The Rival Alpha's Chosen Luna

The First Seal

The ground beneath Silver Fang split open.

Elara stumbled backward as a violent tremor shook the ceremonial grounds.

"Stay behind me!"

Lucien's voice thundered across the battlefield.

He moved toward her, but the Lycan King raised one hand.

"Don't."

Lucien stopped.

The King's eyes remained fixed on the enormous crack beneath the Moon Tree.

"If the seal breaks completely, your strength won't be enough to contain what lies beneath it."

Lucien's jaw tightened.

"Then tell me what we're dealing with."

The King looked at him.

"Something your ancestors buried because they were too afraid to destroy it."

Elara stared at the glowing crack.

"What is beneath the tree?"

The King slowly turned toward her.

"The reason your kind was created."

Her breath caught.

"What?"

Before he could explain, another tremor shook the ground.

The Moon Tree began to wither.

Its silver leaves fell one by one.

Then the ancient trunk split down the middle.

A black symbol appeared inside the tree.

Elara recognized it immediately.

The same serpent symbol Darius had found on the black medallion.

Her heart dropped.

"They've been here before."

Darius stepped forward.

"Alpha."

He pulled the medallion from his pocket.

"I found this inside the western tower."

The Lycan King's expression darkened.

"The Serpent Order."

Lucien looked at him.

"You know them?"

"I know what they want."

"What?"

The King looked directly at Elara.

"Her blood."

Silence.

Elara instinctively touched her pendant.

"My blood?"

The King nodded.

"The Moon Heir's blood can open the First Seal."

"And what happens if it opens?"

His expression became grim.

"The thing imprisoned beneath this mountain will wake."

A cold shiver passed through Elara.

"What thing?"

The King didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he looked toward the remaining hooded warriors.

One of them suddenly laughed.

"You've told her too much."

Lucien's eyes flashed gold.

The hooded man raised a blade toward Elara.

"Take the girl!"

Several warriors charged.

Lucien shifted instantly.

His massive black wolf slammed into the first attacker.

Ryder followed.

The two wolves fought side by side once again.

But this time...

Something was different.

The hooded warriors weren't attacking Lucien.

They were attacking Ryder.

Three surrounded him.

Ryder fought fiercely, but one blade slipped through his defenses.

It pierced his side.

"Ryder!"

Elara screamed.

He dropped to one knee.

The hooded warrior raised his weapon again.

Before the blade could fall—

Elara's pendant exploded with silver light.

The attacker was thrown across the battlefield.

Ryder stared at Elara in shock.

She ran toward him.

"Are you hurt?"

He pressed a hand against his bleeding side.

"I've survived worse."

"You could have died."

His eyes softened.

"Not before I tell you everything."

Lucien appeared beside them.

His expression was cold.

"You'll tell her nothing until we know whether you're being manipulated."

Ryder glared at him.

"You don't know anything about what happened."

"Then prove me wrong."

The tension between the two Alphas returned instantly.

Elara stepped between them.

"Enough!"

Both men fell silent.

She looked at Ryder.

"Did someone force you to reject me?"

"Yes."

"Did you know what I was?"

Ryder hesitated.

"No."

The answer came too quickly.

Elara narrowed her eyes.

"You're lying."

Ryder's face fell.

"I suspected."

"Suspected what?"

"That you were different."

He looked toward the Moon Tree.

"But I never knew you were the Moon Heir."

The Lycan King approached.

"He's telling the truth."

Lucien turned sharply.

"You trust him?"

"No."

The King looked at Ryder.

"But I know when someone is bound by an oath."

Ryder stiffened.

"What do you mean?"

The King stepped closer.

"Show her your wrist."

Ryder hesitated.

Then slowly rolled up his sleeve.

A dark mark circled his wrist.

Elara gasped.

It was the same serpent symbol.

Lucien's expression changed.

"The Order's mark."

Ryder looked down at it.

"They gave it to me the night I rejected her."

Elara stared at him.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I was warned that if I ever revealed the mark..."

His voice broke.

"...you would die."

Elara's eyes filled with tears.

For the first time, she understood.

Ryder hadn't simply been afraid of losing her.

He had been forced to choose between her life...

And the lives of everyone he loved.

But then the Lycan King spoke.

"There's one problem."

Everyone looked at him.

"The mark isn't a curse."

Ryder frowned.

"What?"

The King pointed toward the Moon Tree.

"It's a key."

The ground suddenly went silent.

Then—

**BOOM.**

A deep roar rose from beneath the mountain.

The crack beneath the tree widened.

Something enormous moved in the darkness below.

Elara froze.

The Lycan King drew his sword for the first time.

His expression was no longer calm.

It was fear.

"Everyone..."

"Get away from the tree."

A gigantic black hand slowly emerged from beneath the shattered roots.

Elara's blood ran cold.

The King raised his sword.

"The First Seal..."

"...has been broken."

And beneath the mountain...

Something ancient opened its eyes.