Whispers of the Bloodmoon

Aria The Midnight Woods are tall and dark and masked by the scent of Blood Moon. No more nerves pounding at my heart as I stood on the threshold of a ceremonial space, the cool and damp earth goose-bumping my bare feet. But tonight will change everything. “Aria, stop fidgeting,” my best friend, Lily, whispered, giving me a nudge. Her warm brown eyes teemed with eagerness, but I couldn’t reciprocate her enthusiasm. I felt sick, and my stomach was in knots. “I can’t help it,” I whispered back, so low my voice was lost among the celebrating trees. “But what if … what if I don’t get picked?” Lily smiled gently and ran her flaming red hair back. “You’re overthinking. The Moon is never wrong. You will meet your mate tonight.’” But I wasn’t so sure. I had never been special, just Aria, the orphaned healer-in-training. A girl is too weak for war and too timid to fight. What kind of partner would desire a person like me? “Look, it’s starting,” Lily breathed, blinking in disbelief as the Blood Moon started slowly to rise into the night sky above them, lighting everything in a strange red lumière. The sacred circle was almost completed now, and the pack filled the remainder around it, their groans louder now, vibrating in anticipation of the feast. Auras of packs streamed forward, Alphas from nearby scratched at the fronts, puffing up like they owned the place. And then… I saw him. Alpha Kieran Blackthorn. My heart skipped a beat. Up close, he was even more intimidating. Tall, broad-shouldered and with the kind of jet-black hair that framed his chiseled face. His golden eyes glimmered, roving the crowd with a predator’s watchfulness. There was no denying his power; when he entered the room it hummed with raw energy. My breath caught when he briefly looked at me. What a shiver of recognition you gave me, and I turned away, blushing. “Aria Nightshade,” the Elder’s voice rang out over the clearing. I was like a lead but somehow stepped forward. My heart raced in my chest, and I felt all eyes on me. “The Moon has spoken,” the Elder intoned, lifting his arms to the sky. “Your mate…” Silence filled the air. I heard my own pulse surging in my ears as the light of the Blood Moon blazed brighter. A peculiar warmth surged through me, and my wolf stirred uneasily. "Please…just let it be someone nice.” Someone who will accept me. “Alpha Kieran Blackthorn.” The world stopped. Gasps went up through the crowd. My knees nearly buckled, and I looked at the Elder, certain I had misheard. No… this can’t be. Kieran’s head whipped toward me, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. His lips curled in disgust, and then, before I could blink, he stepped forward. “No.” That single word rang like a death note. “I reject her.” There was silence in the crowd and the weight of a thousand eyes on me. My eyes filled with tears, but I would not let them fall. Not here. Not in front of everyone. “But … the Moon …” the Elder started, his voice wavering. “The Moon was wrong,” Kieran muttered, his eyes boring into me like a dagger. “I will never allow anyone so weak to be my mate.” I felt pain bursting in my chest, and I couldn’t breathe. It felt like my chest was on fire, the connection ruptured in its infantile state. Kieran… why? “Aria… ” Lily’s voice was quiet, but I could hardly hear it. Blood was pounding in my ears; at last, my knees buckled. And then I fell to the ground, my hands digging into the dirt and gravel beneath me, but that pain was nothing compared to the pain that was raging inside me. “Take her away,” Kieran said coldly and turned his back to me as if I was nothing. Rejected. My mate had spurned me underneath the Blood Moon. Two Hours Later Sitting at the edge of the Midnight Woods, I hugged my knees to my chest. My tears had run dry, leaving me shaken and empty. The pain remained but as a dull ache now, a wound too deep to heal. “Aria…” “Where are we?” Lily asked softly, kneeling next to me, as warm against the cold night as a blanket. “You don’t have to stay here,” she said in a whisper. Come back to the packhouse. We’ll figure this out.” “No,” I said, my throat closing. “I can’t, Lily." I … I don’t fit in there anymore.” “You’re still one of the pack,” she insisted, tears glimmering in her eyes. “He can’t rob you out of that.” “But he took everything else,” I said, my voice low and small. Lily didn’t argue. She pulled me into a tight hug, and for a moment, I allowed myself to lean into her warmth. But her comfort couldn’t fill the void in me. What do I do now? There was a rustling in the trees, and my body stiffened. I wasn’t alone. “Lily…” I said, breathing my heart racing again, but not from sadness. It was fear. Lily’s head whipped up, her eyes squinting as her gaze swept through the dark. “Who’s there?” Silence. A low growl followed, then registered in the night. My blood ran cold. Rogues. “Run!” “Get up!” Lily said urgently, lifting me off my feet. But it was too late. Something passed in the trees, and before I knew it, a shape stepped out into the darkness. Tall, with glittering silver eyes and a dangerous grin. “Not so soon little wolf? My heart stopped. “Who are you?” I demanded, attempting to sound braver than I felt. The man came closer, his eyes fixated on me. “Just a friend … or perhaps an enemy. Depends on how this goes.” “Stay away from her!” Lily growled, extending her claws as she stepped in front of me possessively. The man laughed, unaffected by her threat. “Relax." I’m not here to hurt her.” His eyes turned to me, and for some reason, I felt an odd draw to him. “I have been waiting for you, Aria.” How does he know my name? My spine chilled as his eyes sparkled in the moonlight. “Who are you?” I whispered, my voice shaking slightly. “Lucian,” he said, his smile spreading wide. “And I’m here to help you... whether you like it or not.”