The Lunar Queen

Lyric POV My name is Lyric Cassidy. I’m the youngest of five—one being my twin sister. My father, William Cassidy, is the beta of the Moonveil Pack, the second largest and strongest pack in our region next to the royal pack. My oldest brother, Hunter, is next in line to be beta, and his best friend Mason is our future alpha. Their two other friends, Micah and Lucas, are our future gamma and delta, all born within days of each other—the future leadership of the pack. And yet, they can’t even be bothered to know I exist. My other brothers are twins, too—Jace and Logan—more focused on girls than duty. Then there’s my twin, Summer. The popular one. The “pretty one.” She’s already decided Mason is her mate and that she’s our future Luna. She hates my guts. She said the moon goddess made a mistake by making me her twin. Opposites doesn’t even begin to cover it. She’s 5’5” like our mom; I’m 5’0 flat, probably the smallest she-wolf in the pack. Her fair skin contrasts my caramel tone; she has chocolate brown curls and blue eyes, I have copper-red hair and emerald green eyes. She’s slim and petite; I’m thick and curvy. She hates training and prefers designer clothes and high heels. Me? I live for training—all pack members start at age nine. I manage to stay in the background, blend in. But I’m one of the best warriors in the pack—probably better than my brothers and their friends. I nearly pinned Alpha Liam in sparring once—that’s how good I am. Yet nobody knows except Alpha Liam, Luna Emily, Delta Sam, and my best friend Winter, the alpha’s daughter and Mason’s little sister. Winter and I have been inseparable since we were toddlers. My life has always been the same: invisible to my family, hated by my pack thanks to Summer. She spreads nasty rumors, has warriors bully me. Everyone sees it, nobody stops it. Summer does whatever she wants, and our “future leadership”? A joke. I wake to my alarm at 5 a.m. Please tell me you’re not still sleeping, Winter’s mindlink comes through I groan, shut it down, and roll out of bed. Shower, cherry shampoo, cherry body wash—let the hot water brace me for another day of being invisible. Afterward, I lotion myself with vanilla, throw on black Nike leggings and a matching sports bra, slip into sneakers, and toss my hair into a high bun. “This will do,” I mutter, grabbing my bag. I walk past my family in our private dining room before Summer can notice me. I’m outside your door, b***h—open up, I link Winter once I reach her floor. The door swings open. Winter stands there, all alpha poise—long blonde hair braided down her back, smooth olive skin, slim and beautiful. “What took you so long? And you shut me out earlier, b***h,” she teases. “My hair wouldn’t cooperate, and yes, it was too early,” I mutter. “And you were yelling in my head.” “Whatever. Let’s go. Dad says Delta Sam and Gamma Jake have new drills today,” she says, leading the way. We stop in the pack dining room to greet the head kitchen omega, Mary, who hands us each a muffin and a water bottle. We thank her and move toward the training grounds. Summer is already there with her little crew of terror: an omega named Sarah and Savannah, one of our head warriors’ daughters. Across the field, I see Hunter and all his friends, plus Jace and Logan. Winter and I slide to the back of the group. Delta Sam starts us off with warm-ups and a lap around the field. Then he and Alpha Liam demonstrate defensive moves effective in human and wolf form. When it’s time to practice, they pair us up and walk around, correcting form. “Good job, girls. Now, sparring time. Up first: Lyric and Savannah.” My stomach drops. What are you doing? I link Delta Sam. It’s time to show the pack what our little spitfire can do, he responds. “Nobody cares about the beta’s invisible daughter,” I mutter. I do. Now get up here, he says. I walk into the main sparring circle, nerves at an all-time high. I’ve never sparred in front of the whole pack before. “Begin!” Delta Sam calls. Savannah lunges. I side-step, grab her arm, elbow her ribs, then step back. She charges again—this time I pivot and kick her back, using her momentum against her. She stumbles but steadies herself. Anger fuels her sloppy attacks. She grabs me and pulls me to the ground—I hook my leg and flip us. Straddling her, I land a clean punch to her face as Delta Sam calls time. I stand, reaching out to help Savannah up. She slaps my hand away. All eyes are on me. Alpha Liam grins with pride. Winter jumps up and down. But what catches me most? The guys. All of them, staring wide-eyed, mouths open. Then I lock eyes with Mason. His gaze is intense, unreadable, and I freeze. I glance to my left. Summer is staring. I know I’ll pay for that look later.