say that—even in my subconscious. “Save her! Save her now!” the man roars at the doctors. It’s the last thing I hear before the entire scene goes black. Suddenly, a beautiful blonde woman stands in front of me. She seems to glow, her presence warm and overwhelming, her golden eyes shining with an otherworldly light. “You will soon understand why it had to be this way, sweet child,” she says softly, lifting her hand to caress my cheek. Before I can speak, a loud knock at my door jolts me awake. I shoot up in bed, my heart pounding, my body shaking from the intensity of the dream that made no sense. The door bursts open, and in comes my mother, singing cheerfully as she holds a cupcake with a candle sticking out of it. “Make a wish, my sweet girl,” she says, bending in front of me and holding out the cupcake. “Today starts your adult life, and I just know you’re going to do great things. I’ve known since the first time I held you and looked into those beautiful silver eyes.” Her eyes mist over as I blow out the candle and wrap my arms around her. “I’m so proud of you, sweet girl,” she says, wiping away the tear that slips down her cheek before giving me a huge smile. “Now get ready for school and meet your father and me downstairs.” Once she leaves, I get up and grab my phone from the dresser. Birthday messages from Ben and Lisa light up the screen. I quickly reply, thanking them and telling them I can’t wait to see them later. We’re in our final year of school, and I’m the last one to finally turn eighteen. I can’t wait to see if Ben is my true mate. Even if he isn’t, I’ll choose him anyway as soon as I finish school and move out. I have to wait because my father believes in listening to what the Moon Goddess intended, no matter what. That’s why I’m the heir. He never took a mistress to try for a male heir—but he hates me for it. He’s amazing at hiding it from my mother. He never physically hurts me, only with his words. I live a good life, treated like a princess, even by him in public. Very few people know how much he despises me—only his old beta, who recently died in a battle just outside our borders, his gamma, and a few others who’ve witnessed the hateful things he’s said. I would never tell anyone. I’m afraid my mother would try to leave him. She loves him, and he truly loves her too, so I can bear it for her sake. I pull on a pair of jeans, a plain black T-shirt, and my black school hoodie with a wolf howling at a full moon. I stuff my books into my backpack, sling it over my shoulder, and jog downstairs into the kitchen. I grab a piece of toast, load it with eggs, and take a huge bite just as my mother and father walk in. My father puts on a big show of wishing me a happy birthday in front of her. “Go hop in the truck,” he says. “I’ll take you to school.” My stomach drops. I kiss my mother’s cheek as I pass her. “We have some big surprises planned for after school,” my father adds, making my stomach knot even more. I climb into the passenger seat and wait for him to come ruin my day. Once he starts the truck, the sweet, proud-father mask disappears. After a moment of silence, he opens his mouth, then closes it, before finally speaking. “It has been eighteen years since you cursed me, your mother, and this pack,” he says coldly. “You were never strong enough to be an Alpha.” Tears sting my eyes as his usual words sink in. “I thought if I didn’t coddle you with affection, I could make you strong enough to bear the weight of running a pack,” he continues. “Since you took away our opportunity to give this pack a proper heir.” “Do not cry, child,” he snaps. “I know you don’t believe this, but I do love you—as much as I despise you for taking away my chance to have a son to take over my pack.” Each word feels like a knife. “Life could have been so different,” he says. “I never wanted this life for you. But you took that choice away.” The tears fall harder. “Now I need you to prove me wrong,” he says. “You need to choose a proper mate—someone who won’t run this pack into the ground like I know you would on your own. You can be a proper Luna.” Then he twists the knife deeper. “And no, your little Ben is not a suitable choice.” How dare he say he loves me while telling me all the ways I’m not good enough? All the things he claims I took from him—it’s not my fault. I didn’t take anything. And now he wants to take my dreams too. Ben will be my mate. I know it. And if he isn’t… I’ll tell my father that he is anyway. Because he believes you can never go against what the Moon Goddess chooses. And we’ll just see what she thinks about that.