CHAPTER FIVE:The Mate Beyond The Border
786 Words
Silence swept across the Moon Altar.
Thousands of eyes remained fixed on the silver beam stretching across the night sky.
It cut through the clouds like a divine arrow, pointing toward lands no pack claimed.
Toward the Forgotten Forest.
Toward the unknown.
The High Priestess lowered her crystal staff with trembling hands.
"This is impossible..."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
"What does it mean?"
"Who lives beyond the border?"
"Has the Moon Goddess chosen a rogue?"
"No... it can't be."
Kael never took his eyes off the silver beam.
His wolf had become almost impossible to control.
Find her.
The command wasn't a suggestion anymore.
It was an instinct.
A need.
His heartbeat matched the rhythm of the moonlight as it pulsed across the sky.
For the first time in his life, the future Alpha felt uncertain.
His mate wasn't here.
She wasn't standing among the noble daughters of the seven kingdoms.
She wasn't part of any known pack.
She was... somewhere else.
And somehow, he already knew she was in danger.
---
High above the arena, Alpha King Orion rose from his throne.
His powerful voice silenced the whispers.
"The ceremony is suspended."
Gasps rippled through the gathering.
Suspended?
It had never happened before.
"We will meet at dawn," Orion continued. "Until then, no one is to leave the capital without my permission."
Most Alphas nodded in agreement.
One did not.
Alpha Magnus of the Blood Moon Pack slowly stood.
His crimson cloak flowed behind him as he smiled—a smile that never reached his eyes.
"So the Silver Moon Pack wishes to hide its embarrassment."
The arena grew tense.
Orion met his gaze calmly.
"The Moon Goddess has spoken. We will seek understanding before action."
Magnus folded his arms.
"Or perhaps she has warned us."
His sharp eyes drifted toward the silver beam.
"What if the one she has chosen is not a blessing..."
"...but a curse?"
Several nobles exchanged uneasy glances.
The word lingered in the air.
Curse.
Kael's jaw tightened.
Something about Magnus's expression unsettled him.
It wasn't confusion.
It was recognition.
---
Miles away...
The silver beam pierced the clouds above Lyra's village.
Everyone came outside to witness it.
Children pointed toward the heavens.
The elders whispered frightened prayers.
Old Mara closed her eyes.
"It has begun."
Lyra stared at the light.
It seemed alive.
Slowly...
The beam narrowed until only a single strand of silver remained.
It descended silently.
Straight toward her.
"No..." Old Mara whispered.
But it was too late.
The silver light touched Lyra's forehead.
Warmth spread through her body.
The mark beneath her bandage burst into brilliant light.
A powerful gust of wind exploded through the village.
Windows shattered.
Torches went out.
Every dog barked at once.
For one breathtaking moment...
A translucent image of an enormous silver wolf appeared behind Lyra.
Its eyes glowed like twin moons.
Its head lifted proudly toward the heavens before fading into nothing.
The villagers fell to their knees.
Some screamed.
Others fled.
"The cursed girl!"
"She's a witch!"
"Drive her out!"
Lyra looked around in horror.
"I didn't do this!"
No one listened.
A stone flew through the air.
It struck her shoulder.
Then another.
And another.
"Leave!"
"We don't want you here!"
Old Mara stepped in front of Lyra, shielding her with her own body.
"Stop!"
But fear had already become hatred.
The crowd advanced.
Lyra's eyes filled with tears.
This had been her home.
Now it had become the place that wanted her gone.
---
Far beneath Blackstone Peak...
The Hollow King laughed.
His prison shook violently.
"So..."
"The Moon has finally revealed her."
Dark shadows gathered around him like loyal servants.
One knelt before him.
"My King..."
"The rogues await your command."
The Hollow King's smile widened.
"Find the girl."
"Bring her to me."
"And if the Silver Moon Alpha reaches her first?"
The Hollow King's silver eyes burned with ancient fury.
"Then let the forests drink royal blood."
---
Back in the capital...
Kael stood alone on the palace balcony.
The silver beam had vanished.
But the pull remained.
His wolf refused to rest.
Footsteps approached behind him.
It was his father.
"You intend to disobey my order."
Kael didn't answer immediately.
Finally, he said quietly,
"She's alone."
Orion studied his son for a long moment.
"You've never even met her."
"I know."
"And yet..."
Kael looked toward the distant northern horizon.
"...if I don't go now..."
"...I'll be too late."
A cold wind swept across the balcony.
Somewhere beyond the mountains, a frightened young woman was running for her life.
Neither of them knew it yet.
But by the next sunrise...
Their lives would collide.
And nothing in Elarion would ever be the same.
- Writer
