THE ALPHA WHO COULD NOT HOWL

The Four Alphas

BONG! BONG! BONG!

The bell didn't stop ringing. That means DANGER.

Kael jumped out of bed, pulling on pants and a shirt in one second. He looked like a true Alpha now — his new wolf made his body bigger, stronger.

"Stay here," he told me.

"No way," I said, getting up too. I was wearing his shirt but I grabbed my dress from yesterday. "I'm Luna now. You said I have to sit beside you."

He wanted to argue, but Selene inside me growled, *"We are not a weak Luna who hides. We face them."*

He nodded. "Don't leave my side."

We walked downstairs hand in hand. The whole pack was gathered in the yard, scared.

At the gate stood four men. All huge. All Alpha. You could feel their power pressing on everyone.

The one in front was Alpha Marcus — Vanessa's father. Red hair like his daughter, but with a scar on his face. He looked furious.

"Kael!" he shouted. "You dare lock my daughter for a wolfless cleaner? Release her now or I will challenge you for Silver Crest!"

The other three Alphas growled with him. Four Alphas vs one.

Our Beta whispered to Kael, "Alpha, you just got your wolf yesterday. You cannot fight four Alphas alone. You will die."

Kael stepped forward, his silver-white eyes glowing. "I don't fight alone anymore. I fight with my Luna."

Alpha Marcus laughed. "Your Luna? That girl? She has no wolf! What will she do, sweep us to death?"

Everyone laughed nervously. My old shame came back. The cleaner. The wolfless.

But then Selene said, *"Enough. It's time they see me."*

My white mark started to glow so bright that everyone had to cover their eyes. My body started shaking, bones cracking — but different from Kael's shift. My shift was white light, not fur at first.

"Kael, what's happening to me?" I screamed, scared.

He held me. "Don't fight it! Let her out! Let your wolf out!"

I stopped fighting.

White fur exploded from my skin. I was shifting. For the first time in 19 years.

But I wasn't turning into a normal wolf.

I was turning into a giant white wolf, bigger than Kael's Alpha Prime. Eyes like moonlight. And on my forehead — a crescent moon.

Elder Okon fell to his knees, crying, "SELENE! MOTHER SELENE HAS RETURNED!"

The four Alphas stopped laughing. Their wolves whimpered and bowed inside them, forcing the men to kneel against their will.

I stood in my wolf form, taller than any of them. And I looked at Alpha Marcus and growled — a growl that shook the earth.